Page 148 of When You Blush
I nudge the other side, and Blake’s eyes go round in awe as they hold mine.
“Do you feel that?”
“It’s a little flutter.” His voice is rough and low, and I cover his hand with my own, just as the baby kicks again. “Christ, we’re having a baby.”
I grin up at him. “I think her name is Isabelle. We’ll call her Belle, keeping with the B tradition. Is that okay with you?”
His smile could light up the night sky. “Yeah, baby. Yeah, that’s more than okay with me. Now, what kind of wedding do you want?”
“Small. Just our families and closest friends.”
“Shit, that’s not small, sugar.”
I chuckle with him as he rests his forehead against mine.
“I guess it’s not. Can we wait to do it until after the baby comes, so I can wear a pretty dress that isn’t a tent, and Belle can be there, too?”
“Baby, you can have whatever you want. Always. But maybe we take care of the legalities before she’s born.”
I cup his cheek, loving him so much. “Justice of thepeace, you and me, before she’s born, and a celebration after.”
“It’s going to be a great life, Harper.”
“It already is.”
Epilogue
BROOKS BLACKWELL
“We wanted a small get-together to announce our engagement, and it turned into a party for fifty people,” Blake says, shaking his head as we stand outside our sister Billie’s house, taking everything in.
Billie and Connor’s place is the biggest out of all of ours, and Billie immediately volunteered to host this party. She and Harper have become close this year.
Of course, Harper’s also become friends with the one woman who turns me inside out just by existing.
The only woman I’ve ever loved.
And the one who makes me want to burn the world to the motherfucking ground.
Right now, Jules, my wildfire, is dancing with my sisters, either by blood or by marriage, laughing and acting like she belongs here.
She fuckingdoesn’t.
“I warned you she’d be here,” Blake says, his face grim as he watches the group of them. “Harper wouldn’t leave her out, and?—”
“You already told me.” I shake my head and sip my beer. “I’m fine.”
“Neither of you isfine,” Beckett says.
“I said I’m fine.” If I thought I could get away with it without hurting my brother’s feelings, I wouldn’t be here. I’m not big on crowds anyway, and ifshe’swithin a mile, I steer clear of it, but this is Blake’s engagement party, and I love my brother.
I’m thrilled for him. Despite his woman’s poor taste in friends, I’m crazy about her. She’s excellent for my reformed workaholic brother.
So I’ll stay and celebrate with them and ignore the gorgeous little blonde who’s set my soul on fire since I was sixteen fucking years old.
More than twenty years of loving her.
Fifteen of hating her.
