Free An Unexpected Husband by Constance Masters

but you love it and you don’t know why it never occurred to you before then?”
    “I guess so.”
    “That’s what you are to Shaun.”
    “You mean the baby?”
    “Not just the baby. The baby isn’t here yet. It’s you that makes him smile.”
    “Do you really think that?”
    “I know that. I’ve never seen Shaun so happy, so protective.”
    “So bossy,” Skye added with a huge smile.
    “No he’s always been bossy, oldest son and all that. His father was the same way.”
    “Oh really,” Skye said.
     
    *              *              *
     
    They spent the rest of the morning going through old photographs and baby clothes. Brenda even offered her an antique Christening robe that every generation of Collins had worn for as long as they could remember. The things that Skye liked were tagged but she wouldn’t take any, yet. She would wait until they made it official before she took any memories out of this room. Then she and Shaun would be adding to the memories, not taking them away.
     
    *              *              *
     
    When the boys made it home Shaun was happy to find his Mom and Skye in the kitchen preparing dinner. “Oh wow…it smells great in here,” Shaun said as he walked through the door. “Is that what I think it is?”
    “Uh huh,” Skye said beaming. “Chicken pot pie. We’re even making the pastry from scratch.”
    “Really,” Shaun said. He was impressed.
    “Your Mom says there’s no love in the supermarket packets.”
    “That sounds like Mom,” Shaun said with a grin in his Mom’s direction. If she had been meddling she’d done a good job.
    “Nice,” Tom said lifting the lid to the pot of chicken mixture that would go underneath the pastry. “Ouch,” he said when his Mom slapped his hand.
    “Go wash up or something,” Brenda said.
    “You made this for me?” Shaun asked. He kissed Skye’s cheek tenderly.
    “That’s my intention,” she said with a giggle. “We’ll have to see if that translates into anything actually edible.”
    “It’ll be lovely Skye,” Brenda said.
    “Yes, I’m sure it will,” Shaun said with a grin. Skye flushed with pleasure. She really hadn’t ever bothered with cooking much, it wasn’t the same when it was only for yourself. Cooking for other people was actually fun.
     
    *              *              *
     
    When Skye went to take a shower the night before they were due to leave, Brenda finally got the opportunity to talk to her son. “So? Have you given any thought yet to when Skye might become my daughter-in-law for real?”
    “Mom…we’ve been through this.”
    “I know but we didn’t finish the conversation to my satisfaction.”
    Shaun sighed.
    “We had an interesting chat Skye and I.”
    “Oh?”
    “She thinks that you’re only with her because you’re doing the right thing. She doesn’t want you to feel trapped.”
    “You’re joking!”
    “Nope. Now there’s only one person that could have made her feel like that and it wasn’t me.”
    “I haven’t made her feel like that!” he said “If I did, it certainly wasn’t done on purpose. I don’t feel trapped. I love Skye.”
    “I can see that. Can she see that?”
    “She must be able to see that. I never stop telling her how much I want us to stay together. In fact I’ve told her we WILL be staying together. She won’t be getting rid of me.”
    “Oh how romantic Shaun.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Very Neanderthal. Why don’t you just club her over the head and drag her into your cave. Then she’d know how you feel.”
    “It’s not like that.”
    “Maybe, but that’s how it seems. You need to woo her. A little romance wouldn’t hurt. You need to make her see that you were already interested in more than just sex even before the baby.”
    “Ok. I get it but I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
    “Why not? I just want to help you.”
    “I know and you have.” He