Page 97 of Her Ex's Father
Caroline squeezes my hand under the table, pride shining in her eyes. Now I’ll just have to tell Ben.
The shower is a blur of laughter and small gifts—blankets, books, impossibly tiny shoes. My cheeks ache from smiling, my heart from swelling. I never thought I’d feel celebrated like this, surrounded by people who actually want me here.
And then the air shifts.
Ben appears at the edge of the pavilion.
A ripple of surprise moves through the crowd—men don’t usually come to baby showers. But when Ben strides across the pavilion, no one dares stop him. He’s all dark flannel and quiet power, the kind of presence that makes people instinctively move out of his way.
He comes straight to me, bends, and presses a kiss to my forehead. The murmur around us grows, but he doesn’t seem to notice. My mother’s eyes cut like glass, taking it in, the realization that this might actually be more than a business transaction. Her lips purse in displeasure.
“I have something for you,” Ben says, his voice low but carrying.
I blink. “Ben?—”
He nods to Hugh, who steps forward with a leather folder. Ben opens it, holding it where I can see.
“It’s yours,” he says simply. “Eighty acres in Montana. The stretch of land you’ve always loved, near the river bend—the one you told me about. Where you wanted to build a house. I’veworked with the environmental trust to make it permanent. A sanctuary. No developers will ever touch it.”
The words hit me like a tidal wave. My throat closes, tears springing hot to my eyes.
“But—”
He goes on, steady, sure. “There’s a cabin. Small, it has all the necessities. For you. For us. For when you need to breathe, or when our daughter needs to run wild. It’s yours whenever you want it. Forever.”
The pavilion goes silent, every eye on us. But all I see is him.
Tears spill down my cheeks before I can stop them. My voice shakes. “Ben…”
He cups my face, thumb brushing away the wetness. “I told you. I’d do anything for you. For her.” His other hand rests over my stomach, firm and tender. “Anything.”
I can’t speak. I can only throw my arms around his neck, burying my face against his chest as sobs shake me. The pavilion erupts in applause, laughter, warmth.
But I hardly hear it.
All I feel is the man who found me, who fought for me, who has given me not just a future, but a home I never thought I’d have. When I open my eyes, the first thing I see is a gorgeous tree twisting up against the blue sky—and I know right then that it’sher.
Juniper.
Chapter 36
Benedict
October, 6.5 months
The engines hum like a lullaby beneath my feet, steady and relentless as we carve across the Atlantic sky. From my seat in the jet’s cabin, I can see the world dissolve into endless white below us—clouds stretched like a blanket, the sun glinting gold against the windows.
The baby shower was a week ago, and Caroline caught me waiting for the other shoe to drop. Right before we left the lodge, she’d kissed me on the cheek and murmured in my ear: “She’s fine, Ben. She hasyou.Even if her family upset her, she knows now that you’re here for her and the baby.”
Gwen Clarke was certainly the villain of that afternoon; sharp glances at other guests, a single brow raised at comments anyone made about our happy marriage. Though I only lingered for twenty minutes, it was long enough to see that Gwen still didn’t realize just how much her daughter was cherished here.
The land in Montana was the least I could do—after everything that Maddie has done for me.
She’s sitting across from me in one of the wide leather seats, barefoot, her legs curled under her. Her hair falls in loose waves, catching the cabin’s light. The cashmere wrap she loves is pulledaround her shoulders, and her hand rests absently over her belly, like she can’t help but touch the proof of what we’ve made. It’s October, and she’s the epitome of the season back home: all golds and browns and beige, comfort and warmth.
My throat tightens.
Six months pregnant. I don’t think I’ve stopped being in awe of her since the day she told me.
