All Over Again (Sequel to Wanted Man)

Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

McKenna woke with a start, as if someone had grabbed her and shaken her. She lifted her head, blinking sleep from her eyes as she struggled to get them to focus on the faint blue readout on the clock. Three-twenty in the morning. She waited for Loki to pop up and ask her what was wrong, but when she rolled over, his side of the bed was empty.

With a low sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and eased down. Her robe lay draped over the cedar linen chest at the foot of the bed, and she paused long enough to pick it up, shrugging into it as she padded across the carpet toward the door.

A faint slice of pale light shone beneath Selig's door and as she neared it, she heard Loki whispering, “Shhh… baby boy… it’s all right. Daddy’s here.”

She paused just outside the door. Selig was crying. She could hear him sniffing and from the sounds of it, he was on the verge of hyperventilating.

Very gently, she pushed the door, letting it swing just wide enough for her to see Loki swaying from side to side, Selig in his arms. From her vantage point, she could see the silvery path of tears down her son’s right cheek, and with each hitch of his breath, Loki whispered, “Shhh… love… everything is all right.”

“No, Daddy… Mommy…”

“Mommy is sleeping, darling boy. Let’s let her sleep.”

“No, Daddy. Something happened to her.” Selig began sobbing in earnest again.

“She’s fine, little man. I promise you, she is. It was only a dream.” Loki smoothed a hand over Selig's head and then kissed where he’d smoothed. “It wasn’t real, Selig. I promise you, it wasn’t.”

“It was so scary, Daddy…”

“I know. Sometimes dreams can be terrifying. But just remember, they aren't real. Your mind is only playing tricks on you.” As he spoke, Loki carried him over to the rocking chair near the window seat and sank into it. He cradled Selig against his chest, much like he did when Selig was a baby, and McKenna felt her eyes sting with tears at the look on Loki's face as he gazed down at his son. So much love. So much patience.

She pressed a hand to her lips as her eyes overflowed and a tear ran down each cheek. Stupid pregnancy hormones.

She turned away from the doorway, swiping at her eyes with both hands as she made her way down into the kitchen, where she pulled out the gallon of milk and Hershey’s syrup to make hot chocolate. Maybe it would help her fall back to sleep.

Instead of heating the milk in the microwave, she took a small saucepan from the pot rack over the island and poured milk into that to heat on the stove. A few minutes later, she was carrying the mug over to the table, where she sat and peered out the window into the darkness.

“Why are you up, love?”

She started as Loki's hands came down onto her shoulders. “I don’t know,” she admitted, leaning back to look up at him. “I just woke up. Is Selig okay?”

“He’s fine. A nightmare, that’s all. He’s asleep again.” He gently kneaded her shoulders. “As you should be.”

“And you. Were you already up or did he wake you?”

With a sigh, Loki moved to sit across from her. “What do you think?”

“You were already up, weren’t you?” She pushed the cup toward him. “It might help you get back to sleep.”

As she rose to make herself another cup, he said, “I was dreaming of Thanos.”

She paused, her hand inside the refrigerator. “What?”