Chapter 41
My mouth drops open.
Cole gasps, looking like he’s choking on air.
‘A… girl?’ I blink, staring at the screen as if I’ve misheard.
‘A girl,’ she confirms. ‘A very healthy little girl—strong like her mama.’ Dr Kensington beams at me.
Cole’s jaw actually drops.
‘Wow,’ I whisper, tears burning my eyes. ‘A little princess. How did I get it so wrong p>
Cole’s voice is barely audible. ‘We’re having a daughter.’ His hand comes up to cradle my face, thumb sweeping away a tear I didn’t even realise had fallen.
We both stare at the screen in sheer wonder.
A daughter.
The doctor prints the scan photo, then places it delicately in Cole’s free hand. He stares at it like it’s the first sunrise he’s ever seen.
‘I love her,’ he breathes.
And I believe him.
Because I have never loved anything or anyone as much, and I haven’t even met her yet.
Cole accepts the wipes Dr Kensington hands to him and cleans the gel from my stomach.
‘I’ll give you two a minute together,’ she says. ‘I’ll organise some tea and we can discuss your birth plan in the drawing room in a few minutes. It’s a bit less clinical than in here. You remember where it is, Zara? Last room on the right p>
‘I remember. Thank you,’ I can’t tear my eyes from Cole’s.
Her footsteps echo off the walls as she pads out of the room as I swallow thickly. My throat is clogged with emotion. Shock. Pure joy. But mostly, love. Love for the man beside me. Love for our little girl.
‘You don’t mind?’ I whisper. ‘That it’s a girl p>
‘Mind?’ He tosses the tissues to the side and places two hands on my bump. ‘I’m over the fucking moon—a mini version of the woman I’m obsessed with. I bet she’s going to be every bit as smart and sassy as you p>
My heart swells in my chest. Tears well in my eyes again. ‘Stop it, Cole, you’ll have me bawling again in a minute p>
He lowers his face to my swollen stomach. ‘Hi baby girl, it’s your daddy. We can’t wait to meet you. Daddy is going to spoil you rotten, sweetheart p>
Oh, he’s done it now.
Big fat tears spill over my cheeks.
I can’t believe I ever imagined doing this alone.
‘I’m also going to buy the biggest gun I can find,’ he croons tenderly. ‘And the first boy who comes anywhere near you is in big trouble p>
‘Now you know how my brothers feel.’ I choke out a laugh through my tears.
Cole turns his head to face me. There’s no missing the love lighting his eyes. ‘I want to meet your parents. Then we can deal with your brothers p>
I nod, because I can’t put it off forever.
Even if I want to.
It’s time.
‘My mother will love you,’ I sniff. ‘My father…’ I trail off.
‘Leave your father to me.’ Cole offers a hand to help me up. I smooth down my blouse and stand slowly. ‘Everything will work out, Zara, I promise.’ His tone oozes confidence. ‘One way or another, it has to p>
I just hope whatever way it works out, I don’t lose my old family, because there’s no way on earth I can give up my new one.
‘And I want to meet your mother—one day,’ I add. ‘I know your relationship is difficult, but babies make everything better. Especially Beckett babies,’ I tease to lighten the tone.
He scowls just as I intended. ‘Hartmann babies, you mean p>
‘Please! Over my dead body p>
A frown creases his forehead, and his jaw tightens. ‘Don’t even joke about that p>
‘Don’t worry, Daddy, I’m not planning on going anywhere. Not now that things are getting exciting.’ I run my hand over the back of his bicep soothingly and his expression softens.
‘We’ll have to think up a new name for our princess. We can’t name her Tiernan,’ Cole muses, placing a protective palm on the base of my spine.
‘But we could call her Tierney. What do you think?’ I glance at him sideways as we walk towards the door.
He shakes his head softly, like he’s in awe of me. ‘Did I tell you that I love you? And you’re the best damned thing that ever happened to me p>
‘I think you might have mentioned it a couple of times.’ I lean my cheek against his shoulder as we step out into the hall. ‘The feeling is mutual, by the way p>
‘The morning I woke up, and you were gone, it felt like you tore my heart out of my chest and took it back to Ireland with you,’ he murmurs into my ear quietly. ‘I told myself that it was my pride that hurt. No woman has ever ran out on me before, but it wasn’t pride—it was you p>
‘I promise you, Cole, I’ll never run out on you again, no matter what.’ Our eyes lock. That familiar chemistry zips through the air, but it’s so much more than sheer attraction. It’s a silent exchange. An unspoken vow. Our family will come first. No matter what.
He feels the enormity of what I’m saying, even though I haven’t spoken a word. His feet slow to a stop, and he reaches for me, manoeuvring me until I’m flush against his chest. I tilt my chin up, and his lips catch mine. Softly, tenderly, his tongue slides into my mouth, quietly claiming and commanding. I reach up, palming his broad shoulders and melt against him.
The clack of shoes somewhere else in the building sounds through my ears, getting louder as they approach, but I can’t bring myself to break this moment, to tear my lips from Cole’s.
‘Zara?’ Rian’s familiar baritone rings through my ears.
I jolt back from Cole like I’ve been electrocuted. Cole whips around as he comes face to face with my brother.
‘Cole fucking Hartmann.’ There’s no missing the animosity in Rian’s tone, even without the F bomb.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I squeeze my eyelids tightly shut, willing this not to be happening, yet when I open them again, Rian and Rebekka are still there with shocked and stony expressions on their faces.
I told them I didn’t need them to accompany me. I specifically didn’t reveal the day or time my scan was in order to avoid something catastrophic like this happening.
Still, out of all my brothers, Rian isn’t the worst. Things would be a million times worse if Killian had waltzed in.
‘What the fuck?’ Rian marches towards us, his long legs eating up the distance between us in three swift strides. Rebekka is hot on his heels. Worry lines crease the corners of her eyes.
Cole steps in front of me protectively. He needn’t bother. My brother would never hurt me. Disown me maybe—but he’d never hurt me.
‘What the fuck are you doing with my sister?’ Rian demands, his dark eyes burning dangerously as they dart between us.
‘We’re together,’ Cole says simply. His voice is cool, calm and totally controlled.
‘What? Since when?’ Rian’s hands ball up into tight fists beside his body. He’s vibrating with anger.
‘Since we reconnected last month, when I accepted the contract to design his casino.’ I step around Cole, placing a reassuring hand on his bicep. ‘Please, Rian, calm down p>
‘Calm down? This fucker bulldozes into our city, swinging his big fucking dick like he owns the place, and now he’s moving in on my kid sister when she’s pregnant and vulnerable p>
‘I might be pregnant, but I’m certainly not vulnerable.’ I eye him levelly. ‘Especially not now that I’m back with the father of my baby p>
‘What the fuck?’ Rian spits. ‘How is that even possible?’ His eyes widen to the point where they look like they might pop out of his head.
‘Let’s go to the waiting room and discuss this like adults.’ Cole suggests cooly. ‘This stress isn’t good for Zara, or our baby.’ He drapes an arm over my shoulders and I lean into him.
Just when I think things can’t possibly get any worse, the front door opens again.
Scarlett, James, Ivy, Caelon, Killian, Avery, Sean, Layla and my fucking parents traipse in.
Oh. My. Fucking. God.
My legs shake, but Cole has a steady, firm grip on me.
The girls are cooing and giggling with excitement. They fall silent as their eyes land on me, then Cole, then back to me again.
Nausea rises up in my chest. I clasp my throat, sucking in air. I can’t breathe. The walls are closing in on me.
‘What is that prick doing here?’ Caelon demands.
Killian stalks silently over, one hand in his pocket—on his gun, no doubt.
‘Killian,’ I warn. My knees buckle. Cole catches me before I slither to the floor.
‘Everybody move,’ he demands, sweeping me up into his arms like I’m weightless. He turns and carries me back into the examination room and gently places me on the bed again.
‘What on earth is going on?’ Dr Kensington appears, scanning the room, before her eyes land on me and widen.
‘That’s precisely what we want to know,’ Killian growls.