Free BROTHERS OF ST. BARTS a totally addictive romance read (St. Barts Romance Books Series Book 6) by EMME CROSS Page B

stairs, like a sleepwalker awaiting instructions. The dog followed, ready to take up her nightly perch by Bliss’s bed. Sunny paused for a moment as she pulled the blanket up over her daughter. Should she leave the dog here to protect Bliss, or have her downstairs in case . . . ?
    “Sponge, come. You’ll have to go out again,” she said, keeping her voice cheerful.
    She caught Astrid staring through the ‘Jack and Jill’ bathroom into the nursery. It had been decorated in blue and, with its emblems of the Premiere League soccer teams it was obviously a boy’s room.
    Astrid sighed. “You’re having a son.”
    “Yes,” said Sunny, keeping the dog close at hand. “Just as you have a son — two sons. Boys,” she said, putting a hand on Astrid’s shoulder, “you love very much.”
    Astrid’s eyes met hers, the ice blue now red from crying.
    Sunny felt so sorry for her then. If this were me, she thought, I’d be imagining the life I could have had. She shook away her previous unease and led Astrid into the master bedroom, handing her a robe that was hanging on the back of the door.
    “Put this on. I’ll get socks for your feet.”
    Astrid changed in silence, letting her T-shirt and sweat pants lie where they fell. She wrapped the robe tightly around her as if she’d never be warm again.
    Sunny noticed Astrid looking around the room at the huge bed, the family photos and a pair of Sven’s dirty underwear that Sponge had ferreted out of the laundry basket and used as a chew toy.
    On the bedside table was her No Fear Buddha. Sunny thought back to how she had used it as a weapon against Clyde. She didn’t think she would need a weapon tonight but the statue gave her a feeling of strength.
    She kept her voice low and calm.
    “The tea should be ready. Let’s go back downstairs. Sponge, come!”
    Sunny cursed her bladder. The baby was pressing on it again and she had to pee. She left the door to the powder room ajar, alert for movement. The medicine chest gave her an idea.
    When she came out to get the tea, the phone in her pocket sounded.
    Astrid snatched it from her. “Is it Sven? Is he coming home tonight after all?” Her face fell when she read the text. “It’s stupid Stellan. Something about a pony express stamp he’s ordered that’s on its way.” She slumped back onto the couch.
    Sunny poured tea into two mugs, careful to add an extra strong dose of honey to Astrid’s.
    She joined her on the couch. “You were telling me about Nils. You were at the new company,” she prompted.
    Astrid looked surprised, as if she’d been roused from sleep. She continued her story.
    “When I was growing up, my family didn’t have much money. I had to save every penny I made to afford to go to university and to buy clothes. My family were very strict, and my mother said nice clothes were a temptation. I always wanted nice things. Nils had nice things. He drove a Jaguar and had the most beautiful ties and he even wore cufflinks. I’d never met a man who wore cufflinks before. He was so charming. All the women in the office were crazy about him. I know he went out with a couple of them but it never seemed to last.
    I’d been at the company for about six months when he finally approached me, as if it was the first time. Maybe he didn’t even remember, but this time he courted me. There were flowers and dinners at fancy restaurants. He even took me to Paris for the weekend. I thought I was in love. I was so young and he dazzled me.”
    “I can see how that would happen,” said Sunny topping up Astrid’s tea from the pot, noticing her guest seemed calmer now. Telling the story seemed to soothe her. Along with the antihistamine Sunny had surreptitiously crushed into the other woman’s mug.
    “We had been dating for about nine months when I came home to Oslo for a visit. I wanted to show my family how well I was doing. I wanted to show off,” she added with a bitter laugh.
    “Sven was home that weekend. We