softly. “Caffeine and breast feeding don’t mix, but everything else looks delicious. Thank you.”
She helped herself to a piece of a toast, but Houston didn’t think it was his imagination that she was eating out of necessity, and not because she was actually hungry.
“I heard Lucas wake up around 1:00 a.m.,” Houston commented. He sank down onto the love seat next to her. “And again at five.” It had taken every ounce of his willpower not to come into the room and join Gabrielle and the baby, but Houston had known she’d be nursing Lucas and that she wouldn’t have wanted an audience for it.
“Yes. Sorry he woke you.”
“No need to apologize. It was…” He gave a nervous, low laugh. “Maybe because this is all still so new to me, I’d hoped he would wake up more often. I like to hear him, even if he’s fussing.”
She didn’t refute that, and the corner of her mouth lifted just slightly. “Then you’re in luck. You’ll hear alot of waking and fussing. He usually wants to nurse about every four hours.” Gabrielle looked at the clock. It was just past eight, which meant he would be waking up again in about an hour. “Lily Rose came over and watched him while I showered, but then I sent her back to bed. She didn’t sleep well.”
Houston figured that was true for all them. Well, except for Lucas. Thank God the baby was too young to understand what was happening.
She finished the toast and had several bites of the scrambled eggs while Houston drank the coffee. Both of them continued to glance back at the crib—probably to avoid looking at each other.
But it happened anyway. Their gazes collided and froze.
“I had some time to think last night,” Gabrielle said. “And it isn’t a good idea for us to be here.”
“Us? As in Lucas and you?”
She nodded, looked away again. Gabrielle set the orange juice back on the tray. “I’ll hire a bodyguard to keep us safe, but I can’t stay here.”
Houston leaned forward and set the coffee cup next to her juice. “Because of what Jay said about my father?”
“That’s part of it.” She slipped her fingers through her damp, blond hair to push it away from her forehead. It was such a simple gesture, but one that struck him as completely feminine.
Houston silently groaned and got his mind back on the conversation.
“Jay insinuated that your father might have been the one to tell Cordell that I was at the ranch. I don’t believethat,” she quickly added, “but I do believe your father doesn’t have my best interest at heart.”
“He doesn’t,” Houston readily agreed. “And that’s why he’s not here. I own this ranch, Gabrielle. I bought out my father’s part in it three years ago, when he wanted to make other investments.”
“But he’s your father. This is his home,” she pointed out. “He’ll want to return.”
“That won’t happen, unless I’m certain he won’t make trouble for you.”
Now her gaze came back to his. “ You could make trouble for me.”
So they were on the subject of custody. He hoped. Better than talking about the attraction. “I could. You could make trouble for me, too. Or we could try to work out something together that doesn’t involve making trouble.”
“What do you mean? Are you talking about split custody?” A flash of anger went through her eyes. “Because I don’t want that for my son. The reason I used what I thought was a donor embryo, was so I wouldn’t have these custody questions. I didn’t want to share him with anyone.”
“I know. I can’t go back and undo what happened at the clinic. And even if could, I wouldn’t. Because the result of that mix-up is Lucas.”
She blinked hard, as if fighting tears, and she probably was. Her emotions had to be running sky-high. His certainly were.
Houston considered trying to reassure her that he would be fair when it came to a custody arrangement,but in Gabrielle’s mind, the only fair thing would be for his father and him
She helped herself to a piece of a toast, but Houston didn’t think it was his imagination that she was eating out of necessity, and not because she was actually hungry.
“I heard Lucas wake up around 1:00 a.m.,” Houston commented. He sank down onto the love seat next to her. “And again at five.” It had taken every ounce of his willpower not to come into the room and join Gabrielle and the baby, but Houston had known she’d be nursing Lucas and that she wouldn’t have wanted an audience for it.
“Yes. Sorry he woke you.”
“No need to apologize. It was…” He gave a nervous, low laugh. “Maybe because this is all still so new to me, I’d hoped he would wake up more often. I like to hear him, even if he’s fussing.”
She didn’t refute that, and the corner of her mouth lifted just slightly. “Then you’re in luck. You’ll hear alot of waking and fussing. He usually wants to nurse about every four hours.” Gabrielle looked at the clock. It was just past eight, which meant he would be waking up again in about an hour. “Lily Rose came over and watched him while I showered, but then I sent her back to bed. She didn’t sleep well.”
Houston figured that was true for all them. Well, except for Lucas. Thank God the baby was too young to understand what was happening.
She finished the toast and had several bites of the scrambled eggs while Houston drank the coffee. Both of them continued to glance back at the crib—probably to avoid looking at each other.
But it happened anyway. Their gazes collided and froze.
“I had some time to think last night,” Gabrielle said. “And it isn’t a good idea for us to be here.”
“Us? As in Lucas and you?”
She nodded, looked away again. Gabrielle set the orange juice back on the tray. “I’ll hire a bodyguard to keep us safe, but I can’t stay here.”
Houston leaned forward and set the coffee cup next to her juice. “Because of what Jay said about my father?”
“That’s part of it.” She slipped her fingers through her damp, blond hair to push it away from her forehead. It was such a simple gesture, but one that struck him as completely feminine.
Houston silently groaned and got his mind back on the conversation.
“Jay insinuated that your father might have been the one to tell Cordell that I was at the ranch. I don’t believethat,” she quickly added, “but I do believe your father doesn’t have my best interest at heart.”
“He doesn’t,” Houston readily agreed. “And that’s why he’s not here. I own this ranch, Gabrielle. I bought out my father’s part in it three years ago, when he wanted to make other investments.”
“But he’s your father. This is his home,” she pointed out. “He’ll want to return.”
“That won’t happen, unless I’m certain he won’t make trouble for you.”
Now her gaze came back to his. “ You could make trouble for me.”
So they were on the subject of custody. He hoped. Better than talking about the attraction. “I could. You could make trouble for me, too. Or we could try to work out something together that doesn’t involve making trouble.”
“What do you mean? Are you talking about split custody?” A flash of anger went through her eyes. “Because I don’t want that for my son. The reason I used what I thought was a donor embryo, was so I wouldn’t have these custody questions. I didn’t want to share him with anyone.”
“I know. I can’t go back and undo what happened at the clinic. And even if could, I wouldn’t. Because the result of that mix-up is Lucas.”
She blinked hard, as if fighting tears, and she probably was. Her emotions had to be running sky-high. His certainly were.
Houston considered trying to reassure her that he would be fair when it came to a custody arrangement,but in Gabrielle’s mind, the only fair thing would be for his father and him
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