Change of Heart (Fostering Love 2)

I laughed at the scowl on his face.

“What are the pictures?” I asked as he sat down next to me, sliding his bare legs under the sheets.

“One of Arielle in her swing and one of Trevor holding her,” he answered, tipping the phone toward me so I could look at them.

“Has he heard anything from Henry’s baby-mama?” I asked as I looked at Trev’s smiling face on my phone screen.

Ellie, Mike, and Trev seemed to be getting back into the swing of things again, but it was apparent to everyone that they were still in mourning. I’d seen them laugh, and I’d seen them smile, but they still carried an awful expression on their faces when they thought no one was looking. I was pretty sure I wore the same one.

All of the drama with Bram had distracted me, giving me a little breathing room from my grief, even though it hadn’t exactly cheered me up. I wondered if, now that Bram and I were solid, Henry’s loss would magnify again, like the day we’d buried him.

“Trevor called her,” Bram replied, taking the phone from my hands and setting both his and mine on the bedside table. “She was willing to talk, but I don’t know much more than that.”

“Well, that’s good at least,” I murmured as Bram shut off the light and slid down the bed, pulling me with him.

“I think he’s going to head down there in the next couple of weeks.”

My head popped back up, and I looked at Bram in surprise. “Really?”

“Yeah, he wants to meet her—the baby.”

“A little piece of Hen,” I murmured, laying my head back on Bram’s chest.

“I can’t imagine what was going through his head,” Bram said, running his fingers lightly up and down my back. “That’s his baby.”

“Some people aren’t meant to be parents,” I replied with a shrug.

I didn’t understand why Henry had done what he’d done, either. I could barely wrap my head around it. He knew what it was like to have parents that didn’t care, so the fact that he’d followed in their footsteps baffled me. On the other hand, I’d realized over the past few months that some people just couldn’t hack it. If Henry had been one of those people, maybe it was better that he’d walked away from the beginning.

“I want to go get Arielle,” Bram muttered, making my lips twitch. “I know we can get her in the morning, and I know she’s fine with my mom and dad, but I want her here. In her own bed. With us.”

“Let’s just enjoy the full night of sleep,” I said, kissing his chest. “We’re not going to get any again for a while.”

I closed my eyes and relaxed against him.

“I was thinking that we could rent out my town house instead,” Bram suddenly said after a few minutes of quiet.

“Whatever you want,” I replied.

“We could sell it and get a chunk of cash, but the steady income would be nice. Plus real estate is a good investment.”

“Sure.” I could feel myself falling asleep as he continued to ramble on.

“Then you could stay home with Arie,” he said, laughing when my head shot off his chest.

“What?”

“You don’t want to work anymore,” he said with a smile. “I know you don’t.”

“But I—”

“Please don’t knee me in the balls for this,” he said nervously. “But let me take care of you.”

“I don’t need you to—”

“I know you don’t. You’ve already proved that you can take care of yourself and Arielle,” he cut me off, pulling me up his chest. “But you’d rather stay home with Arie. I know you would.”

“Yeah, I’d love that,” I croaked.

“So, do it. I make plenty of money, baby. We’d be fine.”

“But what if—”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Are you sure?”

“Why do you keep asking me if I’m sure all the time? Yes, I’m sure.” He leaned down to give me a quick kiss on the lips. “I’d rather Arielle was home with you every day.”

My mouth trembled as he gazed at me happily, the moonlight barely shining enough light for me to catch the expression on his face.

“You’re going to have to find a new office manager,” I hedged, making his grin widen. “A dude office manager.”

“Fine,” he said seriously. “You have to give me more kids.”

“What?” I jerked back in surprise as his eyes searched mine.

“Arielle needs a sibling,” he said quietly, reaching out to cup my face in his hand. “I don’t think I want to foster. I’m not sure I wouldn’t end up running for the border the minute they tried to take our kids away. But if you want to adopt again…”

“Really?” I breathed.

“No one older than Arielle,” he ordered. “So we’ll probably have to wait a few years.”

“But there are a lot more older kids than there are—”

“It doesn’t have to be a baby,” Bram said, shaking his head. “Just younger than Arielle. When Kate was little, my parents fostered this older kid.” Bram swallowed hard. “He attacked her, and he could have really hurt her if Alex and I hadn’t found them.”