locked the door once he was inside.
He walked into the room and glanced around. Two double beds divided by a nightstand, and a TV plopped onto an outdated dresser. There were baby clothes on one of the beds.
But no baby.
Houston was about to turn to Gabrielle and blast her for the deception, but then he heard the sound coming from the bathroom.
“I put Lucas in there when I heard someone knocking on the door,” Lily Rose explained, and she headed in that direction.
The sound got a little louder, and it only took a few seconds before it turned until a full-fledged cry.
Definitely a baby.
That got Houston moving, and he trailed right along behind Lily Rose. Gabrielle did, too, but she pressed her forearm over her breasts.
“I have to nurse him,” she mumbled. “My milk just let down.”
Houston didn’t have a clue what that last part meant,but it was obvious that Gabrielle intended to breast-feed the baby.
Lily Rose stepped out of the tiny bathroom, holding an infant carrier in her right hand. Houston saw the movement then, the tiny kicks and squirms beneath the pale blue blanket.
“He’s hungry,” the nanny announced, grinning down at the baby. “I fed him a bottle about an hour ago, but I guess that wasn’t enough for our growing boy.” Still grinning, she brought the carrier toward Gabrielle.
And he got the first glimpse of his son’s face.
It nearly brought Houston to his knees. Oh, mercy.
He’d seen pictures of himself as a baby, and Lucas was his spitting image. The dark brown hair, the shape of his face, that chin. He couldn’t see the baby’s eyes, but he was betting they were Sadler blue.
Houston had expected his first glimpse to pack a wallop, and it did. He looked into the carrier and saw that precious little face. It wasn’t exactly one of those picture-perfect moments, because his son’s face was flushed from crying, and it was obvious he wasn’t happy. His sobs got even louder.
Gabrielle stepped in front of Houston and eased the baby from the carrier.
“It’s all right,” she murmured. “Mommy’s here now.”
She kissed the baby’s cheek and carried him to one of the beds, where she sat and leaned back against the headboard. She smiled at Lucas. Really smiled.
Man.
It lit up her whole face. Gabrielle was a knockout,even when she was glaring at him; but with that smile she was beautiful.
Houston shook his head to clear it. His brain was obviously turning to mush.
Gabrielle had already reached to pull up her top, but then her gaze came to his. “Uh, could you turn around?” she asked.
It wasn’t an unreasonable request, but Houston hated to take his eyes off his son, even for a couple of minutes. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and take him. To kiss him the way Gabrielle had. He wanted to know what it felt like to hold that precious life in his hands.
But his son obviously preferred dinner.
Houston turned to the side and tried to keep his attention elsewhere. Still, the room was small, and he caught the movement from the corner of his eye when Gabrielle lifted her T-shirt. He also heard his son begin to nurse.
Houston had to take a deep breath.
Here he’d been so certain that he could just take Lucas and get custody of him, but the breast-feeding was a stark reminder that, while Lucas’s DNA might be a match to Lizzy’s, Gabrielle was the mommy he knew.
“I was worried about you,” Lily Rose told Gabrielle, “so I checked for messages on the cell phone. I got your voicemail about you arriving at the Sadler ranch. There was also another message from your brother, Jay.” She motioned to the notepad and the phone on the nightstand.
That got Houston’s attention, and he looked at Gabrielle. Her top was still shoved up, but he couldn’t see her breasts because Lucas was in front of them.
Gabrielle glanced at the notepad and then at Houston.Before today, Jay was the only thing they had in common, and it wasn’t a good connection to have. Houston
He walked into the room and glanced around. Two double beds divided by a nightstand, and a TV plopped onto an outdated dresser. There were baby clothes on one of the beds.
But no baby.
Houston was about to turn to Gabrielle and blast her for the deception, but then he heard the sound coming from the bathroom.
“I put Lucas in there when I heard someone knocking on the door,” Lily Rose explained, and she headed in that direction.
The sound got a little louder, and it only took a few seconds before it turned until a full-fledged cry.
Definitely a baby.
That got Houston moving, and he trailed right along behind Lily Rose. Gabrielle did, too, but she pressed her forearm over her breasts.
“I have to nurse him,” she mumbled. “My milk just let down.”
Houston didn’t have a clue what that last part meant,but it was obvious that Gabrielle intended to breast-feed the baby.
Lily Rose stepped out of the tiny bathroom, holding an infant carrier in her right hand. Houston saw the movement then, the tiny kicks and squirms beneath the pale blue blanket.
“He’s hungry,” the nanny announced, grinning down at the baby. “I fed him a bottle about an hour ago, but I guess that wasn’t enough for our growing boy.” Still grinning, she brought the carrier toward Gabrielle.
And he got the first glimpse of his son’s face.
It nearly brought Houston to his knees. Oh, mercy.
He’d seen pictures of himself as a baby, and Lucas was his spitting image. The dark brown hair, the shape of his face, that chin. He couldn’t see the baby’s eyes, but he was betting they were Sadler blue.
Houston had expected his first glimpse to pack a wallop, and it did. He looked into the carrier and saw that precious little face. It wasn’t exactly one of those picture-perfect moments, because his son’s face was flushed from crying, and it was obvious he wasn’t happy. His sobs got even louder.
Gabrielle stepped in front of Houston and eased the baby from the carrier.
“It’s all right,” she murmured. “Mommy’s here now.”
She kissed the baby’s cheek and carried him to one of the beds, where she sat and leaned back against the headboard. She smiled at Lucas. Really smiled.
Man.
It lit up her whole face. Gabrielle was a knockout,even when she was glaring at him; but with that smile she was beautiful.
Houston shook his head to clear it. His brain was obviously turning to mush.
Gabrielle had already reached to pull up her top, but then her gaze came to his. “Uh, could you turn around?” she asked.
It wasn’t an unreasonable request, but Houston hated to take his eyes off his son, even for a couple of minutes. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and take him. To kiss him the way Gabrielle had. He wanted to know what it felt like to hold that precious life in his hands.
But his son obviously preferred dinner.
Houston turned to the side and tried to keep his attention elsewhere. Still, the room was small, and he caught the movement from the corner of his eye when Gabrielle lifted her T-shirt. He also heard his son begin to nurse.
Houston had to take a deep breath.
Here he’d been so certain that he could just take Lucas and get custody of him, but the breast-feeding was a stark reminder that, while Lucas’s DNA might be a match to Lizzy’s, Gabrielle was the mommy he knew.
“I was worried about you,” Lily Rose told Gabrielle, “so I checked for messages on the cell phone. I got your voicemail about you arriving at the Sadler ranch. There was also another message from your brother, Jay.” She motioned to the notepad and the phone on the nightstand.
That got Houston’s attention, and he looked at Gabrielle. Her top was still shoved up, but he couldn’t see her breasts because Lucas was in front of them.
Gabrielle glanced at the notepad and then at Houston.Before today, Jay was the only thing they had in common, and it wasn’t a good connection to have. Houston
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