“Of course I forgive you. But how can I be sure you won’t freak out again?”
“Because I’m giving you my word.” He looked at her and smiled and kissed her forehead. “We have a baby. It’s so perfect, isn’t it? A beautiful being is going to come into this world and that little baby is going to be the manifestation of what you and I share. A piece of you and a piece of me—hopefully more of you and a bit less of me.”
She laughed. “I never thought you’d react like this. I was terrified you’d be angry with me.”
“Never.” He kissed her lips. “Never.”
Nicole was finally starting to relax. The cabin was so cozy and her worst fears had been averted. In fact, Red’s reaction to the news had been far better than she ever could’ve imagined. He actually was excited and happy, almost joyous about it all.
“I’m so glad I came here,” she murmured, suddenly feeling tired. It was as if she hadn’t slept in weeks and weeks.
She was finally home. Home was wherever Red was.
Red went to his little twin bed and took the blanket from it, brought it over to the couch and covered her with it. She smiled up at him, her eyes heavy. She felt sleepy and drunk with relief.
“Rest now, Nicole. I’m here and I’ll take care of everything.”
“You will?” she murmured, already falling into the depths, as if dipping into a warm, soothing bath.
“I will,” he replied.
And then she was sleeping peacefully, the most relaxed she’d been in a very long time.
When Nicole first awoke from her nap, her eyes blinking, trying to remember where she was—she heard noises—pots and pans clanking together or something.
Her eyes began to focus and she saw Red at the stove, bustling around. All he needed was a little apron and he’d have made a perfect chef, she thought.
Red heard her stirring and turned around. “What’s that smile about?” he asked, holding a spoon dripping with red sauce.
Nicole scooted up on the couch and felt a short burst of pain in her ankle. “Ouch.”
“Are you okay?” He dropped the spoon and bolted over to the couch. “Let me look at your ankle,” he said.
“I’m fine,” she laughed. “I just tweaked it a little—I kind of forgot it was hurt.”
“I should rewrap it anyway, and you’re almost due for another round of ice.”
“You mean peas.”
“Frozen peas,” he clarified, unwrapping the Ace bandage and examining her swollen, bruised ankle. “Damn, I’m so pissed at myself for making you run away like that this afternoon.” Red shook his head.
“It’s okay now,” she said, patting his hand.
“It’s not okay for me. You got hurt because I acted like a jerk.”
“My ankle already feels better,” she said. “So you shouldn’t beat yourself up about it.”
Red looked up at her. “I can tell when you lie.”
“Well, I’m sure it will feel better soon. Especially with my own personal physician helping me rehab it with frozen veggies.”
He laughed and nodded, reapplying the bandage. “I think the swelling’s already gone down a bit.”
Nicole watched him as he tended to her injury, and she couldn’t help but well up with love and affection. He was so intent on making her comfortable, on taking care of her, just the way she’d hoped he would in her wildest fantasies.
It was worth it to twist my ankle to see him behaving this way, she thought.
“What are you cooking over there, Chef Jameson?” she asked, pointing to the stove with the big pot bubbling on it. She could see steam pouring out of the top of it.
“Oh, shit. I forgot, I have to stir that and turn down the heat or dinner’s going to be ruined,” he said, scrambling to his feet and darting back to the stove.
He picked up his spoon and stirred vigorously for a minute. “I’m making Red’s famous spaghetti with marinara sauce.”
“Mmmm…sounds delicious,” she replied, sniffing the air. “I smell onions and garlic and meatballs.”
“Sausage, actually. Everything’s in the sauce, babe.” He turned and gave her an exaggerated wink. “But don’t try and ask me for my recipe—I’ll never reveal my secret sauce.”
“I think I could make you tell if I wanted to.”
“No way,” he said, shaking his head. “My lips are sealed.”
A few minutes later, Red had come back to the couch bearing his frozen peas again, as promised. Nicole sat up and he placed a few pillows behind her back, but still made sure her foot was sufficiently elevated.
“Thanks,” she said, relaxing again into the wonders of being waited on hand and foot by the love of her life. She actually wanted to pinch herself and make sure it wasn’t a dream.