Chapter 2

Joshua Gilbert's face darkened.

His voice tinged with anger. "If it wasn't me, then who? Some wild man you've got hidden in the house?"

"Lily Henson, are you really that lonely and starved?"

I glared at him furiously, my raised arm reaching him just as it touched his rain-soaked body.

And in the end, I softened.

I didn't hit him.

"That post online was just to make you angry—"

"Hi, we meet again, sister-in-law!" Ivy Pruitt peeked out from behind Joshua.

She waved and smiled at me, then patted his shoulder.

Shaking her head helplessly. "Joshua's really too much. I just had a bad stomachache."

"He insisted on dragging me onto the next flight back, said this illness of mine only gets better if I eat the porridge he cooks himself."

Slowly I tightened my grip on my son and stood blocking the doorway.

I watched the two of them in silence, then spoke. "My son gets shy around strangers, so I won't be inviting you in."

"Joshua." As I said it, I lifted my eyes to him. "For the sake of the four years between us, let me give you one more word of advice."

"Don't go to the Arctic. If you do, you'll die out there chasing the aurora."

I closed my eyes, and the image of him dying flashed through my mind again.

When I finished, Joshua pressed his lips into a tight line.

Beside me, Ivy suddenly doubled over laughing and yanked the towel out of my hand.

Wiping the rain off herself, she strolled right in as if no one else were there. "Joshua, your wife's scaring us again."

"Let me guess where sister-in-law's hidden her lover?"

And with that, Ivy started rummaging through everything.

I stared at Joshua, forcing a bitter smile. "So you're just going to let her humiliate me."

"If you had nothing to hide, you wouldn't be afraid."

Tossing that off, he walked straight into the kitchen and caught sight of the baby food I'd prepared on the counter.

He casually moved it aside, and I was about to step forward to stop him.

With a bang, Ivy shoved me out of the way, and my son, still in my arms, hit the door frame.

Hearing my cry of pain, Joshua instinctively reached to steady me.

Ivy cut in sharply. "Look what I found."

"A man's coat—and this size, Joshua, it definitely isn't yours."

"Lily Henson, I want an explanation!" Joshua gripped the unfamiliar coat tightly and demanded through gritted teeth.

Seeing that I stayed silent.

The air around him dropped cold. "Who exactly is that man?!"

Slap!

"Have you had enough?!"

My raised arm trembled, and I fought down the stinging in my eyes.

I pulled up the video of him kissing Ivy passionately the night before and shoved it in his face. "And you? What were you doing?"

"Joshua."

I drew a deep breath and looked at him. "If you really regret it, then I'll let you go."

"It's not like we ever registered the marriage anyway."

When I said it, Ivy's hand tightened faintly around Joshua's arm.

In the middle of the standoff, a strange noise came from upstairs.

As if he'd finally caught me in the wrong, Joshua bolted up the stairs.

"That video was just a trick of the camera angle."

"Today I'm going to drag that wild man out—big brother, it's you?!"

He didn't get to finish.

Joshua stared at the sleepy-eyed man in front of him, wearing his brand-new pajamas, and the color drained from his face.

Rod Gilbert brushed past him and came toward me.

He easily took my son from my arms, the boy crying in fright, and patted him gently back to sleep.

Fixing his eyes on Joshua, he spoke coldly. "Now that you're back, take proper care of your wife and child."

"Haven't you heard that a woman in postpartum confinement is the easiest one to steal away?"

Then Rod turned his gaze to Ivy.

His voice was like ice. "The Gilbert family doesn't welcome women who throw themselves around like whores."

"Joshua, what is your brother trying to say!"

Ivy's eyes went red, thinking he'd back her up the way he always had before.

But Joshua only glanced at her, then immediately snatched the bottle out of Rod's hand to go make the formula.

He took two steps, then turned back and caught hold of my hand.

You could tell he'd panicked.

Seeing this, Ivy stamped her feet in fury, then shamelessly planted herself in the downstairs guest room anyway.

"Sweetheart, from now on, don't trouble my brother with looking after you."

I gave a small hum.

Halfway through mixing the formula, Ivy suddenly collapsed in front of the guest room door, clutching her stomach.

When I saw him drop the bottle without a second's hesitation and run to Ivy.

That bit of warmth that had risen in me was scattered completely.

I stared at the message from the relevant department pressing me to complete the guardianship registration, and hesitated for only a second.

Then, with my own hand, I struck Joshua Gilbert's name from the line marked "Father."