“Give it all you’ve got, Mommy,” the doctor said. “Let’s have this baby.”
Kady screwed her eyes shut, squeezed Colt’s hands until her knuckles turned white, and let loose a high-pitched scream. Colt’s face took on an anguished look that had nothing to do with the crushing grip Kady had on his hands and everything to do with the torture of seeing the woman he loved suffering and being powerless to relieve her pain. Pain so overwhelming Kady’s whole body shook. Every muscle inside Sophie stiffened in sympathy.
Then Kady’s scream subsided, and a tiny wail reached her ears.
“Good job, Mommy,” the doctor said, and then backed away to make a space for Colt.
Next thing she knew, Colt stood beside her, his expression awestruck, eyes brimming with pent-up emotion. He placed a blanket-wrapped bundle in Kady’s arms, and then sat down on the bed and snuggled his exhausted wife against his chest.
“Ladies,” he said, in a voice that wasn’t quite steady, “meet Emily Wynn Brooks. She’s perfect and beautiful. Just like her mom.”
A chorus of “Ooooh” broke out in the room, and she couldn’t help add her voice. The most riveting blue eyes she’d ever seen stared out from a soft pink face. “Hi, Emily,” she crooned, brushing a finger over the baby’s velvet-soft head. It took some doing, but she tore her attention away from her niece’s face and looked at the group gathered around. Colt, Kady, Christine, and Julie smiled down at the newest member of their group. Regan, Logan, Tyler, Brock, and Reed peeked in from the door.
“Good job, you two,” Christine murmured. “She’s absolutely beautiful.” Then the redhead looked up and winked at her and Julie. “We should step out and let Mommy and Daddy get to know their little girl.”
The suggestion set off unanimous agreement, a quick, dizzying round of kisses, and then she stood in the bright hallway, tucked against Logan’s side, blinking back tears as the others headed toward the waiting room.
He squeezed her. “You okay?”
“I’m good.” She pulled a tissue from her purse, swiped her eyes, and blew her nose. “Just happy.”
“I understand. Let’s sit down for a minute.” He gestured to a couple of linked guest chairs positioned in the hall between two rooms. She poured her grateful body into one of the chairs, expecting Logan to take the other, but, to her surprise, he knelt before her instead, and took her hands.
“We never got to dessert this evening.” He smiled at her, treating her to a flash of the groove beside his mouth.
She smiled back. “No, I guess we didn’t. You’re really stuck on that, aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “I had something very particular in mind—and I planned to kick things off with soft lights and a romantic view—but your niece didn’t cooperate.”
“There’s always tomorrow night.”
“No. I’m ready now, and even though the setting isn’t ideal, I’m too anxious to wait a second longer.” He released one of her hands and dug into his pocket.
Goodness, they were in the middle of a hospital. Slightly scandalized, and more than a little excited, she tried to tug her hand back. He refused to let go.
“Logan.” She looked left. Looked right. “We should at least find an empty room.”
“Uh-uh. Right here, right now.” She felt him slip something on her finger. “Will you marry me?”
“What?” He released her hand. She looked down at the sparkling diamond gracing her ring finger. “What?”
“I love you, Sophie Brooks. You’re my present, my future, my everything. I want to climb mountains with you.” He looked around them and raised a brow. “And have babies with you. Mostly, I want to spend my life with you. What do you say?”
For a full minute she couldn’t say anything. Eighteen months ago she’d set goals to change her dull, empty life—fill it with challenge, passion, excitement, and love. Now here she sat, surrounded by friends and family, secure in the arms of the man she loved, staring at a future so exciting she couldn’t even have imagined it a year ago when she’d watched Logan stride across the Beaver Creek Resort lobby, felt all those assessing eyes on her, and wished for one crazy moment he could be hers. She was a walking, talking testament to the power of skinny jeans, a favor, and a little courage.
“Sophie,” he prompted, and she got a glimpse of some of the nerves she’d sensed earlier in the evening. Realizing she could make Mr. Perfect suffer a moment of doubt unlocked her tongue.
“I say yes. Yes, yes, and more yes.” She went with impulse and threw herself into his arms. “I love you, Logan. I can’t wait to get started on the rest of our lives.”
He laughed and caught her. “Love you too, Sophie.” Then he lowered his head for a kiss. She closed her eyes and touched her lips to his, dimly aware of people gathering in the corridor. Someone started clapping. Soon full-blown applause broke out. She looked up to find everyone standing there, watching them. Regan and Brock, married and about to have twins. Christine and Tyler, fresh from their honeymoon in Mexico. Julie and Reed engaged, while Julie put all those organization skills to use for her own benefit, for once, and planned what promised to be the wedding of the century.
As the clapping subsided, Colt poked his head out the door of the birthing room, took stock, and called to Kady, “Looks like we’re going back to Beaver Creek.”