Page 61 of Knot Convenient

And I didn’t want to at all.

“Shake it, teach.” Noah swung around with Milo, who giggled wildly, and then his mouth dropped open.

I furrowed my brow. “What?”

Noah shook himself, blinking several times. “You just…damn, Summer, you look incredible.”

I laughed. “Impressive what a shower can do, huh?”

Grinning, Noah walked over, not trading off the baby but kissing my cheek. “You look amazing all the time, but I can tell you’re feeling better. Don’t forget that you can always do this. It’s our job to take care of Milo too. We’re not babysitters.”

My heart squeezed in the best way. “All right, all right. Let’s go find some dressers.”

Noah insisted on pushing the stroller.

The same stroller that had appeared shortly after my trip into town for the library and pharmacy. Tobias had tried to tell me it was a secondhand one he’d been given, but he forgot to take off the stickers on the side. He had clearly gone out and purchased one of the top-of-the-line strollers for Milo. Even though it was a little white lie, I couldn’t find it in me to be mad at him. He was so sincere in his desire to give Milo the best, so who was I to make a fuss?

“Where to first? I can’t say I’m particularly knowledgeable about the antique stores of Willow Grove,” I said, turning to Noah as we walked down the sidewalk.

“Now I may not be the smartest man, but I know if a lady agrees to go shopping with me, I must get her a refreshment before we do anything else. So just around the corner is the best coffee shop in town, and then around the corner from that is the first antique store on our list.”

“Buttering me up with coffee, huh? You’re damn smart in my book.” I nodded sagely.

As soon as we stepped into the coffee shop, I wondered about the stroller, but Noah maneuvered it like a pro. We got right up to the counter, and both of us ordered sugary lattes that were more syrup than coffee. The barista handed us our drinks in no time, and on our way out, they said, “You guys are such a cute family, by the way. Enjoy!”

I blushed hard. “Thank you.”

Then Noah’s hand was on the small of my back as he beamed. “Milo wins the cutest award, for sure. Thanks again!”

He was so effortlessly charming, and I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face, the warmth of his hand feeling right at home on my back. From there, we walked around the corner toward the antique shop, Noah smoothly taking my hand as he pushed the stroller with the other.

We were the picture of domestic bliss, and I didn’t mind in the slightest.

“So how’s work going? Isn’t there a break soon?” I asked, looking up at Noah.

“Not until Thanksgiving, so we have a few weeks yet. It’s going well, though. I'm currently teaching American history, so my students keep dressing up and breaking into songs from that one musical. But hey, whatever it takes to get them to remember this stuff.”

“That sounds a lot more lively than the history lessons I used to have. Mr. Ekrue was quite the fuddy-duddy. I don’t think I saw him smile once throughout high school.”

He snorted, rolling his eyes. “Most people who study history don’t do well with teenagers,” Noah admitted. “It’s hard to find someone who has the chops to teach the rowdy bunch.”

“I would imagine so. Teenagers are terrifying. I would much rather deal with a swarm of preschoolers. The worst they’re going to do is get snot on me. After becoming a mother, I can safely say I would take bodily fluids over teenage sass.”

Noah craned his head to look at Milo, who was sitting contentedly in the stroller, chewing on his own foot. “I don’t know, this guy seems to have a good amount of sass himself.”

“Hmm…” I laughed. “Teething or begging to borrow the car. I’m not sure which is worse.”

Joining in the giggle, Noah slowed as he guided the stroller around the people and racks of clothing gathered in front of one of the Main Street shops. “I feel like I heard somewhere that it’s all hard, just a different kind of hard.”

“Now that makes sense.”

“How many antique stores does this small town have?” I asked as we walked into the third one for the day.

“Too many.” Noah laughed as we made our way through the stacked up furniture.

The aisles on the stairs were so small and crowded that I half regretted bringing the stroller. We’d had to leave it outside at the first two shops. Noah insisted it was safe, but it still freaked me out. Thankfully the third store was also the largest, and we could easily navigate it.

I was rather enjoying myself. It was a slow, peaceful day. Each piece of furniture was unique, and Noah never rushed me. Half the time he was inspecting them, trying to date them as his glasses slipped down his nose.