CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Mum rocks Paris who's happily hanging in her arms. I look over the content of the baby bag, then to Paris. Her hand flails in the air and her gaze drifts around the room.

Something feels wrong, but I can't put my finger on it. Everything is in the bag, there's plenty of tinned formula and breast milk in the fridge, so what am I missing?

Blake squeezes my shoulder and tugs me to the door. I swat his hands away and move closer to Paris. I stroke her cheek and kiss her forehead. She's so little, how can I leave her alone?

He wraps his arms around my waist and drags me away.

"Paris is in good hands, so please stop stressing about everything."

"Something doesn't feel right, Blake."

One arm unwraps from my waist and grabs my hand. He squeezes my fingers and kisses my exposed shoulder blade.

"How about you go away for the weekend, enjoy some downtime, and I'll stay here with them?"

"We're going away for the night, even if I have to drag you into the car."

"Please, Blake." I grumble.

"If we've missed something, they have the spare keys to our house. Plus, there's all the things at Mum's and there's the shopping centre. There's no reason to be worried."

"How about the fact we're leaving our newborn daughter alone for a whole night?"

"The only thing wrong in that sentence is that we're only going away for a night."

"You could have taken the weekend." Mum chuckles. "You can still have the entire weekend."

"There's no way we can leave you with her for the entire weekend." I shake my head.

"She's excited to spend time with her granddaughter, so don't stress about it."

"We're her parents, though. I feel guilty leaving her alone for so long."

Blake tugs me to his chest and squeezes me.

"We're only going away for the night, not abandoning her. We need a break and a good night's rest, otherwise we'll be no good for her."

"You're right, and I hate that," I grumble.

"Kiss her goodbye and let's go. We've got a long drive ahead of us."

We kiss Paris goodbye and I reluctantly allow Blake to drag me out of the house. My heart aches and my hands shake, but I climb into the car and settle into the seat. Blake leans into the car and kisses my cheek.

"Lighten up, we're going to have so much fun!"

"I know, I know." I sigh.

Blake closes the door and I buckle my seatbelt.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, so don't bother asking because I won't tell."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes." He nods.

I turn up the radio and settle against the car door.

* * * * *

Sun shines through the leaves of the tall trees, casting shadows across the ground. I hold up my phone and pace around the car until a bar of signal appears on my phone.

The device pings and my heart races. I open the message and there's a picture of Paris sleeping in the portable cot beside the couch. I send back love hearts and slide the phone in my pocket.

I wrap an arm around Blake's neck and peck his lips.

"You picked a fabulous spot." I grin.

"Just wait until you see what's inside." He winks.

Blake sets our bags on the ground and I drag my suitcase over the rocky bumps. He opens the cabin door and we wander inside.

"This place is huge." I gasp.

"Ava?" Charlotte bounds out of the room and tackles me into a hug.

"What the heck?" I smile.

"I can't believe Blake managed to drag you down here." She chuckles.

"It wasn't an easy task." Blake laughs.

"There's wine in the fridge, jagermeister and vodka in the freezer. I've got chick flicks, face masks, nail polish, the works for the ultimate girls afternoon."

"What about the popcorn?"

"Don't worry, we packed heaps of popcorn." Kyle chuckles as he wanders into the living room.

"Are you two joining in on the girl's afternoon?"

"Even though I need a moisturising face mask, we're going fishing," Kyle comments.

"Fishing, really?" I frown.

"The kayak's were booked out, so fishing was the only choice. Besides, there's something relaxing about sitting beside a river and watching the water pass on." Blake smiles.

"Can we join the fishing trip or is it a man only?" I raise an eyebrow.

"We could drive to honeymoon pool and swim," Kyle suggests.

"Yes, please." I bounce on my toes.

"We haven't paid for the fishing gear, so why not!" Blake smiles.

"Let's change and meet back in ten!" Char beams.

We wheel our belongings into the master bedroom and set them on the bed. Blake rummages through his case while I wander into the bathroom.

Blake's arms wrap around my waist and he lifts me into the air.

"I chose this cabin because of the view and the spa bath." His breath tickles my neck and it sends shivers coiling down my spine.

"The view is stunning."

"When the sun rises, it'll be beautiful."

"I can't wait."

"Let's change, because I can't wait to see you in a bathing suit." He chuckles.

I shove Blake away and wander to the bed. His eyes trail over my body as I drop articles of clothes onto the floor. Blake grips onto the dresser and shakes his head.

"You're going to pay for this tonight." He growls.

* * * * *

Kyle throws Charlotte over his shoulder and races across the deck. She screams as the pair launch off the side and collide into the water.

"If you throw me into the water like that, you're going to be in so much trouble!"

"I wouldn't dream of it." He laughs.

His fingers intertwine with mine as we wander to the river. We trail down the stairs that lead into the cool water. Charlotte and Kyle splash while we keep away from them.

"I wish we had floaties." I sigh.

"When the girls are old enough, we can bring them camping here."

"How fun would that be." I grin.

Cold water engulfs our bodies as we get deeper. Blake dives off the last step and reappears in the distance. I take a deep breath and jump. I leap to the surface and paddle to Blake's warm body.

"This was a terrible time to go swimming." I gasp.

Blake squeezes me to his chest and I cling on to him like a koala.

Charlotte floats to the surface and Kyle traces his fingers over her body.

"It's beautiful here, but damn, I think we'll freeze to death."

"It's because the trees shield the sun, so it's better on really hot days."

"Is that so?"

"When Mum liked camping, we'd come here during the summer. Then Dad got a better job and convinced us we liked vacations to places like the Gold Coast or Hawaii."

"Why do you make traveling to Hawaii sound terrible?" I frown.

"As much as I loved the hot chicks on the beach, I don't mind a good old camping adventure. It's nice to be alone in nature."

"I can't wait to go camping with you and our girls."

"Our girls." He grins. "I love being a father, and I can't wait until Paris is older. There's so many things I want to teach them."

"Like how to pick up people on the beach?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Do I detect some jealousy?" He chuckles.

"Just a little."

Blake cups my cheek and brushes his warm lips against mine. I tug on his wet hair and deepen our kiss. Goosebumps erupt across my arms as his tongue dances with mine.

"Ew, get a room," Kyle shouts.

Blake flips them off and drags my lips back to his.

* * * * *

Blake collects our dishes from the table and places them in the sink. He grabs my hand and tugs me towards the bedroom.

"We're going to bed, goodnight." Blake fake yawns, which has the pair chuckling.

"Don't make too much noise, otherwise you'll be paying for my therapy bills."

"Likewise," I say.

Once we're in our room, Blake locks the door and pins me against it. His hands slide under my shirt and roam to my chest. He tugs the shirt over my head and discards it on the floor.

Blake kisses down my neck and I fumble with the button on his jeans. My phone pings and I leap into his arms. He chuckles and kisses my cheek.

"Let me check that," I mumble.

"Check it later."

His mouth travels down my body and I nudge him away.

I unlock my phone and Blake peers over my shoulder.

"Now I see why you haven't been freaking out." He scrolls through pictures of Paris sleeping, feeding, and spending time with my parents.

"It's the only thing allowing me to have a good time."

"I love the pictures."

"There's ones from Angela too." I chuckle.

Blake takes my phone and places it on the dresser.

"I'm happy the girls are alive and well, now can we focus on us?"

"Yes." I nod.

I remove Blake's clothes and shove him onto the bed. He grins as I climb onto his body and trail my fingers over his chest.

"I've missed this Ava," he murmurs.

"I've missed us." I sigh.

Blake squeezes my thighs and pulls me closer. Here's a distraction I can completely get behind.

Two chapters left! 😭