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"Shh... Shh!"
Matt stuck his upper body in the backseat, reached in and lifted the baby he'd put there. The kid was still crying, and he was relieved he hadn't rolled onto the floor as he'd been driving. But then, he'd made certain to be cautious and to not speed.
Amazingly, in moments, as he cradled the baby in his arms, the crying slowly began to cease. He rocked the child back and forth a bit, still shushing him.
The dark-haired man gingerly shut the door, relieved that the kid stayed quiet. He looked up to the house, delicious anticipation running through him as he made his way to the door.
Somehow, maybe through his sheer determination, he managed to get through the door. All the while, he still held the baby in his arms. He cradled him as he unlocked the door.
He wanted to call out to her in the worst way. However, he couldn't do that if the child were to remain asleep. Instead, he walked through the abode and smiled to himself as he came upon the bedroom.
She was in there, all right, exactly as he'd expected. She was laying on her side in the bed, her back toward him.
"Ashley!" he called in a loud whisper.
"Matt?" Her voice was blessedly soft. Her back was still facing him.
"I've got a surprise for you, Ash."
The sad blonde sniffled and turned over slowly. Her blue eyes focused as she realized her boyfriend was not alone. All of a sudden, she was completely alert and together. She sat upright, her legs swinging over the side of the bed as she stared, wide-eyed at the scene.
"Matt, what... is going on?" she questioned. "That baby..." Her voice trailed as a thousand or more inquiries rang out in her head.
The elder Hardy merely eyed the baby, smiling, and shifted his gaze to her.
"Cute little guy, isn't he?" He had to admit it, in spite of who his parents were. And what the hell was he thinking? They were his parents now.
"Yeah... he is," Ashley breathed. She peered into the baby's face, her own face full of wonder. She looked back up into her boyfriend's dark eyes. "Whose baby is he?"
Matt's smile increased into a full-fledged grin.
"He's ours, Ash," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
Her blue eyes widened a second time as she stared from him to the child again. She seemed not to comprehend exactly what he had just said.
"Wh-What?" She shook her head, her face growing sad, as though he were playing some colossal cruel joke on her.
Matt reached out for her arm, gently.
"Someone abandoned this little guy at the hotel I was at yesterday," he lied. "No one came for him, so I took it upon myself to take him."
Ashley merely stared at him, her head spinning.
"But... How can you do that?" she asked as he seated himself beside her. She simply did not understand.
"It's exactly as I said, Ash. Child welfare was even called," he said, elaborating on the fable he was telling, and he eyed her squarely. "After speaking with them, they gave me permission to take this little guy home with me."
The blonde woman shook her head. She suddenly seemed unable to move her gaze from the beautiful baby boy in her boyfriend's arms.
"It... It just all seems to easy," she murmured. "Too good to be true."
Matt kept his features neutral at her words. Was she suspecting anything? He honestly hadn't expected this kind of reaction. After all, she had just miscarried not that long ago, and he would have thought she would be delighted, no questions asked. Smiling, he decided on a new tactic.
"Here... Why don't you hold him, babe?" He gingerly placed the child in the blonde's arms.
Ashley had no choice but to take the baby from him. She felt her heart practically burst as she accepted him, cradling the bundle of joy in her arms. She couldn't supress a smile as she peered down into the baby's peaceful face. Who would abandon such a beautiful, precious child? It boggled her mind.
"Oh, Matt... He's really beautiful," she breathed. She rocked him ever so slight as he looked up at her. "What's his name?" she asked.
The dark-haired man went ashen for a beat, and he was relieved her gaze was still on the kid. He knew what this child's name was, but he wouldn't dare risk telling her, even if she'd never laid eyes on him before now. Quickly, he cast around in his mind for an answer.
"Err... Child Welfare didn't know. So, I guess that means we'll have to come up with a name for him."
Ashley was still smiling and was already falling in love with the baby.
"Joey," she said, her eyes never leaving the child. "He definitely looks like a 'Joey' to me."
Hardy put an arm around her. He snickered as he joined her in gazing down at the kid.
"Joey it is."