“I am.” I manage a smile despite the terror clawing at my insides. “And I’ve got two fifty-yard-line tickets to the Grizzlies’ home opener if you get me to my woman in the next thirty seconds.”
The girl with the pink hair looks between us, clearly shocked. “Doctor—” she starts, but he shakes his head.
“What’s the patient’s name and room number?”
“Piper Hart,” I supply.
“Exam room four,” the receptionist adds. “But?—”
“I’ve got this, Holly. Buzz him in.”
She looks reluctant, her hand hovering over the button like she’s not sure whether to follow protocol or her boss. Finally, she does what the doctor says, and the security door clicks open.
He leads me down a hallway lined with partially closed doors.The walls are painted a pale yellow that I’m sure is meant to be calming, but does nothing to relax me amid the beeping of monitors and quick, solid footfalls on the linoleum floor.
He stops in front of a metal sign that designates room four. “Here it is.” He turns to face me. “For what it’s worth, you don’t have to?—”
“You’re getting those tickets,” I tell him. “Club level if I can swing it.”
He claps me on the shoulder before heading back the way we came. I watch him go, then turn to face the door, hand hovering over the handle.
Piper Hart threw a shoe at my head a month ago and made me fall in love with her in the weeks after. She’s the mother of my child, and the person who makes me want to be better than I ever thought I could be. She’s alone in this room, quite possibly scared out of her mind, and I’m the reason she’s in here.
Not directly, maybe. But the stress of the past few weeks, the uncertainty about us, the way I’ve handled Ellie…
This is on me.
I take a breath, then another. I’m not selfish, although I can definitely be bullheaded and stubborn. More than occasionally obtuse when it comes to matters of the heart. But I know how to love. Or I’m damn well ready to figure it out at least. If Piper will give me another chance.
I push open the door, and my knees nearly buckle when I see her in the hospital bed. Her eyes are closed, her face pale against the white pillow. A wire trails from under the thin hospital gown she’s wearing, connecting to a monitor at her bedside. The steady beeping of the machine fills the room, and I cling to that rhythm like a lifeline. Steady has to be good. For both of them.
As if sensing the weight of my stare, her eyes flutter open. For a second, I’m lost in the pale hazel shade that’s become my favorite. When they focus on me, I see surprise flash acrossher face, followed by a flicker of tenderness that nearly buckles my knees all over again.
“Hey,” I whisper, my voice so thick it’s barely recognizable. “Are you okay? Is the baby?—”
She smiles, and it’s like the sun breaking through clouds. Her hand moves to rest on her stomach in a protective gesture I’ve seen her do a hundred times.
“The baby’s fine. Strong heartbeat.” She points to the screen, where a small number pulses steadily. “They want me to stay hooked up for a little while longer to keep monitoring the vitals, but the doctor thinks it was just a mix of dehydration and...” She pauses, then grimaces slightly. “Stress.”
The relief that washes over me is so intense I can’t keep my feet under me anymore. I stagger forward and drop to my knees beside her bed, reaching for her hand like it’s the only thing keeping me anchored to the earth.
“I’m sorry.” The words scrape out of me. “I’m so sorry, Piper. Sorrier than you’ll ever know for putting you through this.”
“Felix—”
“No, let me finish. Please.” I press my lips to her knuckles, then look up at her. “I’m keeping Ellie. I made the decision in my heart the moment I got the message from the attorney saying he’d tracked down Julie’s aunt. Giving her up was what I thought would be best for her, but I was wrong. She’s mine. Ours.” I swallow hard. “At least, that’s my hope. You were right about all of it. Troy and Julie picked me for a reason, and I’m going to spend every day trying to be worthy of that little girl and their faith in me.”
Her brow furrows with confusion. “What about Nancy?”
“We talked, and she knows Ellie is staying in Colorado with me. I want Nancy to be part of her great-niece’s life, but Ellie is my daughter now. Ours, if you’ll have us.”
A tear slips down Piper’s cheek, and she swipes at it with herfree hand. “Stupid hormones,” she mutters. “Men hate it when women cry.”
Despite everything, I feel the corner of my mouth quirk up. “We’ve talked about this. You are well aware that I cry at every sappy Super Bowl commercial. Remember the Budweiser one with the Clydesdale and the puppy?”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“I mean it.” I squeeze her hand tighter. “I’ll supply all the tissues you need, Hart. But I hate that I made you cry. Most of all, I hate that I gave you a reason to doubt my feelings. I should have told you sooner, and hope to hell it’s not too late.” I stare into her eyes, hoping she can see everything she means to me in mine. “I fucking love you, Piper Hart.”
