“What if they’re mad?”
“They won’t be,” he says, although I don’t find his words reassuring, just pointed.
Harrison gets out first and must-see my hesitation because he has my door open and is unbuckling my seatbelt so he can pull me into his arms. When he releases me, his hand cups my cheek, and he looks into my eyes. “We have the most amazing kids we could ever ask for. I think, if anything, they’ll be concerned for us and the lack of sleep we’re going to get for a few months and the legal battle we’ll face when we go to adopt him. I know they’ll be supportive and will fall completely in love with him.” He nods toward the back. “I also know, they’re expecting us, and they know something is up. If we don’t get up there soon, one of them is bound to come looking for us.”
“I’m about to say you’re right, but I have a feeling you already know this,” I quip.
Harrison kisses my forehead, and I feel his lips forming into a smile. When he pulls away, the grin is from ear to ear. “As I’ve said many, many times over the years, I plug into greatness every night.” He winks at his sexual innuendo and leaves me sitting there. I’m stunned by his comment and shouldn’t be. I’m used to the things he says, inappropriate or not.
He opens the back door and grabs the car seat from the base, and carries it effortlessly as we head into the hotel. After a quick elevator ride, we’re standing outside Peyton’s room. Before either of us knock, Harrison sets the carrier down on the floor, out of sight from the door.
“Do you trust me?”
“Of course,” I tell him. “With my life.”
He knocks, and the door swings open. Peyton stands there, with her long chestnut hair cascading down her back, wearing a T-shirt that reads, “My Husband Goes Deep.” I blush at the wording, and while Harrison may not be her biological father, their humor is one and the same.
“You’re being weird. What’s going on?” she says before we have a chance to hug her or even say hi.
“Your mom and I have something to show you, but I need for the four of you to turn around, no peeking.”
Peyton sighs dramatically and then says, “Okay, you heard the man. Turn around.”
Elle and Quinn stand and turn around. We wait for Peyton to move closer to her siblings before working as a team to get the baby out of his carrier. With him in my arms and with Harrison standing next to me, we enter the room and stand behind our children.
“Merry Christmas,” Harrison says.
The three of them turn around. After this moment, I’m not going to remember who’s expression I looked at first, but I’m going to remember that it was Peyton who stepped forward.
“Mom, what’s going on?” she asks as her hands hover over the bundle in my arms.
“This little guy needed a family, and we just happen to have the perfect one,” Harrison says as he touches the baby’s cheek, which lifts.
“Wait, he’s ours?” Elle asks.
“For right now,” I tell them. “We intend to adopt him.”
“Whoa,” Quinn says as he comes closer. “He’s tiny.”
I nod. “He’s a safe haven baby. I’ve been holding him at the hospital since he came in.”
“Are you sure you guys want to do this all over again?” Elle asks. “You’re going to be grandparents soon.”
My eyes shoot to Elle’s. “Are you pregnant?”
“What? No!” she blanches.
“Me neither,” Nola blurts out.
“Or me,” says Peyton.
“What’s his name?” Quinn asks.
“Well, that’s where you guys come in. We wanted to decide as a family.” Harrison motions for everyone to sit and gather around the small table in the room. He tells the two names we decided on, Oliver and Ezra. “Write your choice on a piece of paper, fold it, and hand it to me.” Harrison rips up a sheet of paper from the tablet on the table and hands each of us a piece. We only have one pen, so he hands it to me first, and I pass it on to Elle. When we’re all done, Harrison has a small pile in front of him.
“Okay,” he starts. “We have a vote for Oliver.”
I look down at the baby and bounce him a little.