“Dad’s right,” Molly said. “Your place right now, today, is with him. You’ll work things out with Chloe as you go.”

Max nodded and rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of the gown he’d worn in the delivery room. “I’ll bring him out as soon as I can.”

“We’ll be right here waiting to meet him.” Molly went up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “We’ll be right here for as long as you need us.”

“Okay.” He smiled weakly at the gathered group before returning to his son.

“Lord,” Molly said when he was gone. “The poor guy. He’s so excited and so terrified at the same time.”

“Like any new parent,” Lincoln said, his arm around his wife.

What her father said was true, Ella thought, but they all knew this situation wasn’t typical, and she had a bad feeling it could get a whole lot worse before it got better for Max.

*   *   *

His heart pumping with adrenaline and joy and a healthy dose of anxiety over what lay ahead, Max returned to Chloe’s room. As usual, he had no idea whether he’d be welcome there, but bolstered by the support of his family, he didn’t really care if she wanted him around. The baby was his son, too, and he planned to be there for him in every way possible.

He took a fortifying deep breath and pushed open the door, surprised to find Chloe asleep and Caden crying pitifully. Rushing to the bassinet next to Chloe’s bed, Max bent over his son, trying to decide what he should do. He’d taken the class offered by the hospital on his own when Chloe had refused to go with him, so he knew the baby wanted one of three things—food, a diaper change or someone to hold him.

Since he could help with two of those three things, he first checked the baby’s diaper and found it was dry, so he carefully picked him up, making sure he was tightly swaddled. Patting his little back, Max moved around the room with him, putting a bounce in his step as he went, which seemed to settle the little guy.

“Yeah,” he whispered, “that’s it. I’m your dad. I’ve got you.” The tsunami of emotions that came with seeing his son born were upon him once again as the tears flowed freely down his face. Watching him enter the world had been the most amazing moment of his entire life, and Max would never forget it.

Chloe let out a groan before her eyes opened. Her blond hair was matted, and her face was still bright red from the strain of pushing out the baby. She’d spent most of the hours in labor begging for something more for the pain. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing. He’s fine. Are you okay?”

“I’m great,” she said sarcastically. “I’ve got a hundred stitches between my legs, but other than that . . .”

“You want me to get the nurse?”

“They said no more pain meds for an hour. I just want to sleep.”

“I’m going to take him to see my parents, if that’s okay.”

“I don’t care.”

There was so much Max could say to that, but today wasn’t the day. Today was Caden’s day, and it would be for the rest of his life. Max held the baby close to his chest as he left the room and walked to the waiting area, eager to show off his son to his family.

When Max stepped through the double doors with the baby in his arms, his entire family rushed them.

“Oh my God, he’s so cute!”

“And so tiny!”

“That face, look at that little face!”

“He looks like you, Max.”

“Can we hold him?”

Reluctant to be parted with him for even a minute, Max eased the baby into his mother’s arms.

“Well hello there, little man,” she whispered through her tears. “Oh, Max, he’s beautiful.”

His dad stood behind his mom, looking down at his new grandson with tears in his eyes, too. “You done good, son. He’s a fine-looking boy.”

Ella put her arms around him.

Max leaned into his sister’s embrace, grateful for the unwavering support of his family.

“How ya holding up?” Ella asked.

“I’m great. Best day of my life.”

“How’s Chloe?”

“In pain and grumpy, but I suppose I would be, too, if I were her.”

“Where’s her family?” Ella asked softly.

“Not here. Not coming.”

“That’s just so wrong.”

“I know. I agree. I feel bad for her. It’s just another thing she blames me for.”

“Max . . .”

He made an effort to shake off his worries about Chloe. “Not today. Today is Caden’s day.”

“Yes, it is. Congratulations again, Max.”

“Thanks.”

CHAPTER 21

Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.

—George Iles

With most of the family staying in Burlington through Thanksgiving, Ella and Charley left after seeing the baby to stake out a room at the lake house.

“Max seems good,” Charley said after they’d put their stuff in the room they usually shared.

“I hate that he’s so worried about what’s going to happen with Chloe now that the baby is here.”

“I wish she didn’t have to act like he got her pregnant all on his own. I mean look at him . . . She was probably a more than willing participant.”

“I’m sure she was. No one ever thinks it’s going to happen to them.”

“I just hope it doesn’t get ugly.”

“I hope so, too.” Ella put her long hair up in a ponytail. “Mom said she brought everything she’d bought for Thanksgiving. Want to make the pies with me?”

“Sure.”

They were rolling out piecrust when the others began to arrive. Will built up the fire in the huge stone fireplace while Colton carried in more wood. Lucy and Cameron joined Ella and Charley in the kitchen while Nolan insisted Hannah take a nap.

“Only if you come with me,” she said to her husband, who followed behind her with a dopey smile on his face.

“I want a nap,” Charley said.

“Keep rolling,” Ella retorted.

By the time their parents got to the house a couple of hours later, they had four pies cooling on the counter, twenty pounds of potatoes had been peeled by Will and Colton, who’d protested the entire time, stuffing had been made and the turkey prepared for baking.

“Oh my goodness, girls,” Molly said. “You did everything!”

“Will and I peeled the potatoes,” Colton said. “Don’t let them tell you otherwise.”

“Thank you, Colton.”

“And Will,” Will called from the living room, where he had found a football game to watch on TV.

“And Will.”

“How’s the baby?” Charley asked.

“He’s beautiful,” Molly said. “I got to give him a bottle before I left.”

“She’s not breastfeeding?” Hannah asked.

“She said the baby wasn’t interested in breastfeeding, so the nurses set him up with a bottle.”

“How hard did she try?” Hannah asked.

“I wasn’t in the room, so I don’t know. She’s been crying a lot. I think she’s in a lot of pain.”

“Poor thing,” Hannah said. “She’s so young.”

“And all alone,” Molly said. “How any mother can stay away when her child is in labor is beyond me.”

“And me,” Hannah said. “I want my mommy right there with me when my time comes.”

Molly patted her daughter’s shoulder. “And she’ll be there.”

They made deli sandwiches for dinner, popped corn in the fireplace and even found the makings for s’mores left over from when Colton and Lucy had been there last summer. It was a great night with most of the family there.

“Who wants to go out drinking?” Landon asked around ten.

“Ohhh, college girls,” Lucas said, scrambling to his feet. “Count me in.”

“I’ll go, too,” Wade said.

“Take a cab, boys,” Molly said.

“Yes, Mother,” they said in unison.