Page 29 of Baby, Be Mine

“Yeah. Wow almost covers it.” Her little fingers curled around my forefinger as I cuddled her close.

I was shaking and my body felt like I’d been battered, but she was here.

I turned to Mason. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. You did all the work. And she’s beautiful.”

I sobbed out a laugh. “Yeah, she is.”

So tiny.

Lana and Ben were bustling around me taking vitals, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off of my baby.

“Can I see her?”

“Yep. Is this Dad?”

“No,” I said softly. “That’s my brother.” I glanced up and saw Clint’s shocked face. “How’s it going, Uncle Clint?”

“You just took fifteen years off my life, Em.” He knelt beside my gurney and tugged the towel off my baby’s head. “Hello there.” Clint’s voice was thick. “All the fingers, toes, feet and good stuff?”

“All the good stuff is accounted for,” Lana said with a laugh. “Now we gotta get Mom settled at the hospital to get checked over.”

The gurney clicked up to the correct height and started rolling. I looked over at Mason. “Thank you.”

“She’s okay?” Mason asked.

“I’m okay,” I answered him. “Promise. And I’ll be ready to work really soon.”

Mason raked his fingers through his hair. “Don’t worry about that part. Just take care of the kid.”

“You’re giving me that job,” I shouted as we got to the end of the boat.

I glanced over at Mason who had his fingers laced behind his neck and his mouth was still a little slack from shock.

“What job?” Clint asked from beside me.

“I’m going to be the entertainment coordinator for The Mason Jar II Electric Bugaloo.”

“Electric what?”

I laughed. “Never mind.”

“Em, you just had a baby. You’re not working anywhere.”

“Watch me.” I brushed my fingertip over the cap of my baby’s dark hair. Just figured that she’d get her father’s hair.

But that didn’t matter, she was whole and perfect and here.

That was the most important part.

SEVEN

“Mason, are you listening to me?”

I turned away from the patio doorway. Normally, I’d be happily sneaking a peek at the raspberry and orange-streaked sunset on my lake with The Mason Jar II taking center stage, but all I could picture was Emmaline Hauser.

“What? Sorry.” I sighed. It had been a week since the high stress surprise baby delivery had blown my brain apart. Concentrating had not been my strong suit ever since.

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