Paradise Valley (Virgin River #7)(53)

When the dinner was ready, Cam fixed a nice-looking tray and brought it to her. She took it and held it out in front of her for a moment. Her lap was gone; there was no place to put it. With a chuckle, he took it from her, placed it on the trunk and handed her the salad bowl. On instinct, she was soon balancing it on her big belly, making him laugh. “We should get some pictures one of these days,” he said.

“I don’t think I could bear it….”

“But later, when you’re in your old body, you’re going to wish you had some. Mel’s great with the digital camera. We’ll get her to shoot a few.” He lifted her tray and with it balanced on his knees, he cut up her chicken. “Just something to remember this by. We’re long past that craziness of wishing it wasn’t so, aren’t we? I mean,” he said, cutting and slicing, “I hope you are. I don’t think I felt that way for one second.”

“What are you doing there?” she asked.

“Abby, you can’t do this, sitting on the couch. I thought I’d make it easier.”

“I’m starting to feel like an invalid,” she said.

“Just concentrate on feeling like someone who deserves to be spoiled.” Finished, he put the plate back on her tray and went to fetch his own. “How’s the food taste? Did I do anything to screw it up?”

“It’s good,” she said. “Bland, but good.”

“It’s fine, Abby. And there’s ice cream if it’s not bland enough. What movie did you decide on?”

“What Women Want. Mel Gibson.”

“I better pay attention to that one,” he laughed. “I seem to be deficient in that department.” When they’d finished, he picked up their trays. “You can start it or wait for me to do dishes, your choice.”

“I’ll wait,” she said. And once the water was running in the little kitchen, she murmured, “And you’re not deficient in anything.”

It was dark in the little cabin but for the light from the portable DVD player. She had set it to play repeatedly, so had no idea when they might have fallen asleep, but the romping of babies woke her. Cam had slipped under her legs, resting them on his thighs to keep them elevated, so she was too cozy to stay awake. She looked over at him and had to stifle a laugh. His feet were up on the trunk, his head tilted back, his mouth open, and his hand snaked under her sweatshirt to feel her belly. But the movement of the babies hadn’t roused him. Yet.

She pressed her hand over his and watched him. He slowly came awake, closing his mouth, sitting up, meeting her eyes.

“Oh. Sorry. I must have done that in my sleep.”

“It’s all right,” she laughed. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“No,” he said through a yawn. “Was it a good movie?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “We both bit the dust. Me, from tension probably. And you, from working yourself to death to stay ahead of my tension.” Then she sighed. “My children are up.”

“That’s not a good sign. It would be better if they slept when we slept.”

“We have to go to bed,” she said. “It could be three in the morning. I’m afraid to look.”

He stood up and put out his hand. “Come on, sleepyhead.”

When she stood from the couch and faced him, she looked into his beautiful blue eyes and said, “Would you like to sleep next to your children?”

His eyes were startled, his mouth agape.

“It won’t be like the last time,” she hastened to promise.

He smiled slowly. “It will be even better,” he said, slipping his hand over her belly. “Whoa,” he laughed.

“It’s up to you.”

“I wouldn’t pass up an invitation like that. I’d like to feel all of you up against me, cozy and safe.”

“Then come on.”

Abby had her turn in the bathroom first and when Cam came out, she had changed into a huge T-shirt that came almost to her knees and, he assumed, panties. So he stripped down to his boxers and crawled in, curling around her back. “Nice,” he whispered against the back of her neck.

“Mmm,” she hummed, snuggling in.

His hands found her belly and rested there and sleep found him, content and confident for the first time in so long. He was going to make this work. Yes, he was.

In the early morning he woke and he was facing her, her head on his arm, her breath on his cheek, her belly against his belly. And one hand under her shirt, cupping her bare breast. And a huge, throbbing, early-morning erection in his boxers. He pulled his h*ps away from her first, then slowly removed his hand. Whoa, shit, he thought. That would probably ensure this was his last visit to her bed. But what was he supposed to do? He couldn’t control what he didn’t know he was doing. But still, there must be a way to assure her that he’d never… That he knew she was as big and ripe as a full-term mother…. That it wasn’t necessarily that he wanted… But of course he wanted her, but he didn’t have to… Oh God, he couldn’t figure out how to get out of this embarrassing situation without offending her, insulting her. Or scaring her to death.

He gently pulled his arm out from under her and headed for the shower.

Cameron beat Mel to the clinic in the morning. While she was bright and cheerful, he was awful quiet. He busied himself at the computer. When she asked him what he was doing, he said, “Car seats. We need two car seats and Abby just about wore herself out shopping in Eureka yesterday, so I told her I’d look online.”