Page 133 of Bailey

“It’s just the rapid hormonal change,” she said with a kind smile. “Your husband has your little boy.”

Bailey looked past her and found Reeves approaching as if on tiptoe. He gazed down at the baby in his arms with all the love in the world, and when he moved his eyes to hers, Bailey smiled.

“He’s wonderful,” Reeves whispered. The baby grunted and made an animalistic noise, and then Reeves transferred him to Bailey’s arms.

She let her tears fall, just as she had with her previous birth, but they meant something so radically different. “Hello, baby,” she whispered, gently placing a kiss to the boy’s forehead. It seemed to go on forever, as he already had an old man’s receding hairline.

That made her smile, and she tucked him right against the bare skin of her chest, right where her heart beat with love for him.

“I love you, Everett,” she whispered. She’d loved OJ too—in fact, she’d insisted she and Bryce tell the newborn they loved him before she’d let the nurses take him to Otis and Georgia.

That wouldn’t be happening here. Bailey was never giving this baby away, and she’d never give up on him.

“Do you want a picture as a new family?” a nurse asked.

Reeves turned toward her and nodded.

“Maybe come over on this other side, Dad,” she said as Reeves handed her his phone. “And crowd into the bed there with your wife and son.”

He did as instructed, and Bailey used the few seconds while he moved to use the corner of her sheet to wipe her eyes. With Reeves’s arm around her and his hand helping to hold baby Everett, she smiled with everything she had.

The nurse took several pictures, handed the phone back to Reeves, and looked at Bailey. “I’ll dim the lights and let you guys enjoy him. You should sleep if you can.”

“Can I feed him?” Bailey asked.

“Anytime you want.” The nurse smiled and moved to the bank of lights. They went down, and Bailey looked over to her husband.

“We did it,” she whispered. She peered down at her lovely newborn, realizing that he’d just made her and Reeves parents. They were a family, something she’d thought was completely out of reach for her.

Until Reeves.

“You did it,” Reeves said. “I’ll be honest, I hardly did anything here.” He chuckled as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple. Then he moved over to the recliner, and Bailey simply existed with her baby, whom she loved so much.

“She did a good job with these pictures,” Reeves said softly. “I’ll just edit one up and send it to your parents.” He looked at her for permission, and Bailey smiled softly over to him.

“Yeah, sure,” she said, an idea forming in her head. “Do you still have that Good News Thread?”

Reeves looked up at her, his eyes wide and searching hers. “From the Youngs?”

“Yes,” she said. “My parents are on that too.” She grinned, though she really should focus on feeding Everett and then sleeping for as long as she could.

He smiled too. “I got this.” He started typing, and because Bailey trusted him explicitly, whatever he did would be fine with her.

She gazed at her son and swept her fingertip along the brim of his little blue hat. It moved, and Bailey softly pushed it off. He had little wisps of hair, but not much more, and Bailey fell even further in love with him.

“Everett Summit,” she said, then looked over to Reeves. “Do we want Summit or Silas for his middle name?”

Reeves looked up from his phone, his expression a bit glazed. It cleared quickly, and he glanced down at his son. “Can I?”

Bailey passed him the baby, and Reeves smiled with his whole body and soul as he settled into the recliner with the boy. “You’re perfect, aren’t you?” He practically cooed at his son, and Bailey had never seen Reeves like this. She liked it.

“Let me see your phone,” she said.

Reeves passed it to her without looking away from Everett. Bailey knew his passcode, and she quickly tapped to his texts. He’d started two of them—one to her family, and one to the Youngs at-large.

They both started the same way, and Bailey’s breath caught in her throat at the picture of her, Reeves, and Everett. She and Reeves exuded joy, and Everett was the cutest baby in the whole world, what with his scrunched-closed eyes and his little blue hat.

Reeves had captioned the picture: Everett Summit Durham was born at 12:06 AM, literally thirty minutes ago. He’s the cutest thing ever, and Bailey and I love him endlessly. That’s our good news for today. Who else has some?

Bailey couldn’t stop staring at the picture, though a couple of responses had come in, despite the late hour.

“I think Summit,” Reeves whispered.

“Yeah, because that’s what you put out to the whole town of Coral Canyon.” Bailey finally looked over to him, and she reached for her boys as she and Reeves smiled at one another.

“You boys come lay with me,” she whispered. Reeves obliged, and he cradled her in his arms while she did the same to Everett.

To be where she was felt like she’d climbed up to a high summit, and Bailey leaned back against Reeves’s chest. “I love you, baby.”

He laid his head against hers. “Love you too, wildflower.”

Oh, my goodness. I love Bailey, and I love how hard she’s worked to come home, be home, and FEEL like she belongs in Coral Canyon.

And who knew she’d find love with the rugged semi-reclusive mountain man next door?! (Well, I did… LOL.)