“I am probably going to have to have you spell it one day.” He grinned back and kissed her nose.
“You will be even more confused if you have the spelling.”
He ran a hand over her still flat stomach. “How are you feeling today?”
“Good. I am happy I am here. Papa has surgery at 9:00 am, so I want to go to town for that.” Her eyes dropped to watch his hand.
“I’m glad you let me bring you, though I wish you had asked.” He leaned in and brushed a kiss across her forehead.
“Really? Were you not paying attention to the fight that happened in my office? No way was I bringing that man here. And I would have been fine on my own; I make this trip often enough.” She reminded him of his biggest mistake.
It was hard to believe it was only yesterday morning that that had happened. So much had taken place it felt like weeks ago.
“Sorry about that fight. I panicked because I thought I was losing you, and I had just realized how much I wanted you.” He apologized, and probably not for the last time about it.
“I was not leaving. I will stay for the baby,” she argued as she crossed her arms.
Her words stopped him. “I want you to stay becauseyouwant to.”
“I might not be what you want … once you get to know me.” Her eyes went to her feet at the admission.
“I’m afraid only the opposite will be happening. I think I will be even more in love with you when we leave here than when we got here.” He kissed her again, deeper this time.
Her arms had gone around him, and he leaned closer because he needed to feel more of her than he was. He had missed waking up next to her that morning.
Pushing him away, she smiled, “Stop, you will give the pigs ideas.”
“Maybe we should have gotten a hotel.”
“Now you back me up on that.” She complained.
He followed her back to the house. “So, this is where you grew up?”
“No, I grew up near here. I can show you sometime while we are here, but this place is nicer than the others except for Ilya's house. I did not grow up rich like you. They are just as poor today as back then. Everyone works like dogs, and they still have nothing,” Tess said as she opened the door for him and held it while he walked past her.
“They seem happy anyway,” he whispered.
“There you two are! Now sit, and I will feed you,” Tasha said from the now nearly empty kitchen with a wooden spoon in her hand. Only two kids remained at the table.
“You do not have to.” Tess sat down when Tasha just gave her a look.
“So, Tasha, what is your husband doing this morning?” he asked.
“Alex?” she questioned as if she had another husband. “He is at the dairy barn until 8:00 am, and then he will be home.”
“Is he on both shifts?” Tess asked.
“Yes, he is working as many shifts as he can. We want to buy a farm one day. We know now is not the time to be saving with all the kids at home, but we have to try.”
Math fully expected Tess to have input, but she was strangely silent on her best friend’s plan. He wondered if her financial advice wasn’t accepted here. Instead, she just chewed her waffle and looked out the window. Maybe it was because her friend wasn’t asking for a loan from her.
“Good luck,” Math said, hoping Tasha would feel it was from both of them. Oddly, Tasha didn’t even notice that Tess wasn’t paying attention. She just went on making waffles.
By 8:30 am, Tess was changed into different blue jeans and a different sweatshirt borrowed from her sister since she hadn’t brought a thing with her. In fact, nobody seemed to even notice it was odd. But then again, maybe she did this often.
Though she was dressed the same as her sister when they arrived at the hospital, Tess carried herself differently than the others. It seemed news had made it around the entire family of his being there; they all knew who he was: Tess’s man.
Everyone that came to the hospital was friendly, and nobody actually spoke Russian to him just to test him. They all spoke English around him and only seemed to tease Tess in Russian when he was around, and that was only to make her mad or blush or both.