The Hours in Between - The Devereaux Case Files Book 5

Chapter 12

Reed spent two unsuccessful nights at the museum. Nothing of any interest happened and so he decided that he wasn't going to stay there any longer. He had been home during his lunch hours to see the kids. But with them at school he had to stop by the playground to say hello and then stop by the house before their bedtime to say goodnight before heading off to the museum for an uncomfortable nights sleep. No more. He wasn't sacrificing time with his daughter for some pathetic thief who couldn't allow himself to get caught.

"Hello gorgeous, have we hit world war three yet?" Reed wondered with a hint of amusement in his voice as he walked into his home that bright Monday morning. He couldn't see Faith or Raidon anywhere, so he figured they were either avoiding each other or they'd had one heck of a falling out. He would be disappointed if he had missed it.

"Not yet. I think Faith is still mulling over my little hints." Ayah admitted happily, letting him capture her in his arms and kiss her lightly in greeting. She felt so guilty when he looked at her that way.

"I'm sorry I was away so long. It was all for nothing." He complained with a sigh. He always treated her as if she was the most precious thing in the world and she didn't want him to know how much she had missed sleeping beside him the past few nights.

"Well, you know I understand why you had to go. Besides, if it wasn't for Olivia, you know I would have gone with you." She admitted the truth easily, making Reed smile. He really didn't know how she did it. She seemed to know exactly what to say at exactly the right time.

"What the hell did I do to deserve a woman like you?" He wondered to himself thoughtfully, admiring the light blush that crept onto her cheeks. She was still just as beautiful as the day he met her, embarrassed by any show of affection, still feeling unworthy of him. Still a little scared that it would all go wrong and her world would be turned upside down any moment. He thought he had lost that Ayah not so long ago. Their honeymoon and their disastrous cruise had made him afraid that she would be lost and confused and afraid her whole life.

He didn't mind it when it was because she was happy, but he hated seeing her doubting herself and feeling like their lives were cursed. The last five years seemed to have settled her mind that it wasn't their fault if they had a strange, morally off compass family. And it wasn't their fault that her father continued to try to control her life.

"If I was really so wonderful I'd have given you a son by now." Ayah admitted softly, shocking Reed back to reality. He had no idea where this new obsession had come from, but he hated listening to her talking as if she was useless. So he didn't even both asking why she suddenly seemed to think he would be unhappy until he had a son. He avoided it completely.

"Darling, you know I don't care about that. It's some fantasy you've got in your head and you've told yourself that I won't be happy without a son. But I'm already happy...ecstatically so. Just having you make me the happiest man in the world." Reed was deadly serious with her, gently cupping her face in his hand so that she couldn't look away. The truth was there in his eyes, in his voice, in his very essence. He was the happiest he had ever been in his entire life. He didn't care about having a son. He didn't care about having a daughter. All he cared about was that he and Ayah and Olive were a family. If they were to be blessed with more children, then so be it, but they wouldn't force nature.

"I just feel so useless. We've been trying for a whole year now. Why won't it work?" Ayah was at her wits end. She was constantly suffering pangs of longing, feeling pain in her stomach as if she was pregnant. But she knew she wasn't. When she went to the doctors to ask what was going on, he just told her that it was stress and she was going to have to limit her responsibilities before it would go away. When that meant not writing, not going to signings and not looking after the kids, it was impossible.