Page 85 of Fireworks & Forehead Kisses

“Got it. How are you?”

“They just checked me. I’m at a five.”

“Okay, I’m coming.”

By the time I hung up with my sister, he’d pulled into a parking space. I put the phone and my ring into my purse. I wasn’t going to wear the thing for fear it might blind people. Also, even if word had gotten around the rest of the Comfort family, Zoe worked at this hospital, and she had no idea about my fake wedding. Not to mention, Dr. Elias Russell, who was a pediatric surgeon and also lived in Firefly. The last thing I needed was one of them to see the ring and start asking questions. Although, it wasverytempting to wear it.

We got out of the car without saying a word to one another. I had to admit, walking into the hospital with Declan by my side felt a lot more right than it should have. Just like him putting our suitcases into the car and us leaving the cottage had. Doing ‘couple’ things.

As we checked in at the front desk and got our passes, I wondered how far he was going to take this. I appreciated him committing to the bit, but at some point, he was going to have to go back to his life and regularly scheduled programming.

On the ride up the elevator, I turned to him. “I’m going to be in the room with my sister.”

“Okay.”

“I’m not going to be in the waiting room.”

“Okay.”

I stared into his eyes, trying to figure out why he was here. What his plan was. There was absolutely zero reason for him tobe. We were legally married. Hell, we’d even consummated our union. So why was he hanging around?

After several seconds of me staring up into his eyes, silently searching for answers, he asked, “What?”

“I’m just trying to figure out what you’re doing here.”

“When you do, could you let me know,” he responded as the doors opened, and he put his hand on my back, guiding me off.

I didn’t know if he was kidding or if he actually didn’t have any idea what he was doing either. But what I did know was that I really liked the fact that he was here, by my side, and I really liked the feel of his hand on my back. And I really wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

30

DECLAN

“What is your princess’s name?”Luna peered across the hospital waiting room coffee table at my picture.

“Princess Buttercup,” I responded. It was the only princess I could think of. I stole it from the movieThe Princess Bride,which was a favorite movie of mine as a kid. “What is your princess’s name?”

“Princess Ponytail.” She pointed to the ponytail she’d drawn on her princess. “Because she has a ponytail.”

“I see that. It’s very pretty.”

She smiled, clearly proud of herself.

The last place I would have ever expected to find myself was a germ-infested hospital waiting room, drawing and coloring with a six-year-old, especially voluntarily, yet here I was. And there is no way that I would have ever thought I would enjoy myself doing it, but honestly, I’d had one of the most relaxing days I could remember having in a long time. I didn’t find myself in the company of kids very often, so I had never formed a strong opinion about them. I didn’t like them or dislike them. I’d always known I was expected to have children of my own. But if I hadn’tbeen sure I’d actually wanted them before today, Luna had tipped the scales.

She was clever, creative, funny, and exactly how I imagined Ashley might have been when she was a little girl. More than once, my mind had wandered to what mine and Ashley’s baby would be like. I’d thought about her belly growing, us setting up a nursery, picking a name.

In all the years I’d been with Serena, I’d never envisioned those things, and we’d discussed having a family on multiple occasions. We’d gone as far as considering the number of children we may want, the names we preferred, and even the ages we may want to start trying if we did decide to have them. But not once had I pictured what that would look like in the future.

I’d also got to meet Jimmy’s wife, Isabella; Hank’s middle brother Billy and his wife Reagan; and his little sister Cheyenne, and her husband, Cash. They all seemed like down-to-earth, solid, caring people. I was glad that Ashley had them, even if they were in-laws once removed.

It was nice to spend time with people who didn’t care about money or status. It was oddly liberating to be around people who didn’t give a shit about your last name or the number of zeros in your bank account.

“He’s here!”

The entire room shifted their attention to the doorway where Ashley stood with a wide smile on her face that spanned from ear to ear. Everyone except me stood and started to speak at once.

“How is Skylar?” Cheyenne, Hank’s sister, asked.

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