“It was fine, Mom,” James said gently. “She’s absolutely fine.”
“She?” Louise asked, her brows knitting together.
“We’re having a little girl.” James grinned and winked at Harper. He’d lost their bet and had to buy her a blueberry muffin to make up for it.
Louise covered her mouth with her hand and squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head. Tears leaked from her tightly closed eyes. “I said I wouldn’t get emotional. I promised your father.”
Dennis wrapped her in his arms and pressed her face against his chest, running his hands through her hair. He whispered into her ear, though Harper couldn’t make out what he was saying. She looked over at James who swallowed hard. Were those tears in his own eyes, too? He shook his head and gave her a wry smile.
“I’m okay,” Louise said, wiping her eyes as she pulled away from her husband’s embrace. “Harper, please forgive me. I didn’t expect to react like that.”
“It’s fine,” Harper told her. “And completely understandable. You’ve been through a lot, all of you. And this must all have come as a shock.”
“A wonderful, happy shock,” Louise said, picking the picture up again. “What a beautiful little girl she is.”
James grinned. “We almost didn’t find out. She spent most of the time refusing to let us see.”
“She’s as stubborn as her father,” Louise said, ruffling James’s hair.
“Hey, Harper’s stubborn, too.”
“Don’t be rude.” Louise raised her eyebrows. “Harper’s our guest.” She passed the photo to her husband who stared at it with warm eyes. “Isn’t she a beautiful baby, Dennis?”
“Yep. Must take after me.” He winked at Harper.
James took the photo from his dad and slipped it back into his wallet. “Lets hope the baby takes after Harper,” he said wryly. “Otherwise the poor kid is already out of luck.”
Harper couldn’t help but smile. The love his parents had for James was palpable. It was in the way they talked to him, smiled at him, teased him. It made her heart ache for what she didn’t have.
But maybe this baby could have it; a family who loved her unconditionally. Wouldn’t that be a blessing? She cupped her stomach protectively and watched as James laughed at something his father said.
If she had to choose a father for this child, she’d choose James every time. And wasn’t that a blessing?
* * *
“James?” his mom called out as he and Harper were walking down the front steps toward his car. It was early evening, though you wouldn’t know it from the warmth of the air surrounding them. The sweater Harper had brought with her was still on the backseat of his car where she’d left it when he’d picked her up.
“You go get in the car,” he suggested to Harper, passing her the keys. “I’ll see what she wants.”
“She probably wants to talk about me.”
He chuckled. “Probably.”
Harper continued down the stairs, her blonde-and-pink waves bouncing on her shoulders. He watched as she walked over to his car, clicking the button to open it. From behind, you wouldn’t know she was pregnant. She still had those curves that had captivated him the first time he’d seen her. Generous hips, luscious behind, and legs that went on forever.
She pulled open the door and turned her head to look at him. When she noticed he was staring right at her, her brows dipped into a question. She shook her head and climbed inside, and he turned back to his mom who was waiting at the top of the steps.
“She’s lovely,” she said, a big smile on her face. “You should bring her over again.”
“Maybe. It depends on my shifts, and Harper has work, too.”
“I’ll send you some dates.” She pulled her lip between her teeth, as though she was hesitating. “I wanted to ask you something else. I know it’s none of my business but it’s been bugging me all day.”
He could feel the alarm bells warming up. “What?”
“Are you two a couple? I know you told me you weren’t, but I saw the way you were looking at her.” She smiled softly. “It reminded me of how you used to look at Sara.”
The mention of Sara’s name felt like a bucket of cold water being poured over him. He frowned, realizing he’d barely thought about her and Jacob all day. He could feel the familiar tightness in his chest as they seeped back into his consciousness.