Joanna nodded, preferring to remain quiet as she watched Addison fall in love with their daughter, but when Addison reached out toward the baby, Joanna took a quick step backward and bumped right into George. Even though she probably owed George an apology, Joanna was more concerned about Addison’s reaction. She had snatched her hand back as if it had been hit by a ruler, and her head now hung like that of a penitent child’s.

Joanna sighed. “Christ, I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m...I’m sorry,” Addison said as she looked up. “I just...I just wanted to touch her.”

“And you can,” Joanna said, taking a step closer. “Blame it on me being a new mum, Addison, but your hands, they’re filthy.”

Addison looked down at her hands, and seeing the grass stains and dirt covering both, she paled. “Shit,” she said, wiping them on her trousers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“I know you didn’t, and I’m sorry I pulled her away.”

“No,” Addison blurted, squaring her shoulders. “Don’t you ever be sorry for protecting our daughter.”

Joanna’s heart did a flip as the last sliver of her doubt about Addison’s sincerity disappeared. Her response had been natural and that of a parent, and with words spoken not by thought, but by instinct, Joanna now knew she’d be Addison’s wife until the day she died.

Addison was having a hard time reading Joanna’s expression, but as she looked at her holding their child, Addison said the first thing that came to her mind. “I love her...and I love you.”

Joanna gazed at Addison. “I know you do.”

“And I’ll never run away again.”

“No?”

“No,” Addison said, but as she opened her mouth to continue, she heard the sound of bells coming from Joanna’s pocket.

“Crap,” Joanna said, pulling her mobile from her jeans. “I need to go,” she said, shutting off the alarm before carefully moving around the car to place Sheridan back into her car seat.

A shadow of sadness swept over Addison’s face as she watched in silence while Joanna put their daughter in the car. “Wait. Joanna, I thought...I mean...didn’t anything I said make a difference? I thought we were...” Addison stopped and stared at the ground. “Never mind. I guess I was wrong.”

“I could get used to you admitting you were wrong,” Joanna said as she rounded the car. “But this isn’t one of those times.” Leaning in, Joanna placed a small kiss on Addison’s cheek. “I love you, and we have a lot of things to talk about, but right now I have somewhere else I need to be.”

“But...but when will I see you again?”

Joanna let out a small laugh. “In an hour, that is if you let me leave right now.”

“An hour? You’re...you’re coming back here?”