“Good. And you have . . .” She checked my paperwork. “Two other children?”
“Yes.” A chasm of dread opened in my stomach. How would Whitney and Keaton take the news? “And I’m a little worried about telling them.”
“Well, give yourself some time to adjust,” she suggested, patting my arm. “And let’s get you scheduled for an ultrasound.”
* * *
An hour later, I pulled into the lot at Cloverleigh Farms and sat behind the wheel of my car, staring out the windshield but seeing nothing.
September eighteenth. That was my due date.
I was nearly twelve weeks along.
I’d scheduled an ultrasound for the following week, at which I’d be able to see and probably even hear the baby’s heartbeat.
Oh my God. I put both hands on my belly. There was a heart beating inside me. A heartbeat that Henry and I had created.
I closed my eyes, feeling joyful and terrified all at once.
At least it all made sense now—the nausea, the crying at every little thing, the dizziness, the sore breasts, the gradual but steady weight gain. I’d been glad for the extra pounds and excited to have some more curves, but I’d also had this odd suspicion something wasn’t quite right with my body, so I’d made an appointment with April’s doctor.
April—what would April say? As soon as I had the thought, I knew April would be supportive. But what about the kids? My parents? Did this make me just like Brett? And wasn’t I too old to have a baby? What if something went wrong?
From somewhere deep within me, a voice spoke up—not a voice of doubt this time, but a voice of strength.
That’s enough, Sylvia. Stop fretting about this and go in and tell Henry he’s going to be a father. You are not betraying anybody by having a baby—it’s an incredible, unexpected miracle that will mean more love in this family and in this world. Be grateful you were given such a gift.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the house where I grew up.
Smiling, I got out of the car.
* * *
“What’s up?” Henry followed me into his office and shut the door.
I spun around and faced him. “You might want to sit down.”
“Sylvia, tell me.” His face was concerned—he knew I’d had a doctor’s appointment this morning. He put his arms around me. “What did she say? Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay.”
“Well,” I said, feeling a laugh bubble up out of nowhere. Good Lord, pregnancy made you moody! “It’s actually . . . a baby.”
One of his brows shot up. “A what?”
“A baby.” I smiled tentatively. “I’m pregnant.”
A full ten seconds passed while Henry digested the news. He didn’t move, didn’t blink, didn’t breathe. Then his eyes closed. “Tell me I’m not dreaming.”
“You’re not dreaming, Henry. I’m—we’re—having a baby. I’m almost twelve weeks along.”
Suddenly he picked me up and swung me around. When he set me on my feet, he took my face in his hands and planted a huge kiss on my lips. His eyes were wet. “And you’re sure?”
I nodded. “Those tests don’t lie. And she examined me to confirm it.”
“Oh my God, Sylvia.” He pulled me close and wrapped me up in his arms. “You have no idea how happy I am.”
“I’ve got some idea,” I said, coughing. “Careful, you’re squishing us.”
“Oh, sorry!” He let me go, but took my hands in his and looked me in the eye. “How are you? Are you feeling okay? Do you need to sit down? Are you happy? Are you scared? How did this even happen? Talk to me.”
I laughed, lifting my shoulders. “I’m happy, Henry. I have no idea how this happened, and I’m worried about how Whitney and Keaton are going to handle the news, but I’m happy. Maybe a little scared.”
“Don’t be.” His expression was serious and he squeezed my hands. “I’ll be there every step of the way, and I’ll help you talk to the kids if you want. You have nothing to be afraid of. My God, Sylvia.” He took me in his arms again, more gently this time. “I never thought I’d have this moment. Thank you.”
At the crack in his voice, my tears were back. I put my arms around his waist and took comfort in his warm, familiar scent, the solidity of his chest against my cheek, even the hole in his shirt. This was real love.
He dropped to his knee and looked up. “Marry me, Sylvia. I would have asked you anyway, but I was trying to be patient for once. Clearly, the universe does not want us to take our time. I’m sorry I don’t have a ring, but what I do have is a promise—I will love you forever. I will be a good father to this baby. And I will never try to take the place of Whitney and Keaton’s dad, but I will be there for them, no matter what.”
I nodded through my tears.
“Is that yes?”
“Yes,” I said, my heart clanging against my ribs. “Yes.”
He rose and scooped me up again, gently rocking me from side to side. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. And I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure you know it.”
I laughed and sniffled. “I don’t mind at all.”
* * *
As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about where my kids were concerned. Both Whitney and Keaton were surprised but excited about the prospect of a little brother or sister. Henry and I told them together the following Saturday night. It was kind of a tradition now that we all hung out and watched a movie at the new house. Henry never stayed the night, although I was longing for the day when he could.
“Can I tell Millie?” Whitney wanted to know.
“Well, we were planning to tell everyone tomorrow night at Cloverleigh,” I said, linking hands with Henry at the table. “The entire family is going for Sunday dinner because it’s Grandma’s birthday. Can you wait until then?”
“I guess.” She looked glum for a second. Then she perked up. “Can the baby sleep in my room?”
Henry and I laughed. “You won’t want the baby in your room at first, trust me,” I told her. “But I will need plenty of help, don’t worry.”
Later, when I was saying goodnight to Whitney, she asked me if Henry and I would get married.
“We want to,” I said gently, sitting on the edge of her bed. “How do you feel about that?”
“I think you should.” Her tone was confident. “Would Henry live here?”
“Probably. We haven’t talked about it yet, but that makes the most sense.”
“Good.” She snuggled deeper under her covers. “I don’t want to move again. I like my new room.”
“I’m glad.” I smoothed her hair back from her face. “You’re sure you’re okay with all this? If you’re not, it’s okay to tell me.”
“I’m sure. This doesn’t feel like it did with Dad and Kimmy, if that’s what you’re worried about. It feels really different.”
“Good.”
“I’m happy for you, Mom.”
“Thank you.”
“Can I be in the wedding?”
I laughed. “Sure. You’ll have to help me plan.”
“Really? You mean it?”
“Of course. You know, if it weren’t for you, none of this would have happened. So we should be thanking you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, her voice full of teenage smug.
Laughing, I leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”
“Night, Mom.”
* * *
The following night, we were all gathered in the great room with drinks at my parents’ house before dinner when Henry surprised me by asking for everyone’s attention. He definitely wasn’t someone who enjoyed all eyes in a room on him, and this wasn’t how we’d discussed sharing our news.
Taking my hand, he brought me in front of the fireplace and turned to face the crowd. Everyone was there—my parents and kids, April, Mack and Frannie’s family, Meg and Noah, Chloe and Oliver. Even Noah’s dog Renzo wa
s lying on the floor at his feet. When everyone was quiet and looking in our direction, Henry glanced at me. “Sylvia and I have something to tell you.”
My stomach jumped nervously. My sisters were going back and forth between studying me intently and exchanging frantic eye contact with each other, trying to guess what this was about. I could practically hear their voices in my head. Do you know? I don’t know. Does Mom know? I don’t think Mom knows.
Only my children looked calm and unsurprised, sitting next to each other on the couch with my parents, grinning like mad.
Henry dropped to his knee, and someone in the room gasped. “Sylvia,” he said, taking my hand. “You know I’m not a guy who likes the spotlight, and I generally avoid drawing this much attention to myself. But this isn’t just about me.”
I squeezed his hand, fighting back tears.
“Your family has always been such a huge part of your life, and in the last ten years, they’ve become part of mine too. From my very first day on the job here, I was welcomed and accepted, and they supported me without question when I needed it. They made me feel like I belonged. So it seemed only right to say this in front of them, and in front of your children, the two most important people in your life.”
I glanced out at Whitney and Keaton, who smiled back at me.
When I looked down at Henry again, he was taking something from his back pocket—a ring box.
Another gasp from the crowd, and a whispered, “Oh my God.”
“Sylvia,” Henry said, his voice quiet but confident, “the way I feel about you is no secret. Since you moved back, I haven’t been able to think about anything else. And when I picture the rest of my life, it’s impossible to imagine it without you—and without this family.” He opened the ring box, and a beautifully classic round-cut diamond solitaire on a pavé-studded platinum band caught the firelight and winked at me.
The next gasp was mine, and I covered my mouth with both hands.
Henry took the ring from its snug velvet home and set the box aside. “I know getting married again was the last thing either one of us thought we would do, especially so fast. I know I told you I would never be able to buy you fancy things. I know there are people in this town—maybe even in this room—who will think I’m crazy. But I also know this.” He reached for my left hand, and I gave it to him. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you, and I don’t want to wake up without you anymore. You make every single day better. You make me better. Sylvia Sawyer, will you marry me?”
I was crying and laughing at the same time as he slipped the ring on my finger. “Yes!” I shouted. “Yes!”
He stood and embraced me, lifting me right off my feet, and the entire room busted out cheering and applauding. One by one, my family members came over to congratulate us, and Chloe opened a bottle of champagne. When I refused a glass, April raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Chloe, after which both of them looked at my stomach—after which everyone in the room looked at my stomach and went silent.
“Um, is there something else you guys want to tell us?” April asked, unable to keep a grin off her face.
Henry and I looked at each other, and he pulled me in front of him, wrapping his arms around me.
“There might be one other small thing,” I said, putting my hands over his. Then I looked at my mom, whose eyes were misting over.
“This is the best birthday ever,” she said.
My dad raised his glass. “To our ever-expanding family,” he said loudly, a huge grin on his face as he took my mom’s hand. “You make us proud, you make us happy, you make us feel like the luckiest people in the world. Cheers to the next generation at Cloverleigh Farms!”
Everyone but me raised a glass and toasted the future of our family—even the kids had sparkling water in their cups—and I thought of those eight mimosas I drank just a few months back. How incredibly far I had come since then.
Henry tightened his arms around me and kissed my cheek, and I leaned back against him, completely content. My children were smiling, three generations of my family were together, and we all had so much to look forward to.
Wrapped in Henry’s embrace, with new life growing inside me, I understood the blessings of home better than I ever had before.
I was right where I belonged.
THE END
Also by Melanie Harlow
The Frenched Series
Frenched
Yanked
Forked
Floored
The Happy Crazy Love Series
Some Sort of Happy
Some Sort of Crazy
Some Sort of Love
The After We Fall Series
Man Candy
After We Fall
If You Were Mine
From This Moment
The One and Only Series
Only You
Only Him
Only Love
The Cloverleigh Farms Series
Irresistible
Undeniable
Insatiable
Unbreakable
Co-Written Books
Hold You Close (Co-written with Corinne Michaels)
Imperfect Match (Co-written with Corinne Michaels)
Strong Enough (M/M romance co-written with David Romanov)
The Speak Easy Duet
The Tango Lesson (A Standalone Novella)
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Acknowledgments
As always, my love and gratitude to the following people for their talent, support, wisdom, friendship, and encouragement…
Melissa Gaston, Jenn Watson, Brandi Zelenka, Hang Le, Devyn Jensen, Kayti McGee, Laurelin Paige, Sierra Simone, Lauren Blakely, Corinne Michaels, Margaret Provenzano, Sarah Ferguson and the entire Social Butterfly team, Anthony Colletti, Rebecca Friedman, Flavia Viotti, beta bombshell Crimson Grey, Nancy Smay at Evident Ink, Julia G. of The Romance Bibliophile, proofreaders Michele Ficht and Shannon Mummey, Stacey Blake at Champagne Book Design, the Shop Talkers, the Harlots and the Harlot ARC Team, Club Harlow, bloggers and event organizers, my beloved Queens, my readers all over the world…
And especially to my family. You are home to me.
About the Author
Melanie Harlow likes her heels high, her martini dry, and her history with the naughty bits left in. In addition to UNBREAKABLE, she’s the author of over a dozen additional contemporary romances and a historical duet.
She writes from her home outside of Detroit, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not writing, she’s probably got a cocktail in hand. And sometimes when she is.
Find her at www.melanieharlow.com.
(If she’s not there, try The Sugar House.)
Unbreakable Page 26