the blinds.”
He didn’t wait for her to comply; he started the task by checking the windows in the living room. “After we’re done, stay away from the windows and don’t go back outside.”
All of his activity got her heart racing. “Wait a minute. Those men are still in jail, aren’t they?”
Luke snared her gaze, and Elaina saw it then. Not the attraction. Not the cockiness. Definitely not the “loving husband” he’d been just moments earlier.
She saw the concern.
“Those men are in jail,” Luke confirmed. He turned toward Christopher’s room and said the rest of what he had to say over his shoulder as he walked away. “But that doesn’t mean they’re working alone.”
Chapter Six
Luke was practically soaking wet, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t about to leave his son’s bath time just so he could dry off.
Christopher was enjoying himself in what was left of the two inches of warm water inside his little yellow plastic tub. Elaina had placed that tub inside the regular porcelain one in the bathroom. At first, Luke hadn’t understood why she did that. But after watching Christopher splash water over Elaina, Luke, himself and most of the entire room, he knew this was the best place for his son.
He wondered how long it would take him to learn all the little things that made Christopher’s life happier and safer. Feeding him dinner had been an enjoyable challenge, but those challenges were just starting.
Luke smiled at that.
Then, frowned.
He’d never felt more incompetent at anything in his life. And yet, he’d never looked so forward to anything, either. Through the baths, feedings and playtimes, he’d get to know his baby, they’d form a bond, and he’d no longer be a father in name only.
“He’s a special little boy, isn’t he?” Luke heard Elaina say.
Luke turned toward her. She was watching him watch Christopher, and the pain and doubts were there all over her face. A huge contrast to the laughing, splashing baby in the tub.
“He’s usually happy like this?” he asked.
She smiled, just a brief one, before she clamped it off. “Most of the time. But he’ll get sleepy soon, and then he’s likely to be cranky.”
Luke checked his watch. It was nearly 8:00 p.m., which meant his son would soon be going to bed. That would leave Luke alone with Elaina. When he’d come up with this plan, he certainly hadn’t realized that the hardest part wouldn’t be dealing with his son, but with the woman who’d raised him.
“You won’t change his name, will you?” Elaina asked.
It seemed an odd question, but after giving it some thought, maybe it wasn’t so odd. He certainly hadn’t had any say in anything to do with Christopher—including something this important. “You named him?”
“Yes. Christopher Sean. He’s not named after anyone. It’s just something I liked. So, there’s no baggage or relatives attached to it if that’s what you thought.”
He hadn’t thought that at all. Luke had done a thorough background check on Elaina, and neither of those names had come up.
“Christopher suits him,” Luke concluded. “The only thing that’ll change is his surname.”
“That doesn’t matter,” she mumbled. “It’s fake anyway. As you pointed out, my entire life is fake.”
That wasn’t true. What his son felt for her was real, and even Luke couldn’t dismiss that.
Christopher reached for her, batting her hand with the rubber duck he was clutching. She smiled and tickled him on his belly. Christopher giggled and splashed some more.
Elaina caught the brunt of the water this time. Christopher doused the front of her clingy, garnet-red top. The water made it even more clingy, and that was Luke’s cue to get his attention off her clothes and the way they fit her body.
“Just to let you know,” Luke said, going over the ground rules. “We’ll be sleeping in the nursery tonight with Christopher.”
She froze a moment, shook her head as if ready to
He didn’t wait for her to comply; he started the task by checking the windows in the living room. “After we’re done, stay away from the windows and don’t go back outside.”
All of his activity got her heart racing. “Wait a minute. Those men are still in jail, aren’t they?”
Luke snared her gaze, and Elaina saw it then. Not the attraction. Not the cockiness. Definitely not the “loving husband” he’d been just moments earlier.
She saw the concern.
“Those men are in jail,” Luke confirmed. He turned toward Christopher’s room and said the rest of what he had to say over his shoulder as he walked away. “But that doesn’t mean they’re working alone.”
Chapter Six
Luke was practically soaking wet, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t about to leave his son’s bath time just so he could dry off.
Christopher was enjoying himself in what was left of the two inches of warm water inside his little yellow plastic tub. Elaina had placed that tub inside the regular porcelain one in the bathroom. At first, Luke hadn’t understood why she did that. But after watching Christopher splash water over Elaina, Luke, himself and most of the entire room, he knew this was the best place for his son.
He wondered how long it would take him to learn all the little things that made Christopher’s life happier and safer. Feeding him dinner had been an enjoyable challenge, but those challenges were just starting.
Luke smiled at that.
Then, frowned.
He’d never felt more incompetent at anything in his life. And yet, he’d never looked so forward to anything, either. Through the baths, feedings and playtimes, he’d get to know his baby, they’d form a bond, and he’d no longer be a father in name only.
“He’s a special little boy, isn’t he?” Luke heard Elaina say.
Luke turned toward her. She was watching him watch Christopher, and the pain and doubts were there all over her face. A huge contrast to the laughing, splashing baby in the tub.
“He’s usually happy like this?” he asked.
She smiled, just a brief one, before she clamped it off. “Most of the time. But he’ll get sleepy soon, and then he’s likely to be cranky.”
Luke checked his watch. It was nearly 8:00 p.m., which meant his son would soon be going to bed. That would leave Luke alone with Elaina. When he’d come up with this plan, he certainly hadn’t realized that the hardest part wouldn’t be dealing with his son, but with the woman who’d raised him.
“You won’t change his name, will you?” Elaina asked.
It seemed an odd question, but after giving it some thought, maybe it wasn’t so odd. He certainly hadn’t had any say in anything to do with Christopher—including something this important. “You named him?”
“Yes. Christopher Sean. He’s not named after anyone. It’s just something I liked. So, there’s no baggage or relatives attached to it if that’s what you thought.”
He hadn’t thought that at all. Luke had done a thorough background check on Elaina, and neither of those names had come up.
“Christopher suits him,” Luke concluded. “The only thing that’ll change is his surname.”
“That doesn’t matter,” she mumbled. “It’s fake anyway. As you pointed out, my entire life is fake.”
That wasn’t true. What his son felt for her was real, and even Luke couldn’t dismiss that.
Christopher reached for her, batting her hand with the rubber duck he was clutching. She smiled and tickled him on his belly. Christopher giggled and splashed some more.
Elaina caught the brunt of the water this time. Christopher doused the front of her clingy, garnet-red top. The water made it even more clingy, and that was Luke’s cue to get his attention off her clothes and the way they fit her body.
“Just to let you know,” Luke said, going over the ground rules. “We’ll be sleeping in the nursery tonight with Christopher.”
She froze a moment, shook her head as if ready to
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