Free The Switched Baby Scandal (A Scandals of San Sebastian Novel) (Entangled Bliss) by Theresa Meyers Page B

Emily.
    “Ooh, that was my first tooth!” Emily pointed with excitement to the mischievous grinning baby in the photo proudly displaying a tiny white tooth in her smile as she sat in the bathtub.
    Reece’s breathing hitched. She glanced at him and saw the sheen of unshed tears in his eyes and a flush of color to his neck and angled jaw. He looked away for a moment, obviously composing himself.
    “Are you all right?”
    After a moment he looked back at her. “I just thought about giving Alyssa a bath at that age. Her hair used to curl over that same way on the top.”
    A thick lump lodged itself in Taylor’s throat. Able to see through her own doubts and grief, she suddenly realized how very painful this must be for him, too. She swallowed and stuffed down the knowledge that she was in for an emotional roller-coaster ride when he pulled out Alyssa’s albums.
    “My hair still curls in the bath. Does yours, Reece?”
    He gave Emily a small smile. “Yes, it does. How did you know?”
    She grinned. “Mommy says I’m very smart.”
    He touched Emily’s hair. “She’s right.”
    Emily tugged at his sleeve, pointing to another picture. “Look at this one!”
    After a half hour of flipping through albums, Emily’s endurance began to fade. Taylor was enjoying this time. It felt strange, but right. She stole a moment to glance away from the familiar pictures of Emily to the handsome man beside her. His strong angular jaw, now darkening with stubble the same shade as his hair, seemed at odds with the dimple that flashed now and again as he smiled at the album. Reece was such a contradiction in her world. A strong man, a professional man, with a soft heart. His tender gestures and teasing with Emily was something she’d missed from her own father. What would it be like to be with someone like that?
    He glanced up and caught her staring at him. His pupils dilated, and he cleared his throat softly. “Would you like to look through Alyssa’s albums now?” he whispered.
    Taylor nodded. The warmth of her daughter snuggled asleep against her didn’t take away the cold hollowness in her chest as she opened the first album and stared at the wrinkled, squalling newborn who turned into a plump, pink baby with a wisp of pure platinum curls on her head. She glanced down at Emily, whose dark head rested on her; she was sound asleep.
    One picture in particular reached out and grabbed Taylor’s heart, giving it a sharp, painful squeeze. It was a picture of Becca holding Alyssa as a toddler. She touched it.
    That should have been her holding the blond child. Her child. A swift burning raked across her skin, causing her throat to ache. She clenched her jaw, biting down on the howl of anguish she wanted to let out. She had to keep composed, had to control it. Coming unglued here in front of Reece with Emily asleep in her lap wasn’t going to do any of them any good. But still it hurt. God did it hurt.
    “That was taken about a month before the accident.” His voice was thick and husky.
    The burning sensation that she’d been fighting overtook her. Taylor’s eyes welled and she sniffed.
    “Are you crying?” he asked softly, brushing his fingers against her cheek.
    She shook her head…and sniffed again, her shoulders bunching with a deep, convulsive sob. Instinctively he reached out to her, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and turned her in to his chest. Scents of sandalwood and citrus clung to his clothing and the solid warmth of him was comforting. Something she hadn’t had in far too long. It was one thing to have her mom try to comfort her and totally something else to have a pair of strong arms around her, not asking for anything, just holding her.
    The tears came hot and fast, soaking into his shirt. She wanted him to tell her everything would be all right, but the truth was it never would be. She was missing a part of herself she could never get back.
    So was he.
    He rocked her gently back and forth, comforting them