Chapter Five

“A re you sure about this?”

Not at all. Susan drummed her fingers against the ceramic mug as the events from the last several hours mentally tumbled like socks in a dryer. “Pretty sure.”

The gorgeous, dark-haired woman sitting across the desk raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Bernie asked us and I… we promised.” The dry answer didn’t even convince Susan of their good intentions.

Social worker Lori Ramon shook her head, her lips thinning as if she were holding in expletives. “Adopted a lot of your patients’ babies, have you?”

Despite Lori’s spot-on observation, frustration spoke first. “What the hell do you want me to say, Ms. Ramon?”

Reynolds threw his hands up in surrender. “Come on, Lori. Hear us out.”

With a set to her jaw, Lori locked her arms across her chest. “Fine. I’m listening.”

Reynolds shed his jacket, laying it on the back of the chair next to Susan. Since he wrapped the baby in his thick hoodie, the dark blue Henley probably didn’t offer him much warmth, but damn if he didn’t look good wearing it.

She bet he looked even better out of it. Focus!

“I… we can’t walk away from this opportunity.” Instead of sitting, he slowly paced. A wave of his citrus-scented whatever-he-used washed over Susan with each pass, making it difficult for her to concentrate.

“You? No. Her? ” Lori tilted her head, her deep brown eyes narrowing. “I don’t even know her. And neither do you.”

“Yes, I do.” Taking a seat, he rested his forearms on the desk between them.

Lori mimicked his body language. “You said you met today.”

After months of long-distance correspondence, Susan’s grip on her mug blanched her fingernails as the reality of him sitting right next to her sunk in. “Officially.”

“What does that mean? Officially?”

Ever since that first video call, his lopsided smirk lit up her computer screen and libido. Too many times, his rich voice caressed her eardrums. Now officially meeting him, he was so much sexier live than she anticipated.

Every cell of her rational brain banded together to hold her thoughts above her belly button and keep her hands to herself. “I mean, in person.”

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Lori looked one unacceptable response away from going nuclear. “In person?”

“Please, let me explain. When my sister, Lucy, first started at the ER in Marietta, she Face Timed me around the unit. Introduced me to all the staff. She’d call, text, or FaceTime daily. A few days later, she didn’t answer her cell. I got worried. I called the hospital. Reynolds answered.” Thinking of that day threatened to derail Susan’s composure.

The day the love of her life gave her an unreasonable ultimatum, broke her heart, and shattered their perfectly planned future. After canceling her third engagement in ten years, Susan needed to hear comforting words from her younger sister.

“She sounded upset. I asked if I could check on her later.” Reynolds casually rested his arm across the back of her chair, and before she realized it, Susan instinctively leaned toward his gesture.

It was unnerving how quickly she found comfort in his presence. She fought the urge to crawl into his lap and snuggle against his broad chest.

Instead, subtly she shifted away. “I didn’t think he’d actually call.”

The corner of Lori’s mouth twitched as if she were holding back an all-knowing smile. “But he kept his word, didn’t he?”

“He did.” When her skin warmed from the sweet memory, Susan giggled, then tried to play it off as she cleared her throat. She doubted she fooled anyone.

“And we’ve talked or texted every day since. Sometimes it’s the best part of my day.” Reynolds winked at her, causing her ovaries to quiver.

“Really?” she managed to squeak.

“ Reeeeally? ” Lori tapped her pen on her neatly organized desk without disturbing the stacks of folders on each corner.

“Yes, really, Lori.” His relaxed posture indicated he felt far more comfortable in this situation than Susan did, but his bouncing knee told her otherwise.

As her eyes darted back and forth between them, Lori pursed her pink-stained lips. “This is insane. You know this, right?”

“No more insane than me being passed over as an adoptive dad because I’m a single man.”

“You mentioned that this morning.” Susan took his hand in hers, hoping to offer comfort.

His fingers tenderly curled around hers. “It doesn’t matter that I have a solid job, strong finances, a ton of good references, and a legit reason for wanting to adopt. Not have bio kids.”

Now that last bit of information certainly shifted Susan’s focus above her beltline. “You don’t want bio kids?”

A momentary clench to his jaw before he answered. “I don’t want to pass a genetic anomaly. Cystic fibrosis killed my sister, Audrey. I appreciate that there are a lot more treatment options now than twenty or so years ago, but there are different severities. No one can know how effectively treatments will work. She never had a chance to be a kid.”

“It was rough for her,” Lori agreed.

“But there’s genetic testing you can do.” If you can have a bio child, you might not want me anymore. The fear of another rejection terrified Susan more than she’d admit.

He sadly shook his head. “Nope. I’m a homogeneous carrier, so I’ll pass on the gene no matter what. I won’t burden a child with being a carrier or having the disease. Dating is hard enough without worrying about genetics in normal circumstances.”

During their many discussions, not once was family biology discussed, but to be fair, that was a pretty niche and deep topic. They mostly stuck to movies, books, TV shows, superhero trivia, food, and general things about their days. He told her about Montana and she, Florida then Albuquerque. She gave an abridged version of her trauma from the car accident, and he said little about his parents and sister. Neither of them pushed the other for more information, wanting to stick to positive topics.

Not until he mentioned adoption back at the convenience store, Susan had no idea if he even wanted kids. Now, understanding that he did want to adopt and not have bio children weirdly comforted her. “I respect your decision, although it couldn’t have been an easy one.”

“A single woman who wanted to adopt and had the same situation wouldn’t have her intentions questioned the way I have.” He roughly ran his fingers through his thick chestnut hair, messing it up in perfect disarray.

Lori tossed her pen on the desk and leaned back. “You’re not wrong, but she’d still be pressured to get pregnant anyway.”

“It’s a lot of pressure.”

It is. Susan swallowed hard as her former fiancé’s cruel words slammed into her brain.

What do you mean you can’t get pregnant?

Get the corrective surgery so you can!

Why would I marry your broken ass now?

Adoption? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

“Susan, you okay?” Concern washed across Lori’s sweet face. “You spaced out there. Something you want to tell us?”

The woman was far too perceptive. Confessing her own infertility might satisfy Lori’s concerns about why Susan agreed to this insanity, but the words froze.

If Reynolds knew, would he still want to adopt with her?

Or would he shun her? Hate her for not being perfect enough despite his choice not to father a child?

If so, how could she stay in Marietta long-term without the pain of seeing him regularly?

She’d have to leave her siblings and live somewhere alone.

And she was so tired of being alone.

Pulling at the collar of her hoodie, Susan focused on preventing the what if part of her brain from spiraling out of control.

When his hand rested over hers, it provided a much-needed distraction. “Grip that coffee mug any tighter Susan, it’ll shatter.”

His awareness of her worry mainlined relief through her veins, triggering a few decompressive tears. “Thinking about your decision. I didn’t know any of that.”

“You didn’t know about him wanting to adopt?” With a flick of her wrist, Lori silenced her phone.

“Not until he mentioned it this morning.” And surprised the hell out of me.

“All this must be overwhelming, then. Hard to think straight. Make a rational decision.” Narrowing her brown-eyed gaze, Lori’s body tensed like a cat that was about to jump over the table and attack. “Don’t you think?”

Careful, Susan. “It could be if we’d never met, but we’ve talked about a lot of things. Fun, friendly conversations. Found so many common interests. Our futures weren’t a main topic, but it certainly would have come up once I got to Marietta.”

“I’m sure of it,” Reynolds agreed.

“Friendly? For almost a year? No sexting? Like none at all?” Lori raised an eyebrow like she didn’t quite believe them.

“Why do people keep asking that?” Reynolds chuckled. “We kept things platonic for several reasons.”

“Which are?”

Suddenly, the hem of her hoodie became fascinating. Susan twisted the fabric between her fingers so hard, she’d probably break the thread if she wasn’t careful. “Mainly because we’d work together.”

“And her sister is my boss,” he added as his thumb slowly moved up and down the back of her hand, sending her thoughts somewhere way outside the realm of platonic.

“Those are good reasons. I guess you still have a lot to learn about each other. Give me a second.” Lori’s fingers sailed across her phone screen before she placed it back on her desk.

Even with the single-digit temperatures outside, a steady stream of people walked by the office and waved Lori a good-morning hello as they shed their snow-peppered coats.

Drinking back whatever she had in her tumbler, Lori continued, “Rey, when you asked me to help you navigate the foster system to adopt, I explained you being single would make it more difficult to get a placement. Especially a baby.”

“Just yesterday, you said a mother choosing me was unlikely. Well, a mother chose me. The mother I waited around to meet.”

Lori’s one-window office indicated how little government resources prioritized caring for those who advocated for the voiceless. With multiple small shelves behind her, Lori made good use of the space, adding color by way of pop culture figurines, personal photos, and a bookshelf crammed full of books from different reading levels. “Yes, you’re right, but it’s a package deal, Reynolds. Both of you have to agree to this.”

Both of us. More times than she could count, Susan imagined many delicious scenarios with the man sitting beside her, but none of them included them raising a baby together.

Especially when she couldn’t have a child.

Then fate stepped in. This is insane. Susan emptied her mug as if she were taking tequila shots. “Where do we go from here?”

“Go? I’m still trying to understand why , Susan.”

Because this might be my only shot to have a child. The words fought in her throat, wanting to escape. After discovering her inability to get pregnant and the fallout that followed, Susan sought a second opinion from a GYN friend who specialized in cases like hers. Twenty-four hours ago, her infertility was verified. The finality of it still hadn’t gelled in her brain, but her grieving heart told a different story. “I… um… it’s…”

“Susan? Can I get something for you? Do you need to sleep before we decide anything?” His hair sat wildly on his scalp, indicating the chaos of the morning. Yet, he still radiated the nerdish sensuality she’d come to admire when gazing at his image.

“No, no. I’m tired but sane, I promise. Been on the road for several days. Since my midwife assignment ended early, I added Utah to my schedule.” With a tissue, she dried the tears that already stained her shirt.

“Utah? That’s not a direct route from Albuquerque.” Lori removed the clip from her hair and allowed her locks to fall about her shoulders.

“True, but since I was a kid, I wanted to visit the Dinosaur National Monument and Yellowstone. Our dad always promised to take us, but… he never got the chance.”

“It’s a cool place.”

Fatigue set in and Susan rolled her head from side to side, hoping to loosen the knots in her shoulders. “I built in a few days of exploring before my siblings expected me. Hiked around. Took some amazing pictures, but I got tired of traveling. Being alone. I left a few days early and ended up here.”

“Then your siblings don’t know anything?”

“No. Not yet.” And they will go mental when they hear it. She could already anticipate her older brother Peter’s unsolicited words of wisdom.

And with one of his coworkers, no less. “They don’t even know Reynolds and I have been in communication.”

“Interesting. Your side stops sound like great adventures. Plus, who doesn’t love dinosaurs, right?” The corner of Lori’s mouth twitched before her eyes darted to Reynolds, who nodded.

For a moment, Susan felt like she was the subject of a conversation in a language she didn’t understand. “We good?”

He kissed the inside of her wrist. “It’s perfect.”

The moment his lips touched her skin, her body buzzed from anticipation of more. What. Is. Happening?

Never in all of Susan’s practical existence had a man so unnerved her in all the right ways. Not to say she hadn’t experienced lust before, but not like this all-consuming passion for someone and certainly not for a man she’d never actually met.

The moment she opened that fundraising calendar to his picture, he permanently resided in her brain, and she had no logical explanation for it.

Now, after finally meeting him, she didn’t want one.

Clearing her throat, Lori disrupted the moment. “Since you’ve talked extensively before today, I’m guessing something is going on here.”

Susan’s foot tapped in nervous tempo against the carpet. “Something? I guess so.” But what, she had no idea, and she certainly didn’t want to emotionally overstep her first day here. Things were so much easier to process when he wasn’t sitting right there.

“And you liked what you saw?” Lori cocked her eyebrow.

“What the hell kind of question is that, Lori?” Reynolds snapped before Susan’s voice could find oxygen.

“It’s a question another social worker or a judge might ask, Reynolds.”

“You’re not going to handle our case? You have so far.”

“I might ask someone else to head the case since I don’t want to risk anything being used to overturn an adoption if there’s an appeal. Of course, we’re so short-staffed, they may not have anyone else.” Lori rubbed the bridge of her nose. “As much as I want this for you, I want it to stick. Saying you planned to start a family with some random woman you’ve never met, while your best friend runs the adoption, doesn’t work in your favor if anyone contests it.”

When his jaw clenched, the worry radiated from him. “Fine. What do you suggest?”

With a long exhale, Lori rested her hands flat on her desk. “Let’s try this again. You talked before yesterday.”

Susan and Reynolds nodded.

“And did you like what you saw? Learned?”

Without looking at her, Reynolds swallowed hard. “Very much.”

Some sort of relationship chemistry brewed between them, but to hear him say it kicked her heart rate into overdrive. “I did. I do.”

“You do, huh?” Lori’s fingers danced across the keyboard and the hum of the printer momentarily broke the awkward tension. “Speaking of I dos, what’s the plan?”

“Plan?” Panic bitterly danced along the back of her tongue. Susan always had a plan, but being near him scattered her common sense.

The window to their left offered a limited view of the snowy parking lot and the gray, overcast sky. In the distance, the mountains with their white-capped peaks sat tall against the horizon. As much as Susan prepped and planned for her move here from the sunny coast of Florida, nothing prepared her for this magnificent natural beauty, the bitter cold in spring, or the possibility of becoming an instant mother.

In all her thirty-plus years, Susan did everything with great logic and purpose. She had to, especially after the brutal car accident that changed her world forever.

Otherwise her entire family would have drowned.

Today, she sat so far out of her practical element, she couldn’t be sure of anything except her long-held desire to become a mother might come true.

Oh, and that Thomas Reynolds had to be the sexiest man she ever met.

After snatching the paper off the printer, Lori laid it facedown in front of her and interlaced her elegant fingers. “If you two promise to honor Bernie’s wishes and raise this baby together, how do you see it playing out? I’m all ears.”

With a chuckle, Reynolds rested his forearms on his thighs. “To be honest, I, we hadn’t thought that far ahead, Lori. It all happened so fast, just damn glad to have a shot at fatherhood.”

“Well, my friend. You have just under seventy-two hours to decide how this will play out with you two.”

“That’s an interestingly specific amount of time.” Susan rested her hands on the edge of Lori’s desk, hoping not to disturb her organized stacks of papers.

“The mother can’t sign the relinquishment papers until the seventy-two hours after the child’s birth.”

“Then the adoption happening is not for sure.”

“Nope. Not yet.” When their eyes met, a flicker of worry danced across his.

Susan’s heart dropped to her feet. “How long have you wanted to be a father?”

His broad shoulders relaxed as a sweet smile lit up his rugged face. “Since I was a kid.”

“You pretty much raised Nate and Audrey before your grandparents stepped in.” Lori checked her buzzing phone, then wrote something on the large desk planner in front of her.

Sounds familiar. “I had to help a lot after our father died.” That was an understatement. Her mother appointed Susan the foundation to keep their family from falling apart.

“How old were you when your father passed?” Lori rolled a blue pen between her fingers.

“Fourteen. Car accident. A drunk driver hit us head-on.”

“Oh God. How traumatic. So it was quick. Not an illness?”

“No, it was… instantaneous.” A knot of sorrow pinched her, causing Susan to flinch.

For a second, Lori appeared to be processing something. “Wait, you said us.”

“Yes, my brothers, sister, parents, and I were in the car.” Even though more than two decades passed since that awful day, the details were vivid. The song on the radio. The smell of the ocean. The blue of her father’s suit. The sound of the glass shattering and her being violently thrown sideways before waking in the ER. “It’s amazing that only our father died. Mom was permanently disabled. We almost lost Lucy, but she made a full recovery.”

“And your mother?” The quick tapping of the keyboard indicated the social worker typed seriously fast.

Susan willed herself not to react to the angry memories of their mother giving up. Dumping all responsibilities on a teenage Susan. Treating her differently when the other kids weren’t looking. No time for sad backstories. “She was never the same. Held on for several years before she died. My stepfather, Charlie, was a great help her last few years.”

“Peter, Edmund, and Lucy have mentioned Charlie. Sounds like a good guy.” Reynolds drummed his fingers on his thigh before sitting back in the chair. His shoulders relaxed. His hair still in sexy disarray.

There would never be enough words of gratitude in the English language for what Charlie did. Once he stepped in, Susan could relax for the first time in years. “He is. He was a news anchor at a local TV station. A drunk driver killed his brother. When the guy who hit us was up for parole, Charlie wanted to do a follow-up piece on us, see how we were doing.”

“Doesn’t sound very ethical.”

“I thought that at first, but he wanted the public involved, to make sure the guy stayed in jail for his full sentence. He promised to be respectful about how he presented us, and he was. I was shocked when my mother agreed to talk to him.” It never ceased to amaze Susan how her mother brightened up after talking to Charlie that day. For years, her mother walked under a storm cloud of sadness only for her to find the sunshine again in his presence.

“How did it play out?” Lori asked as snow peppered the windows.

“He didn’t run the piece. Said we shouldn’t have to relive it, but instead aired one about drunk drivers getting out early from their sentences. He talked about his brother’s death and used our case as one of many. It got state and local officials involved and laws changed for the better.”

“Sounds like a good guy.”

“He is. He fell in love with my mother and took care of her until the day she died. He helped us each get scholarships for college, med schools, my master’s so we graduated with little to no debt.” But what Susan appreciated the most was he gave her back her freedom. No longer was she her mother’s primary caregiver, maid, or verbal punching bag.

“I’d like to meet him. Let’s get him out here soon.” It should have been criminal how good Thomas Reynolds looked after the morning they had, but when he smiled at her, Susan’s stomach flip-flopped.

“I’d like that.” Before she processed it, Susan rested her head on Reynolds’s shoulder. This time, she did not attempt to move away when reality set in.

He offered a comfort she hadn’t expected, but now, didn’t want to give up.

“Thank you for sharing, Susan.” A lopsided smile spread across Lori’s face as she typed away on her computer.

“You’re welcome.”

After he kissed the top of her head, Reynolds added, “You’ve met her siblings, Lori. At my house.”

For some reason, that bit of information bothered her, but Susan refused to ask about their history. It served no point.

As if reading her mind, Lori pointed to a framed photo on her bookshelf. “Nate, Reynolds, and I grew up together in Marietta. Graduated high school.”

“Is that you in the middle?” Susan bit back comedic commentary about Lori’s hairstyle in the photo.

An eye-roll replaced Lori’s earlier stoicism. “High school graduation. Mom insisted a bouffant would really make my graduation memorable. A bouffant. In the twenty-first century.”

“Unusual choice, sure, but you have an amazing smile.”

“Well played.” The heat of his breath on her ear caused Susan to shiver.

“Indeed. My parents worked all the time, so I spent a lot of time at Rey and Nate’s grandparents’ house since we rented the house next door. Nate lives there now, and Reynolds got his grandparents’ house. You’ll love it there.”

“There?” Susan’s tongue threatened to lodge in her throat.

“You’re going to live together, right?”

Susan’s foot quickly bounced as the thought of him living in the same house.

Right across the hall.

Naked. “We hadn’t really discussed anything like this.”

“That’s a big ask.” When his hand rested on her knee, she wasn’t sure if it was to offer comfort or prevent her from running out of the building.

“So is adopting a baby, but you’ve been married before Rey. Sharing space with someone isn’t new.” Lori shrugged.

A quick throat-clearing later, Reynolds rubbed his free hand on one of his perfect, jean-covered thighs. “True, I’ve been married before. Thanks for casually bringing that up, Lori.”

“You’re welcome.” She obviously regretted nothing.

A snort escaped Susan at their playful banter that sounded so much like her and her three siblings. I think I’m going to like Lori. “You mentioned before you were married. How long?”

He shifted in his chair. “Two years. Amicable divorce. Different life goals that we simply couldn’t work through.”

“What about you, Susan?” Her phone buzzed again, but Lori silenced it without looking.

“Married? No. Engaged?” How she hated answering this question, but she swallowed her embarrassment since Lori would for sure ask why. “Three times since college.”

“You mentioned that a few months ago.” At this point, Reynolds’s knee stopped bouncing.

Without a hint of judgment, Lori continued her inquiry. “Three, huh? Any particular reasons why you called them off?”

Subtly, Reynolds turned his body toward hers, but she felt his eyes on her all the same as she focused on Lori.

“After an engagement, some people show their true colors. Become who they actually are. They want something other than what they previously professed. So, I canceled.”

The hard edge Lori held as soon as they walked into her office relaxed as a slow nod of understanding replaced it. “People hide all sorts of things from each other.”

“They do.” To prevent more sad memories from spilling out, she took a drink from her now-empty mug.

Not even her siblings completely understood why she hadn’t followed through with I dos, especially this last one. To date, they’d respected her privacy, but that would last only so long. Especially now that she’d see at least one of them daily.

Still, the words sat largely on her tongue. If she allowed herself the privilege of confessing it all to Reynolds and Lori, she might never stop talking. And he might call this entire situation off. “Just your typical sad backstory. That’s all.”

“We all have breakup stories, but could it be that you haven’t found the right guy yet?” It didn’t go unnoticed that Lori’s eyes momentarily darted to her friend, who leaned over and gave Susan a soft kiss on her cheek.

“Or that.” Soaking in his tender attentions, Susan wondered why she hadn’t considered moving to Montana sooner. The idea of the right guy sitting next to her should’ve rattled Susan’s cage something fierce, but only calm settled in every muscle.

And lust.

A whole lotta of lust.

Lori’s fingers played with the corner of the paper on her desk. “You’ll appreciate the love and care put into Reynolds’s home. Three bedrooms, two and a half baths.”

As the practical and lizard parts of Susan’s brain fought for dominance, Lori and Reynolds spoke fondly about his late grandparents, mentioning how his grandfather could build anything imaginable and how his grandmother’s ability to re-create Scandinavian family treats like lingonberry jam, Aebleskivers —Danish donuts—and Ris a la Malta —rice pudding.

Many times over the past year, he shared stories about his grandparents and his brother, Nate. Their fishing trips, hiking expeditions, national park adventures, and trips to the Pacific Coast. The boys learned basic home repairs, survival skills, and their ways around a kitchen.

From time to time, he’d share sweet stories about his late sister, Audrey. She was crafty and creative, loved dinosaurs, books, and classic cartoons. She passed after Nate, she, and Reynolds moved to Marietta.

On the flip side, he revealed little about his parents, but the sadness in his voice indicated their impacts on his life lay heavy.

Continuing, Lori bragged like a proud friend about how Reynolds excelled in baseball and academics throughout high school and beyond. He completed an emergency room residency, followed by several years at a big-city trauma center as a flight doctor before returning to Marietta.

From their multiple discussions, Susan knew all this but loved watching him turn five shades of red as Lori continued to list his good quality traits.

He was an avid reader.

Loved movies.

Cared for an aging, one-eyed cat named Odin.

Had a fully stocked toolbox and knew how to use every single item.

Could dance a decent waltz and always kept a bottle of his grandfather’s favorite whiskey in his kitchen.

“And finally.” She opened a desk drawer and held up the calendar to his photo. “A hot model.”

A lusty laugh escaped Susan. “Amen!”

Covering his face, he slouched in the chair. “When are people going to forget that thing?”

“The answer is never, sir. Ne-ver.” She flipped through it and noted a few months she’d like to meet before tucking the embarrassing material back into the safety of her desk. “What do you think, Susan?”

“I think I’m getting the better end of the deal.” The answer seemed to appease Lori and embarrassed Reynolds.

A twofer. And as much fun as this was, did she know him well enough to adopt a baby with him?

Could he be hiding a cruel core, like her former fiancés?

Watching him blush from his well-earned accolades, Susan couldn’t imagine him viciously berating her for refusing to do what they silently expected from a wife.

The man was too humble. And he cared for an old, cranky, mono-optical feline named after a Norse god who looked like Anthony Hopkins.

What she did know, she liked. A lot.

And she wanted to learn more.

So. Much. More.

But would he be as interested in her when he discovered all of her sad backstory? Why she moved here? Her imperfections?

Coming to Marietta gave Susan the chance to start over, to get away from all those who always saw the girl who survived that brutal car accident that killed her father, disabled her mother, and forever changed her life.

At some point, she had to tell Reynolds everything . Even with him choosing not to biologically father a baby didn’t mean he couldn’t or wouldn’t change his mind later.

Yet, the idea of him rejecting her this morning hurt too much to even consider.

Still, she didn’t drive all this way to lie. A baby’s world depended on it.

Be logical, Susan. Like you’ve always been.

She blinked back tears.

Being logical sucks.

“Does that work for you?” Lori’s voice yanked Susan out of her worry.

“What?”

“That you, the baby, and Reynolds live at his house?”

“That does make the most sense. Less confusion for the baby.” Before her fear got the better of her, Reynolds sandwiched Susan’s hand between his. The warmth of his touch offered immediate strength.

“Susan, we can live together, or—”

Tapping her finger on her desk, Lori adamantly shook her head. “There’s no or here. You’re going to have to present a united front. An actual couple. Even with Bernie giving you designated custody and you two having this digital pen pal situation, not everyone is as open-minded about two single people faking a relationship just to get a baby.”

“We’re not faking—” Susan blurted, then shifted in her chair to reorganize her response. “I mean, there’s obvious interest here. Yes?”

Reynolds nodded as his eyes brightened.

Seeing a bit of his sparkle tugged the corners of her lips up. “We are a we in some form or fashion. No faking.”

“And what about becoming a we plus one?” The tapping of Lori’s pen increased its tempo.

To think, only twenty-four hours ago, Susan learned she’d never become a mother, biologically. Now, she was one honest answer away from earning the title of Mommy. And maybe becoming a hot calendar model’s girlfriend. “Reynolds—”

In one loving move, he tucked their interlaced hands to his chest. The hard thud of his pulse vibrated against her skin. “Susan, please don’t feel pressured to do this out of obligation. I like you. A lot. But if you want to back out, if this is all too overwhelming, please tell me now.”

The scent of his citrus whatever he used mixed with his closeness and overwhelmed her libido. She struggled to find coherent words. “I… um… well…”

“What I don’t want is someone who thinks motherhood sounds good, loves the good times, but bails when the reality sets in and the hard work starts.” The subtle edge to his words made Susan wonder if that was why he and his siblings ended up living with their grandparents.

How heartbreaking. “I more than appreciate that motherhood is work. A lot of work. That part doesn’t bother me.”

“What part are you worried about?” His handsome brow furrowed as his thumb gently caressed her wrist, almost making her sigh with contentment.

Focus. “Us.”

“Us?”

“What if we don’t work? What if we’re not compatible?” Just had to throw practicality into the mix, didn’t you, Susan? But in all fairness, someone had to ask the question.

“Yeah, I don’t see that being an issue.” Lori tapped the rim of her mug with her thumb.

“Thank you for the endorsement.” For a long moment, he stared at Susan as if reality and chaos fought in his head. “We start off simple.”

“What?” What does he mean?

Lori’s eyes went wide. “What does simple mean?”

Without looking away, Reynolds cleared his throat. “We take it slow. Build our relationship and friendship. No different than if we met and started dating. We can decide how fast or slow we want to proceed. How involved we want to get.”

“According to the two of you, you’ve known each other a year. I think you’re further along in the relationship game than just starting out.” Lori’s eyebrow cocked.

“Lori. I want Susan to stay. Don’t scare her off, please.”

“Fine, but just saying. You’re further along than most ever get.”

They were, but things could easily go sideways if they weren’t practical. Susan cleared her throat. “What do you think of starting with a platonic co-parenting arrangement?”

“If that’s where you want to begin.” Lori shrugged.

It made more sense than anything. They’d been able to easily establish a digital friendship. An in-person situation for half that time could easily work. “Plenty of people have raised children together with less emotional entanglements.”

“A very practical approach, Susan.” Lori raised her travel mug in approval.

“Yes. Practical.” But there was one complication. The constant influxes of naughty thoughts whenever he was around. Seeing him on-screen was one thing but being able to actually reach out and touch him… well, that was a whole other set of restraint skills.

Restraints. I wonder if he’d let me… Stop it!

As the noises of the busy offices stirred in the background and the winds howled outside, Susan zoned in on the man sitting next to her.

As she rested her forehead against his, she closed her eyes and inhaled him. For the first time in Susan Davidson’s tumultuous love life, there were no doubts.

No worries. No fears. No hesitation.

And it scared the ever-living shit out of her, but not enough to say no and certainly not enough to walk away. “I’m in.”

The tapping stopped. “You sure?”

“As sure as I can be on this short notice.”

With a tilt of his head, Reynolds gazed into Susan’s eyes. “Can I kiss you?”

“Please.” Considering the importance of the situation, she expected his touch to be fiery, but when his lips lovingly touched hers, Susan’s ovaries damn near exploded.

The kiss lasted no more than a few seconds, but the buzz from it easily seared into every fiber of her being.

“Thank you.” He brushed his lips over hers before sitting back, the pulse point of his neck rapidly beating.

“You’re welcome.”

“A platonic co-parenting arrangement, huh? I give you two months before it’s physical. Physical!” She sang a few bars from the top-forty hit for good measure.

“You and I are gonna be great friends.” Even with fatigue hanging heavy in her bones, Susan appreciated Lori’s humor.

“Thanks for your endorsement, Lori.” Reynolds ran his fingers through his hair, only making it sexier.

“You’re two consenting adults who’ve agreed to raise a baby together. Who am I to say otherwise?” With a flick of her wrist, Lori handed over a few thick folders and rattled off a laundry list of instructions before flipping over the facedown paper that she’d been tapping her pen against. “Once Bernie relinquishes her rights, then we can breathe a little easier.”

They both nodded, Susan’s body still tingling from Reynolds’s thank-you-for-adopting-with-me kiss. “And the father?”

“He can sign anytime. It’s finding him is the issue.” For a few seconds, Lori sucked on her bottom lip like she was coming up with a plan. “But you let me worry about that part. Your jobs are to take care of this baby and not worry until there’s something to worry about.”

A yawn escaped Susan as her sleepless nights started catching up with her. “Sorry. Been up all night.”

“I won’t keep you much longer, so I’ll make this short.” She handed Reynolds the paper from her desk. “I strongly suggest you consider this. Get it done as soon as possible.”

It took a moment for Susan to absorb the words, and when she did, her eyebrows hit her hairline. “Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack.”

Reynolds’s forehead furrowed and he shoved it back. “Lori, I can’t ask Susan—”

“You didn’t. I did. Changing both single statuses only increases the chances of this adoption being approved. You two have agreed to be a couple, no matter how you want to define what that is. Platonic. Simple. Physical. Complicated. A love match. Meet-cute. Whatever.”

The absurd suggestion should have propelled Susan straight out the door. “I mean, it makes sense. We’ve known each other for a year so we’re not total strangers. People do this by proxy all the time.”

For a moment, Reynolds’s deer-in-headlights stare had Susan believing he’d bolt. “Um… well.”

Bracing herself against her desk, Lori tilted her chin toward the paper. “So guys? Are you in or not?”

The moment Susan crossed the Montana state line, she drove straight into a blizzard, faced a gunman, delivered a baby, met her calendar model, and had the chance to become a mother, and it hadn’t even been twelve hours.

It took only a second for his self-confidence to be replaced by defeat. “Susan, you don’t have to do this.”

As if she couldn’t like him more. A good, intelligent, geek-gorgeous man who wanted to be a father. Don’t even get her started on how the man could kiss.

Her girly bits quivered at the idea of what else he could do. And how well.

Nothing had been logical or practical, planned or prepped. And it felt exhilarating.

Besides, what could one more piece of pandemonium hurt?

Taking a rare leap of faith, Susan squared her shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. “Like Lori said, we’re two consenting adults who want to raise a baby together. This seems like the obvious next step. So, Reynolds? Want to get married?”