Cara grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. Just like what happened in the barn, I didn’t know how to put this experience, what I was feeling, into words. Joy felt too subdued. Happiness was bland. Excitement was an understatement.
Destiny was a mom. My niece was here, in this world. And I was going to meet her. More tears flowed down my cheeks.
“You okay?” Hud’s deep voice rumbled as his lips grazed my ear. His hand rested on my lower back and his thumb rubbed in a slow circle, the seductive and supportive movement caused my knees to go all wobbly and weak.
I nodded as I inhaled a steadying breath. I was okay. Better than okay. I was, this was, perfect.
Chapter 14
Hudson
“Seeing something you can’t un-see is sometimes a blessing but usually a curse.”
~ Loretta Reed
“Take care guys, drive safe.” I waved at Trace and Cara as they made their way out of the hospital.
They were the last, besides Harmony, to leave. Even Destiny’s Grandma Dixie had headed out half an hour ago. I hadn’t seen Harmony in over three hours, since JJ said she and Cara could go back to see Destiny.
Cara had gone in and out, letting all of the Briggs brothers have a turn at meeting their niece. The last time she’d come out, I’d noticed she had dark circles under her eyes. Apparently, Trace noticed too because that’s when he’d insisted that she go home to rest.
He wasn’t just being some overbearing, overprotective husband. Cara had survived a rare form of childhood Leukemia and was now, thank God, cancer free. But I’d noticed that he kept a very close eye on her. It was actually pretty damn inspiring to see the two of them together.
Trace had always loved Cara, but he hadn’t done anything about it while she was sick, and even for a while after. He waited for her to be ready and then when she was, he hadn’t wasted any time locking her down. In fact the entire town had overheard his less-than-traditional proposal that he thought was private, but thanks to the wall of JJ’s office not going all the way to the ceiling, was very un-private. Seeing the two of them together now, it was almost impossible to remember a time when they weren’t a couple.
As I watched them step out into the parking lot, Trace bent, picked Cara up, and carried her like a bride over the threshold. She threw her head back and laughed. Trace was smiling too, but there was an underlying tenseness, a worry as he looked down at his bride-to-be, and my chest constricted in a dull ache.
I’d always liked Trace and thought he was a good kid, but seeing the way that he was with Cara…I had a newfound respect for him as a good man.
I couldn’t begin to imagine what it must’ve been like for him to spend all of those years being completely helpless as she was in and out of the hospital, on and off treatments.
Today when I’d thought something had happened to Harmony, my entire world had stopped spinning. It’d only taken me a few minutes, five tops, before I’d been able to get to her, but in that short time I felt like I’d aged at least a decade. The thought of her being hurt, being scared, or worse, had stolen years from my life.
“Hey man, I didn’t know you were still here.” JJ stood in the corridor that led to the maternity ward.
“Yeah, I’m waiting for Harmony.” I hoped that JJ wouldn’t read too much into the statement.
His eyes narrowed.
“We got the call when we were up at Emerald Cove, I drove us here.” That should answer any lingering questions. Especially considering Grace Memorial was about half an hour from Wishing Well. It wasn’t like she could just call someone to pick her up.
“Oh.” He didn’t look quite convinced. But after a small shake of his head, he lifted an iPhone. “Did you see Trace and Cara? He forgot his phone.”
“Yeah, they just left. Do you want me to see if I can catch them?” I asked as I stood.
JJ and I both looked out over the parking lot and saw Trace’s truck pulling out onto the main road.
With a shrug, JJ lowered his arm. “Harm can take it to him later.”
“All right.” I started to sit down when JJ stopped me.
“Have you been in yet?”
“What?” It took me a second to realize what he was talking about. “Oh, no. That’s okay. I’m sure Destiny’s tired.”
“She is, but she won’t mind. Come on, I want you to meet my daughter.” JJ beamed larger and brighter than I’d ever seen, and I’d been at game six when he’d pitched the game that won the Long Beach Waves their first World Series championship.
“All right,” I agreed.
I’d pop in and say hello and then head back to the waiting room until Harmony was ready to go. What could it hurt?