Page 74

She lay still as Ted sat up and listened. “Oh, my God! You’d better get her to the hospital. Emmie and I will come right over.”

He stood and faced her with a look of dismay. “Diana has gone into labor. We need to get over to their house to take care of Harper. Her contractions are five minutes apart.”

Emmie grabbed the most comfortable clothes she could find – a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt she’d packed at the last minute.

Still a bit groggy, she headed downstairs with Ted, grabbed her purse and a snack she’d bought earlier and followed him out the door.

Chase’s house was as different from Cinda’s as it could be. Whereas she lived in an old restored Victorian with lacy decorative features in town, Chase lived in a new contemporary home farther down the lake from Ted. The two-story house had an exterior of rustic, stained wood that suited the wooded setting. Instead of being right on the water, it was set back in the woods lining the lake. A green lawn surrounded the home on all sides.

When Emmie and Ted went inside, Chase and Diana were in the kitchen, a small suitcase at their feet.

Diana gave Emmie a worried look. “Harper took a late nap. She’s still asleep in her bed. We have to go.”

Emmie gave her a reassuring look. “Everything will be fine. My daughter had an early baby, and it’s amazing what they do for preemies now. You and the baby will be well cared for. And don’t worry about a thing here.”

“We may take Harper to Cinda’s house with us for a brief time. Is that all right?” asked Ted. “We’ll use Diana’s car because of the car seat.”

“Sure,” said Chase. “Tell Ryan and Cinda we’re thinking of them. Ryan called me with the news.” He turned to Diana. “C’mon, honey. Let’s get you and our baby to the hospital.”

“Let us know when he arrives,” Ted said.

“Anything we should know?” asked Emmie.

“Harper has begun telling us she doesn’t want a baby brother,” said Chase. “See what you can do with that.”

“We’ll try,” said Emmie, exchanging amused glances with Ted. Harper was a little princess with a few surprises ahead of her.

After Chase and Diana left, Emmie walked into the living room. A large window faced the lake, and while it wasn’t the expansive view that Ted’s house offered, it was still breathtaking. Emmie realized how much she liked being by the water.

“It’s lovely,” Emmie said as Ted walked into the room.

“It’s a nice house,” said Ted. “Go ahead. Look around. You’ll see some similarities to mine.”

The interior was open, like Ted’s, with the living area opening to the dining area, and beyond it, a larger family area, laundry, and bath.

She heard a cry from upstairs and climbed up to the second floor where she found a primary suite, three other bedrooms, and two additional bathrooms. One of the bedrooms looked like a nursery, another a guest room, and the third was Harper’s room, which had been painted pink with a fairy princess mural on one wall.

Ted came into the room behind her. “Hi, Harper. It’s Papa and Emmie.”

“It’s a surprise,” said Emmie. “Let’s get you up, and you can go downstairs with us. I’ll fix a snack for you.”

Harper climbed out of bed and rushed to Ted. “Hi, Papa. Where’s Mommy?”

He picked her up. “Your mommy and daddy have gone to get your baby brother.”

Harper frowned. “I don’t want a baby.”

Ted turned to Emmie with a questioning look.

“All princesses need a family,” said Emmie. “You’re lucky. You’re having a brother.”

“No,” Harper said calmly. “I don’t want one.”

Emmie hid her amusement. “Let’s not worry about that right now. I bet you’re hungry.”

“I want a cookie,” said Harper.

“We’ll see,” Emmie said, walking downstairs and heading for the kitchen. She hoped Diana had something healthy for Harper to eat. She wasn’t sure when Harper would have dinner.