As the night draws to its peak, sparklers are brought out, and the guests form two lines on either side of Rhett and me. They hold their sparkler aloft and form a tunnel of light for us. Laughter and cheers bounce off the walls. It’s time for us to leave, and that means walking through the human sparkler tunnel. I feel like I’m going to be going through a tunnel of stars. Rhett holds my hand tight, his eyes sparkling with mischief and tenderness, and I can’t stop laughing.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Always,” I reply.
Together, we step into the line of light, the sparklers hissing and glowing around us. The crowd cheers, the wind carries the scent of salt and flowers, and for the first time in my life, I feel entirely and completely happy.
And just like that, our wedding night ends on a perfect, radiant note, just me, Rhett, our closest friends and family, and our future stretching out before us, as infinite as the stars above that tonight, shine just for us.
Chapter Forty-Six
Rhett
Eight Months Later
I’m at my desk, staring at a spreadsheet that might as well be written in hieroglyphs, when my cell phone rings. The display flashes Pippa’s name, and I pick up instantly, my heart already thundering.
“Rhett,” she gasps, her voice tight and urgent. “It’s happening. I … I’m in the hospital. The baby rabbit is coming.”
Everything goes still for a second, and then a tidal wave of panic and adrenaline hits me.
“Mercy Medical?” I ask, standing up so fast that my chair clatters into the wall behind me.
“Don’t panic. Everything is as we rehearsed,” she says, and there’s a sharp inhale through the line. “But labor is supposed to be hell, so you’d better get here as quickly as you can.”
“I’m on my way, honey,” I say.
“Hurry, please.”
I drop my cell phone into my pocket, grab my keys, and bolt out of the office. Racing down to my car, I start it up, speeding out of the parking lot and onto the main roads. The streets blur past in streaks of anticipation and sunlight. My mind is a chaotic storm of worry and anticipation. I call Max as I drive.
“I’m heading to Mercy. The baby is coming.”
“Congratulations. Want me to go?”
I grip the steering wheel. “You’re closer … get there if you can. Someone should be with Pippa.”
Every second of the drive to the hospital is agony. I imagine Pippa alone, breathing hard, gripping the hospital bed, the sound of her voice taut with pain and determination. I picture the tiny life we created, and a thrill of terror and wonder surges through me.
Finally, I reach the hospital, and the car skids into the hospital parking lot. I leap out of it, practically sprinting toward the entrance, and running past the reception desk in the lobby. The ride up is interminable. My pulse pounds in my ears, and each ding of the elevator stopping for other people is a hammer against my chest.
When the doors open on my floor, I step out and enter the delivery ward. A nurse sees me racing down the corridor.
“Mr. Remington?” she asks, and I nod like a man possessed. “Your wife is in room twelve. Please, follow me, I’ll take you to her.”
“Is my wife ok?” I ask as I follow her down the long corridor.
“She’s just fine, sir,” she replies, and I relax a bit.
The nurse points to a door marked with the number twelve, and I manage to stop just in time to open the door. I burst into the room. Pippa is there on the bed, a white sheet draped over her bottom half. Her hair is damp with sweat, and her face is flushed, but fucking hell, she is beautiful even when she is inpain. She sees me, and relief floods her eyes, mingling with the pain etched into every line of her face.
“Rhett,” she breathes, reaching for my hand. I run to her side and grab it instantly, holding her fingers like they’re the only thing keeping me sane.
“Hey,” I say softly. “I’m here. I’m right here.”
She nods and squeezes my hand through another contraction of pain. The nurse explains the positions, the contractions, and the breathing exercises. I lean close to Pippa, brushing damp hair from her forehead, wiping away sweat with my sleeve, and murmuring encouragement to her.
“You’ve got this, my darlin’. I’m right here with you.”
