He watched and he marveled.
His heart slammed and kicked, clamoring for a way out of his chest as he watched her coo and coddle the little ones.She was bloody Mother Mary in the flesh.
She was everything good.
And she is mine.
Two things seemed to happen at once, a baby began to howl from a cradle near the fire…and everyone in the room became aware of him.
“Who’s this?”the older boy asked.
He felt a spear of possessiveness, a hint of jealousy as she smoothed a hand down his arm.But then she said, “King, this is my brother, Jeremiah.”She turned to her brother.“This is…King.”
The kid paled, his eyes widening and his jaw falling slack.
Kitty turned away from all of them, dislodging herself from the young boy and girl who she hastily announced the names of the little ones who huddled together with wide eyes.He missed their names.He was too busy watching her scoop up the crying babe, and the expression that crossed her face was nothing short of angelic.
“And this…”
The babe grew quiet as she held it in her arms and rocked it back and forth.
King felt his chest crack in two.
It didn’t take much to see the way of things.If that boy was her brother, and those children were young but not that young.The way she held it so possessively, the babe…it was hers.
But after a long look at her brother, she turned to him and said it.“And this is the baby.”She lifted her chin as if in challenge.“This is my little Leopold.”