She laughed. “I’m not buying anything. Not yet. But I do want to look around and get some ideas. Later, I can come back with my mom and Reggie and do the serious shopping.”

He pointed to the left. “So, furniture?”

“Yes, please.”

He took her hand and drew her in that direction. She tried to pay attention to the faux rooms that had been set up, complete with pictures on the wall and adorable bedding, but it was difficult to think of anything but how his touch felt. Having Micah beside her, pointing out several options, made her heart happy. Having him this close made her girl parts want to scream like fans at a concert, but she was going to ignore them.

They walked through several rooms, discussing what they liked. Micah paused by a display with classic baby furniture done in a pale gray. His body tensed, and his smile faded.

“Adriana and I were going to buy this one. We were about to place the order when she and the baby were killed.”

Dena stared at him, horrified to realize how difficult walking through the store must be for him.

“Micah, you shouldn’t have brought me here,” she said frantically. “I’m so sorry. I never thought. We’re going right now.”

Even though she tugged on his hand, he didn’t move. Instead he pulled her in front of him and cupped her face in his hand.

“Being here brings back memories, and they make me sad, but aren’t they supposed to? I’ll always love her. I’ll always regret we never picked a name for our son. It was a senseless loss, but that doesn’t mean I’m incapable of moving forward with my life. I wanted to bring you here, Dena. Nothing about that has changed.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Can’t I be sad and happy at the same time?”

“I want to say yes, of course, but I’m not sure I believe myself.”

His smile returned. “You’re always honest.”

“It’s easier. There’s less to remember.”

He chuckled. “That’s true. Now, come on. Let’s go find a princess bed. If you’re having a girl, I think it’s a requirement.”

“What if she’s not the princess bed type?”

“Then you can blame it on me.” He looked around the store, then pointed. “I see one over there.”

As they walked to the very impressive princess collection, Dena wrestled with the realization that, if she did have a girl, by the time her daughter was old enough to complain about the furniture, Micah would be years gone. He was only in Wishing Tree for the holidays. Once they were over, he would be returning to wherever it was he lived, to pick up the pieces of his life.