Page 51 of Maybe, Probably (Love Me, Maybe #1)

Harper

O ne and a half years later

“Come on, where are they?” I grumble, shuffling through the kitchen. This is what I get for feeling inspired to rearrange the kitchen. Now, I can't find the damn napkins. Resting my hand on the cupboard door, I'm startled when a voice comes from behind me.

“Auntie Harps! Uncle Xavy told me to tell you that the napkins are outside already,” Shiloh says.

“Oh Shiloh, you scared me.” Closing the cupboard door, I turn to him. “Thanks for letting me know, sweetie. How about we grab a popsicle while we're here?”

His eyes light up, and he nods his head with enthusiasm. Opening the freezer, I grab the Bomb Pops, and quickly remove the wrapper before handing it over.

“Thanks, Auntie!” He yells behind him as he takes off to the backyard.

Suddenly, a hot flash washes over me, and sweat begins to form on my forehead. Fanning my face, I turn to face the freezer again. The cool air fans over my heated face, giving some relief.

I love the summer, but I’m overheated. The feeling of sweat on my skin makes my skin crawl, and my shirt all of a sudden feeling too tight. Closing the freezer door, I head toward our bedroom. The need to get out of this shirt is overwhelming.

In the room, I strip out of my clothes and toss them into the laundry hamper. Grabbing my favorite olive colored sundress from the closet, I slip it over my head. The soft fabric slides down my curves; the cinch around my bust frames my shape, while the skirt flows down and ends at my knees.

Instantly, I’m more comfortable than I have all day.

Checking my reflection in the mirror one last time, I turn and head back to our guests.

As I reach the bottom of the stairs, Dalton walks through the door, his hair is a mess, glasses tilted at an angle.

He looks flustered, especially with the crying toddler attached to his hips.

Making my way over to him, I take the screaming toddler and console her.

“Oh come here, my sweet girl, let’s give your dad a bit of a break.” Placing her on my hip, I begin rocking back and forth, humming You Are My Sunshine . Like all the other times, she begins to calm down, resting her head on my shoulder as soft snuffles come from her.

“I don’t know how you can calm her down so easily,” Dalton says, straightening himself out. When he looks up a soft smile forms on his lips, as he takes his daughter in.

“What can I say? Auntie Harper is the baby whisperer.” Placing a kiss on her forehead, I motion toward the back. “Come on, everyone is out this way. I think Xavier is almost done with everything on the barbecue.”

The backyard is busy with laughter and tiny humans.

Xavier is at the barbecue, plating the last of the burgers onto a plate, Winnie sitting faithfully at his side, watching the plate of food with longing.

He speaks with Monty, whose arms are moving around dramatically as he tells a story.

Dalton has taken off with Elodie over to the guys to join in on the conversation.

Dalton has turned everything around since Elodie was born.

He’s still working hard at work, but he makes sure he comes home every night to put her to bed.

He really flourished in his role as a dad, although he didn’t really have a choice, since Chloe didn’t take to the mothering role like everyone hoped she would.

Over at the picnic table, Josie has Hayes in her arms. While she talks to Evie, she feeds him pieces of watermelon.

The juices of the fruit fall all over the little guy's face as he aimlessly eats, watching his surroundings.

Shiloh's stained face of blue and red is concentrated as he colors adamantly beside her.

When Evie catches me standing there, she makes her way over to me, a huge smile spread across her face. Her blonde locks are up in two french braids, and she's wearing a tank cropped top with a flowing lace skirt. She embraces me fully.

After a moment of time wrapped up in each other, Evie pulls away. “Damn girl, you look so good!” She praises, taking in my hot-mess glory. She lets her arms fall from my shoulder, but not before she places one hand on her swollen stomach, rubbing circular motions along her stretched skin.

I find myself copying her motion, my hand instinctively going over my own stomach. “You should speak for yourself. I don’t know how you can look so good pregnant. I just feel like a house.”

Just then, strong hands wrap around me from behind.

I know exactly who it is before he speaks low in my ear.

“You look delectable, Mama. I can’t wait for everyone to go home so I can spend the rest of the night between your thighs.

” An obnoxious giggle leaves me as I try to wiggle out of his grasp, but it only causes him to hold me tighter.

“You guys are grossly adorable,” Evie interrupts us from our own personal bubble. “But I’m starving, is it time to eat?”

Xavier laughs, placing a quick kiss below my ear before pulling me toward the table. Monty arrives beside us with the food from the barbeque, and Josie passes the plates.

My heart is full as we sit around the bonfire with the family we’ve created. It’s not blood, but it’s the people we hold close to our hearts, that are family.

“Do you want another apple cider, babydoll?”

Turning my head, I look up to the man who has become someone so important to me.

Over the last year, we have accomplished so much.

I moved in with him as soon as we got back from the lodge.

Xavier was busy with getting the spay and neuter clinic open, so he worked long hours.

I think I fell more in love with him as I watched him put so much blood and sweat into making sure everything was perfect.

Xavier surprised me in the spring with a she-shed home office. I sobbed when he showed me. The thoughtfulness that was put into every detail was so touching. He even included one wall that was just a bookshelf with a ladder on wheels. A girl’s dream.

Winnie adjusted to the move fairly quickly, and he loved the extra room to run. He is mischievous, and still loves to harass the ducks. Karma, if you ask me.

I snap myself out of my happy haze. “Yes, please.” Xavier lifts from where he’s seated, and I take the moment to adjust my body to be in a more comfortable position. When I’m finally comfortable, I take in the conversations happening around me.

Low chatter filters through the night. Dalton has a sleeping Elodie on his chest as he gently sways back and forth.

Shiloh has a marshmallow stick over the fire.

Monty tells him to pull it back, and in the next moment, the marshmallow catches on fire, causing Monty to grab the stick pulling it toward his face to extinguish the flames.

Admiring how Monty is with Shiloh, I envision what it would be like when our own little one enters this world. I already know that Xavier is going to be the best father.

A cold wet nose nudges my hand, and I glance down to see that Winnie has a...bow on??

“What do you have on your collar, Winnie baby?” I lean forward to take a closer look at his bow, and then I see a piece of paper hanging from it. My brows furrow, fingers gripping around the note. Unravelling it, I notice Xavier’s handwriting

Turn around.

Looking up, I see everyone around me staring at me with a smile on their face. “You all look like serial killers right now. Why are you all smiling like that? ”

Evie snorts loudly. “Do what the note says, babes. Turn around. ”

My body starts to move before my brain catches up. The air in my lungs ceases to exist as I witness Xavier getting down on one knee. “What is happening?”

The side of his lips tilt up in a smirk. “I think you know what’s happening, babydoll.”

Shaking my head, I get out of my seat, moving until I’m right before him. Tears begin to flow down my cheeks as the reality finally sets in. Xavier pulls out a little black box.

“I never thought I would find someone to make my heart beat again. I was content living my life the way it was, working in the clinic and taking care of animals. I thought that was it for me. Then you came falling into my life, and you were the greatest thing I could have ever caught.” Those ocean blue eyes shine at me with unshed tears as he takes a deep breath.

A sob leaves me, and throwing a hand over my mouth, I nod, encouraging him to go on.

“What started off as a ruse turned into something so much more. Harper, you are my home. You are my heart. The mother to our child, I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else.” He opens the box, revealing a stunning white gold, pear shaped emerald ring, with three diamond leaves on each side.

I am full on ugly crying at this point. I think I hear Evie joining behind me, but I don’t pay her any attention. My sole focus is the man in front of me, on bended knee.

“Harper Amelia Beckett, will you please do me the honors of becoming my wife?”

I’m on him just as he finishes his last word, and he has just enough time to catch me to avoid us crashing to the ground. My lips crash to his in a deep passionate kiss. “Yes. Yes of course I will!”

The boom of cheers comes from behind us, as Xavier pulls the ring from its box, placing it on my left finger.

“What do you think?” he asks, holding my hand up so it is lit by the bonfire's glow.

“It’s perfect.” I sigh. “You’re perfect. I love you, Xavier.”

“I love you more, babydoll.”