Unsung (26 page)

He'd spent all of those nights in Australia—when he was
half a freaking world away—
thinking about it. And he knew what he needed to do first. A man-to-man conversation with Paul Laurence was priority number one.

Tuesday provided just such an opportunity. They were driving up about two hours north of Mirabelle to go fishing. Harper was ridiculously happy about the fact that he was going to be spending the day with her father. And as he genuinely liked Paul, he was looking forward to the day as well.

The plan was to leave at five o'clock in the morning when Paul picked him up at the apartment.

But Liam didn't hear the alarm and it was Harper who woke him, her hand on his chest before it slid down and wrapped around his dick.

“One for the road?” she whispered in his ear.

And just like that she successfully managed to get him up twice over.

The sun was still sitting low in the sky and hadn't cleared the forest that surrounded them when Liam and Paul got to the lake. The humidity wasn't too terrible yet and as they would be in the shade of the trees it looked to be a pretty good setup.

The entire ride up Liam had been trying to figure out how to broach the subject…just jump right on in. Or segue into it at some point during the day. Or…

“I can smell you thinking over there.” Paul's voice interrupted Liam's thoughts.

They were both standing at the back of the truck putting their rods together. Liam turned to the man next to him and caught the corner of Paul's mouth doing that slight twitch that meant he was amused.

“I'm trying to figure out how to ask you a question.”

“Well, you want my advice? Just come out and ask me already.” Another twitch moved his lip.

“I want to marry your daughter.”

“That didn't sound like a question.”

“It wasn't.” Liam shook his head. “It's a fact. It's also a fact that I love her more than anyone and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. That's never going to change, either. And I know she's who I'd want no matter the circumstances. I don't want to marry her just because she's pregnant. I want to marry her because she's it for me.”

“I still don't hear a question in there.”

“Because none of that is in question.”

“Then what is?”

Liam took a deep breath before he asked. “Do I have your blessing in asking her to marry me?”

“There it is.” Paul looked over, his head tilted to the side just slightly. Though the man was wearing sunglasses, Liam could feel his penetrating gaze doing a rather extensive study. “You know, Harper's ex didn't ask for my blessing when he asked Harper to marry him. He wouldn't have gotten it, either, because he wasn't the man she was supposed to marry. Not all that shocking as he walked out on her in the end.”

“Moron,” Liam muttered under his breath.

The twitch in Paul's mouth curved up into a smile before he turned back to the task at hand, grabbing another piece of the rod to attach. “Lucky for you, huh?”

“Something I find myself thanking God for every day.” Liam cleared his throat, reaching up and scratching the back of his neck. “So you two ever talk about the fact that you didn't think he was good enough?”

“Yeah we did, a number of conversations in fact. And at the end she always told me she was sure about him. But I always sensed that flicker of doubt. Which was why I kept asking. A year and a half and he never quite proved himself to me. And you know, beginning circumstances being what they were, I wasn't all that hopeful about you, either. But for my daughter's sake I was going to give you a chance.”

“And hope that I was smarter?”

“Oh, you proved that long before I met you, Liam. You didn't walk away from her.”

“I know what it's like to lose her. To think there's no chance of getting her back. I don't ever want to feel like that again.”

“Definitely smarter than Brad.” Paul nodded. “Still didn't mean you were worthy of her.”

“If you're waiting for some revelation as to that, I think you will be waiting for a long time. Because honestly? No one will ever be worthy of Harper. I knew it before. Knew it the first time I saw her. Knew I would spend the rest of my life trying to prove myself. And, circumstances being what they are, I understand it even more. No one will be worthy of my daughter, either. Ever.”

“It takes a real man to understand that.” Paul put the rod on the back of his truck before he turned his entire body to face Liam. He folded his arms across his chest as he leaned against the hitch. “You know how many times I've asked Harper if she was sure about you?”

“How many?”

“Once. The night she told me she was pregnant. When I met you I didn't need to ask anymore. The first thing I saw was you looking at my daughter like she was your entire world. You want my blessing to marry her? You've got it, Liam.” Paul extended his hand out.

Liam was a little taken aback by the last words that Paul had spoken, and it took him a second to get over the shock and reach out, grabbing the proffered hand and shaking it.

“Welcome to the family, son.”

Harper got to her parents' house just after six o'clock, Darby and Luna greeting her when she walked in as per usual. She'd dropped Lune off before work since she and Liam were going to have a late evening with dinner and everything else.

“Hey guys,” she said, getting down low and scratching both of their heads.

“Harper?” Delilah called out.

“Be there in a second.”

She gave the dogs about another minute of a good rubdown before she straightened and headed for the kitchen. Delilah was at the stove, the cast iron skillet popping with oil.

“Hey, Mom.” Harper came up next to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek just as Delilah dropped a dollop of dough in the oil.

“Hey, sweetie.” Delilah leaned into the kiss.

It wasn't like their relationship had done a complete one-eighty in the last couple of weeks, but they were working on it. It was definitely better than it had been, and her mother had accepted the fact that she was going to be a grandmother.

So Harper had that going for her.

“They back?”

“Yeah, about thirty minutes ago. They're both getting a shower.”

“Separately I hope,” Harper said as she reached for an already cooked hush puppy.

Delilah turned and looked at her, not impressed with the joke.

“I know, I know. I did
not
get my sense of humor from you.” She grinned before she took a bite.

“
Clearly
you did not. It's definitely from your father.”

“Has to be.”

“Mmm hmm.” She nodded as she dropped another dollop into the oil. “Hey, your father and I pulled a few things for Baby Girl from the attic yesterday. We put it in the room with all of the other stuff.”

Baby Girl.
God, they were having a little girl. Every time she thought about that fact the most perfect, indescribable flutter ran through her belly. Though there were quite a few flutters lately.
Baby Girl
was moving around. Nothing drastic as of yet. No kicking hard enough for Liam to feel.

Harper knew how anxious he was for that moment to happen.

“Baby Girl?”
Harper had to ask, as this was the first time her mother had addressed the baby with that moniker, and Harper would be lying if she said she didn't love it. “That's what we're referring to her as now?” Harper turned, popping the last of the hush puppy in her mouth as she leaned back against the counter to get a perfect view of her mother's face.

“Until you and that man of yours figure out a name.”

“That man of mine?” Those words sounded kind of perfect coming out of her mouth, and yes all evidence pointed to the fact that he was her man, but…but sometimes minds changed.

Where the hell had that come from?
Harper was more than slightly shocked by that last thought, and it caused a painful pang in her chest.

She was just being ridiculous. It was just another small moment of insecurity. She shook it off and focused on her mother again.

“Yes.” Delilah's face came up and focused on her daughter. No joking in her gaze to be found. “That man of
yours
. Anyone who writes a song about you has to be your man. Right?”

Right…the song. “I sure hope so,” Harper agreed. Actually those words were more like a prayer.

“It's a good song you know. And it's doing pretty well from what I've gathered.”

“It is.” She nodded still a little distracted, but then her mother's words resonated. “Where are you gathering this?”

“The Google,” Delilah said entirely straight faced.

It took everything in Harper not to laugh. “The Google? Really?”

“Yeah, I know how to look things up. You know, not only is he talented, but he's very photogenic. Not very many people look as good in pictures as they do in real life. He's got fantastic genes.”

“He does. Good thing he's the man I'm breeding with.” The smile that turned up her mouth was genuine…her small moment of crazy pushed to the back of her mind.

“This is true. At least you have excellent taste in attractive men.
That
you get from me.” Delilah looked over and grinned.

“I sure did. Can I go up and see what you pulled from the attic?”

“Go for it.”

“Thanks.” Harper leaned in and placed another kiss on her mother's cheek before she turned and headed for the backstairs at the side of the kitchen.

The “storage room” was actually Harper's old bedroom. It was the very last room at the end of the hallway, right across from the bathroom. The door was shut and the fan was going. She wondered if Liam was still naked behind that door. Drying off after he got out of the shower. For just a second she was tempted to knock and walk in there.

No. Stop it right this very second. You are in your parents' house. Your. Parents'. House. No no no.

Holy hell, five minutes ago she'd been contemplating the idea that Liam might leave her…and now she wanted to jump him. Sometimes she wondered if it was the pregnancy hormones that were making her crazy or if she was just crazy.

It's the pregnancy,
she reassured herself as she veered off and headed to the left.

The door was partially cracked and when she stepped inside her old bedroom her eyes landed on exactly what her parents had pulled from the attic. Her heart flew up into her throat and that flutter ran through her belly again.

It was the antique cradle that she'd been rocked in as a baby, the very same cradle that her mother and aunt had been rocked in as well. The light brown wood was still in pristine condition even after fifty plus years.

She took a step forward, reaching out and running her fingers across the side, tracing the detailed woodwork. Lilies had been carved into the wood, wrapping around the entirety of the piece of furniture.

The corner of her eyes prickled, and when she blinked the tears fell down her cheeks.

The bathroom door behind her opened and she turned, looking over her shoulder as Liam stepped out, steam making a haze behind him. His hair was wet, a slight curl in the strands that hung low across his forehead.

“Hey,” she sniffed, reaching up and wiping her fingers across her cheek.

“What's wrong?” He was across the hall and reaching for her within seconds.

“Nothing.” She shook her head, more tears falling with the motion.

“Then why are you crying?” Now he was the one reaching up, his thumb wiping away the fresh tears that tracked down her face.

“This.” She turned, her hand on the wood again as she traced the flowers. “My parents pulled it down from the attic. It was made in Italy, one of the few things my grandparents had shipped over when they moved to the States. Nonna Sofia loved lilies so Papa Jack had it made for her.”

“Sofia,” Liam said slowly, rolling the name on his tongue. He reached out for the cradle, too, his fingers right next to her and tracing the flowers on the wood. “What about Sofia Lillian?”

They looked at each other at the same time. A smile was turning up the corner of his mouth as his free hand went to her stomach, his palm flat on her belly.

“That's it.” She grinned back at him, her hand covering his. “That's her name.”

Liam leaned down, pressing his mouth to hers. “We just named our daughter,” he whispered against her lips. And then he was kneeling down in front of Harper, both of his hands on her belly as he leaned in. “We just named you. What do
you
think about Sofia Lillian?” he asked.

It was at that moment that it happened, a small pop hit the side of her belly. Liam looked up at Harper, his eyes going huge. “Did that just happen? Did she just kick my hand?”

Harper could only nod, the look of sheer joy on Liam's face making her momentarily speechless.

His gaze dropped down again. “You like your name, Sofia Lillian?” he asked as another kick hit his hand. “It's amazing.” He shook his head before he leaned in and pressed his lips to the spot. “God, this is incredible.”

And this time it was a sniff from the doorway that filled the room. Harper and Liam both looked over at the same time to see her mother standing there, tears falling from her eyes.

“I'm sorry.” She took a deep breath like she was trying to compose herself. “I came up to see what you thought about the cradle. I…I didn't mean to…to interrupt. You're going to name her after my mother?”

“Is that okay?” Harper asked.

“It's more than okay.” Delilah nodded, her bottom lip quivering.

Liam got to his feet again. “You want to feel your granddaughter move?”

The question was barely out of his mouth before Delilah was moving across the room. Liam grabbed her hand, placing it over the spot that Sofia had been kicking. It took a moment before another pop hit the side of Harper's abdomen.