Santa Soldier Bear - Meg Ripley Page 0,22
asked softly.
She looked up at him, seeing the sheer terror in his face. He was trying. He’d already done a lot, considering that neither of these children was related to him biologically. “I’ll just run in with Lucas, and then I’ll come back to swap them out. You can stay here with the strollers if that works. Then I won’t need to worry about our stuff.”
Roman looked somewhat relieved, and Melody hid her smile as she took Lucas into the restroom. “Are you having fun?” she asked the little boy. The bright lights overhead were a contrast to the darkness outside, and she squinted against it.
“Yeah!” he replied enthusiastically. “More lights?”
“Oh, yes,” she said as she opened the diaper bag. “Lots and lots and lots of them!”
When they emerged, she found Roman right where she’d left him. He was squatting next to Ruby’s stroller, her tiny fingers wrapped around one of his as he cooed to her sweetly. Melody hated to interrupt the little tableau, and she caught the slightly self-conscious look on his face as she approached. “Ruby’s turn!”
Back in the bathroom, Melody put the little blondie on the changing table and began removing all the wrappings she’d put on her to make sure she stayed warm. “I hope you’re having a good time, sweetling. You are just the most adorable little thing. I know you seem to be doing okay, but I worry about you so much.” She bent down and kissed her on the forehead.
Her hands deftly performed the tasks she’d become so used to over the years without thought. There wasn’t anyone else in the restroom at the moment, and she quickly found herself chatting to Ruby the way she always did with babies. “You know, I can tell you this because I know you won’t tattle on me, but I’m just crazy about that man who’s pushing your stroller. It’s too easy, when we’re out here with you kids, and the weather and the lighting is all so perfect, to think that the two of us are a couple. I mean, the way I’d like us to be.” She smiled as she began putting Ruby’s clothes back on, grateful that the restroom wasn’t too chilly for her. “I think he’d make an awfully good father himself, considering the way he pays attention to the two of you.”
She was full of warm thoughts as she emerged, but her blood ran cold when she didn’t see Roman or Lucas anywhere. The things he’d said at headquarters earlier about not knowing where Ruby came from or who might be after her kicked in with a shot of adrenaline, and she held the baby closer to her chest as she moved through the dim light. There were people everywhere, but she didn’t see the familiar set of his shoulders.
A dark figure loomed toward her on the left, and Melody quickly turned. It was Roman, pushing both of the strollers.
“Oh, thank goodness! I didn’t know where you’d gone!” she gasped as she clutched at her chest.
“Sorry. We decided to pick up some hot chocolate. Here.” Roman handed her a covered paper cup.
Her fingers touched his as she took it from him. Why did he have to go and do yet another thing to make her feel this way about him? It was hard enough that their inner beasts were fighting so hard for the two of them to be together, but little things like this made it even more difficult to resist. “That was very kind of you.”
“I thought it would be a nice treat,” he said, his dark eyes meeting hers over the rim of his cup.
“Look! Bear!”
Melody glanced down to see that Lucas was clutching a sippy cup from the zoo’s gift shop.
“They had some souvenir kids’ mugs, and he went nuts for them,” Roman explained. “I figured Ruby wasn’t old enough for one, so I got her this.” He reached under the stroller and pulled a stuffed bear with a Santa hat out of a bag.
“You’re so sweet,” Melody said genuinely. As they continued through the Twinkle Tunnel, made their way through a huge, lit-up storybook scene, and enjoyed a forest full of snowflakes and snowmen, Melody felt herself being lulled into a sense of family and belonging. Her snow leopard was content, gently kneading away at her heart, and almost sleepy as they reached the end of the light tour and headed for the parking lot.
“So, what did you think?” Melody asked as they pulled up