Page 100 of Isla

"Isla, will you do that, please?" Charlie asks, giving my hand a tight squeeze.

"Yes, of course."

"Go with the nurse; she'll get you ready," the doctor instructs, turning back to Charlie as I follow the nurse into the hallway. She rushes me to a room with a huge washtub, instructs me on how to wash up, and then helps me into a gown and gloves.

"All you're going to do is take the baby from the doctor and gently lay him or her on the mother's chest. Then you can take the gloves and gown off and put them in the red wastebasket." The nurse leadsme back to the room, motioning for me to stand on the left side of the doctor while she takes the right.

"This is it, Charlie. Take a deep breath and push."

The guys bend toward her like the petals of a flower, words of encouragement flowing from their lips. Charlie takes a deep breath and closes her eyes as she makes that last final push.

"Good, Charlie! Harder!" the doctor encourages, her voice echoing in the room.

A cry erupts, and my gaze flies to the doctor's hands and the wee little creature cradled between them.

"This is your big moment," the doctor says, standing and handing me the most precious baby girl I've ever seen, eyes already open, face scrunched up, mad as hell. The nurse tugs down Charlie's gown, and I step forward, gently laying their baby girl on her bare skin.

"What's her name?" I ask, looking between the four of them, gently tracing the slope of the cutest nose I've ever seen with the tip of my finger.

"Summer," Charlie says softly, looking down at their baby with wonder. The guys cover Summer's back with their hands, giving her skin-on-skin contact with all four of them.

"I'm so fucking proud of you, Charlie," Cam says, breaking out of the stupor first.

"I can’t believe you made her inside your body," Lach says, stunned.

Jack struggles to hold back tears, his chin wobbling, his eyes bright. He presses a kiss to Charlie's temple, then tilts her lips up to his. “Incredible,” he whispers, catching one of her tears with his thumb.

There's too much emotion for me to keep it together, so I murmur something about taking off the gown and step out of the room. I break down the second I close the door behind me, uncontrollable sobs wracking my body.

"Isla, what's wrong?" Henry jumps up from a chair in the hallway and wraps me in those strong arms I've come to rely on.

"Nothing's wrong, Henry. She's perfect."

49

As soon as I get the text from Jack confirming that Charlie is home and settled, I feel some of the stress slide from my shoulders. Now that I'm not waiting by my phone, I take a shower, the scalding water washing away any remnants of worry. I know they'll take excellent care of Charlie and sweet little Summer. I have no doubt Charlie will call me if she needs a break from their fussing. I step out of the shower feeling like a new woman.

I wander down to the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge and then the cabinets, looking for something good to snack on. The house is dead silent, which means the guys must be working at Jack's. I could go over there and bug them, but I don't want to be a distraction when they're so close to finishing up. I plop down at the table, feeling oddly dejected. There was such a huge swell of emotion early in the day that it's making the afternoon seem dark and dreary in comparison. What I need is to get outside and get some exercise. I grab an apple from the bowl in the middle of the table and jog upstairs to grab a sweatshirt. Tying it around my waist, I head outside and down the path to the beach, mentally ticking off the things I need to check on before the ball next weekend. Now that I’ve beenputting on these events for so many years, everything runs like a well-oiled machine. The only decision I had to make this year was the theme; this year, it was easy because I knew exactly who I wanted to dress up as.

I stop dead in my tracks as the cottage comes into view. The most delicious smell is wafting through the open windows, along with Post Malone's crooning voice. "Hello?" I call, poking my head through the door.

"There you are." Theo practically bounds out of the kitchen, enveloping me in a giant bear hug.

"What are you doing?" I ask, looking up at him. His hair is curling over his forehead from the humidity of the kitchen, making him look soft and boyish.

"I figured you wouldn't be in the mood to go out, so I'm making our dinner and then bending you over the back of that couch later."

Desire immediately tightens my stomach, warmth sliding through me like honey.

"Were you headed for a walk on the beach? I'll join you unless you'd like to be alone." He tucks a lock of hair behind my ear, tracing my jaw with the tip of his finger.

"I'll never choose to be alone over having your company, Theo."

"Good. Because I just put the roast in the oven, so I have a couple of hours before I need to do anything else."

"I'm sorry for the way I acted before," I blurt, needing to apologize and get some of this guilt off my chest. It's been weighing on me more every day. Especially now that I really know him. Yes, he's grumpy, but he's also the most loyal person I've ever met.

"Before? What do you mean?"

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