“Is Noah with you?” The kid was Joe’s mini shadow.
“At a friends the night.”
Her brother gave her another squeeze and let her go.
Two hours later, they were still waiting for news. Darcey was sitting up asleep on one of the couches. Joe was lying down, his head in her lap, giant feet hanging over the edge, completely out to it. Adam had drifted off sitting up a little while ago, arms folded, ankles crossed, chin resting on his chest. He looked kind of adorable, especially with the way his lips were sticking out, though she’d never tell him that. She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture, grinning to herself. They were in a small waiting room down from the delivery room, and at the moment, it was only the four of them.
A throat cleared.
Lucy spun around and hers got so tight she didn’t know if she could speak. Tears instantly sprang to her eyes. “Oh, Hugh,” she rasped.
Her big burly brother stood at the door, hair sticking up everywhere, tears running down his face, and wearing the widest smile she’d ever seen. In his massive arms he cradled a tiny bundle in a pink blanket.
“She’s beautiful, Luce.” His lip trembled. “Shay did amazing. She’s Superwoman. I married Superwoman.”
Lucy walked over, pulled back the fuzzy blanket, and bit her lip. “Oh my God. She’s just perfect.”
Everyone else woke up and stumbled to their feet, coming over to meet the newest member of the Colton family.
A little while later, Joe, Darcey, Lucy, and Adam walked out of the hospital. They said their goodbyes after agreeing to meet at the hospital to visit with Shay and baby Milly later that afternoon, then Lucy followed Adam to his truck.
The sun was starting to rise, casting a warm orange glow over everything.
“I don’t want to go home yet,” she said. “You want to find somewhere nice to sit and watch the sun come up?”
“Yeah.” He tugged her closer and kissed the top of her head. “Then we should go get breakfast. Pancakes?”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Then we’ll go ring shopping.”
“What?”
“You want to get married tomorrow?”
Lucy stumbled to a stop. “What, now?”
Adam rubbed the back of his neck. “Forget I said that. Crazy, right?” His brows lifted. “You’ll want the whole church thing, family and friends there, that kind of thing?”
Lucy’s mouth was hanging open and she didn’t even care. She shook her head. “I don’t want a big wedding.”
“No?” Adam’s voice was suddenly super low, rough.
She could see the pulse at the side of his neck pounding like crazy. “Nope.”
He moved in close, backing her up to his truck. “You saying you want to become Mrs. Grady tomorrow?”
“That’s what I’m saying, yes.” She rested her hands over his pounding heart. “I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”
“Your brothers will be pissed they weren’t there.”
“They’ll get over it.”
His head tilted back briefly, like he was looking to the heavens, and when he looked down again she sucked in a sharp breath at the strength of emotion on his handsome face. “I’ll make you happy, Lucy. I promise you that.”
She went up on her tiptoes and pulled him down close. “I already am. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Then she kissed him, and kept on kissing him until the sun was up.
And hospital security told them to leave.
The End