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ChapterThirty-Six
Chase
Darren kept his word. He began coming to Willow Brook every weekend with the goal to finish the house in time for the baby. As planned, Jonathan and his husband Chris came for a visit to look at real estate in preparation for their eventual move after their baby was born and helped out with a few things on the house as well. Meeting Hallie’s best friend only illuminated what an idiot I’d been. Hewasreally like a brother to her.
Hallie’s due date was a month away, and she sat at the table in the new kitchen. She smiled over at her brother. “Thank you, Darren.”
He flashed a grin as he turned and let the refrigerator door fall closed. “Hey, I was motivated.”
Risa chuckled from where she sat beside Hallie. “He likes things to be ready.”
Hallie giggled. “I know. He’s always been like that.”
“Is that a problem?” Darren said as he cracked open the beer he’d just fetched out of the fridge.
“No. It totally benefits me this time,” Hallie replied honestly.
He sat down beside me. “I think one more weekend?” he asked, the lilt of a question in his voice.
“You've done more than enough. You don't have to come up again. You guys have been here every weekend for the past month,” I said.
“Yeah, but after all this work, I want to see it through,” Darren insisted. “I know how busy you are.”
“Fortunately, this is a quieter time for me,” I replied. “Give it another few months, and I'll be a lot busier.”
Darren nodded. “That and the baby will be here.”
I was grateful that Hallie's family completely understood my work schedule. I'd never intended to be a hotshot firefighter for the rest of my life. The work was too physically demanding to do long-term. You reached a point when you had to call it quits. But with Darren being a police officer, and Hallie’s father a retired one, they understood the commitment and respected it. As it was, I had already told Graham I needed at least a full month off after Hallie had the baby. I wanted to have that time for us and make sure she felt like everything was settled before I got called out to travel for weeks at a time.
“I'm not going to complain. I appreciate everything you've done, and I didn't expect it.”
“Well, it wasn’t just me,” Darren replied.
“Definitely not.” Graham, Beck, and a few other friends had been coming by regularly to help. Rhys and Blake had even come out for a weekend. “All I've got left is a punch list for the final details,” I commented.
Darren chuckled. “We can knock that out in two days.”
Risa had taken it upon herself to help Hallie pick out furnishings. There were a few finishing touches left, but she was as committed as Darren was. As Hallie pointed out, Risa had excellent taste as the manager of several art galleries.
Hours later, after Darren and Risa had gone into the newly furnished guest bedroom, Hallie’s palm was resting on her belly where she lay propped up on the pillows. My heart flipped over in my chest when I came out of the bathroom. She set her e-reader to the side and smiled over at me.
“This has turned out to be a handy shelf,” she teased as she smoothed her hand over her belly.
Crossing over, I lifted the covers and slid in beside her. “A shelf? It's round.”
“Yeah, but the top of it is flat when I’m laying down, sort of.”
I leaned on an elbow, facing her and smoothing my hand over the lower curve of her belly. Just then, the baby kicked hard. We both laughed. “That must feel so weird,” I said. “I still can't believe you have a mini-human growing inside you.”
My eyes met hers, and my heart flipped in my chest again. That often happened when I let myself reallyfeelwhat was happening for me with Hallie and with our baby.
“I know. Thank you,” she said, her gaze sobering.
“For what?”
She took a deep breath. “Everything. This was a surprise. We didn't expect to see each other again. You're not only with me in this, but—” Pausing, she gestured around the room. “You've completely finished a whole new house just so we have room for the baby.”
“It's what I want.”
“I know. It's just I didn't expect this.”
“We didn't expect any of this,” I murmured. I leaned closer and gave her a lingering kiss. “I want to keep you close. I want all of it. With you. With our baby.”
