“Then, we’ll teach you,” Ma said. “That’s what family is for.”
She pulled Isabel into a hug, and after a moment, Isabel hugged her back and her shoulders shook. The other women gathered around—not crowding,but present. Saffron put a hand on her back. Ainsley squeezed her arm. Even Alex reached out to touch her shoulder.
I stood in the doorway and watched the woman I loved let herself be held by the family she’d been too afraid to claim.
We didn’t get backto Whitmore until almost midnight.
Isabel fell asleep somewhere around King City, her head against the window, one hand on her belly. I reached over and covered it with mine.
We were going to be okay. All three of us.
When we reached the cottage, she woke as I cut the engine.
“We’re home,” she murmured.
“We’re home.”
We stumbled inside together, too tired for anything but sleep. She climbed into bed and reached for me, and I went to her.
She curled against my chest, her leg over mine, her arm around my waist, and the baby nestled between us.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “For coming to find me.”
“Always. That’s the deal.”
“What deal?”
“The one where I show up. Every time. No matter what.”
She tilted her head up and kissed my jaw. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
“Counting on it.”
As her breathing slowed, I lay in the darkness, holding her, and let myself believe we’d finally gotten over a huge hurdle. Today had been a turning point. Not just for her, but for me too. I’d never doubt that Isabel wanted me or loved me. I knew she did, and each time she needed me to, that’s the knowledge I’d act with.
And tomorrow, we’d figure out the rest. No matter what, though, I knew we’d be okay.
16
KICK
Iwoke to the sound of my phone buzzing on the nightstand.
For a moment, I didn’t move. Isabel was still curled against me, her breath warm on my chest and her hand resting over my heart. Light filtered through the curtains, soft and gray. It was barely dawn. I didn’t want to disturb this—the peace we’d finally found, the quiet after the storm.
But my phone buzzed again.
I reached for it carefully, trying not to wake her, and saw a text from Thomas.
Need to see you at the main house. Urgent.
I frowned. Thomas wasn’t the type for dramatics. If he said urgent, he meant it.
I eased out from under Isabel, replacing my body with a pillow so she wouldn’t wake to cold sheets. She murmured something in her sleep and burrowed deeper into the blankets, one hand moving to rest on her belly. I stood there for a moment, watching her. The womanI loved. The mother of my child. Safe and warm and finally, finally mine.
I put on jeans and a sweatshirt, shoved my feet into boots, and headed out.
The walk to the main house took less than five minutes. The vineyard stretched out on either side of the path, its dormant vines reaching toward a sky heavy with clouds. The air was cold and damp, carrying the promise of rain. I shoved my hands in my pockets and picked up my pace.
