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“And I love you, Zeke.”

Leaning up, she pressed a kiss to his mouth, and though he was having fun, he couldn’t wait to take her home.

EPILOGUE

Angela was fine, but it would take a while for her ear to heal. Haven listened from outside the curtained cubicle in the emergency department, wondering what they could have done to protect her. She had a ruptured ear drum, though the doctor couldn’t speculate why. There were no injuries to her ear, and the drum didn’t look to have been punctured.

The bloody nose was not a concern, even though it happened at the same time as the ruptured ear drum. The doctor said it could just be her body acclimating to the dry Colorado air.

Right…

They had one more test to do before they released her. It was hard to tell how long it would take, though.

Looking back, the first guy drawing attention, then getting caught, had to be a ploy to get close to the baby. Had they planned on kidnapping her? Almost definitely.

Haven felt very exposed, standing here. His senses were wide open, but he hadn’t felt anything dangerous since they’d left the Black Orchid. He didn’t feel under unnatural scrutiny, but he thought about creating a specter to stand with him. That might draw even more attention. Luckily, St. Joseph’s emergency department was pretty quiet for a Christmas Eve. Hopefully, they would be in and out as quick as possible. He doubted they would go back to the wedding, but he’d like to get out of this place.

Unfortunately, Angela’s injury meant that they could not fly home. They would have to drive, just to keep the pressure even in her ears. The doctor cautioned that flight would be extremely painful.

So, there was a road trip ahead of them. He tried not to sigh in frustration. It would be that much longer they were outside the safety of the Dog Pound. They’d been slated to go back two days from now, but that would have to be changed.

Sighing, he moved to lean against the wall.

Ten minutes later he looked up in surprise. Aiden!

There was rustling behind the curtain, then Aiden stepped out, holding a sleepy baby Fallon. “What?”

Haven jerked his chin. John Palmer was rolling down the hallway, followed by Shannon Palmer in her pale lilac wedding dress.

Also in a wheelchair.

Being pushed by a nurse.

Aiden had to do a double-take. “Oh, you didn’t…”

John shook his head, his face pinched. “We didn’t,” he laughed. “Shannon is in labor.”

Aiden grinned. “Seriously?”

John nodded, looking wide-eyed and excited. “She’s been having contractions for two days, she said, but her water broke when she got up to get a piece of wedding cake.”

“I thought for sure they were Braxton-Hicks,” she said as the nurse pushed her into a cubicle on down the hallway.

John spun his chair and followed. When he turned back, Aiden had half a grin on his face. “Well, this night just keeps on going, doesn’t it?”

Three hours later, they were up in the labor and delivery waiting room, with about twenty other Lost and Found family members. They all still wore their wedding finery, so they received some confused looks. Even Zeke and Ember were there, in her princess dress. No one wanted to leave to change, though.

Angela had been released from the emergency department with a prescription for pain relief, but she refused to leave the hospital. She and Ember and a couple of the other women were in the corner of the room researching honeymoon destinations to keep their minds busy. Flynn, Chad, Harper and Zeke were playing some kind of card game, but they weren’t super enthusiastic about it.

Marigold had taken all of the kids to John and Shannon’s house to go to bed.

When the card game petered out they turned on the TV, but there wasn’t much to watch there, either. Zeke eventually settled on It’s a Wonderful Life, and he held Ember on one of the hard cushioned settees. The rest of the couples settled down together, and some of them nodded off.

At 3:30 in the morning, John rolled into the waiting room and nudged Aiden awake. He looked tired and worn out, but he was wearing the widest grin Aiden had ever seen. “Come meet my daughter.”

The others roused quickly, and John looked at those assembled. “I have a daughter. Her name is Sophia Jade. 8 pounds 9 ounces.”

There was a cheer from the waiting room, but it was quickly shushed.