Chapter Text
Capital City, Alberta, Canada
July 6, 1923
She awakens with a start, her body slightly shivering despite the blankets surrounding her, and she instinctively reaches her hand behind her in search of her husband’s warm embrace. However, the only “person” she finds in her space is a very sleepy, very annoyed Tuck.
Oops…sorry, boy. I didn’t mean to wake you. But, where is Luca?
Groaning, Sam rolls slowly over onto her side and then props herself up onto her elbow, surveying the darkened bedroom.
Is he up with Charlie? What time is it?
Her brain feels like mush as she struggles to sit up, and she quickly glances at the clock beside the bed, which is illuminated by a small sliver of moonlight filtering through the window.
5 a.m. Wow. No wonder it seems as if my milk might explode everywhere. Charlie’s been going only three hours between feedings, and here she has lasted four. Not that I’m complaining about the extra sleep….
Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stands unsteadily to her feet before shivering yet again—
—gracious, it’s been unseasonably cold lately—
—driving her to grab her robe off of the corner of the bathroom door and wraps it snugly around the thin nightgown that she is wearing. It’s been about eight weeks since their daughter Charlotte (or Charlie, for short) was born, and it’s been quite the learning curve for both Sam and Lucas as they have navigated the ins and outs of new parenthood.
And I loved every second of it…except for the lack of sleep aspect. That has been brutal in a way I wasn’t prepared for. But, thank goodness for Lucas and all of his attentive help, or else I would be much more of a walking zombie than I already am.
A deep, gentle laugh coming from the nursery interrupts her musings—
—speaking of my husband—
—and she pads across the chilly wooden floor of the bedroom and sneaks out into the hallway, leaning soundlessly against the open door frame of the nursery while her breath catches in her throat.
Lucas is swaying back-and-forth in the middle of the dimly lit room, cradling their baby daughter to his bare chest and speaking in hushed tones while the swaddled little girl peers up at him with wide, bright eyes.
Ohhhh. No matter how many times I see him like this with her, it always makes me weak in the knees.
“…and I promise you,” he says quietly, “it will be the grandest treehouse anyone has ever seen. We will add a tire swing to it along with a rope ladder, and all of your friends will be so jealous. Oh! And then we can….”
He continues to describe the most elaborate treehouse Sam has ever heard of—
—oh, how I love this man and his larger-than-life ideas—
—causing Charlie to pick up on his excitement and coo loudly prior to bursting into a full-out wail, one that her father quickly quells by letting the fussy infant suck on his finger.
“Shhh, princess,” he whispers, dropping a loving kiss onto her forehead. “Don’t cry. You’re safe and sound with me. And I know you’re hungry, but let’s allow Mommy to sleep just a little bit longer, OK? She needs the rest.”
Be still my heart.
He carefully readjusts Charlie in his embrace and starts to talk boastfully once again about the treehouse he is going to build for her, and Sam chuckles under her breath and allows her attention to be drawn away from the adorable sweetness in front of her to the sheer sexiness of her husband’s unkempt appearance.
Mhmmmm…be still my heart indeed.
Aside from being completely shirtless—
—my word, his chest and arms look amazing right now…but how is he not cold? Oh, that’s right. Because he’s hot—
—Lucas is sporting navy blue pajama pants that are currently riding incredibly low on his hips, prompting Sam’s eyes to shamelessly sweep over his extremely well-defined abs.
Heaven, help me. And if that wasn’t enough to send me over the edge, there is his glorious hair, which is wild and messy and—
“I can feel you staring.”
And I’m not the least bit embarrassed.
Shrugging nonchalantly at his suggestive tone, Sam walks into the nursery and smirks up at him. “Can you blame me? Watching you cuddle Charlie and talk about the future with her does something to me, so—”
She threads her fingers into his disheveled hair as heat courses through her veins and settles deep in her belly at the way his gaze darkens and his tongue darts out to wet his lips, a tell-tale sign of his desire.
“—I couldn’t help but stare.”
Lucas emits a desperate, choked-off sound at her murmured confession, and she stretches up onto her toes and places an achingly slow kiss on his mouth, his short beard tickling her lips.
“Sam…,” he practically growls.
“But, in all seriousness, thank you for taking care of Charlie and letting me sleep longer,” Sam interrupts in a quiet voice, causing the heady lust in his eyes to be replaced with nothing less than pure adoration. She then strokes her daughter’s light blonde hair with her fingertips and flashes a gentle smile. “It’s so beautiful to see how much she loves you…how safe she feels in your arms…just like I do…and….”
She trails off as her words fail her, and he shyly dips his head so that he can quickly peck the tip of her nose and capture her gaze with his own. “Of course. I would do anything for you and our girl. You two are my entire world.”
And you are ours.
Suddenly, Charlie’s demanding cry shatters the moment between them, and Sam rests her palm over her husband’s steady heartbeat and sensuously caresses his mouth once more before removing the wailing baby from his grasp and taking a seat in the nearby rocking chair.
Duty calls.
“I’ll come to bed once she has finished eating,” Sam whispers, positioning Charlie across her chest and laughing when the hungry infant latches immediately and grunts in contentment.
There you go, Charlie-girl.
Glancing up at Lucas, she catches him regarding her with such awe and devotion that it makes her emotions swell, and he blushes slightly before giving her a sweet nod and turning on his heel to head back out into the silent hallway.
Wait.
“Luca?”
He eagerly whips around, his silk pants swishing around his legs and inching down his hips to almost a dangerous level, filling her with intense longing.
Have mercy. Focus, Sam. Now is not the time…but maybe later…OK, definitely later….
“Yes?”
The vulnerable tenderness in his eyes is enough to pull her from her brazen thoughts and, instead, melt her heart into a puddle, and she bites her lip and smiles softly. “I love you.”
Forever yours.
And for several seconds, he simply stares at her like he is memorizing the details of this moment, his gaze softening even more before he takes three large strides and kneels onto the floor beside her and Charlie, cradling their daughter’s tiny head with his palm while wrapping his arm securely around his wife’s shoulders and delicately kissing her temple.
Safe and sound.
“And I you.”