Ella turns slowly, her gaze following his. She takes in Julian fully this time, not just as a baby, but asRyder’sbaby. Her hand flies to her mouth for a split second before she catches herself.
“Oh,” she mutters softly. “Oh.”
I brace myself for the questions, the judgment, and the inevitable,why wasn’t I told?But none of it comes.
Instead, Ella steps closer to me, her voice gentler now. “May I?”
I hesitate for half a second before nodding. She doesn’t take Julian from me, just rests a hand lightly against his back, her thumb brushing over his tiny shoulder. Julian blinks up at her, then grins—wide and gummy.
Ella laughs, the sound warm and unguarded. “He’s definitely a Morgan.”
Ryder closes his eyes briefly, something like relief crossing his face. You and me both, papa. You and me both.
Hank clears his throat. “Let’s get you inside,” he commands, already turning toward the house. “The team’s waiting.”
“The team?” I echo.
Beck glances back at me with a lopsided grin. “Surgical. Don’t worry. They’ve seen worse than my brother’s dramatic tendencies.”
“I’m not dramatic,” Ryder mutters.
Ella snorts. “You left for ten years and came back bleeding half to death. You’re dramatic.”
As they guide Ryder toward the house, I follow instinctively, my steps faltering only when Ella gently presses a hand to my arm. “Kate, we’ve got him. I promise.”
Something in her tone makes my shoulders sag with relief.
Hank pauses at the door and looks back at me. “You and the baby will be just fine here.”
I nod, swallowing hard. “Thank you.”
As soon as we cross the threshold, I barely register Ryder being taken away. One second, he’s being supported by Ella and Beck, and the next he’s being ushered down a long corridor by the surgical team. The doors close behind them, sealing him off from me, and for the first time since the mountain, I feel untethered.
Then a familiar face steps in before I can spiral, and for a moment I think I’m dreaming. What is she doing here?
I recognize her the way you recognize someone you’ve studied from a distance for years. Ava Noa—global pop icon, philanthropist, and tabloid darling turned reluctant recluse. I’ve written about her countless times, and now she’s standing in front of me in worn jeans and boots, her hair pulled back and no makeup.
Wait, I know that she married a Morgan. Does that mean that the Morgan family she married into is the same one Ryder is from? Oh my God, what a small world. Addison will go crazy over this.
Her gaze flicks from my face to Julian, then she smiles. “Hi Kate. Welcome.”
I blink. “You… know me?”
She laughs lightly. “Of course I do. You’re one of the few columnists who ever bothered to fact-check before publishing.”
My mouth opens, then closes, then opens again. “I—thank you.”
She reaches out without hesitation. “May I hold him?”
Julian chooses that moment to babble enthusiastically, arms flailing like he’s ready to be passed around.Traitor.I ease him into her arms, my chest tightening irrationally as she adjusts him with the kind of instinct that comes from motherhood, not fame.
“Oh my word,” she murmurs. “Zane, look at his eyes.”
Whoever Zane is appears instantly, as if summoned by blood and instinct alone. Another gorgeous-looking man, same height and features as Beck and Ryder, only a bit older. Must be another Morgan brother. Just how many of them are there?
He takes one look, and his brows lift. “Yeah, that’s definitely Ryder’s boy.”
There’s no doubt in his tone, just pure acceptance, and something in me cracks wide open.
