Just as she placed her hand in mine, the door opened with no warning, and Victoria walked in. She glanced down at our hands before her eyes snapped back up to focus on me and then Heather.

“Well, looks like you two are getting to know each other again,” she said with a fake-ass smile.

When she turned and leaned over, I couldn’t help but notice her ass. Damn…girl has been working out these last few years.

I quickly looked away and glanced at Heather. She was watching Victoria’s every move.

Thank God she didn’t see me checking out Victoria’s ass. God, I’m such a dick. I closed my eyes, wishing I could punch myself.

“Well, sorry to break up the reunion between you two, but I have to take Josh for his scan now.” Victoria winked at me.

Fuck. Why is she flirting with me in front of Heather?

When I glanced over at Heather, she was staring at me. I smiled at her, but she looked back over to Victoria.

“Not sure how long this will take, so feel free to stay in the room or go to the waiting room.” Victoria moved past Heather and lifted up the side rail of my bed.

“That’s fine. I’m going to meet Greg and Elizabeth down in the cafeteria for lunch.” Heather turned back to me and smiled.

I liked how she’d called my parents by their first names. Considering that along with how much my parents adored her and the engagement ring…yeah, we must have been really serious. It was bothering me that this was probably killing her. Shit. This girl has me in knots, and I can’t even remember a goddamn thing about her.

Heather stepped closer and leaned down slightly, like she was going to kiss me good-bye, but then she stopped herself. “Okay…well, I guess we’ll see you in a bit. Good luck with the scan.” She took a step away from the bed.

“I don’t even get a good-bye kiss?” I asked, knowing how that would make her smile.

Bingo! Right on cue.

I stared as that beautiful smile spread across her face. Just as Heather was about to walk back toward me, Victoria stepped in front of her and started to push the bed away from the wall.

“Say good-bye for now, Josh,” Victoria said to me before looking over her shoulder at Heather. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll be sure to take real good care of him.”

I rolled my eyes. I went to look back at Heather, but my whole body screamed out in pain when I did. Closing my eyes, I tried to memorize her. Her blonde hair was beautiful, and it looked so soft. She had the most amazing blue eyes I’d ever seen. Her laugh was…incredibly sexy as hell. She was wearing jeans that fit her body like a glove and a Longhorn T-shirt that was a bit too big on her small frame. Deep down inside, I was hoping like hell that it was my T-shirt on her body.

I heard the elevator doors close, and then I felt lips on my lips. Those beautiful, soft-looking lips…

I opened my eyes to see it was Victoria kissing me. When her tongue pushed into my mouth, I started exploring it with mine. I let out a moan as I remembered all the times we’d been together. She responded with her own moan that ran through my body, causing my dick to jump.

Then, her face flashed in my mind. Heather. This is wrong. This just feels so damn wrong.

I pulled my lips away from Victoria’s and shook my head. “No, please don’t do that. This is wrong, Tori.”

Smiling, she moved her hand under the covers and grabbed my dick. “Doesn’t feel like it’s wrong, babe. God, I’ve missed you, Josh. I can make a small detour if you need a little…attention down here.”

Oh god, this girl gives the best blow jobs. “I, um…I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” I cleared my throat as I tried to ignore her hand stroking up and down my dick.

“Why? Because your parents tell you that you’re with some girl who they clearly want you to be with? How do you know they weren’t trying to push you two together before the accident? Do you really know if you were with this girl, babe?”

As much as I would have loved to have her suck my dick right now, something inside me was telling me it was a bad idea. “Thanks, Tori, but no thanks. Let’s just get this damn scan done and over with. My head is killing me.” I pushed her hand off my dick. As good as it had felt, I needed her to stop.

“Fine, but you know where to find me when you come to your senses.”

Victoria leaned down and kissed me on the lips before I quickly turned my head away.

When I closed my eyes again, I pictured a beautiful blonde lying on a blanket next to a river. She was reading, and as I walked toward her, she lifted her head to me…but her face was blurred. Is that Heather? Is this a memory?

I needed to find out more about Heather, but damn…I was aching for Victoria’s touch again.

Chapter Seven

In the backseat of my truck, Ellie was sitting on one side of Alex while I was on the other. Looking to the front, I saw my parents holding each other’s hands as my father pulled up to our house. I smiled and glanced over to Ellie. She was smiling back at me.

“Are you happy?” she asked as she reached over the car seat and grabbed my hand.

I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed the back of it as I grinned. “Never been so happy in my life!”

After Dad parked the truck, he jumped out and ran around to open Mom’s door. He helped her out and then opened my door.

“Mom, where’s Gus?” I took the car seat out of the truck and held on to it with all my might as I looked around for the little bastard.

Then, I heard Ellie laughing before she started talking to Gus.

Figures he would run to her first. Bastard. If he thinks he’s sleeping in the middle tonight, he has another thing coming.

As I started toward the house, I heard my dad laughing behind me.

“Jesus, Drew. Think you could walk any faster? You’re gonna have to let him meet her, or he won’t stop trying to figure out what the new thing is,” my dad said, catching up to me.

Asshole. I was still pissed that he had joined up with Gramps, and they had been spreading their little story about me fainting to anyone who would listen. I needed to think of a way to get back at them.

When I turned around, Ellie was bending over, giving Gus some lovin’. Damn, she loves that dog.

She had read up on how to introduce the baby to Gus, and apparently, we were just going right for it with introductions off the bat.

Well, not if I can help it. I’m taking little bear in the house and locking the rest of them out.

As I opened the front door, Ellie called out from behind me, “If you even think about locking us out, Drew Mathews, I’ll make you sleep on the sofa for a week!”

I stopped dead in my tracks. I moved out of the way to let Gus run in, and as he passed by, he must have caught Alex’s scent. I had to let out a laugh as he slid around the tile floor, trying to stop and turn around all at the same time.

“What’s wrong, dipshit? Haven’t figured out yet how to stop on the floors?”

When I felt a hand smack the back of my head, I turned to see my father walking by. What the hell?

“Don’t call that dog names, Drew,” my father said as he winked at me.

“Are you kidding me, Dad? You call him every name in the book!” I looked at Ellie and then back at my dad.

“Gunner, take Alex out of her car seat and bring her over to the sofa, so Gus can meet her,” Ellie said, practically skipping into the living room.

She’s way too excited about this.

“Dad, can you go get my twelve gauge?”

My dad gave me a confused look. “Shit, Drew. You gonna introduce her to your gun?” my dad asked.

“What the hell do you need your gun for?” Ellie asked me as she sat down.

As she held out her hands for little bear, I glanced down at Gus lying on the floor near Ellie’s feet.

Damn dog puts on a good show.

“I need it in case he hurts Alex. If he tries anything, I’m gonna shoot his ass,” I said, holding my baby girl in my arms as I looked down at her. I smiled at the sight of her sleeping so peacefully. God, I love her.

“Oh. My. God. You did not just say that about my dog!” Ellie stood up and put her hands on her hips.

Gus just stayed in his spot, his eyes moving from Ellie to me and back again.

“Look at him. He’s acting so calm now, but I know what he’ll do. He’s gonna think she’s a toy!” I turned to my mother with a pleading look. She’ll be on my side.

“Oh, for the love of all things good, Drew. Give Ellie the baby, so Gus can meet her already,” my mom said as she moved to sit down on the floor next to the dog.

My mouth was hanging open as I just stood there, staring at her, while she rubbed Gus’s ears. My own mother.

“Fine, but someone better be ready for when he makes his move,” I said, glancing down at Gus as I handed little bear to Ellie. Did that dog just smile at me? “He just smiled at me! Did y’all see that?”

Ellie let out a laugh as she kissed Alex on the cheek. When Gus slowly sat up, Ellie held Alex down near him. I sucked in a breath of air and just watched. Gus smelled, wagging his tail a little. After he smelled again, he looked up at Ellie.

“Hey, bubs, this is Alex, your baby sister,” Ellie said as she smiled at Gus.

Baby sister? What the hell?

“I need you to always watch over her and protect her, baby boy. She needs you.”

I watched as Gus sat down, still wagging his tail. I was waiting for him to pick up his paw and slap it down on the baby, but he didn’t. He just sat there, staring at Alex. Then, he put his head on Ellie’s leg.

I looked over at my dad as he slowly let out the breath he’d been holding in. He glanced over at me and shrugged his shoulders. Son of a bitch was just as worried as I was.

Ellie looked up at me with that smile of hers. I smiled back before leaning down to kiss her.

“I told you he would be a good boy. He loves her already,” Ellie said, glancing down at Gus.

I walked over to the table by the front door and grabbed the PetSmart bag. As soon as I took out the rawhide bone, Gus got up and ran over to me. After I opened it and gave it to him, he ran through the dog door in the kitchen and headed outside.

“Easy-peasy!” my mother said as she began heading toward the kitchen. “Who wants lasagna?”

My dad walked up and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll make the salad.”

As they both went into the kitchen, I could hear them laughing and talking about how scared I’d been about Gus attacking Alex. Some parents they are.

I turned to look at Ellie as she started to softly sing to Alex. My heart burst from chest with so much love that I had to sit down slowly. I watched the both of them until my mother called us for dinner.

I sat down on the bed and stared at the bassinet holding the love of my life. As I felt Ellie crawling into bed, I saw something that shocked the shit out of me.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe it!” I said.

Ellie sat up. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Ells, look at your dog.” I pointed over to the bassinet.

Gus had walked up and peeked in at Alex before lying down near her.