Free Summerset Abbey: Spring Awakening (Summerset Abbey Trilogy) by T. J. Brown Page B

groceries in the other.
    She wanted to hurl herself at him, but refrained, fearing to upset his precarious load. “What? How?”
    She stepped away from the door and he deposited his burden on their table and then turned to her, his arms outstretched. She ran to him and he swept her up and whirled her about.
    After setting her back on her feet, he bent and kissed her mouth before drawing back and taking a deep breath. “Lord, I missed you. I was lucky enough to get a two-day leave. My commanding officer told me I was a blessed son of a bitch and to get out before he changed his mind. I didn’t stick around to find out if he was kidding me or not.”
    She clung to him, her heart so overjoyed and full she could hardly speak.
    Now, in light of Victoria’s news, she could finally tell him about the baby. It had been the most difficult thing she’d ever done to keep it from him.
    But that thought went out of her head the moment hismouth crushed against hers again and he picked her up in his arms.
    “I’ve missed you,” he said, a blush staining his cheeks as he walked her into the bedroom.
    She laughed. Only her shy husband would still turn red over the thought of their lovemaking.
    “Are you laughing at me?” He tossed her onto the bed and removed his shirt.
    “What about the groceries?” she said, still laughing.
    “They can wait.” He joined her on the bed, and soon she was incapable of thinking of anything except the love that flowed between them.
    Sometime later they lay in one another’s arms and she pulled the quilt over the top of them. The October afternoon wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t warm either, and she grew chilled as the heat from their passion cooled. She briefly wondered if he had even noticed that she was growing plumper.
    She turned over and looked at him. His eyes were closed and she stared at his face as if to memorize it. The bump in his nose, the stubble shadowing his chin. She reached up and ran her fingers down the line of his jaw.
    His arm tightened around her at his touch. His eyes flickered open. “My commander is right.”
    “What’s that?” She nestled her head back in the crook of his arm.
    “I am one lucky son of a bitch. I had originally been slated to head to France with the rest of the foot soldiers, but I was switched to the remount depot in the 1st King’s Dragoon at the last moment.”
    She cleared her throat. “That’s good, though, right?”
    “Granted, I would much rather work with horses than fight. I may still get sent to France or Africa, but I won’t be fighting. I just wonder how many of the young men I trained with will be sent to the front.” He paused. “And I wonder why I was selected for remount when no one else was.”
    Prudence shifted in his arms, thinking of the note from Victoria still in the pocket of her cardigan. She knew Andrew struggled with living off her money; how would he feel if he knew that she had pulled strings to get him out of fighting for his country, especially considering that he felt strongly enough for the cause to enlist? “Perhaps someone heard that you were enrolled in veterinary school? I’m sure it is on your record somewhere that you grew up on a farm. It’s not so surprising.”
    “Maybe, but half of the men in my squad were brought up on a farm, so that can’t be it.” He suddenly frowned. “What’s that?”
    Her stomach tightened. For a moment she thought he had seen the note, but that was silly. “What’s what?”
    He pointed across the room. “That.” He raised himself up on his elbows, frowned, and then sat up.
    She followed his finger and realized what he was pointing at.
    The bassinet.
    “What do you think it is?” she asked carefully.
    “Well, it looks like . . .” Understanding crossed his face and he turned to her, incredulous. “Are you? Are we?”
    She blushed and lowered her eyes. “Yes, as a matter of fact . . .”
    He jumped off the bed. “Why didn’t you tell me? What if we hurt