Wes studied the woman who’d become his entire life. Her lip trembled, and he realized he’d rejected her, so he rushed to explain. “I can’t accept your proposal because I have one of my own.” He’d spent all week planning the perfect proposal, but he didn’t want to see the hurt in her eyes another moment.
A distant rumble of thunder warned of a storm, but he didn’t care. He wouldn’t worry about something he couldn’t see because he could see Kat right in front of him. “I love you and want to spend the rest of our lives together. I struggled for so long about losing you that I forgot I had you now. I wanted to wait until you were stable with the baby, not because I wanted a way out if Peanut didn’t make it but because I wanted to wait until we could make the marriage about us and not about the fear we both faced as parents. I worried if something happened to you, I couldn’t open my heart to our child, that I would become my father, but I know now that isn’t going to happen because this baby is partly you. I waited so long to find a woman I didn’t even know I was looking for. I’d planned on never marrying or having children, but you shredded my fear and replaced it with joy. You, Kat Stein, are the most amazing, strong, independent, capable, and loving woman I’ve ever known, and you don’t even know how special you are, which makes you even more beautiful.”
She sniffled and inhaled a stuttered breath.
“I won’t lie. I’m still scared of losing you, but I can’t wait another minute to be your husband. I needed you to know how much I wanted this. I waited until tonight to give you this because I was so hung up on making your proposal memorable, perfect, but now I can see you make life memorable.” He snagged the ring box from his pocket, took out the ring, tossed the box aside, and held it up to her finger. “We don’t know what will happen, but I know I want to face it with you. I have faith in our love. And Kat, I love you.”
“I love you too,” she whispered.
He slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her.
Claps erupted from the doorway, snagging their attention from their personal—and apparently public—moment.
Kat showed him the inscription, and he nodded his agreement, so she slipped the ring on his hand that matched the one he’d made for her. “Keith?”
“I had it shipped here.” She wavered, but he grabbed ahold of her.
“I think I need help getting up.” She laughed.
Her friends rushed to her side, and he lifted her to stand. She showed everyone her ring. People flooded in around them, carrying baby gifts and wearing bright smiles.
Kat had insisted the town be invited since she believed they all were part of her family and she wanted her child to grow up around people who loved him or her.
Houdini climbed up to the pergola, chattering away at them.
Skipper set her gift down on the table and grumbled, “Should’ve had this soiree at Cassie’s instead of this hippy hangout rooftop.”
Nancy Watermore walked out to the deck holding a sage-colored box with a yellow bow. “Didn’t know how to wrap this since I wasn’t told if it was a boy or a girl.”
“We don’t even know,” Kat said, eliciting a snarky comment on her way by.
Cranky Mannie joined them, handing over a bat. “Don’t care if it’s a boy or girl. Needs to like baseball. I made it up here, but don’t know if I’ll get back down that fancy staircase.”
Old Lady Francie took him by the arm. “We’ll make it down together.”
“Great. You’ll break a hip, and I’ll break my neck.”
Rhonda shooed them forward and held out her own gift. Kat blinked in surprise.
“I know you didn’t expect me to show, but Trace told me I should. Now that we’re neighbors, I think we get along a little better. Perhaps with age comes wisdom.”
“Let’s play pin the diaper on the baby,” Wind hollered.
Kat laughed. “Apparently not for everyone.”
Rhonda nodded and continued on, allowing more people to extend their congratulations. The party lasted too long, and Wes worried Kat was overdoing it, so when the clock struck nine, he ushered the few remaining guests out the door and returned to the living room, where Dustin and Trevor unboxed the crib and carried the pieces upstairs. Kat waddled up behind them with instructions in hand and her friends trailing behind toting shower gifts.
He looked to her mother, who remained near the entrance to the kitchen, but she wasn’t about to interfere. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough today?” He rushed after them.
“I’m not tired, and I need to get this crib together. We only have six weeks left, and there’s still so much to do. I need to get these baby clothes washed and the bouncy seat and cradle put together, not to mention washing bottles and burpees.”
Wes watched her zip around the nursery as if she’d consumed two cups of coffee instead of chamomile tea. “How about you sit down, and I’ll take care of the crib with the men and the girls can wash the baby clothes. The maid can do the bottles.”
“I think Kat’s nesting,” Jewels said, taking the crib instructions away and handing them to Trevor.
Wes nodded. “I read about that in one of the books, but still, she shouldn’t overdo it.” He ushered her to the glider he’d purchased after reading it was a soothing place for mama and baby.
Kat didn’t remain seated, though. She hopped up and headed for the baby monitor box. Water gushed to the floor, and Kat froze.
They looked at each other. Her lip quivered again. “My waters.”
Jewels jumped into action as the girls surrounded her. “It’s okay, hun. Everything will be fine.”
“It’s too early,” Wes managed to mumble, but with one glance at Kat’s tight jaw, he pushed aside his worry and focused on what she needed. “But Dr. Ryland said the baby would be fine now.”
Dustin brushed past them. “I’ll get the car.”
“I’ll call Dr. Ryland.” Wind ran from the room.
Wes lifted Kat into his arms and walked down the steps. “It’ll be okay, my love. Everything will be fine.” He said it over and over again, trying to convince himself more than Kat.
By the time he reached the bottom step, she moaned and wiggled in his arms.
This was it, the moment he’d been avoiding his entire life. The woman he loved cried out in pain, and his baby struggled to enter the world too early. He could lose one or both of them. His legs went weak under him, but he refused to stumble, refused to fall. Fall into the pit of darkness that had surrounded him since the day he discovered she was pregnant.
No matter what, he refused to believe he’d lose Kat or Peanut. He set her in the back seat, raced around the car, and crawled in next to her, cradling her head to his chest and stroking her hair from her face.
Each time she cried out, his gut clenched tight and he struggled to remain calm and focus on soothing Kat.
To his relief, the late hour meant no traffic, and they reached the hospital in record time. They ushered her to the maternity ward and hooked her up to machines while Wes was forced out of the way.
“Mother, you need to take deep breaths and try to relax. Your blood pressure’s too high.”
White blurs of walls and people spun around.
“Fetal heart rate in distress.”
Words. Words of concern. Words of danger. Words of death.