Epilogue

Cam slid his hands up and down Fiona's back as she buried her face against his neck, vocalizing her way through another contraction.

"That's the way," he encouraged as she stood on her knees in the warm depths of the birthing pool, wearing only her black sports bra. He'd set them up by the French doors in the master suite—by Fi's favorite view of the lake—but there wasn't much to see as midnight approached.

"There's so much pressure," she moaned as the latest surge passed. Because the last had barely given her any time to catch her breath.

She'd been all smiles and excitement when her water broke just before dinner. Her happy spirits had continued throughout Brady's bedtime routine as she rolled with a bit of discomfort. She'd been thrilled when they welcomed his mom, Stella, and Melody as part of their support team just before nine.

But things changed quickly after Fi had taken a shower—when she could no longer speak through her contractions and Mindy, their midwife, suggested that they get the pool filled up if Fiona still planned to give birth in the water.

"There's so much pressure," she repeated, lifting her head and holding his gaze in the candlelight.

The vulnerability and pain were there for him to see in her big brown eyes. He hated the helplessness of knowing that there was nothing he could do to make any of this better. "You've got this, Fi," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You're doing such a great job."

"Another one," she said, resting her head in the crook of his neck. But this time, she grabbed hold of his hand, gripping his fingers as she grunted.

He clenched his jaw as her wedding band dug into his fingers, but he welcomed the minor discomfort as Fi went through it. "Relax your hands, Fiona. Try to relax your hands."

Her grunts grew louder—more primal. "I'm pushing," she said. "I can't stop pushing."

"Go with it," Mindy encouraged as Fi continued to bear down while Melody took pictures of their experience. "Your body knows exactly what to do."

Fi quieted as her breathing steadied out when the contraction ebbed, lifting her head to look at him again. "Cam."

He slid her hair back from her sweaty forehead, hearing her plea for help in one simple syllable. "It's almost over. We're about to meet our little one."

She nodded before she bore down again, trembling with her effort to birth their baby.

"That's it," he whispered next to her ear. "That's it, Fi."

Moments later, she lifted her head when the contraction passed, accepting a sip of the electrolyte water his mother offered her. "The pressure… I can feel him. I can feel him coming."

"Do you want me to stay here with you, or do you still want me to catch him?"

"I want you to catch him. I want us to be the first ones to touch him."

Nodding, he stepped into the pool with her, wearing a pair of black athletic shorts, crouching down as Fiona turned to sit on her bottom.

"Give me your hand, sweet girl," Stella said, taking Cam's place on the stool as his mom wiped Fi's brow with a cool cloth.

"You're so close, mama," he encouraged, settling his palms on her knees, offering the only support he could from his new position in the water.

She bore down again as Mindy moved closer with a flashlight, showing Fiona's progress as the baby started to crown. "It's burning! It's burning so much!"

"Fiona, I want you to blow," Mindy instructed. "Pant your baby's head out."

Cam panted with Fiona as she stared into his eyes, aware that she was struggling to maintain control through the agony. "Just like that, Fi."

Then he looked down to see the baby's head emerging. "Fi, he's just about here. His head is out." As they waited for her next contraction, he reached for her trembling hand, remembering all that she wanted to experience during the birth. They had no idea if they would have the opportunity to do this again, so this would be everything Fi had hoped for. "Feel him. Feel our son."

She touched the top of his head. "Our baby."

He nodded, stroking the softness of their baby's hair with her. "He's right here."

"One more push, and you can hold him," Mindy said.

Fiona's breathing started to labor again as she reached for her mother's hand when she pushed. Her rapid, grunting pants turned into a loud cry as the baby's shoulders were born.

Cam scooped him up as Fiona reached for him, both of them settling their baby against her chest.

"He's here," Fiona said in disbelief before she started to weep. "Our sweet baby."

Cam grinned, feeling the tears trailing down his cheeks as their son let out his first cries.

"You're so beautiful. You're so perfect," Fiona told their little one as she stared at him. "Look at him, Cam. Look at how wonderful he is."

He moved to be closer—to hold his wife in his arms as he stared at the miracle they had made. "He's amazing." Then he looked at her. "You're so amazing, Fiona. Look what you did. Look who you brought into the world. I love you."

She kissed him as the baby continued to cry. "I love you, too."

"Mom? Dad?" Brady stood in the doorway, sleepy-eyed and dressed in his Hulk pajamas.

"Come see your brother," Fiona invited.

Brady hurried over. "He came when I was asleep."

Cam grinned, watching his oldest son studying his youngest. "You can touch him, buddy."

Brady hesitantly touched the baby's head. "He's very small."

Cam nodded. "Just like you used to be."

Brady touched him again, gently caressing his fingers along the baby's hair. "It's okay. You don't have to cry, Hudson."

As Brady said so, Hudson settled down and opened his eyes.

Fiona grinned. "Look at that, buddy. He opened his eyes just for you."

Brady nodded as he smiled. "'Cause he knows I'm his big brother. He remembers that I talked to him when he was in your tummy."

Cam nodded. "He definitely does."

Brady frowned. "There's blood in the water."

"That's okay," Fiona reassured him as she cuddled Hudson when the baby moved in her arms. "There's some blood when a baby is born."

"Because it hurts to have a baby?"

She nodded. "But the pain goes away quickly."

"Like how it says it does in the big brother books?"

She nodded again. "Exactly."

Cam noted how Brady glanced at the water again, figuring it was better if Big Brother was busy when Fi birthed the placenta. "How about I help your mom and Hudson get out of the pool while you help both of your Grammys get your mom a healthy snack? Then you can help me cut Hudson's umbilical cord if you still want to."

Brady nodded. "I want to."

He winked at him. "Okay."

A couple of hours later, after Fiona, Hudson, and Cam had cleaned up and everyone had left, Cam lay snuggled in bed while Brady slept between him and Fi despite the bathroom light being on.

Cam grinned, watching as Hudson suckled at Fi's breast while their son wore the adorable puppy dog ears hat that Brady had picked out for him. "It looks like he knows what he's doing."

Fiona grinned as she nodded. "He's only three hours old, and he's already a genius."

Cam chuckled. "He's a beautiful baby. All seven pounds, three ounces of him."

"He is," she said as she sighed her unmistakable delight, stroking her fingers along Hudson's soft cheek. "It's still hard to believe he's actually here—that there's no one living in my body anymore."

"I like that we finally get to spend time with him—that we're going to get to know his little personality."

She grinned. "I can't believe how much he looks like you and Brady."

He shook his head. "He definitely has your nose. Hopefully, he'll have your dimples, too."

"I guess we'll see." She touched Brady's arm as she looked at him. "He's so good with the baby. He's so attentive and loving."

Cam nodded. "He's a great big brother."

"Things will be a little different now that Hudson's here. I don't want Brady feeling left out or any less loved."

Cam shook his head, finding it sweet that Fi was concerned about something that neither of them would ever let happen. "He's over the moon about his baby brother."

Fiona beamed. "He really is. I love how he wanted to help give him his first bath and hold him skin to skin like you were doing. And he already read him his homework story."

"He's going to do great, Fi."

She nodded. "I just want to make sure he feels special, too, while we all get used to a new routine."

"I was thinking about taking him out for a Brady and Dad breakfast on Saturday. I'll invite my dad and grandpa. We'll make it a special manly Bennet event."

Fiona grinned. "That sounds perfect. And I'll be sure to do some special Mom and Brady activities with him, too. Maybe we can help Grammy Stella get the seeds started for her garden."

"He'll definitely go for that."

"I think so, too."

He tucked her hair behind her ear, staring at the woman he'd adored for such a long time. "You were amazing, Fi. Tonight and every day before that. Carrying this baby for nine months. Birthing him like a freaking champ."

She smiled. "You helped me have my dream birth. You were right here with me."

"I never want to be anywhere else. Look what I have. My beautiful wife. My two perfect boys. This life that we're making, Fi…"

She nodded. "It's pretty special."

"It's everything. You're everything. Our boys are everything. On the nights we used to talk and dream about our future family… Nothing I imagined ever came close to how amazing this is."

"Cam," she whispered, touching his cheek as her eyes grew teary. "I love you."

"I love you, too, mama."

Hudson squirmed as he stopped suckling and slept.

"Maybe I can settle our little guy on my chest for a while so you can get some sleep."

Fi adjusted her crossover nursing bra she'd bought for nighttime feedings. "What about you?"

"I'll get some sleep soon," he said as he carefully picked up their son, snuggling him against his naked chest, breathing in the amazing scent of new baby.

Fi winced as she eased herself farther down on the bed. "I guess I'm a little sorer than I realized."

"Rest. I've got things covered for the next little while. And Big Brother and I will take care of breakfast. Because I'm pretty sure both of our mothers hooked us up with several meals in the fridge. My mom mentioned that she made Grandma Bennet's breakfast casserole."

Fi's eyes brightened. "She did?"

He nodded, noting that she was running on fumes. "We'll get you a big ol' serving when you're ready. With avocado," he added before she could. Because Fi had been obsessed with the green fruit for the last five months.

She nodded, rolling to her side, resting her arm across Brady as she held Cam's hand. "That sounds perfect."

He stroked his thumb along her knuckles. "Night, Fi."

"Good night."

He smiled in the dim glow coming from the bathroom, listening as Fi's breathing quickly steadied out, matching Brady's, staring at the little one he'd been eager to meet for months. "Welcome to the world, Hudson Anthony Bennet. You're one lucky boy."

His smile returned because he was lucky, too. He had everything he'd ever wanted, yet as he looked at his family cozied up under the covers in the wee hours of a cold April morning, he knew the best was yet to come.

The End

Three Siblings. One Year. Everything Changes.

Stained glass artist Callie Davis is in desperate need of a vacation. Burnt out and on the edge of a nervous breakdown, she yearns for lazy days and solitude. But then she meets gorgeous Sheriff Nate Carter.

Nate and Callie's relationship quickly heats up until Callie starts remembering secrets from her past that have the potential to rip apart their lives.

Secrets Hidden In The Glass , book one of The Carter Island Trilogy .