Stripe for Love: Paranormal Surprise Pregnancy Tiger Shifter Romance (Shifter Grove Brides Book 6) Read Online Free Page B
slick with rain and wetness because the winter snow had only just melted, her heart was in her throat again. Adrian woke up and Layla busied herself with keeping him shushed and happy, though the boy was far too centered, as usual, to let much get to him while he played with his stuffed dinosaurs.
The tiny airplane touched down and the full extent of the situation dawned on Layla immediately, making her grip the armrests even when Slate was already striding past her, opening up the hatch and letting down the stairs.
“Come on now, Miss Nash! Time to go meet your destiny!” Slate hollered in his happy, sing-song voice, and with a sigh mostly targeted at herself, Layla undid the clasp on her seatbelt.
She put on her jacket and helped Adrian into his, maybe taking a bit more time than she strictly had to. When she finally had all her stuff gathered and her baby on her hip, Slate had unloaded the big suitcase she’d brought with her and was waiting to help her down the steps. She accepted the assistance gratefully and when she found herself standing on the tarmac, her world seemed to come to a grinding halt all of a sudden.
There he was. Atlas. Just like she’d remembered him.
He was wearing worn jeans and work boots, a ragged dark brown leather jacket thrown over his shoulders, and a plaid shirt with a white undershirt peeking out underneath. His hair had been combed, but even then it was a little bit messy, and his eyes were so intense that when he looked at her, she thought he was staring right through her. Like it wasn’t just her standing there, but all her past deeds, her history, and her memories too.
She scarcely noticed the bouquet of roses in his hands and he seemed to have forgotten about them too as they looked at one another as if they were seeing apparitions instead of real people. Layla felt tears coming to her eyes, a shallow sob hidden away somewhere at the back of her throat. Not because she was sad, but because the moment was just… too much.
“Hey,” he finally said, his low voice sending a happy shudder through her.
“Hey,” she answered back, managing a tiny smile.
“Hey!” Adrian echoed, smiling wide as he waved at Atlas, who was standing a few feet away, looking completely dumbstruck.
“This is Adrian,” Layla said, somehow finding the words, though she thought she would just stare at him mutely and hope that the world took care of itself without her help.
“Hey Adrian,” Atlas said blankly, his gray and gold eyes locking with Adrian’s as the big cat and the little cat stared at one another.
There was something in the air, something that made Layla suck in a breath and remain still as Atlas slowly took a few steps forward. She could see the moment when he looked over her head at Slate behind her near the airplane. Maybe he got an encouraging nod, Layla didn’t know, but when Atlas got to her, he seemed to be struggling with emotions as heavily as she was. Maybe more so.
“These are for you,” he muttered, giving her the roses.
“Thank you,” she said, accepting them with her one free hand and smelling them.
They were red and pink, at least a dozen, long-stem. She could easily imagine how awkward he must have been picking them out, this big lug of a man, doing what he knew was right. Layla had to smile a little at that.
“Can I hold him?” he asked a moment later.
“Sure,” Layla said, almost breathless as she helped Adrian into Atlas’s strong arms.
The little boy clapped his arms around Atlas’s neck immediately, still holding onto his dinosaurs. Atlas grinned, one hand under Adrian’s legs and the other flat on his back, hugging him carefully, as if he worried about accidentally breaking him if he squeezed too hard.
“I didn’t know you were bringing someone else,” Atlas said, though he only had eyes for Adrian for a moment.
“I… it’s a long story,” Layla said sheepishly.
“I bet it is! But you guys have to hash it out in your truck because
The tiny airplane touched down and the full extent of the situation dawned on Layla immediately, making her grip the armrests even when Slate was already striding past her, opening up the hatch and letting down the stairs.
“Come on now, Miss Nash! Time to go meet your destiny!” Slate hollered in his happy, sing-song voice, and with a sigh mostly targeted at herself, Layla undid the clasp on her seatbelt.
She put on her jacket and helped Adrian into his, maybe taking a bit more time than she strictly had to. When she finally had all her stuff gathered and her baby on her hip, Slate had unloaded the big suitcase she’d brought with her and was waiting to help her down the steps. She accepted the assistance gratefully and when she found herself standing on the tarmac, her world seemed to come to a grinding halt all of a sudden.
There he was. Atlas. Just like she’d remembered him.
He was wearing worn jeans and work boots, a ragged dark brown leather jacket thrown over his shoulders, and a plaid shirt with a white undershirt peeking out underneath. His hair had been combed, but even then it was a little bit messy, and his eyes were so intense that when he looked at her, she thought he was staring right through her. Like it wasn’t just her standing there, but all her past deeds, her history, and her memories too.
She scarcely noticed the bouquet of roses in his hands and he seemed to have forgotten about them too as they looked at one another as if they were seeing apparitions instead of real people. Layla felt tears coming to her eyes, a shallow sob hidden away somewhere at the back of her throat. Not because she was sad, but because the moment was just… too much.
“Hey,” he finally said, his low voice sending a happy shudder through her.
“Hey,” she answered back, managing a tiny smile.
“Hey!” Adrian echoed, smiling wide as he waved at Atlas, who was standing a few feet away, looking completely dumbstruck.
“This is Adrian,” Layla said, somehow finding the words, though she thought she would just stare at him mutely and hope that the world took care of itself without her help.
“Hey Adrian,” Atlas said blankly, his gray and gold eyes locking with Adrian’s as the big cat and the little cat stared at one another.
There was something in the air, something that made Layla suck in a breath and remain still as Atlas slowly took a few steps forward. She could see the moment when he looked over her head at Slate behind her near the airplane. Maybe he got an encouraging nod, Layla didn’t know, but when Atlas got to her, he seemed to be struggling with emotions as heavily as she was. Maybe more so.
“These are for you,” he muttered, giving her the roses.
“Thank you,” she said, accepting them with her one free hand and smelling them.
They were red and pink, at least a dozen, long-stem. She could easily imagine how awkward he must have been picking them out, this big lug of a man, doing what he knew was right. Layla had to smile a little at that.
“Can I hold him?” he asked a moment later.
“Sure,” Layla said, almost breathless as she helped Adrian into Atlas’s strong arms.
The little boy clapped his arms around Atlas’s neck immediately, still holding onto his dinosaurs. Atlas grinned, one hand under Adrian’s legs and the other flat on his back, hugging him carefully, as if he worried about accidentally breaking him if he squeezed too hard.
“I didn’t know you were bringing someone else,” Atlas said, though he only had eyes for Adrian for a moment.
“I… it’s a long story,” Layla said sheepishly.
“I bet it is! But you guys have to hash it out in your truck because
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