Page 13 of Snowy Surprises in the Highlands

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April arrived in a riot of colour as daffodils, tulips and snowdrops sprouted and then bloomed on the island; marsh marigolds sprang up by the water, their vibrant yellow faces reaching for the sun as the days gradually became longer and the temperature on Skye increased, ever so slightly. Then the video call came that Bella had been anxiously waiting for.

‘I’m a daddy, Bella!’ Ben’s voice and expression were filled with emotion. ‘Theo is here and he’s perfect. He was a whopping nine pounds! Can you believe it?’ He looked frazzled on her phone screen. His hair was unkempt, and he had dark circles under his red-rimmed eyes.

‘Oh, Ben, that’s wonderful!’ Bella said.

‘Congratulations, buddy!’ Harris was sitting beside her on the sofa.

‘Thanks, guys. It was a long night and I’m so proud of Skye. She’s amazing,’ Ben said, wiping at his eyes. ‘It was hard to see her in pain like that, but she did so well. Every time I think about it I get emotional again.’

‘I think you can be forgiven, you’ve both been through a lot,’ Bella assured him with a smile. ‘How is she doing?’

Ben huffed the air from his lungs through puffed cheeks. ‘She’s resting now. She definitely needs it, bless her, it was exhausting for me, and I wasn’t the one giving birth. I don’t think any number of antenatal classes can prepare you for what it’s really like. But you should see him, Bells, he has this thick mop of brown hair and a scrunched-up wee face but he’s so cute. I think he’s got a look of Skye, but she says he looks like me. I still can’t believe we made him and that we’re parents.’

‘Aye, the fun starts now, eh?’ Harris said with a wide smile.

‘I can’t wait to see him,’ Bella said. ‘Make sure you send photos as soon as Skye’s up to it.’

‘I will, aye. I’m heading home just now for a wee sleep. Then I’m coming back later to the hospital to bring her some food as she’s complaining of being hungry after all that hard work. It’s hard to leave to be honest and it’ll be hard to stay away. Skye’s staying in overnight tonight just because the little guy was stubborn and took longer than expected to make an appearance and it took a real toll on her, but she’s really happy regardless of all that.’

Bella’s eyes welled with tears. ‘I’m so glad. Give her our love when you see her later. I’ll drop her a message on WhatsApp, but I’ll wait for her to ring us, so I don’t overwhelm her. Speak soon.’

‘Aye, cheers, guys. Look, I’d better get going, or I’ll be falling asleep on my feet. Speak soon.’ Ben ended the video call and Bella turned to Harris.

‘Well, that’s two of my friends with wee ones now.’

He tucked her hair behind her ear. ‘Do you still see kids in our future?’

‘Definitely. I’d still like to have them. Maybe two.’ She shrugged. ‘But… I hope it’s okay that I’m just not in a hurry. How about you?’

He smiled. ‘I’d still like to have kids, too, someday. But I’m happy to go at your pace.’ He leaned in to kiss her and nibbled suggestively on her bottom lip. ‘So long as we can practise plenty.’

She giggled and felt her face flushing. ‘Well, they do say practice makes perfect so I think that can be arranged. Just to be clear, do you mean like borrow one and take it for walks and babysit, that kind of practising?’ She tried to hold back her smile and failed.

He pulled her into his lap. ‘Erm, I think you know exactly what I mean by practising, you tease.’

She gazed down at him from her position straddling his legs and traced the line of his jaw with her fingertips. She knew she couldn’t love any man more than this. He was her future, and it was even better that he was ridiculously sexy.

A surge of heat and desire swept through her body; she wanted him right then and there. ‘We could start now,’ she said, swiping the long-sleeved top she was wearing from her body.

His eyes lit up. ‘Now you’re talking,’ he said as he got to his feet, still holding her in his arms, and carried her towards the stairs.

* * *

As Bella lay in Harris’s arms she snuggled closer into his side, revelling in the scent of his skin.

‘Christmas Eve,’ he said out of the blue.

Bella pushed herself up so she looked down at him where he lay with one arm behind his head. ‘What about it?’ She giggled. ‘That was such a random thing to say.’

‘We’re getting married on Christmas Eve,’ he said.

Bella widened her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, what? You can’t just pick a date, Harris. We need to consult Olivia and Brodie and⁠—’

‘Done.’ He grinned. ‘All the key players have been briefed. It’s all organised. I wanted it to be as close to when we got engaged as possible because I’m a romantic sap. And I can’t wait to see you in whatever dress Olivia designs for you.’

Bella gasped. ‘You’ve already organised it?’