“Of course I do.” She’d been so exhausted earlier that she must have fallen asleep before she could even hold her daughter for the first time. But she didn’t mind. It seemed somehow more appropriate that Logan should be the one handing her their daughter for the first time.
“I present to you Baby Thumper.”
As though she were made of glass, Logan carefully laid their daughter into Claire’s waiting arms. As Claire looked down into the pink face and the wide blue eyes blinking up at her, an intense wave of love washed over her. She was sure she looked exactly like Logan had just moments before.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” She ran a finger along the baby’s cheek. “You’re right, she’s absolutely perfect.”
“Just like her mother.”
She looked up with surprise to find Logan staring at her intently. “Logan, I…” The words she wanted to say failed to find their way to her lips. She wanted to tell him how much he meant to her, how happy she was to have him by her side with their daughter in her arms. How completed she felt.
But instead, she looked back down at the baby in her arms. “What do you think we should name her?” She pulled the blanket aside to examine her daughter’s miniature hands and her feet. “She’s so small,” she murmured, almost to herself. Claire’s index finger was longer than the baby’s entire hand. It seemed almost surreal to finally have her in her arms.
Logan leaned closer, offering his finger for the baby to curl hers around. “Do you remember when we were in Maryland at that little café and we were talking about what we would name the baby if she turned out to be a girl?”
Of course she remembered every second of their time together in Maryland. It had been the best week of her life. The part that came after it, on the other hand, not so much.
“We decided on Julie,” Claire said, looking back down at their daughter. She looked like she could be a Julie, Claire decided.
“What do you think?”
“I still like it.” She looked back at Logan to find him still watching her with that disturbingly intent expression.
“So do I.” He paused. “What about a middle name?”
“My niece who passed away,” Claire said after a moment. “Her name was Elizabeth. I would like it if we could name Julie after her.”
“Julie Elizabeth Monroe.” He smiled. “I like the sound of that.”
He wanted their daughter to have his last name. It was something they hadn’t discussed in all the months leading up to this moment. The idea of Julie being a Monroe appealed to Claire. She was almost too afraid to hope there was as much significance to it as her labor-addled mind placed on it.
“It does have a nice ring to it,” she agreed, unable to keep her gaze from their daughter for too long. The newly christened Julie blinked up at her. “Not quite as nice as Derek Junior, but I suppose it’ll have to do.”
Logan laughed, the sound low, husky and pleasing to Claire’s ears. She liked this intimate setting, just the three of them. It was so easy to pretend that they were a normal family. That Logan loved her and she loved him. Although she was beginning to realize that she didn’t have to pretend to love him. She already did.
Oh God.
When had it happened? She couldn’t really decide. Maybe it had been happening gradually, in little increments. Or maybe it had happened in the moment he walked into her hotel room in New York City. Or maybe it had been the first time she’d seen tears in his eyes, when he had thanked her for carrying their child. She didn’t really know when The Moment had happened, when she had fallen hopelessly, inextricably in love with Logan. But she did know that she realized it for the first time right there in the hospital room, with their baby in her arms and him by her side.
“I called your mother, your sister and Derek earlier,” Logan said, breaking up her thoughts. “I’m sure they’ll all descend on us as soon as visiting hours start.”
“Mmm,” Claire murmured noncommittally. She was hesitant to have someone else intrude on them. Having Logan and Julie all to herself felt nice. “What time is it, anyway?” She felt as if she had been in the hospital for weeks instead of hours, so completely had she lost track of the outside world.
Logan flicked a glance at his watch. “Seven thirty.”
She noticed again how tired he looked. “Have you slept at all, Logan?”
He gave her a half smile. “No, but it wasn’t very highly recommended after my incident.”
It was Claire’s turn to laugh before wincing in pain. “How is your head feeling?”
He shrugged. “It’s fine. You’d think I’d be having a killer migraine, but unless I touch the bump on the back of my head, not a thing.”
The telephone on the bedside table began ringing shrilly and Logan picked it up. Julie began to cry, so Claire cradled her closer and murmured in her ear. Logan’s telephone conversation came floating over to her and she found herself listening.
“Yes, they’re both fine. Yes, she’s awake. Just a second.”
He handed her the telephone, making a face. “It’s your mother.”
