Temptation Trails - Page 180

Her arrival in our lives had been a surprise, but she was the best gift I’d ever been given.

So was Garrett.

After our engagement day, we’d decided to get married right away. It had been a small ceremony without a lot of fanciness or fuss. Marigold had helped put it all together, and even on our shoestring budget and tight timeline, she’d made it beautiful. My mom and sister had been there, along with Garrett’s entire big family. It had been simple, but incredibly meaningful, joining us together as a family.

Garrett stirred, taking a deep breath, and opened his eyes.

“Hi, sleepyhead.”

He gave Isla a soft kiss on the head. “Hi. Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“That’s okay. She’s not crying, so that’s a win.”

“She has a set of lungs on her, doesn’t she?”

I smiled. She certainly did. “Did Owen cry a lot when he was born?”

His brow furrowed and he paused. “Actually, I don’t think he did. He was a pretty easy newborn. It wasn’t until he started walking that things got rough.”

“I wonder what she has in store for us.”

“She’s a new adventure,” he said.

There was a soft knock on the door and Owen peeked his head inside. “Is it safe to come in?”

My face lit up with a smile. “Yes, come in.”

Owen was dressed in a black hoodie and jeans. His hair was getting a little long—the front was almost in his eyes. I made a mental note to make sure he got a haircut soon. If he wanted one. Maybe the hair in the eyes thing was what he was going for.

“Oh,” he breathed as he approached his dad and new baby sister. “She’s so small.”

“Do you want to hold her?” Garrett asked.

Although I was usually struck by how grown-up Owen looked, in that moment, his face had all the wonder and innocence of a child.

“Yeah.”

Garrett sat up and laid Isla on his lap to swaddle her in the blanket. Then he stood and placed her gently in Owen’s arms.

“Wow,” Owen whispered, gazing at her sleeping face. “Oh my gosh, I love her so much.”

It was such a beautiful moment, deep emotion welled up inside me, bringing tears to my eyes. “Isn’t she perfect?”

“Oh look, her eyes are opening a little.” He shifted his weight back and forth, gently rocking her. “Hi, baby sister. I’m your big brother, Owen.”

Garrett sat on the edge of the bed and put his arm around me. How had I gotten so—yes, I was going to say it—lucky? I was married to the man of my dreams, Owen had become the son of my heart, and now we had our sweet baby girl.

I was ready to burst with happiness.

Garrett kissed my temple. “I’m going to go find some food. I just realized I’m starving. Do you want anything?”

“I just had a cupcake, but I could still eat. Maybe something with protein to balance it out a little.”

“Got it. Owen, are you hungry?”

“No, Grandma has been stuffing me with food pretty much constantly. Actually, yes, I could eat.”

Garrett gave me another kiss, then left in search of… I couldn’t remember what time it was. Lunch? Dinner? Who knew at that point.