After You (Because of You 2)

“I’m pretty fond of at least two of them,” I tease.

Derek smiles and leans back, giving me a kiss. “You better be. I’ve got you on lockdown now.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” I toss back, rolling my eyes playfully.

Lifting an eyebrow and his left hand to show me his wedding band, he says, “Hey, I have a contract now. I’m pretty sure it stipulates if you ever try to leave me, I can lock you in our bedroom and refuse to let you out until you come to your senses.”

“I think you should have read that marriage license a little more closely, buddy. Those were not the terms.”

“I’m pretty sure those were the exact terms,” he disagrees. “Frankly, I think they’re generous. We have a nice, big bedroom now, so it’s not like you’ll be locked in a closet.”

“And I’m sure you’ll bring me treats.”

“My captive wife will be well-fed,” he assures me.

“And books,” I add.

“Adult bedtime stories will continue to be an institution.”

I nod my head confidently. “Then I agree to these terms.”

Cassidy shakes her head at us, then reaches up and rubs Jamie’s little foot. “They’re so crazy, aren’t they, Jamie?”

Now he grins at her and his whole body stiffens with excitement because she’s speaking to him. Cassidy leans in and lightly pinches his cheek. He gazes at her like she’s the most interesting person in the whole entire world, his blue eyes following her every movement.

It’s funny how much they already adore each other. When we first discovered the baby in my protruding belly had a penis, Cassidy was pretty bummed. We tried to get her excited about having a little brother instead of a little sister, but it wasn’t until Mike brought her to the hospital to meet Jamie that she warmed to the idea. Once we brought him home and he won her over with his cuteness, she started introducing him to her unicorns, dolls, and all the things she wanted to do with a little sister. She concluded she could probably do all those things with a little brother, too.

She loves to be my little helper, too. Since Jamie is so young, he still sleeps a lot. During the week when Derek is at work, I set up Jamie in his swing or his bassinet in my office and work for as long as he’ll let me. Once Cassidy gets home from school, she’s my little errand girl if I need a new burp cloth or a change of clothes for him. She often reminds me to eat too, and brings me a snack when I get in the zone while he naps and forget about my own needs.

“My little brother wants to watch a movie tonight,” Cassidy announces as she releases his foot and marches toward the back patio.

“Oh, does he?” I ask, following Derek.

“Yep,” she verifies. “And he thinks we should have popcorn and candy bars.”

“Jamie has a lot of ideas for a little guy who can’t talk yet,” Derek remarks.

“And a big appetite for a little guy who only drinks breast milk,” I add.

Cassidy shrugs. “I read it in his mind.”

“You can read minds now?” Derek inquires.

“Yep,” she says confidently.

Hanging back, Derek murmurs to me, “See, now that must be a Noble trait. I read your mind all the time.”

“Uh huh.”

“And even Jamie knows you’ve gotta give a woman popcorn if you want her to enjoy her movie.”

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?” I ask.

“Nope. That was in the contract, too. You’re the one who should’ve read that thing better.”

Sighing dreamily, I bat my eyelashes at him. “I was just so desperate to become Mrs. Derek Noble, I couldn’t be bothered to read the fine print.”

“Finally, she admits it,” he jokes.