“It’s okay,” Harper said. For the first time in her life it really was. “I have Alyssa now.”
“And us. You have us,” Louise told her. “You’re part of our family. And as James will tell you, that means you’ll be spoiled a lot. We take care of our own, and that includes the two of you.” She kissed Harper’s cheek. “I’m not your mother, but I’ll always be here for you.”
Harper blinked back the tears. “Thank you.”
“Hey, did somebody say family?” Caitie asked, standing in the doorway. “Because there’s a huge line of people out here wanting to see you guys. It’s worse than Disney out here.”
Their friends were all crowding in behind her. Ember and Lucas, Ally and Brooke, along with some of the models from the fashion show and James’s doctor friends. Harper turned to James and smiled when she saw his expression. He was staring at Alyssa with a look of wonder.
“Are you ready to see them now?” Caitie asked her, and Harper nodded. She was more than ready. She was surrounded by her family in the small town that she’d come to love, and she couldn’t be happier.
With Alyssa in her arms and James by her side it felt like she’d finally come home.
* * *
“I think that’s everything.” Harper looked around her hospital room as James picked up the car seat. Alyssa was safely strapped in, her eyes wide as James held her mid-air. “Are you sure I need to be wheeled out in that?” she asked, nodding at the wheelchair.
“It’s hospital policy. We don’t want you falling down and suing us.” Ellie winked. “As soon as you’re outside the door you can stand up and walk, I promise.”
Harper sighed, but sat down in it anyway, balancing her overnight bag on her lap. She was wearing a pair of soft maternity jeans and a billowy blouse, disguising her still-bulging stomach. Ellie had assured her that was normal – it took nine months to get up to this size, it was going to take a few more to get back down.
“Good luck,” Ellie said, hugging Harper and James. “I’ll see you in a week. But you’ve got my number if there are any problems – call me day or night. And you’ve set up your first appointment with the pediatrician, right?”
“Yep. It’s all covered.” James smiled at her. “Thank you for everything.”
Ellie shrugged. “Harper did all the work. I just got to assist her.”
When the orderly pushed them through the double glass doors, Harper found herself blinking at the brightness of the sun. Alyssa must have had the same reaction – she started to moan, and James turned her so her face was in the shadow.
“Welcome to the world, little one,” he murmured. “That’s the sun. You should probably get used to it. We see it a lot in California.”
When they reached James’s car, Harper climbed out of the wheelchair and watched as James strapped the baby seat into the back of his car. She smiled, remembering how they’d both practiced when she first bought the seat, neither of them able to work out the complex straps. Now, though, James was a natural.
“I’ll head off,” the orderly told her. “Good luck.”
“Thank you.” Harper smiled at him, and turned to James. “Do you think she’s too warm in that onesie?”
“I’ll put the air conditioning on,” James said, taking her bag and putting it in the trunk. “You need help getting into the seat?”
“I think I can do it.” Harper held on to the doorframe as she slowly lowered herself to the seat. “There, I’m in. No guarantees I’ll be able to get out again.”
James laughed. “I’ll carry you.”
“You will not. I don’t want to break your back.”
He slid into the driver’s seat and pulled the door shut. “Okay, so where are we going?” he asked her.
“Home?” She quirked an eyebrow. “Unless you were thinking of taking us to Disneyland. Though I think Alyssa might sleep through it all.” She grinned at him, and he shook his head with a smile.
“Home,” he repeated softly. “But which home. Yours or mine?”
She looked up at him, her lips parting, but no words came out. Because the way he was staring at her took her breath away. She could see the emotion in his eyes, the hope, the fear, and the love. They matched her own. They pulled at her, like a rope lassoed around her body, forever tying her to him.
“I want you to come home with me,” he continued. “Not because it’s easier, or cheaper, or there’s more space. But because I want to wake up with you every morning. Hell, I want to wake up with you every time Alyssa cries in the night. I want to hold you and take care of you and protect you. I love you, Harper. And I love our daughter. I want us to be a family. Starting now.”
She swallowed, feeling the emotions overwhelm her. Her chest felt tight, her throat scratchy, and her eyes were stinging all over again. The fear she’d been feeling, that she wasn’t worth it, that she didn’t deserve this, was melted by the intensity of his stare. And she knew what she wanted more than anything else.
She wanted this. Her two loves. Her family.