Chapter 54

It wasn’t that she was too full — it was that the cramps were getting noticeably worse. Probably because of the discomfort, the little one in her belly started kicking up a storm. In just a short while, it felt like the baby had gotten way stronger. Clara Walton took a hard kick to her ribs. She let out a muffled grunt from the pain. “What’s wrong?” Ethan Blackwood immediately looked over, worry written all over his face. Before she could even answer, he’d already crouched down beside her, one hand instinctively resting on her rounded stomach. “He’s moving?” Ethan paused for a beat, a bit caught off guard. His callused fingers gently rubbed her belly through the fabric of her clothes. Then, like magic, the little one seemed to calm down all of a sudden — even the pain Clara had been feeling faded. Her whole body relaxed bit by bit. And yet, Ethan just kept squatting there, his expression calm and focused. The setup made Clara completely unprepared for the tenderness of the moment. She