Explosive Desire (Love With a Price Book 4)
Page 17
Harper followed the younger woman’s gaze to the extra-large barbecue pit in Sally Price’s backyard. Luke looked like he was in a deep discussion with Grayson and Q about what constituted a medium-rare steak.
“Yes,” Harper agreed. “Good things are different.” She slid a glance at Becca. Even though she wore sunglasses, Harper knew exactly where her eyes were focused. “So, how are things with Gray and Q? Any progress?”
Becca quirked her mouth and shrugged a little. “I don’t know. At least we’re talking now. So that’s better than it was, you know, before.”
“Yeah, I think a few things have changed since then.” Everything seemed sweeter, more perfect. “How is Gray feeling?”
“He’s doing okay.” Becca smoothed her hands over her cream-colored shorts. “I think he’s doing better than me. Even though he’s almost completely recovered, I still go into a panic at how close I came to losing him. All because he was protecting me.” She shook her head. “If I hadn’t screamed that night, Derek wouldn’t have turned and fired.” Her voice became wobbly, and she clamped her lips shut.
Harper reached over to cover Becca’s hand with her own. “Don’t, sweetie. Gray is okay, remember? The bullet missed his liver. He might have lost his spleen, but that’s okay. He can live without it. He’s fine, Bec.” She paused for a beat. “Are you?”
Becca chewed on her lower lip. “I will be. It’s just going to take some time.” She looked around at her siblings. Ethan and Tori sat on a large swing in the gazebo. Ethan grinned down at his fiancée with love in his eyes as she held up four samples of wedding invitations. Dylan and Carly were wrapped around each other in the pool, kissing as if they couldn’t care less that Sally Price was just a few feet away.
“Sometimes, I wonder if I’ll ever be as happy as everyone else,” Becca said almost to herself.
Before Harper could answer, Sally squealed and jumped up, holding her cell phone. “It’s him! It’s Foster!” She punched a button on the phone. “Hello?” A huge smile split across her face, and she whooped with joy. “I will, sweetheart. How’s Linzee? … Oh, good. Yes, you give her my love. I’ll be there soon.”
Everyone in the yard had stopped what they were doing and stared at Sally as she hung up the phone. She clapped her hands together. “It’s a boy!”
“Dang it!” Becca grumbled. “Now I owe Luke twenty bucks.”
Harper laughed as she saw Luke point to Becca and then rub his thumb and fingers together, symbolizing cash.
Sally grinned from ear to ear. “Duncan Foster Price. Seven pounds, thirteen ounces.”
Harper turned to Becca as she sniffled. “That’s perfect. Mom, when can we go to the hospital?”
Sally looked at her watch. “I promised Foster we would give them an hour of private time before we descended.”
Becca clapped her hands together. “Oh, I can’t wait to get my hands on that baby.” She jumped up and headed over to hug her mother.
Harper sat back and admired the family that had taken her in as if she were one of their own. Well, according to Sally Price, she was. In the words of Sally, “Any woman special enough to capture my son’s heart is part of my family forever.”
Harper wasn’t about to disagree. For the first time in her life, she felt truly happy.
“Hey, Pretty, what’s that grin for?” Luke sat down next to her and leaned in, dropping a kiss on her nose.
“I was just thinking about how happy I am.”
“Mmm, that’s a good thing to think about.” His mouth covered hers, and heat shot through her.
She protested against his lips. “Luke, we shouldn’t, not in front of your mom.” But she didn’t pull away.
“Seriously, Pretty? In case you haven’t noticed, Dylan is about to fuck Carly in the middle of the swimming pool.”
She laughed and swatted at him playfully.
He grinned and reached up to run his fingers through her hair, his eyes heating up as they settled on her mouth. “What do you say we take a rain check on the steaks and go home?”
“What about Foster and Linzee? Don’t you want to see the baby?”
His head wobbled as he thought. “Okay, fine. We’ll see the baby, then go home.” His eyes raked over her, making her whole body tingle. “Maybe then you’ll consider letting me put a baby in you, Harper.”
Her eyes widened. Luke had hinted that he wanted kids, but this was the first time he’d made such a direct comment. At first it had scared her, the thought of children. But the more she visualized a little boy running around with Luke’s dark eyes and granite features, she found herself thinking more and more about it.
“I can see that the idea’s growing on you.” His eyes glinted as he ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip.”
“It is,” she said, her voice breathy.
“Then I think it’s very important that we get in as much baby-making practice as possible.” His lips hovered over hers. “You know, so when we’re officially ready, we’ll be experts at it.” To punctuate his thought, his lips found hers in an urgent kiss.
Through her fog of lust, Harper had to admit she thought that was the best idea she’d ever heard. After all, practice makes perfect.
The End
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