I slowly rocked Libby, and I could tell she was starting to fall asleep. As I began to dance with my daughter, I tried to imagine what it would be like when she got older. I never wanted her heart to be broken…ever. I was going to have to make sure her brother knew how to threaten any boy who even looked at his sister in the wrong way.

I began to hum to her when I heard her little breathing getting softer. I glanced up and saw Heather sitting on the steps. I noticed tears rolling down her face as she smiled at me. I smiled back and started to walk toward her. She stood up and gently put her hand on Libby’s back as she leaned in and smelled her. She was always smelling them both. She’d said she loved their baby smell, and she’d even refused to wash a few of their outfits, so she would have the smell always.

“Is she asleep?” she whispered.

I nodded and gestured toward the bedroom. After entering their room, I walked up to the crib, gently laid Libby down, and covered her up. I quietly shut the door and turned, and then Heather threw herself into my arms.

I held her as I felt her sobbing. “Baby, what’s wrong?” I moved my hand up and down her body.

She had thrown on one of my T-shirts, and there was nothing sexier than her wearing only my shirt.

“I just love you so much. I love you, Josh Hayes.”

She pulled back, and the look in her eyes about brought me to my knees.

“Josh, will you please make love to me?” she asked.

I smiled as I gently picked her up and kissed her. She tasted like heaven.

“Yes, princess,” I said as I carried her back up to our bedroom.

After laying her down on the bed, I slowly crawled on top of Heather. I took in every inch of her beautiful body with my hands. I just wanted to touch every square inch of her. I’d never gone so slowly while making love to Heather before, but I just wanted it to last forever. I wanted to stay like this with her, connected together.

Then, she grabbed my arms and threw her head back. I could practically feel her squeezing my dick. I leaned down and took her lips with mine as we both came together. Nothing would ever feel better than making love to my wife and then seeing the love in her eyes as she smiled at me.

“That was amazing, Josh.”

I kissed her nose and gently pulled myself out of her. I rolled over and lay next to her. She rolled onto her side and started running her fingers through my hair.

“Thank you,” she said.

I looked over at her and laughed. “Thank you, princess. I swear to God, it gets more amazing every time.”

She shook her head. “No…I mean, thank you for what you said to Libby.”

I closed my eyes and then opened them again. “How much did you hear?”

“All of it. I started to come downstairs, but then I heard you talking to her, so I stopped and listened to you. You’re my everything, too, Josh, and I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you and the twins. I feel so blessed that it’s not even funny.”

I nodded. Then, I thought about Scott and Jessie. I hadn’t told Heather that I’d heard from him. “I got a text from Scott. He said he was with Jessie, and he had gotten the best Christmas present ever. What do you think he meant?” I pushed a piece of her hair out of her eyes.

She took a deep breath. “Probably just getting Jess back, maybe? I just can’t believe Jessie left us all hanging like that. I’m kind of pissed at her.”

I let out a chuckle. Ari had said the same thing to Jeff and me earlier. Ellie was so mad at Jessie that she’d told Gunner to keep Jessie away for at least a week after she got home.

“I kind of feel sorry for Jessie. Y’all are mad at her. She’s not going to get a very good welcome home.”

Heather smiled. “No…no, she’s not. So, Scott better make sure he gives her one!”

I laughed. “Oh, believe me, I’m sure he intends to.”

As Heather snuggled in next to me and drifted off to sleep, I tried to shake the bad feeling I was having. A part of me didn’t think that everything would be going back to normal.

I closed my eyes and thanked God for the girl in my arms and for the babies sleeping downstairs. Then, I prayed for my friends to be happy and for the feeling in my gut about Jessie and Scott to be wrong.

Jessie had hardly spoken two words during the entire drive up to Mr. Martin’s house. After a quick tour of the house, Lark showed us to the guesthouse, which I swore was almost the size of my house.

I couldn’t shake the unnerving feeling I had. Jessie seemed to be uncomfortable around me.

Does she really believe it wasn’t me?

Maybe once we were finally alone, it would be better. I shut the door and turned to see Jessie standing there, staring at me. My heart started pounding.

“Did you want to call your dad or anything, honey?” I asked as I noticed the look in her eyes change.

The next thing I knew, she was slamming into me and holding on to me so tightly. Then, she began sobbing.

“Jessie…baby, please don’t cry. I’m so sorry all this happened. It took everything out of me not to kill Bryce and Chelsea. I’m so sorry, baby, that she hurt you and caused you to—”

She pulled back and looked at me with tears streaming down her face. She looked down and said, “Run away? Because that’s what I did, and I’ll never forgive myself for it. Never.”

I shook my head and tilted her chin up to make her look at me. “I love you, Jessie. I’m not going to lie and say that the past five weeks were okay because they weren’t. I was dying a slow death when you were gone.”

She sucked in a breath of air and started shaking her head as she began crying harder. “I’m so sorry. I should have talked to you instead of running away like an idiot and—”

I pulled her to me. “Shh…it’s over now, baby. We’re together now, and you know the truth. Jessie…as God as my witness, I promise you that I’ll never be unfaithful to you…ever. I’m yours, body and soul. And now…now, we’re going to have a baby.”

She buried her face in my chest and just kept repeating how much she loved me. She finally looked up and said, “Please…I just need you so much. I need you to hold me…I need you to make love to me, Scott. I’ve missed you so much.”

My heart was breaking. She looked so sad, and I knew she was feeling guilty for leaving and for being gone for so long. I reached down and gently moved my lips across hers as she let out the sweetest moan ever. Just the idea that she was carrying my child caused my heart to practically burst with happiness.