‘I had a look at where else there was left for me to go and I didn’t much care for the view. The career I have now has got me to the point where I can name my own terms. There’s nothing more I want from it. I’m on two months’ notice.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Very sure.’
‘And this team of yours? Who does that involve?’
‘I mentioned no names and they didn’t ask. I made no promises whatsoever on your behalf. Still … if you’re interested … I’m thinking three, maybe four jobs per year. Specialist retrieval jobs that need our combined touch. It’d let us be selective. It’d give me more time for you. And this.’
‘I’m in.’ His arms tightened around her. ‘Ro, are you sure?’
‘I’m sure. I don’t want to see you on Wednesday nights and weekends any more. I’m greedier than that. I want more.’
‘Where do you want to live?’
‘On the beach,’ she said instantly, for she’d fallen in love with it. ‘Somewhere near here—close to Lena and Trig and to Damon’s beach house. This is the place for us.’
‘What about your grandfather?’
‘He loves it here. I think he could be persuaded to visit regularly.’
‘And your parents?’
‘I figure we’d see them less often.’ She tried to accommodate them—she did try. But there was still a lot of distance to bridge. ‘I have some money saved. I can sell my apartment. I can put in my fair share and then we can do a budget and go looking.’
‘Always with the details …’ But he was smiling when he said it. ‘I’m in. I am so in.’
‘There’s one more thing.’
‘I’m listening.’
She took a deep breath and put it out there. Not a little thing. A really big thing that would need serious consideration and discussion.
‘Want to make a baby with me?’
Time stopped. Wind rattled the sails and the little boat shuddered. There could be no turning back from this.
He wanted to. She could see it in his face and she had never felt so much happiness. No matter what happened when it came to babies, and the likelihood of them, she would always have this moment and this decision.
‘Yes,’ he growled, and bent.
The next thing she knew she’d been upended over Jared’s shoulder and was staring at his faded-jeans-clad, wholly delectable ass.
‘Now. Right now.’ Jared West—man of action. ‘Let’s do this.’
And she was laughing even as she caught hold of the stair railings and resisted his downward motion. ‘But, Jared, don’t you want to think about this for more than two seconds?’
‘Don’t need to.’
‘I’m older. It might not work.’
‘Then we’ll die trying.’
‘And then there’s the genius genes. If our child turns out to be super-smart, that’s your responsibility.’
‘No problem. I’ll farm him out to Damon.’
‘Him? Him?’
‘Or her. Them.’
Her man was nothing if not adaptable, and they were doing this. Jared wanted this. She had her answer.
‘So we’re doing this now?’
‘Yes!’
Oh, hell yes.
But it simply wasn’t in her nature to make it easy on him. ‘But, Jared, what about this pretty boat? The wheel, the sails, the wind?’
‘It’s good,’ he said. ‘It’s all good. Trust me.’
And she did.
THE WALLS WERE round and the furnishings were soft. A posy of lavender sat in a cheerful yellow vase in the corner. There were two beds in the room and Jared had already pushed them together to make a big one. It was the latest and greatest in the private hospital’s maternity wing—overnight rooms for new families. Theirs even had a sliding door leading out to a tiny private courtyard surrounded by screening hedges and featuring a bird bath complete with inquisitive sparrows.
Up until recently soothing whale music had echoed through the room, but the music had been stopped at Rowan’s request. Any more whales and she was going to reach for the nearest harpoon, she’d said
His daughter—the one snugged in tightly to Rowan’s chest—didn’t know about whales, lavender or hospital rooms yet, and maybe she wouldn’t remember this room full of aunties and uncles and one sleeping cousin, but they were all here. Every one of Jared’s siblings and their partners was here to celebrate the latest, littlest addition to their family group and Jared was grateful.
Yesterday’s labour had been hard and long. Rowan had been exhausted and Jared had been more so, thoroughly traumatised by all the things about birth that he couldn’t control and a midwife who’d reassured him that everything was going exactly as it should. All that pain and the pushing—exactly as it should have been. Heaven help them all.
And then Rowan had delivered a sticky and squalling baby girl and Jared had taken one look at her and fallen in love all over again. Seven pounds and eight ounces of little baby girl. His to love, treasure and honour. No setbacks for either baby or mother.
The midwife had placed the baby skin to skin atop her mother’s heart and Rowan had looked up, her eyes shining, and said, ‘C’mere …’
And now he was done. So enamoured of his girls that he had barely been able to see daylight when it had arrived this morning. And if his family teased him about the expression of wonder currently stuck on his face, then so be it. They didn’t know.
Okay, Damon knew. Damon and Ruby had a son on the ground—a laughing little guy who had taken his first wobbly steps not two days ago. Maybe they knew this feeling better than he did. Still.
Those two … right there on the bed … the beautiful woman with the funny face and the ears that maybe stuck out just a little, and the baby girl with her eyes currently fixed on her daddy’s shirt … they were his world.
Poppy and Seb were going to wait a while when it came to children. Damon and Ruby were planning another one. Lena and Trig—Lena for whom children were no longer an option—currently had the care and feeding of a twelve-year-old boy.
Jared had looked to Lena with faint apology in his eyes when she’d first come into the room, with Trig not far behind, but she’d taken one look at him and launched herself at him, hugging him as much in warning as in love.
‘Don’t,’ she’d said. ‘Don’t you dare spoil this moment with whatever guilt trip is in your head. You let me celebrate your little girl. Because I am going to celebrate this one, Jare. For all of us. I’m going to celebrate hard.’
Yeah … As far as family was concerned, his little girl had landed in a special one.
‘So, this is.’ He looked to Rowan and grinned foolishly. ‘Mine.’
‘What are you going to call her?’ asked Lena.
‘Damona,’ said Damon instantly as he cradled his sleeping Thomas in his arms. ‘Got a nice ring to it.’
‘Stay away from Shakespeare,’