AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And she didn’t have to be brave or strong. She just felt as if she was as their baby inched its way into the world.
It was hard, gritty work—and then there was the reward.
‘Black hair,’ Ethan said. ‘It’s a Devereux.’
‘It hurts enough to be one!’
He smiled as she trumped him, and then looked at her with black eyes that were always dark. Yet, like the night, there were some darknesses more beautiful than others. Some less lonely. And some you never forgot.
‘Come on, Merida,’ he told her.
Merida breathed in deeply and gathered her strength. And pushed when she wasn’t sure she knew how to. She pushed not against buttowardslove.
And then she pushed again.
And again.
‘One more,’ Ethan said.
And then they met the sum of their love.
Long-limbed, she unfurled, jittery and indignant, flailing at the bright, noisy world.
And Ethan watched as Merida held her as if she would never let her go.
Of course he could not remember all those days so long ago when his mother had discarded him with such ease. But he knew in his soul that it was a hurt his child would never know.
And then he held her himself.
She wore a little white cap and stared up at him with huge dark eyes, and Ethan was besotted with his little girl.
He looked over to his stunning wife.
‘For a one-night stand, I did very well for myself,’ he said, and smiled.
‘It wasn’t a one-night stand,’ Merida refuted. ‘I just happened to sleep with you on our first date.’
Ithadbeen a date, Ethan thought as they kissed, their baby between them. Their first date. And it would not be their last.
‘I’m going to spend the rest of our lives making up for lost time.’
‘It was hell,’ Merida said, ‘but I still loved every minute.’
‘And me,’ Ethan said.
After all, she had awoken his heart.
EPILOGUE
‘MYFATHERWANTSto come down to see her.’
‘Don’t be daft.’ Merida sat up in the bed. ‘We’ll take her up to see him.’
‘I said that, but he insists on coming down.’ Ethan hesitated. ‘He wants photos.’
‘Of course.’
‘No.’ Ethan was quite sure she didn’t understand. ‘He wants the happy family shot.’
