Ryan is holding JJ. Jake kisses him on the forehead—JJ, not Ryan—and I do the same. And then they’re shoving us out the door, telling us not to rush back.

“Should we stop and get coffees before we do the whole shopping thing?” Jake asks.

“Oooh, that sounds great! I’d love a latte.” And I could definitely use the shot of caffeine.

We make a stop at one of my favorite coffee places. They don’t have a drive-thru, so we go inside to order. Jake slings his arm over my shoulders as we walk across the parking lot back to the car. He pulls me into his side, his lips finding my temple. “Is it weird that I miss having JJ with us right now, even though I’ve also been dying for some alone time with you that isn’t filled with folding tiny pairs of socks and facecloths?”

I chuckle and sip my latte. “Not weird at all. I feel exactly the same way.”

“Queenie said she would love to be able to do this for us once a week if we’re interested. She said it’s good training for her and King.”

“It’s kind of crazy that grocery shopping is now considered alone time, isn’t it?” I tip my chin up and smile at him. “And I don’t think it’ll be long before Ryan and Queenie are announcing their own baby.”

“I agree, on all fronts. Once Queenie has her master’s under her belt, I think she’ll be jumping on the baby train.”

“So letting them babysit is in everyone’s best interests.”

“As often as they want.” He grins and unlocks the car door, holding it open for me.

My phone beeps with a message from Queenie. I check it, expecting that maybe we’ll have to go home a lot sooner than planned. But instead, it’s a video of Ryan holding JJ.

“Little bro, you and me, we have the best momster, and your dad’s pretty cool, even though he’s my boss.” He smirks a little, clearly unaware that Queenie is filming him at this point. “You’re gonna be so loved, buddy. And if you start giving Mom a hard time in your teens, I’m going to be there to make sure you know how good you’ve got it. I’m going to try to be a great big brother to you, and I’m trying to convince Queenie we should give you a nephew to hang out with, too, sooner rather than later.”

“How do you feel about seeing Hanna be a mom?” Queenie asks.

“It makes me appreciate even more the relationship we had when I was growing up. She’s awesome. And now I get it. Why she needed this. Why she needed you.” He tickles JJ’s toes. “She deserves to be able to love in the way only moms do. In the way I couldn’t recognize she loved me my entire life, until now.” He sniffs and Queenie ends the video.

My eyes fill with tears, and Jake hands me a tissue, putting his arm around me so we can watch it again.

“Feels good to hear that, doesn’t it?” He kisses my temple.

“So good,” I whisper.

“We have great kids, don’t we?” he says softly.

“The best, really.”

Our gazes meet and lock. He leans in and presses his lips to mine. It’s chaste at first, sweet even. Then his hand comes up to cup my cheek, and all the emotions I was feeling a few seconds ago shift. We tip our heads and part our lips. He tastes like coffee and butterscotch.

Eventually, he pulls back, tongue sweeping along his bottom lip. “I have an idea.”

“I like ideas.”

“Your house is only five minutes from here.”

“You are absolutely correct.” I can already see exactly where he’s going with this.

“And it’s empty.” Jake’s gaze moves over my face in a slow caress I feel everywhere.

“Very empty.” I’m healed below the waist, and we’re close enough to six-weeks post birth for sex to be okay. “We should go there.”

He nods slowly. “We should.”

“But we should stop at a CVS first and get condoms.”

“Smart idea. And I’m going to go ahead and schedule a vasectomy once the season has ended, because as much as I love JJ, I think I’m good with two surprise babies in one lifetime.”

We both chuckle. Jake stops at the next CVS we spot and I rush in, buy a box of condoms, and then we’re on our way to the house. I’m lucky I have my keys on me since I haven’t been to check on the place since before JJ was born.

It’s quiet, and the air is stale. But the bed still has sheets and a comforter, and it’s all we need.

We undress each other slowly and climb onto the bed. It’s been weeks since we’ve been able to get lost in each other like this, connect in the way only intimacy allows. Jake drags his fingers slowly from my hip, over my stomach, and between my breasts, all the way to my collarbone before he reverses the circuit, skimming along the swell of my breast.

When he brushes my nipple, I gasp. “Gentle, they’re sensitive.”

“Tell me if it’s too much or not enough.” He kisses along my neck to the edge of my jaw, fingers drifting back down to tease between my thighs. But I’m needy, and desperate, and I’ve had enough of this slow and soft.

I settle my hand on his chest and push until he’s on his back and I can straddle his hips. His hands roam my curves with familiarity, and his gaze turns hot as I wrap my hand around his erection and stroke slowly, thumb sweeping over the head, spreading wetness.

Jake tears the condom open and rolls it down his length, and I rise and take him inside. My eyes fall closed as I absorb the feeling of being connected to him this way again. Finally.

I lean down as I roll my hips, slow circles and a rhythmic back and forth.

“I missed this,” Jake groans, holding my hips and helping me rock over him.

“Me, too. So much,” I pant against his lips. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too. We need to do this way more often,” Jake mumbles around my tongue.

We both laugh, and then the mood turns serious as he sits up so we’re chest to chest, wrapping his arm around me. He stays deep, dragging me closer to the edge with every gentle thrust and roll of my hips, until I come. He’s right behind me, finding his own release, sinking into the comfort of connection.

Afterward, we lie in bed, basking in the post-coital glow.

Jake drags his fingers up and down my arm. “It’s kind of convenient to have a sex pad.”

I bark out a laugh. “It is, but also not very economical. We could always sneak out to the pool house and get busy there the next time Ryan and Queenie babysit.”

“Just drive around the corner and come in through the back gate?”

“Or we could drop JJ off at their place?”

“That seems logical. Does that mean you’d be willing to break the lease on this place and move in with me for good?” His fingertips make a figure eight pattern on my shoulder.

I press my hand to his chest, feeling his heart beat under my palm. His expression is soft and nervous. “Is that what you want?”

“I could tell you that it makes the most sense, that I want what’s best for JJ, and that I think living with me will accomplish that, but honestly, it’s not just about what’s best for JJ anymore.” He traces the edge of my jaw, thumb sweeping along the contour of my bottom lip. “I know our relationship hasn’t been conventional, but we started as friends. We already had the foundation before we gave in to the attraction. Do I wish I had an opportunity to date you? Absolutely. But over the past six months, I’ve had a chance to fall in love with every side of you, Hanna. I think we can be great together, as more than just a couple. I think we could be an amazing family.”