Reckless Redemption: A Bad Blooded Rebel Novel (Bad Blooded Rebel Series) (35 page)

I
placed a kiss on her forehead as the nurses started to wheel her down the hall
to her room. I watched in awe as Danni held Harlowe in her arms, staring at her
in amazement and wonder. It was beautiful to see the love pouring out of Danni
as she cradled out little girl. In that moment, as I walked down the hall
following my wife and daughter, it hit me how truly lucky I was.

I’d
married the love of my life and we’d just brought our daughter in the world,
but it was more than that. It hit me that instead of celebrating, this night
could have gone very differently. I could have lost both Danni and Harlowe and
that thought alone sent a shiver down my spine.

I
breathed a heavy sigh of relief as we reached her hospital room and the nurses
got Danni comfortable. I’d taken Harlowe to hold only while the nurses helped
Danni get changed into some comfortable clothes and as soon as she was dressed
and in bed, I handed Harlowe back to her. It was a beautiful thing to see how
in the few moments she’d held our baby, Danni had already formed a bond with
her. She seemed relieved when I placed her back into her arms.

I
leaned down and pressed a kiss to Danni’s forehead and she looked up at me with
tired eyes and smiled. Her hair was up in a messy knot on her head with a few
wild strands clinging to her forehead, she had a little bit of mascara smeared
around her eyes, and she looked absolutely exhausted. She was still beautiful
to me.

“I
love you so much,” I said, feeling like I’d said it too much today yet not
enough.

“I
love you too, Beau. Thank you,” she said, snuggling Harlowe in her arms. “I
know you already thanked me for Harlowe but I am grateful to you too. We made
her together and I’m so happy we did.”

“So
am I, baby,” I said, kissing her forehead. “So am I.”

I
spent the next twenty minutes watching my beautiful wife as she learned to
breastfeed our little girl. It was the most moving thing I’d ever seen. I was
so entranced by the two of them that I barely heard the knocking on the
hospital room door.

“Come
in,” Danni said softly, careful not to startle Harlowe.

We
both looked up as Everleigh, Ryder, Jessie, Kris, Jude, Sadie, and John walked
into the room. As soon as Everleigh’s eyes landed on Harlowe she started
bawling. She was holding Max in her arms but gently handed him to Ryder so she
could come closer to Danni.

“Oh
Danni, she’s precious!” she exclaimed. She walked to me and wrapped her arms
around me in a hug.

“Beau,
I’m so happy for you both!”

“Thank
you, Ev,” I said, hugging her back.

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

“Are
you sure?” Everleigh asked.

“Of
course I’m sure,” Danni replied and she motioned for Everleigh to come closer.
When she reached the bed, Danni gently placed Harlowe in Everleigh’s arms.

As
soon as Everleigh snuggled her close, she leaned down and kissed her tiny nose.

“Hello,
sweet girl. I’m your Aunt Everleigh,” she whispered, and wiped a tear from her
cheek before it fell onto Harlowe. “She’s perfect.”

“She
is, isn’t she?” I said. “I think she looks like Danni, don’t you?”

Everleigh
chuckled softly and said, “I was just going to say that. Look at her hair, it’s
so soft. Oh, she’s just the most amazing little girl I’ve ever seen.”

Ryder
came behind me and clapped me on the back.

“Congratulations,
Dad. She’s beautiful, man,” he said, peering over my shoulder to see Harlowe’s
face. “You’re right, she does look like Danni. Thank God,” he teased.

Everleigh
sniffed and turned to face the group.

“I
don’t want to hog her. Who wants to hold her next?”

Sadie
inched away from her place next to Jude and held out her hands.

“My
turn,” she said, smiling. Everyone that knew Sadie knew she wasn’t a crier at
all, but if there was ever a moment in our lives that I thought she might shed
a tear, it was this one.

Everleigh
moved to her and gently placed Harlowe into Sadie’s waiting arms. Seeing my kid
sister holding my daughter for the first time is a memory I will never forget.

“So,”
she asked, “what are we calling this little angel?”

I
looked at Danni, and she nodded at me. “Go ahead.”

I
placed my hand gently on my daughter’s head and said, “Okay, everyone, I want
you all to meet Harlowe Alexandra Cavanaugh.”

Everyone
murmured approval of her name.

Sadie
kissed her nose and whispered, “I like it. You look like a Harlowe.”

“That’s
what Danni said too,” I told her.

“Well,
Harlowe, I’m your Aunt Sadie and I can’t wait to teach you everything I know.”

“Now
there’s a scary thought,” Jude chuckled.

Sadie
moved to him and said softly, “And this is your Uncle Jude. He can be a big
pain in the ass, but you’ll learn to love him.”

She
winked at Jude and he held out his arms to hold Harlowe.

Once
she was in his arms, I saw his face soften and I could tell he was instantly as
in love with her as we all were.

“Well
hello Harlowe,” he whispered, bending his head to kiss her. He looked almost
funny as he held her in his big muscled arms.

“I’m
Uncle Jude and I think you are just about the cutest girl I’ve ever seen.”

He
paused and right before he handed her to Jessie, he looked at me and said,
“She’s so beautiful, man. She looks just like Danni.”

“Thank
you. She does, doesn’t she?” I asked.

“So,
how much did she weigh?” Jude asked.

“Six
pounds, twelve ounces,” I answered proudly.

“You’re
just so tiny, aren’t you baby doll?” Jude cooed at Harlowe.

Everyone
took turns holding Harlowe for a few moments and after Ryder had gotten his
chance, he handed her back to Danni.

“So,”
Everleigh asked, snuggling Max in her arms, “are Dan and Brenda on their way?”

“Yeah,
I called them right before you all showed up. They should be here any time,” I
answered.

“They
are going to be so happy,” Everleigh answered. “She’s amazing, you guys,
truly.”

At
that moment Max started fussing in her arms and his little head was nudging
around her chest.

“Oh,
sorry, looks like he’s hungry.”

“How
can you tell that?” Jude asked her.

Everleigh
smiled at him and said, “Because he’s rooting.”

He
started at her dumbfounded. “What the hell is rooting?”

“Babies
are smart, Jude. He’s searching around looking for my nip-”

Jude
put his hands up and said, “Okay, got it. Stop. Geez, kid already sounds like
his dad.”

Ryder
put his arm around Everleigh and answered, “You know it, bro.”

I
looked around and smiled at my family before turning back to Danni, who was
holding Harlowe. She was looking down on her with such reverence and love, and
I closed my eyes for a moment to take it all in. I was a husband. I was a
father. I was truly happy and for the first time in my life, I actually felt
like I deserved it.

Danni

The
moment I saw my daughter after she was born my heart melted at the sight of
her. However, when Beau placed Harlowe in my arms and I held her for the first
time, I changed. I never thought I could instantly love someone so completely as
I did when I first held my daughter.

I
also didn’t know that I could love Beau anymore than I already did. But after
Harlowe’s birth my heart just swelled with so much love for him that it almost
took my breath away. Because of how much he loved me and how hard he fought for
us, Harlowe was here now and I was a mother. My baby girl would forever be a
beautiful reminder of how a love that I thought was long gone could be found
again in the darkest of places, and how that love could create something so
beautiful.

I
hadn’t been able to stop crying since I first saw her. I was a puffy-eyed mess
from hormone overload but when Mom and Dad made it to the hospital to meet my
child my constant crying went from a steady flow of tears to uncontrollable.
Seeing my dad holding Harlowe with a look of great pride on his face was just
the cherry on top of an amazing moment.

After
three long days in the hospital, I was finally being released. Because of my C-section
the hospital made me stay at least seventy-two hours, and I was more than ready
to go home and be with Harlowe and Beau. She’d been given a clean bill of
health and had been released to come home after forty-eight hours, but Beau
didn’t want to spend Harlowe’s first night home without me there. I was very thankful
for that. I knew I couldn’t handle it if I had to spend a single night away
from her, so Beau had made arrangements for both of them to stay with me one
more night. As soon as her discharge papers had been signed, Beau set up the
travel bassinet and made sure he had a cot to sleep on so they could be with me
until I was able to come home.

While
Beau was down making sure the base to Harlowe’s car seat was installed
properly, I got dressed and was
so
ready to get the hell out of the
hospital. I was sitting in a glider in the corner of my private room holding
Harlowe in my arms. She was sleeping peacefully and she was just so beautiful.
I still couldn’t believe she was really mine.

Her
eyes were wide open and she was looking around while her tiny hand clung to my
finger.

“We’re
busting out of here today, Harlowe. Are you as excited to go home as I am?”

She
cooed and a few spit bubbles formed in the corner of her tiny mouth. I smiled
at her and ran a finger down her soft cheek.

“I
can’t wait for you to see our house. You’re going to love it, angel. It’s big
and warm and there’s lots of space for you to play and run around when you get
older.

“I
especially can’t wait for you to see your room. It will be my first time seeing
it too and I’m excited.” Harlowe gently squealed and her eyes blinked a few
times. “I know, isn’t that crazy? Mommy hasn’t even seen your nursery yet! Your
Daddy and I were planning on getting it ready together before you got here but
you decided to come early didn’t you?” Her eyes started to droop and I smiled
at her sleepy gaze.

“Well,
can I tell you something? Even though you were a little bit early and Mommy was
scared, I would do it all over again in a second because it meant that I got to
have you in my arms. I love you so, so much, Harlowe, and I am very lucky that
I get to be your mommy.”

I
leaned my face down to hers and kissed her nose gently. She cooed once more
before her eyes drooped shut and she was fast asleep. I held my tiny sleeping
baby girl in my arms for several more minutes, and I felt so happy that my
heart literally hurt from sheer joy.

Watching
her sleep and dream, I hadn’t even realized that Beau had come back into the
room until I saw his body cast a shadow over Harlowe’s face.

“Aw,
she’s dreaming,” he said, kissing her forehead before kissing mine.

“I
know I’ve said this a lot in the last three days, but I just can’t get over how
beautiful she is.”

“She’s
the spitting image of her mother…of course she is.”

I
looked up at him and grinned before he said, “Are we ready to go home?”

“I
almost hate to wake her up, but I am
so
ready to get out of this hospital.”

“Here,
I’ll take her,” he said, holding his arms out for her. “Daddy wants to hold you
before we go home, Jelly Bean.”

I
smiled brightly as I attempted to stand up. Beau held Harlowe in one arm and
helped me out of the glider with his free hand.

“So,
you’re still going to call her Jelly Bean, huh? She has a name now, you know.”

“I
know that,” he answered, kissing my forehead once I was on two feet. “I’ve just
gotten used to calling her Jelly Bean for the past few months. Do you not want
me to call her that anymore?”

I
walked over to my bed and picked up Harlowe’s diaper bag, wincing slightly. I
watched as Beau held her so carefully in his sculpted, tattooed arms, and I
melted again.

“No,
I love that you call her that. It’s sweet.”

Beau
grinned and bent his head to kiss Harlowe’s cheek.

“Good.
Well, what do you say we spring you and Mommy out this place, huh?”

I
sat on the edge of the bed and watched as he gently placed Harlowe in her car
seat for the first time. I was so lost in watching my husband being so gentle
with our daughter that I hadn’t even noticed when the nurse came in to give us
the final discharge instructions.

I
listened intently as she gave us directions and checked to make sure that
Harlowe was secure in her seat. Once she gave us all the information we would
need, I signed the discharge papers and sat in the wheelchair that she’d
brought in for me. Beau placed Harlowe’s car seat in my lap and as soon as we
were both comfortable, he started to push my chair out of my hospital room.