“Come in, Logan,” she calls out from inside.
I pushed the door open and step in. Everything looks normal with Ivy playing contentedly in her playpen and Vanessa in the kitchen cooking.
Ivy squeals and raises her hands to be lifted.
“Hello, beautiful girl,” I croon and lift her from her playpen.
“Hi, you,” Vanessa says.
I take Ivy with me to give Vanessa a kiss on the cheek. That’s when I see her face. She looks like she’s been crying. I force myself to act normal as I don’t want to startle Ivy. “Hi, babe.”
I play with Ivy for a few minutes, swinging her back and forth. Her shrieks of delight fill the air and when I sense her tiring out, I gently lower her back to the playpen. Then I cross the room and go to Vanessa. I stand behind her and slip my hands around her waist. She leans back into me, and I hold her tight.
“How did it go?” I ask.
“I’ll tell you later. It’s a long story.”
“Okay. Do you want me to warm Ivy’s dinner?” I ask her.
“That would be awesome, thanks. I’ll finish cooking dinner and then give her a bath,” Vanessa says.
I’m glad I can do something to help. By the time we get some alone time after Ivy has had her bath and she’s in bed, it’s half-past seven. Vanessa serves dinner and we sit at the small kitchen table.
She smiles at me but it’s a sad smile. “I hope you had a better day than I did.”
“It was all right, but I was worried about you,” I tell her.
“He wouldn’t hurt me,” she says. “That’s not Gabriel’s style. He’s a player, not an abuser.”
I didn’t think he was. The kind of hurt I meant was the kind that can’t be seen but I don’t tell Vanessa that. I’m weak where she’s concerned, and I don’t want to show her that side of me.
“He denied paternity,” Vanessa says. “In fact, he outright laughed in my face.”
Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. A man who lies about his marital status is a man who does not want any responsibility. But that’s what the legal system is there for.
“I’ve decided to let it go. Lexi thinks I should get the courts to force him to share the responsibility of Ivy, but I’ve decided not to,” she says.
I’m immediately aware of the position I’m in. If I side with Lexy, which I do, and encourage her to sue him, she’ll think it’s because I don’t want to be saddled with the responsibility of another man’s child. That cannot be further from the truth. I love Ivy, the same way I love Emma. Both babies came into my life unexpectedly but over time, they’ve become very special to me.
Men like Gabriel who run away from their responsibilities should be forced to face up to them. But this is the one time when I’ll keep my real opinion to myself. I am not in Vanessa’s shoes and as much as I love her, I can’t feel how she felt when that bastard denied her baby.
Ultimately, it’s Vanessa’s decision. “I’ll support you, whichever decision you make.”
Her face relaxes and she gives me a tired smile. “Thank you. That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”
After dinner, I send Vanessa off to bed and stay behind to clean up. She goes to the bathroom instead and the sound of a running shower reaches my ears. I hate how small and vulnerable she looked over dinner. As if in denying paternity, Gabriel had crushed her spirit.
A fierce feeling of protection comes over me. He may have momentarily wounded her, but I know Vanessa, and tomorrow morning she’ll wake up with guns blazing ready to take on the day. That’s the Vanessa I know and love.
Tonight, she’s like a rabbit that’s been wounded but with love and care, she’ll heal and get back to herself. I finish clearing up and head to Vanessa’s bedroom. I check on Ivy first, see that she’s peacefully asleep, and slowly shut the door.
I enter the bedroom just as Vanessa is slipping into bed. Completely naked, her skin glowing and her curves inviting, making me forget that tonight is all about love and warmth.
“May I join you?” I ask her.
“I’m counting on it,” she says and pulls up the duvet to her chin and watches me. “You’re my therapy tonight, Mr. Watson.”
I chuckle. “That sounds like my dad.”
“Ewww,” Vanessa says. “That’s a sick thought.”
I strip off all my clothes and join her in the bed. “Come here,” I tell her while gathering her into my arms. She moves to me, and I hold her tight.
My cock is an embarrassment, swelling by the second. “Contrary to the evidence, my plan is to hold and comfort you, and not to have my wicked way with you.”