Courtney twisted slightly on the bed and Travis leaned closer to take the baby from her. The newborn fussed as he settled her in his arms, clueless about such things and hoping he wouldn’t hurt her or make her cry.
“Hello, Hope,” he said, his voice a whisper as he looked at the baby in wonder. “Welcome to the world.”
Hope made a sweet gurgling sound and blinked at him. Her eyes were the deep blue of a summer sky, her lashes long and dark, and a swirl of soft honey-coloured hair sprouted from her tiny little head.
She was the most beautiful thing Travis had ever seen in his life.
Love crashed into his heart like a wild storm. He stared at the infant in his arms, mesmerised and filled with wonder. In that instant he knew he loved this child, loved this child’s mother, and was helpless to do anything but surrender his heart to them both.
He looked up from Hope’s sweet face and met Courtney’s gaze. Her face shone with love, the light in her eyes stealing his breath.
Travis opened his mouth, felt the words rushing from his heart to his lips.
“Courtney, I…”
I love you.
He almost said it. Almost. At the last moment, he caught the words before they escaped, gulped them back down as his brain screamed that this was the worst possible moment to say such a thing.
This moment wasn’t about him. It was about Courtney and her new baby, Hope. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—taint this beautiful time by spewing stupid and unwanted declarations of love.
“Courtney, I think she’s absolutely gorgeous,” he said instead. “Congratulations.”
Courtney smiled, her expression filled with joy as her gaze flicked back to her baby. “I’m so happy. And you’re right, she’s gorgeous. I can’t take my eyes off her.”
The baby started to fuss and Travis handed her back to her mother. A moment later, the doors of the room swung open and a nurse popped her head inside.
“Courtney, you have a visitor,” the nurse said and waved a grinning Rosie into the room. “Is that okay?”
“Yes, of course!” Courtney said. “Rosie, you’re here!”
“I’m here!” Rosie said, rushing to the bed, her eyes wide and already filling with tears as she looked at the new baby. “I’m sorry it took so long. There was a traffic accident and the road was closed for hours and… and, oh my God,lookat your gorgeous little baby! She’ssooobeautiful, Courtney!”
“I’ve called her Hope.”
“Hope! It’s perfect! Hello, Hope. Come and meet your Auntie Rosie.”
The door opened again and although Travis hadn’t met Courtney’s relatives in the Austin family, he reckoned this must be her aunt and uncle arriving, both giving him a friendly hello as they piled into the room, their attention immediately on their niece and the new baby.
Travis realised it was time to go. Courtney needed her family around her now, not some clueless idiot who’d almost ruined her once-in-a-lifetime moment as a new mother by blurting out what he felt about her after getting caught up in the emotional whirlwind.
“Courtney,” he said, as the Austin family huddled around the bed, already admiring the new baby. “I’ll get out of here and give you guys some space.”
Courtney gave him a look of regret. “You don’t have to go.”
“The room is small and these folks are desperate to meet the baby. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Thanks again for everything, Travis. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
They shared a long look and a smile and then Travis turned for the door. Before leaving the room, he glanced back one more time to see Courtney handing her baby to Rosie for a cuddle as she began recounting the day’s events for her delighted family.
He turned and left, ignoring the hard tug in his heart as he strode towards the hospital exit and telling himself,It’s better this way.
Even although he didn’t believe it—not for one second.
20
Early morning lightslanted into Courtney’s hospital room, painting the walls with a wash of soft yellow from the rising sun. Lying on her side, she stared in awestruck wonder at the newborn baby sleeping in the cot beside her.
