I rest my head on the doorjamb and close my eyes. I underestimated what a two a.m. feeding meant, and the three in the morning diaper change, and the four-thirty wails because the baby was uncomfortable in his new surroundings. Each time I got up with him, even though Harrison woke as well. I know he would’ve gotten up if I asked, but I felt like it needed to be me. I think because I feel like I’ve interrupted a routine this little boy had already started to establish at night. And I’m the one who took him away from his night nursing staff.
Harrison rests his hand firmly on my leg, and my hand moves to his in an instant, clutching it tightly. I love this man more than words, and if it wasn’t for him, I’m not sure where I’d be in life. I look over at him. He’s focused on the road, keeping a steady pace with the traffic. We’re on our way to the hanger, where our children will be waiting for us, and where we’ll introduce the very quiet bundle of joy to them. There isn’t a doubt in my mind the twins will be over the moon in love with our-yet-to-be named little boy. It’s Quinn who I worry about the most. He’s always been our only son, the only brother. I can’t imagine at his age what he’s going to think of this new little guy. I lean toward the middle of the console, wishing I could see the baby or had sat in the back with him. I almost did until Harrison told me to let him sleep. He was right. Had I sat back there, I would’ve touched his cheeks, lips, and adjusted the blanket covering him, which would’ve surely woken him.
“We’re almost there,” Harrison says. I glance out the front and notice very little traffic heading toward the airport.
“You’d think more people would be traveling right now.”
“Probably next week, a little closer to Christmas.”
He reminds me that I need to text Jenna. I pull out my phone and ask her if the packages arrived. She responds with a picture of her holding a coffee mug with the fireplace in the background.
“What is it?” Harrison asks.
“Oh, nothing. Jenna’s sitting by the fire and enjoying a cup of coffee.”
Harrison laughs. “I’m willing to bet there’s some Bailey’s in there, and she probably loves the peace and quiet.”
“You’re probably right. How do you think Eden is doing on the slopes?”
“Knowing her, she’s probably a natural.”
“Once again, you’re probably right.”
Harrison signals to turn into the parking lot of the hotel, and my stomach seizes. He must sense my anxiety building because he tells me everything will be fine. After he parks, he pulls out his phone and tells the kids to all meet in Peyton’s room, that we’ll be there in a moment.
“What if they’re mad?”
“They won’t be,” he says, although I don’t find his words reassuring, just pointed.
Harrison gets out first and must-see my hesitation because he has my door open and is unbuckling my seatbelt so he can pull me into his arms. When he releases me, his hand cups my cheek, and he looks into my eyes. “We have the most amazing kids we could ever ask for. I think, if anything, they’ll be concerned for us and the lack of sleep we’re going to get for a few months and the legal battle we’ll face when we go to adopt him. I know they’ll be supportive and will fall completely in love with him.” He nods toward the back. “I also know, they’re expecting us, and they know something is up. If we don’t get up there soon, one of them is bound to come looking for us.”
“I’m about to say you’re right, but I have a feeling you already know this,” I quip.
Harrison kisses my forehead, and I feel his lips forming into a smile. When he pulls away, the grin is from ear to ear. “As I’ve said many, many times over the years, I plug into greatness every night.” He winks at his sexual innuendo and leaves me sitting there. I’m stunned by his comment and shouldn’t be. I’m used to the things he says, inappropriate or not.
He opens the back door and grabs the car seat from the base, and carries it effortlessly as we head into the hotel. After a quick elevator ride, we’re standing outside Peyton’s room. Before either of us knock, Harrison sets the carrier down on the floor, out of sight from the door.
“Do you trust me?”
“Of course,” I tell him. “With my life.”
He knocks, and the door swings open. Peyton stands there, with her long chestnut hair cascading down her back, wearing a T-shirt that reads, “My Husband Goes Deep.” I blush at the wording, and while Harrison may not be her biological father, their humor is one and the same.
“You’re being weird. What’s going on?” she says before we have a chance to hug her or even say hi.
“Your mom and I have something to show you, but I need for the four of you to turn around, no peeking.”
Peyton sighs dramatically and then says, “Okay, you heard the man. Turn around.”
Elle and Quinn stand and turn around. We wait for Peyton to move closer to her siblings before working as a team to get the baby out of his carrier. With him in my arms and with Harrison standing next to me, we enter the room and stand behind our children.
“Merry Christmas,” Harrison says.
The three of them turn around. After this moment, I’m not going to remember who’s expression I looked at first, but I’m going to remember that it was Peyton who stepped forward.
“Mom, what’s going on?” she asks as her hands hover over the bundle in my arms.
“This little guy needed a family, and we just happen to have the perfect one,” Harrison says as he touches the baby’s cheek, which lifts.
“Wait, he’s ours?” Elle asks.
“For right now,” I tell them. “We intend to adopt him.”
“Whoa,” Quinn says as he comes closer. “He’s tiny.”
I nod. “He’s a safe haven baby. I’ve been holding him at the hospital since he came in.”
“Are you sure you guys want to do this all over again?” Elle asks. “You’re going to be grandparents soon.”
My eyes shoot to Elle’s. “Are you pregnant?”
“What? No!” she blanches.
“Me neither,” Nola blurts out.
“Or me,” says Peyton.
“What’s his name?” Quinn asks.
“Well, that’s where you guys come in. We wanted to decide as a family.” Harrison motions for everyone to sit and gather around the small table in the room. He tells the two names we decided on, Oliver and Ezra. “Write your choice on a piece of paper, fold it, and hand it to me.” Harrison rips up a sheet of paper from the tablet on the table and hands each of us a piece. We only have one pen, so he hands it to me first, and I pass it on to Elle. When we’re all done, Harrison has a small pile in front of him.
“Okay,” he starts. “We have a vote for Oliver.”
I look down at the baby and bounce him a little.
“Next one is for Oliver. And the next. And we have one for Ezra. Again, for Oliver. And the final one is for Ezra.” Harrison looks at me and smiles. “Looks like your name is going to be Oliver Powell-James, little buddy.”
“Ollie for short,” Elle says.
“Ollie . . . I like it,” I add. “Welcome to your family, Ollie.”
We spend the next hour or so passing Oliver around and posing for our first family photo. The girls are bummed they can’t post our picture on social media but understand the rules. When it’s time to leave, Quinn is the one who picks up Ollie’s carrier.
“Your dad can carry him,” I say as I run my fingers over his shaggy hair.
“I know, but I want to.”
“Are you okay with all of this?”
He nods and pulls me into a one-armed hug. “I think this is amazing. This little guy has no idea how lucky he is. The girls and I had the best life growing up, and Oliver is going to be so loved.”
“You’re going to the best big brother, Quinn. And when the time is right, the best father.”
Quinn chuckles and rolls his eyes. “Do we have Ollie because you’re ready to be a grandma?” His eyebrow goes up in question.
I shake my head. “Not at all. From the moment I held him and heard his story, I knew he was put in my life for a reason. Even if Nola, Elle, and Peyton come to me tomorrow and say they’re having babies, that would just make life even much better.”
“Okay, just wanted to check.” He winks at me, reminding me of his father. If Oliver turns out to be like my James men, his future spouse will be very lucky.
By the time we get to the hanger, Oliver is awake, and the girls are cooing up a storm. I’m almost jealous that I have to share him with anyone. I was the same when the twins were born. My parents and in-laws wanted them all the time, and I never wanted to give them up. Of course, that changed when the cuteness of having newborns wore off, and I longed for a five-minute nap that didn’t include puke on my shirt or a pail of dirty diapers that needed to go out. I had Mason though, and as soon as he came home from work, he took his dad duty to the next level, which allowed me to be human for a bit. I’m confident Harrison is going to be the same type of dad to Oliver. I also have a feeling that Elle and Quinn will be over a lot. Maybe even Nola.
Harrison, Quinn, and the ground crew get the plane loaded, and by the time I’ve given up supervising my guys, I find that the twins and Nola have Oliver out of his carrier and are taking turns holding him. I don’t know how long I stand there, watching them. I have no doubt they’ll make amazing mothers when the time is right for them.
When Harrison’s arms slip around my waist, I lean into his chest. “Look at them.”
“I’m looking.”
Quinn passes by us and heads to his sisters and the love of his life. The only one missing from the picture is Noah. Suddenly, my hand flies to my mouth in disbelief.
“What’s wrong?”
Slowly, I shake my head as hurt and anger pools within. “I completely forgot about Ajay in all of this. He should be here. My grandbabies should be here to meet their . . . well calling Oliver their uncle just seems weird to me.”
Harrison holds me tighter. “They went to North Carolina for the holidays, but I’ll text him and let him know that we’re somewhat close if he and Jamie want to come up after Christmas with the kids.”
“I’ll call Jamie later. I want to talk to Evelyn and let her know that Grandma and Grandpa didn’t forget about her and James.”
“I’m sure she knows.” Harrison takes my hand and leads me farther into the plane. The pilot speaks over the intercom and tells us we’re about to start our journey. I’m tempted to ask the girls to hand Oliver over to me, but I know my request will fall on deaf ears. At this point, I’ll be lucky if I get to hold my son again until we’re back in California. Something tells me Oliver is going to win over every female member of our family, the guys as well.
11
Harrison
In all my life, I never thought I’d fly across the United States with a newborn. When Quinn was born, the band traveled via charter bus. Being on tour with an infant was never ideal, but I always thought it was better than being on a plane where the air pressure could hurt Quinn’s ears. When he was fussy, I’d walk around the bus with him. Again, not ideal, but it worked. Also, having JD and Liam on board helped. We took turns holding him, much like the way the twins, Nola and Quinn, are doing now with Oliver. I swear, every time I look over, Oliver is resting in someone else’s arms, and Katelyn is intently focused on the group. I have a feeling she wants the baby back in her arms, and honestly, I don’t blame her. I’d like to hold him too. I want to bond, even though, as foster parents, we shouldn’t. Oliver’s placement with us could be temporary. His mother or father could come back and say they want him, and we’d have to let him go. I’ve been down this road before with Quinn, and was so thankful when Alicia gave up her rights. Although, that really never stopped her from meddling in my life or trying to ruin Quinn’s. The thing is, knowing what I know—what Katelyn and I know—we’re willing to do it all over again to give Oliver a chance at a good life.
I must’ve lost track of time or stopped paying attention to everything around me but my children because when our pilot tells us, we’re starting our descent, I’m surprised by how quicky the flight went. And at some point, Katelyn had curled up with a throw blanket and fell asleep. Before the pilot reminds us to remain seated, I get up and make sure everyone has buckled up. It’s really a ploy to check on Oliver, even though I know he’s in good hands. I find him snuggled in his seat, asleep. But it’s his hands that bring a smile to my face. Both Peyton and Elle are holding onto his tiny little hands. This little boy has no idea how loved he is right now.
“You guys good?” I whisper to Quinn and Nola. She has her head on his shoulder, and looks up and nods at me. When I make it back to Katelyn, I slide in behind her and kiss her lightly on the space between her shoulder and neck. She hums in delight. “We’re about to land.”
Katelyn sits upright, stretches, and reaches for her seat belt. “Where’s Oliver?”
“He’s with the twins. It’s a picture-perfect moment. They’re all holding hands.”
In a flash, Katelyn throws the blanket off her lap, releases the lap belt, and makes her way to where the twins are seated. I never take my eyes off her and know I did the right thing by telling her when I see her hand cover her mouth. She comes back with me with tears in her eyes. “They’re perfect.”
I nod and wait for her to sit down next to me. “And Quinn is just across from them. It’s like old times when they were younger, and we used to travel. The three of them have always been inseparable. They have this entire plane to spread out, and they’re together.”
“We must’ve done something right,” Katelyn says. She has no idea how right she is.
“I know I did.” I push her hair behind her ear and lean in to kiss her. “Meeting you on Christmas was the best thing to ever happen to me.” Our lips finally touch. I know she’ll never tell me the same thing, and I’m okay with it. Katelyn had a life before me, one that she thought she’d have until the day she died, and I will never ask her or the girls to forget about Mason. It would be unfair of me. I knew what I was getting into when I pursued Katelyn.
The plane touches down, and even though the landing is as smooth as it can for December in Vermont, we still jostle around a bit. Oliver starts to cry, and Katelyn is out of her seat before the pilot gives us the okay to move about the cabin. I have a feeling she and her daughters will fight over who gets to soothe Oliver’s tears.
When we’re finally in the hanger, I stand and go meet the pilot, thanking him for getting us here safely, and we talk about what the rest of the month entails. By the time I’ve finished with the pilot, all our belongings are loaded into the back of the two SUVs I rented. The plan is for Quinn to drive one while I drive the other. The problem I didn’t foresee is unfolding right in front of my eyes—who will ride with Oliver. The twins want to ride with us, which is fine. But I know Katelyn would like to sit in the back seat with the baby. And then there’s Nola, who Elle is trying to convince to ride with her and Peyton.
I glance over at Quinn, who is leaning against the car, tapping his foot. Is he frustrated or humored by everything that is going on? He’s probably a little bit of both, as I am. I’d like to get on the road. According to the research I did, there's a saying in Vermont that if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes, and it’ll change. I also learned about snow squalls and how deadly they can be, especially at night. They sound like something I don’t want to get caught in.
“Ladies, the loves of us three James men lives,” I say to get all their attention. “We need to get on the road. I’d really like to get to the lodge sooner rather than later, and it’s already getting dark out.”
“Maybe we should rent a hotel for the night,” Katelyn suggests. “This way, we can drive in the daylight and not worry about the backroads.”
While I like the thought, I am also looking forward to relaxing in the hot tub and chilling with JD, Liam, and a few cold ones.
“I’d rather leave now w
hile the weather is clear,” Quinn says. “According to the app, it’s going to snow tomorrow, and I’ve heard this place can be unpredictable with snowfall.”
“Weather is unpredictable,” Elle says.
“Yes, but Vermont is notorious for saying they’re getting a blizzard, and they get a flurry or two, or the weatherman tells everyone the storm is going to miss them, and they wake up to thirty inches. I’m just saying, I’d rather head toward the mountain now, knowing it’s not snowing instead of waiting to see what is going to happen in the morning,” Quinn rebuts his sister.
“I agree with Quinn,” Katelyn concedes. “He’s right. We should get going.”
Music to my ears. “Now, who is going to ride with Oliver?”
Many hands go up, but it’s Elle who relents. “I’ll go with Quinn and Nola,” she says just before she gives Oliver one last look. “He is really cute,” she tells all of us. I happen to agree and wish I could take all the credit for his looks, but the only one I’ll ever be able to claim is Quinn.
We finally pile into the cars, and I decide to follow Quinn. He’s much more versed in the matters of navigation and technology. Plus, his co-pilot will help him. Mine is making baby noises in the back seat and trying to convince our daughter that she needs a baby of her own.
It’s pitch black by the time we arrive at the lodge, although you would never know it by the well-lit parking lot and trails. The people skiing at night look like tiny specs cruising down the mountain, and if you look closely and focus, you can see snow kicking up from their skis. What surprises me the most is the location of the house. When I was told it was at the base of the lodge, I didn’t think Katelyn meant it in the literal sense. I was wrong. If I had to give directions to this place, I’d say it’s in the parking lot. In fact, there are five designated parking spots just for the house itself.
No sooner do I have the car in park does the front door fly open. The squeals are ear piercing as Liam comes running toward me with his arms out. As soon as he reaches me, he’s wrapped me in his arms. The only thing missing is his legs hitched over my hips.
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