“Lucy, now!” Wanda waved from the door.
Lucy picked up her cement blocks disguised as feet and moved toward the room. Once inside, she couldn’t see anything except the back of the doctor, sitting between Julia’s legs in stirrups, Wanda hugging a terrified Parker in the corner, Russell holding Julia’s hand, wearing a pained expression on his face, and…and Brogan, supporting Julia’s shoulders. At the doctor’s command to push, Brogan loaned Julia his strength as she screamed in agony and pushed.
“That’s it. One more big one. Come on, you can do it,” the doctor said. Lucy’s eyes stayed glued to Brogan, admiring his strength and resolve, and then moved to her sister, who showed the greatest courage of all as she pushed a human from her body. Only moments later, Lucy jumped at the sound of a small cry. She craned her neck, trying to see around the doctor and nurse.
“Congratulations. You and your husband have a beautiful baby girl.” Lucy jerked at the word husband at the same time her heart spasmed for joy over the baby. She watched as everyone congratulated Julia, and Brogan wiped her sweaty brow. Tears leaked from Lucy’s eyes. She’d witnessed the miracle of life, along with Julia’s tired smile, glowing face, and Brogan’s proud grin. Lucy slipped from the room and from their lives unnoticed. It was vital she get moving. She raced down the hall, swallowing her sobs. She missed hearing Julia call her name.
* * *
Lucy had left. More like bolted. For several days she’d outmaneuvered everyone and managed to avoid Brogan between getting Julia and the baby settled and instructing the baby nurse. It was entirely his fault, and all of Harmony was not about to let him forget it.
Not that he was helping his cause. Brogan couldn’t eat or sleep and barely had a civil word for anyone in town. At the rate he was chewing people up, he’d killed all the goodwill Lucy had created with BetterBites. But he couldn’t help himself. He was going crazy. Lucy refused to answer his calls or his texts. Yeah, he deserved that. She still hadn’t given Julia her whereabouts, even though Lucy had reassured her she wasn’t moving very far.
But Brogan could read between the lines: Lucy couldn’t bear to face him and had run. Ten days had already passed since the frantic trip to the hospital. Julia and her baby girl were settled and flourishing. But Julia worried about Lucy almost more than he did, and it was starting to sour her milk.
“Brogan. Open up.” Wanda pounded on his front door. It was early Monday morning, and he was still nursing his first cup of coffee.
Brogan shuffled to the door, wearing only boxers, a three-day beard, and sleep-deprived eyes. “What?” he grumbled, pulling the door open.
“Whoa. Lookin’ mighty fine, Bro-man,” Wanda purred as her gaze made a slow trail up his body. “My heart’s all aflutter.”
Brogan scratched his bare chest. “Whatever.” Turning back to the kitchen, he left Wanda to her own devices.
Wanda poured herself a cup of coffee and leaned against the kitchen cabinets, surveying him as if he’d just been released from the psych ward. “Don’t you want to know why I’m here?”
“Unless you have news of Lucy, not particularly.” Wanda slapped a slip of paper on the island countertop. “What’s that?”
“Lucy’s address. She’s staying in her dad’s house in Blowing Rock.” Brogan snatched up the paper and stared at it, not believing his eyes. “She has appointments today and then visits her doctor this afternoon at four. His address is on there too.” Brogan gaped at Wanda, wondering if he was dreaming. “I suggest you get your fine butt in your car and head for the hills, er, mountains.”
Brogan had leaped up before she’d finished speaking and raced to his hall closet. Yanking the door open, he pulled out a pink and blue baby bag, covered in marching yellow ducks, stuffed to the brim. And then he opened his pantry and pulled out a shopper from the Toot-N-Tell crammed with Lucy’s favorite junk foods, including Cheerwine and Cheetos.
He’d grabbed his keys off the hook and shoved his feet inside loafers as he opened the door to the garage when Wanda said, “Hey, you might want to get dressed first.”
Huh? Brogan looked up and then down at his bare chest and legs. “Dammit. I don’t have time for this.” He shoved the bags at Wanda. “Put these in the backseat while I get dressed.”
He threw on a pair of jeans with a pink-and-white-striped dress shirt, splashed water on his face, brushed his teeth, and was pulling his car out of his garage in less than four minutes. Wanda stood with her hands on her hips, shaking her head. “Thanks, Wanda, you’re the best,” he said from the open window. “You mind locking up?”
“Sure. Don’t you dare come back here without her.”
His thoughts exactly. He would refuse to take no for an answer, and he wasn’t leaving the mountains without Lucy by his side.
“Wait!” Wanda yelled. Brogan stopped as she trotted up to his car. “You have the ring?”
Panic slammed into him like a twenty-foot wave until he remembered. “Yep. It’s tucked inside the baby bag.”
“Ooh, can I see it?”
“Hell no. Now, get out of my way before I run over your toes.”
* * *
Grinning like a clown, Lucy stared at her six-week-old blob on the sonogram photo. That was her little gray blob with its beating heart. She rested her hand over her belly on her navy knit skirt. No bulge yet. She placed the photo gently inside her brown leather handbag and shrugged into her navy-and-cream bouclé jacket. It was almost five o’clock, and she was dead on her feet. The doctor said the fatigue would ease up in the second trimester, but for now, she should grab those naps when she could.
Pushing open the glass office door, she stepped outside into the crisp, clean mountain air, which worked wonders in reviving her. Resting her plum-colored sunglasses on her nose, she smiled over her productive week. She’d already signed two new clients and had enough work to keep her busy for a while. A huge difference from where she’d stood a week ago. When she’d discovered Brogan had come home for Julia, she’d been devastated. All the time he’d been away, ignoring her calls and texts, dumping her…he’d been in contact with Julia, and even made it back in time for her delivery.
After that emotional realization, Lucy shed the Dunce Cap of Fools for good. She deserved better. She deserved someone to love her. Complete package without hesitation or doubts. No more lying, cheating sacks of lizard dung, and no more ex-crushes who broke hearts like hickory nuts and ran back to ex–prom queen girlfriends for another round. She’d find what she needed, and she’d accept nothing less.
Lucy adjusted the handbag strap over her shoulder as her foot hit the first brick step, and then came to an abrupt halt. Wobble went her knees as she almost fell out of her brown patent heels. Chest tight. Heart constricted. Could she be hallucinating? Lucy slid her sunglasses back to the top of her head and squinted. There at the bottom of the steps, holding an overflowing Toot-N-Tell bag with a drooping, pitiful bouquet of daisies, stood Brogan Freakin’ Reese.
Lucy struggled to breathe as all her feelings for Brogan came crashing back. Just like that. Her firm resolve disappeared into thin air. As much as she’d cursed him for breaking her heart, she’d never stopped loving him.
“Lucy, don’t move,” Brogan said in a rough voice. “I need to speak with you. I have so much to say…please.”
Rooted to the ground, Lucy’s feet wouldn’t budge as Brogan inched closer, his fierce gaze never leaving her face. “How’d you know…?” Duh. That damn Wanda, who never could keep her piehole shut. Brogan stood in front of her on the lower step, leveling their heights. Lucy stared directly into his tired, anxious green eyes.
“Don’t blame Wanda. Everybody’s concerned about you. The baby won’t drink Julia’s milk because she’s curdling it with worry. Parker mopes around, snarling at anyone who comes near him…especially me. And Margo beats the bread dough as if it’s my face.”
“Did J
ulia order you to bring me home?” She folded her arms as if to protect the precious blob growing inside her.
“No. But I was given strict orders not to blow it.” Lucy inched back on shaky legs. But the desperate look in Brogan’s eyes kept her from running. “Listen. I know I’ve been an ass. A complete moron…” He could say that again. “But these last few weeks, I’ve taken a good, hard look at my life. And the only thing I liked about it was you.”
Lucy’s heart doing the butterfly went for a flip turn. Brogan dropped his head and stared at the ground. “For years, I’ve been paralyzed from taking chances and living my life.” He lifted his head and pierced Lucy with his earnest expression. “But then I run into you on the side of the road, and it was as if I’d been hit by lightning with your pretty eyes, sultry smile, and snarky comebacks. You hold the ticket to my freedom. I was just too dumb and stubborn to realize it. I want it all, Lucy. I want you.”
Yeah, but for how long? Lucy slicked her suddenly dry lips, thrilled but confused by his confession.
One side of Brogan’s mouth tipped up in a half smile, and his eyes glimmered with doubt and hope. He reached for one of her curls. “Your hair…it’s all curly again…I like it.”
“Yeah, well, I needed a change. Besides, it’s easier than all that ironing.” She sniffed, running a hand over the back of her spongy curls. “Listen, I appreciate…you know, the effort, but I’m doing great here. I’m not ready to come home yet.”
A cloud of sadness hung over Brogan at her words. “Lucy, I know I’ve hurt you. And I know it’s me you’re running from. But you left without saying good-bye. You didn’t even leave me a note. Why?”
Because he’d broken her heart in a million pieces, and she couldn’t bear witnessing his reunion with Julia. “You were there for J-Julia…I didn’t want to get in the way.” Her voice wavered.
Brogan grabbed her elbow. “You’re wrong. I was there for you. I came home for you.” He loosened his hold, and Lucy shifted back.
“Look, Brogan, you’re forgetting something. Something real important. I’m having a baby.” She pulled the sonogram photo from her handbag. A spark of happiness flitted across his face as he held the picture of her grainy, adorable blob. “I know you don’t want this pregnancy. I understand completely, and I’m willing to do this on my own. I refuse for me or my baby to be anybody’s mistake or lifelong regret.”
“Lucy—”
“Let me finish.” She raised her hand. “Contrary to what you believe, I had no intentions of falling in love, and certainly didn’t plan for a baby, but I did fall in love, and a baby’s on the way. You suffered a miscarriage, a bad marriage, and a troubled relationship with your dad. I get that. It’s something you’ll have to work through.” Lucy spoke to her feet. “I’m happy with my decision. I answer only to myself and my b-baby,” she said above a whisper.
“Our baby.” She raised her eyes in surprise. “I want you and our baby. Not for the short term, not out of guilt, not because I feel trapped, but forever.” Brogan rubbed his hand across his mouth. “I’m sorry for running out on you, for leaving a shitty note. I’m sorry for not talking to you…with you. I didn’t mean any of it. It’s no excuse, but I was lashing out at the one person close to me…the one person I love.” He moved nearer. “Look at me…I’m holding a huge bag of junk food, all your favorites.” Brogan handed her the wilted daisies as he shifted another bag from his shoulder. “And this baby bag is jammed with things we’re going to need…diapers, bottles, rattles, booties, and there’s even a baby football in there.”
Brogan dropped the junk food bag on the step, and Lucy bit her lip to keep from smiling. Curious people exited the building and stopped to watch. “I haven’t slept in days, I can’t think straight, and I even ate an entire package of Oreos because that’s how much I’ve missed you. That’s how much I love you.”
Tears welled in Lucy’s eyes. She lowered her head, trying to blink them away. She’d waited a lifetime to hear those words from him. (Well, not about the cookies exactly, but you know…) Was it too late? Was this just for show? Floating before her watery eyes, she spied a small white feather. She glanced up, following more white feathers as they floated off Brogan’s shoulder. She caught one with her fingers. “Uh, Brogan, are you molting?” He shook his head, and more feathers soared up. A giggle slipped from her lips. “What is going on here?” She plucked feathers from his shirtsleeve, noticing for the first time his disheveled, unkempt appearance. “Brogan Reese, your shirt’s all wrinkled, you haven’t shaved in forever, your hair needs a trim, and your eyes look swollen.”
Brogan dug inside the baby bag, releasing more feathers. “That’s because I rode in a cargo truck hauling a million squawking chickens.”
Shock widened her eyes. “But why—”
“My Jag broke down somewhere outside of Yadkinville, and I hitched a ride.”
Reverse déjà vu. She wished she’d been a witness, cruising in her new SUV. He’d battled live chickens to get to her. The ice surrounding her heart had melted at the first chicken feather, and now it bloomed, ready to burst from her chest.
Cupping his scruffy face with her palm, she said in a soft voice, “Brogan, tell me why you rode halfway across the state in a chicken truck, carrying wilted flowers, bags of junk food, and baby diapers.” She smiled into the beautiful, rugged, tired face that she loved and would love forever.
“Don’t you know?” He shifted his head to kiss the inside of her palm, making Lucy’s toes tingle, along with her more important female parts.
“To get to you, so I could give you this.”
There in his large palm sat an open black velvet box with an engagement ring of white diamonds surrounding the most gorgeous canary diamond Lucy had ever seen. In awe, she touched the face of the yellow gem with the tip of her finger. “Is this for me?” she whispered.
“On one condition.” Lucy jerked her head up and stared into his sparkling green eyes. “I come with the ring. It’s a package deal.” Lucy’s smile grew broader. Brogan dropped the baby bag next to the shopper and moved up the step. He dropped to one knee, in front of everyone spilling from the office building and watching. “Lucy Doolan, will you marry me?” The crowd, including two pregnant women, all quieted down, waiting.
Lucy tapped her finger against her lips. “Hmm, I don’t know. You’re a bad influence on the baby, bringing all that junk food. My body is a temple…only healthy, organic food from now on.” Brogan threw his head back and laughed.
“Come on, lady, give the guy a break.”
“How romantic.”
“She’s got three seconds before I knock her out of the way and take her place.”
Lucy’s hands trembled as she stared at the crush of her life…her only crush.
“Lucy, my love, keeper of my heart, how long are you gonna make me suffer?” Brogan pleaded, still kneeling, holding the gorgeous ring.
“You really want me? Remember, I can be loco.”
“Never. You’re lovely and perfect for me. I love that you can’t carry a tune in a bucket. I love that you hate to exercise but do it anyway. I love your courage and your strength. And I love your big heart that you try to hide with humor and snark.” Brogan’s eyes and voice softened. “I used to believe that never repeating my mistakes and running from my past was the only way to live. I’d stopped living long ago…until I met you. You brought joy and love back in my life.”
“I’ll marry him!” someone sniffling yelled out.
Lucy, kind of liking this begging side of Brogan, prolonged his agony a bit more. “Gosh, I was really looking forward to being a single mom and—”
Brogan pushed to his feet and shoved the ring on her finger. “But most of all, I love that you never give an inch,” he said before wrapping her in his arms and kissing the chicken feathers right out of her. The crowd clapped and cheered, and Lucy started to laugh against Br
ogan’s firm, delectable lips. “Is that a yes?” he murmured.
“Yep. You’ve got me. No backing out, now or later.”
“Don’t want to,” he said, nibbling her lower lip.
“How about we celebrate back at my place?” She rained kisses along his jaw and chin.
Brogan held her within the circle of his arms. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Epilogue
Propped on the pink wicker ottoman in Julia’s sun porch, Lucy stared at her swollen feet and ankles. She felt like a bloated, beached whale ready to pop. “Arrrgh! Someone put me out of my misery.” She leaned her head back on Brogan’s strong shoulder. “Nine months is way too long for anything to grow inside you.”
Brogan kissed the top of her head. “Only two more weeks, babe. You can do it.” Lucy snuggled against her wonderful, kind, sexy, hunky husband. The only thing more wonderful was their soon-to-be-born baby daughter. Thrilled to be having a girl, they planned to name her Charlotte Elise after both their mothers.
It was early May in Harmony, and Lucy’s due date was looming. She and Brogan had tied the knot back in late October, down by the lake, with everyone from Harmony and for miles around showing up. A proud Harper Doolan had given Lucy away, while Wanda, Julia, and Bertie had stood in attendance, wearing deep-purple dresses and carrying orange-and-pink bouquets. Javier and Vance Kerner had been groomsmen, and Brogan had asked Parker to be his best man. Brogan had even invited his half brother and sister to the wedding, whom he’d been making an effort to get to know. Brogan’s dad had died a month after his last visit and had left Brogan a considerable sum from his will, along with the worn nautical bracelet from his wrist. Brogan put half the money away in a trust for the baby, and the other half in a money market account for Parker. He truly treated Parker not as a nephew, but as a son.
Everyone had danced, drank, and feasted on food provided by BetterBites, Hog Wild, and the Dog. A round candy table had been set up and included clear bowls and apothecary jars of M&M’s, Mallo Cups, Hershey’s Kisses, Red Hots, MoonPies, and Cheetos, all provided by Dottie Duncan and the Toot-N-Tell. When Lucy hadn’t been dancing with her gorgeous husband, she had been rocking her seven-week-old niece in her arms. Baby Lucy, her namesake. Lucy hadn’t cared if baby spittle messed the scalloped lace neckline on her empire-waist wedding gown; she was gaga, head over heels in love with her perfect baby niece and couldn’t wait for her own baby to join the world so they’d be inseparable playmates. Brogan had kept his newly renovated house and had given it to Lucy as a wedding present, along with hiring Bertie to help decorate the nursery. Brogan spent the majority of his time working in Harmony. He and Javier had hired three capable guys to help manage their other locations.
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