Taking Faith (15 page)

“Of course and I’m bringing your sister. It’s be
e
n too long since I’ve seen your pretty face.”

Amy rolled her eyes.
“Mom, I saw you last weekend.”

“Too long,” she argued. “Is Roger going to let me hold the baby this time?” she said sarcastically. “That man is such a baby hog! I’m the Grandma for goodness sake!”

“I know you don’t like Roger,” Amy started, but knew it was pointless.
“See you tomorrow, Mom.”

They didn’t like Roger because he was older and married her and got her pregnant all before Amy’s mother
even got to meet him. He’d made
good on his promise and taken her right after the baby was born
to see her mother. All Amy told her,
was that they were in Witness Protection and she wasn’t allowed to talk about anything that happened.

That hadn’t gone over well, but she got over it…mostly. Roger took the brunt of the anger and he seemed to take it in stride as if he always knew they’d hate him. But the strides h
e’d taken within himself was the
miracle.

His father never again came to Roger’s house and they wouldn’t see him
ever now that
they left the community
. H
e had been one of the ones captured and sentenced
. In one of the trials, Roger had seen his father in the back of the men on trial. It had been hard to watch it all and see the women and children taken.

But that was over for them now. They were trying to move on with their lives and doing a good job of it. Tomorrow was Roger’s birthday, and Alex and Elena were coming to see them for the first time since they’d been split up by the Witness Protection. And Amy’s mom was coming, too.

Roger sat on the bed, placing the baby between them. He took the baby’s foot and blew raspberries on the sole which was ap
parently the funniest thing
. The giggles that came out of that child were hilarious, Amy thought. She rubbed her belly and tried not to cry. Stupid pregnancy hormones. She always got choked up watching Roger be a daddy.

Because he had learned to be a daddy all on his own with no help from the man who raised him. He had learned what being a
real
father was about. It wasn’t about your legacy or last name, it wasn’t about
being a role model in your community it was about being a role model in your home. It was about love, laughter and making the ones who belong to you smile.

Amy belonged to Roger in every way…and she was definitely wearing a permane
nt grin
.

“I’ll start some breakfast. And then we need to go to the store to fill up the propane tank for the grill tomorrow.”

“
Mmhmm
,” he said distractedly as he blew on the baby’s feet again. “
And then we’
ll pick up a
Pineapple Upside Down cake for your mom.
Her favorite.
”

“I can make one,” Amy said, but knew what argument was coming.

He put the baby over in the basinet and swung back over to hover above Amy. “You’re already going to be running yourself
in
to the ground, I know you. I don’t want you cooking tomorrow. I’ll take care of everything.”

She grimaced. “Cooking on your birthday? That sucks.”

He laughed. “Sweetheart, I
’ve
got everything I ever wanted. All I want to do on my birthday is take care of my girls.”

“Fine,” she conceded and touched his cheek.

“Thank you for my birthday present,” he sighed and kissed her neck.

She laughed.
“I haven’t given it to you yet.”

“This right here.” He palmed her belly. “And that girl over there.” He nodded toward the basinet. “And you. I’m a pretty rich guy.”

“I love you
for saying that
,” she said and smil
ed, rolling her eyes at herself
as one tear escaped her eye. Frigging pregnancy hormones!

He smiled as he wiped it away with his thumb and leaned in to kiss her. “I love you
, too, sweetheart
. I thank God every day that
he sent you my way.”

“
Ditto, baby
.” She pulled him down further to kiss him deeper. “Ditto.”