She loved babies. If the intimidating man weren’t standing so close behind them, she wouldn’t have been able to hold back from touching the child.

“He’s beautiful,” she said softly, staring at the child wistfully and seeing she was expecting again.

“We like to think so.” Ginny gave her a questioning glance. “Would you like to hold him?”

Alanna raised her eyes from the toddler to the father. At his nod, Alanna held out her arms.

Ginny gave her a curious look at the motion, but brought the child closer to her. Alanna took the baby and settled him on her hip the same way Ginny had done.

“You’ve been around children.” Ginny smiled, tugging her hair away from her son’s clutching fingers.

Alanna smiled, too. “I was placed in a group home when my parents died. In emergencies sometimes, they would have to take in younger children until a foster parent became available. The staff would always let me hold them when they couldn’t get them to stop crying.” Alanna used the bib to mop up the drool sliding down Freddy’s chubby arm.

“They felt safe with you,” Ginny said, smoothing her son’s hair down.

Alanna breathed in the baby smell of baby powder that always filled the constant void of loneliness she lived with every day. “I knew they were scared.” She automatically rocked the child when he started crying after his hand slipped out of his mouth. Finding it again, he became content once again.

The door opening behind them had Alanna turning her head to see Matthew and Isaac coming inside.

“Good. Now we can eat,” Ginny proclaimed.

Alanna felt herself blushing when Matthew’s eyes landed on her holding the child. She could have sworn she felt her womb clenching at the way he stared at her. Burying her face in the little boy’s neck, she breathed in his calming scent.

“Alanna, do you care to buckle Freddy into his highchair for me? Gavin, can you carry the roast to the table? Boys, take your seat before the food gets cold.”

Relieved to have an excuse to move away from Matthew’s gaze, she carried Freddy to his highchair. Making sure he was safely buckled, she didn’t immediately take a seat when she was finished.

“Alanna, you can sit next to me.” Silas slid a chair out from under the table.

Taking the seat, she saw Matthew sitting across the table.

He grinned, not embarrassed to be caught staring at her. “I hope you’re hungry. She cooked enough to feed an army.”

Alanna looked around the huge table, using the opportunity to break eye contact. “Your family is the size of one.”

His expression grew serious. “We are. We protect our own.”