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“She ate the paint!” Riley squealed. “Eww!”
Harper shrugged. “I mean, I got out what I could, but yeah...her teeth were blue for a couple of days.”
Gavin laughed. “Kids eat anything.”
Jayden was standing behind Harper’s chair. “You should have brought her over. I’d have taken pictures for you.”
Harper looked over her shoulder. “I’m sure she would have loved that when she’s a teenager. Can you imagine Mason bringing them out on her first date?”
Aspen skidded up to the group. “Hey, I forgot to ask you about her appointment last week. What did the doctor say?”
Harper smiled. They had gone to a specialist in Portland a couple of times in the last few weeks and were finally on their way to some answers.
“Ooh, is this about her speech?” Riley asked. She crossed her legs in the chair, curled up like one of her cats. “What did they say?”
“It looks like she has some hearing loss,” Harper explained. “We’re still running tests, and there’ll be more doctors to see, but they think with a set of hearing aids, they’ll have her chatting our ears off in no time.”
Aspen smiled. “I’m so glad. Not that I want her to have a disability, but still...at least this is one we have medical advances for.”
Harper nodded. “I get it and totally agree. She’s not completely deaf, but it’s enough she has a hard time forming words. She’ll more than likely have some speech therapy and the hearing aids, and then hopefully she’ll be able to live a perfectly normal life.”
“Speaking of...” Mason walked up to Harper’s side. Layla was drooping against his chest. “I think someone is wearing out.”
Harper stood. “Looks like our evening is about over.” She reached out to take Layla, but Mason turned.
“Not quite yet,” he said. “Uncle Ethan?”
Ethan came sauntering up. “I love saving a damsel in distress.” He held out his hands to Layla. “Come on, Princess. Let the adults talk for a minute.”
Harper frowned. “Mason, she’ll be cranky all day tomorrow if we don’t get her home.”
Mason nodded. “It’ll be worth it.” He scratched at his beard, his hand shaking slightly.
The room had gone quiet and Harper looked around. Her friends were all smiling, but had backed up, leaving her and Mason alone. “What’s going on?” Her heart began to pound and when she turned back to Mason, she gasped.
He looked up at her from his place on the ground where he knelt on one knee and gave her a sheepish grin. “So...it wasn’t just the schedule that had us pushing back the date for this little party.”
“Mason.” She put her trembling hands to her mouth. Harper had assumed it would take them a lot longer to get to this point in their relationship. Not that she was complaining. There was nothing Harper wanted in life than to be Mason’s wife and Layla’s mother. She loved them both with everything in her and making them an official family would only be icing on the cake.
Mason held out his hands, waiting for hers, and Harper obliged. “Harper Grace Woodson.” He smiled at her. “I love you. I love you with everything in me.” He chuckled. “When we first dated, I thought I would have to split my heart between you and Layla and I struggled to feel like it would be right. Like you deserved better than that. It was part of why I moved so slowly once I realized I had feelings for you.”
Her eyes began to mist over.
“But the longer we’re together, the more I realize that’s not how it works. Somehow, it seems the more I love you and Layla, the more love I have to give.”
There was a soft chuckle through the room when one of the women sighed. Harper didn’t even bother looking to see who it was. She couldn’t look away from Mason’s golden eyes.
“I want to continue to give that love to you...to Layla...and to any more people we add to our family over the years.” He swallowed hard. “I know you gave up a lot to be with us. You sacrificed your career and your trust fund in order to help me keep Layla and that’s only part of why I call you my angel. You were truly heaven-sent.” He glanced sideways and Harper followed his gaze.
Jayden walked up with an envelope and handed it to Mason before scurrying back to his spot. The camera around his neck said he was capturing everything.
Mason dropped her hands and pulled out a stack of papers. “I don’t have the power to bring back your trust fund. And I’m afraid I wouldn’t even know where to begin in trying to further your art career, but I’m hoping this...” He handed her the papers. “Will be a start.”
Harper scanned the page, her eyes growing wider and wider as she realized what it was. “A lease?” she asked hoarsely. “You...you bought me a storefront?”
“It has a large room in front for an exhibit and a bathroom plus two rooms in the back,” Mason hurried to say. “I figured one could be an office and the other...”
“A nap room?” Harper said thickly. The tears were running freely now. She hadn’t gotten into the other exhibits she’d tried for, so Mason had bought her an exhibit of her own. Right off Main Street where she could sell her paintings year-round to any tourists that came through town. She was so overwhelmed that her mind was having a hard time staying in the present moment. “I...don’t know what to say.”
Reaching into his pocket, Mason pulled out a velvet box and popped it open. A large solitaire winked up at her. “Say you’ll marry me,” Mason said. He grinned. “And just for the record, the storefront isn’t conditional on your answer.”
Harper laughed through her tears and a few others in the room did the same. “Mason, I would like nothing more than to be your wife and Layla’s mother. I’ve spent most of my adult life believing that my career was what would bring me happiness and I was determined to see it through before I got involved with anyone, but Layla’s arrival helped break me of that notion.” She shook her head. “You two are my joy, and my painting simply makes it all a little sweeter.” She leaned down, cupping his bearded face, and kissed him. “I would love to marry you.” She held up the papers. “And I’d love to open an exhibit.”
Mason slipped the ring on her finger and stood up, gathering her into his arms.
The papers were being crushed between their chests, but Harper didn’t care. Shouts, cheers and hollers surrounded them as she and Mason continued their own little celebration.
“I think you might be giving Layla more of an education than she needs,” Aspen whispered in Harper’s ear before clearing her throat.
Harper pulled back from Mason, a smile on her heated face. “Sorry.”
He kissed her again. “I’m not. There’ll be more of that just as soon as she’s in bed.”
Harper laid her head against his chest. “I can’t wait.”
*****
MASON NODDED AND SMILED as congratulations flew at him like golf balls on the green, but not once did he let go of Harper. He couldn’t. Finally, finally, she was his. Not just for the evening, not for a few minutes during naptime...but forever. As soon as they were married, he wouldn’t have to say goodnight anymore or swap off babysitting duties. They’d all live together and all their moments would be shared.
He rested his head against the top of hers. “Thank you,” he whispered when there was a break in the friend line.
“For what?” she asked, tightening her hold around his chest.
“For being my angel,” he began. “For loving me.” He pulled back so he could look her in the eye. “For agreeing to be part of our family.” He kissed her, slowly and tenderly. “For loving Layla and not letting my short sightedness stop this moment from happening.”
Harper smiled up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. “Thank you for coming for me,” she whispered. “Thank you for opening my eyes to something more important than working myself into an early grave.” She patted his chest. “And thank you for each and every moment that led up to this one. I’ll always treasure them.”
“Even the bad ones?” he teased.
“Even the bad ones,” she confirmed. “Those are the ones in particular that make this moment so sweet.”
“Here she is!” Ethan called out, bringing Layla into their little chat. “Here you go, Mommy.”
Harper laughed and pulled Layla onto her hip.
“Okay, look this way!” Jayden called. He pushed a few people out of the way until the space was cleared. Then pulled up his camera. “Smile! You too, Princess.”
Ethan made faces behind Jayden while his finger flew, snapping pictures from all angles.
Mason felt as if his chest would burst. Who would have thought that he would be standing here, taking pictures with his family of all things? The man who had spent years trying to hunt down his sister, whose biological family was breaking apart at the seams, now had a new one. One built on love and respect.
He was grateful Jayden had the foresight to bring his camera because Mason knew he wanted to remember this moment forever. Being an instant father wasn’t the plan he’d had in mind, but in the end, he wouldn’t trade a bit of it. Layla had opened his eyes and Harper had opened his heart. He couldn’t imagine a better gift.
“Alrighty,” Harper said, bouncing a whimpering Layla. “I think she’s had enough.”
Mason nodded. “Sounds good.” Putting his hand on her lower back, they began walking to the front door, saying their goodbyes along the way. The night air was cool when they managed to get outside and Harper shivered.
“Ooh, I’m so ready for summer.”
“It wasn’t long ago you said you were ready for spring.” He took Layla and buckled her into her car seat.
“Heat,” Harper demanded. “I just want heat, okay?”
“Heard you loud and clear, ma’am,” Mason declared. He finished with Layla, then shut the car door. But before reaching for Harper’s to let her in, he caged her up against the car. “I have a great way of warming you up,” he whispered a hair’s breadth from her lips.
“I’ll just bet you do,” Harper whispered back. Instead of waiting for him to come to her, she leaned in the fraction of an inch and took control.
Mason let her have her way for all of three seconds before he wrapped his arms around her and took over. He planned to spend every moment showing her just how much she meant to him...starting right now.
“We need to put Layla to bed,” Harper said, pulling back. She traced his lips, sending a sharp shot of electricity down his chest. “Can we continue this on the couch?”
“Your wish is my command.” Mason got her settled, then walked around to the driver’s seat. He didn’t even try to stop the too-wide smile on his face. He knew life would be difficult at times. They would have to deal with Layla’s hearing loss, their relationships with their parents would have to be handled and sometimes life simply had a way of kicking people in the teeth, but right now, right here...everything was perfect. This moment was perfect and Mason planned to have many more moments just like this before his time with Harper was over.
She’d been right. Everything, all the good and the bad, had led up to this evening being what it was. He had been through purgatory and now he was reaping a reward...and it was far sweeter than he could have ever hoped for.