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  His words caused a shiver to run down Allison’s back. How had Joshua known? How had he known just the right thing to say? Even as she watched, Ellie’s nods became more emphatic, and the fear in her expression turned to speculation, then wonder.

  Joshua continued, “Besides, the fairies have told me you’re going to be awesome at this.”

  A flicker of doubt resurfaced on Ellie’s face. “But I don’t believe in fairies.”

  “You don’t have to.” Joshua smiled and—still holding her hand—placed his other hand on her cheek. “Because they believe in you. You can do this, Ellie.”

  It was as if whatever had happened in that garden earlier that evening happened again. Something very much like golden light seemed to wrap itself around Joshua’s arm—or was it only thanks to that lamp on the nightstand?—and transfer from his hand into Ellie. She took a deep breath, and as she did, Allison swore she saw the laboring mother glowing from within, in a way she hadn’t been just a second ago.

  Ellie nodded once, and then again more firmly. “I can do this.”

  Joshua smiled slightly. “You will do this.”

  Another nod. “I will do this. I will bring my baby into this world here, in my home, just like I’ve been planning for months.”

  “Because you’re strong and capable.”

  “Because I am awesome, that’s why!”

  With a wide grin, Joshua dropped his hand from Ellie’s cheek and backed away, as if allowing her space to go to her husband. But a look of surprise flitted across his face when she grabbed his hand again in both of hers, preventing him from leaving.

  “You’ve got to stay though, okay?” She asked intently.

  “What?” Joshua seemed as confused by the request as Allison was. “No, I just stopped by to chat with Will.” He glanced across the room at the younger man, then back to Ellie. “I’m not a family member or anything.”

  “That doesn’t matter!” Ellie’s laugh was a little manic. “I’m the one in labor here, and what I say goes, right?” She waited for Allison and Will’s nod, before she smiled tightly. “You calmed me down, and I want you here to calm me down the next time it happens.”

  Joshua’s smile was kind. “Alright,” he agreed quietly. And then that golden light seemed to seep out of him once more. “But I don’t think you’re going to need me that much. I think you’re calm and confident right now.”

  “Yes.” Ellie nodded firmly. “Yes, I can do this.” Her next smile was bright and genuine as she met her husband’s eyes across the room. “We’re going to have a baby, and I’m going to labor here in my house with all these nifty gadgets Allison brought us, and even if everything doesn’t go according to plan, we are going to meet our little person soon.”

  The couple was beaming when they met in the middle of the room, and Will’s arms went around his wife. “I know you can do this, sweetheart. I can’t wait—” His voice caught. “I can’t wait to meet our baby.”

  “I’m glad you’re here with me. I’m sorry I freaked out a little bit back there.”

  But Will just dropped a kiss to her forehead that was so sweet, Allison felt like an interloper.

  “I love you, sweetheart. And I’m so proud of you.”

  Ellie beamed up at her husband. “Let’s go bake some cookies!”

  Indy yipped happily and spun around in a circle.

  As the couple left the room, Allison met Joshua’s eyes. What had he done back there? He’d known exactly what to say, and then he seemed to…share something incredible with Ellie. Confidence? Love? Fairy magic? Whatever it was, it was intangible, supernatural, and something she wouldn’t have believed yesterday.

  Tonight though? Tonight she would believe anything about the man she loved.

  Joshua’s grin was a little sheepish. “Looks like I’m here for the duration.”

  And despite the fact Allison had birthed plenty of babies—and pulled plenty of all-nighters—she was glad he was here with her for this one.

  Smiling, she held the door for him. “I’ll go make some coffee. I think it’s going to be a long night.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Allison was half-asleep by the time he got her back to his room. He’d put his arm around her waist as they left the Westons’ house—just as a show of support—but she’d put her head down on his shoulder, and he’d swear she sleepwalked her way all the way over to the Main House. There was no way he was going to let her drive back to her condo in Post Falls, so he insisted she take his room—which was still clean from yesterday—for at least a few hours’ nap.

  And the poor woman desperately needed it. While Joshua had managed to catch a nap out in Will’s hammock once the baby had arrived, Allison had been going strong all night. He was pretty sure she was surviving solely on coffee and willpower at this point, but he sure was proud of her.

  She probably didn’t even notice when he tucked her into bed, or when he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was regular. Poor thing hadn’t even bothered changing clothes.

  Staring down at her, his hands shoved in his pockets to keep them from touching her, Joshua smiled. It had taken him forty-two years, but he’d finally done what Aunt Jaclyn had always wanted. He’d finally found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

  Speaking of his aunt, he might as well go have some snickerdoodles. He had run over to the café when it opened earlier that morning to get some protein-filled breakfasts to-go for everyone involved with the birth…but those eggs seemed like a long time ago.

  A lifetime ago, if he was honest. Little Wade Redfern Weston had been born right after sunrise.

  Ellie’s labor had lasted all night. Of course, he’d understood what was going on only academically; it was incredible to actually see it happen. Ellie would laugh and joke—and bake cookies—and then suddenly she’d clench up and start walking. She would pace through the kitchen as Allison timed the contraction on her phone, murmuring words of encouragement that Will repeated to his wife.

  As the night continued, Joshua had done everything in his power to keep Will calm and focused on Ellie, and at the same time, doing whatever was needed to bring light and laughter into their home. Right about the time things started getting awkward—Allison called it transition labor—Ellie’s sister and mom had shown up. Dink was married to Will’s best friend and lived here on the ranch. She said she’d woken up at two in the morning with a premonition, and called Muz, who had an apartment in town now that all of her children had moved to the ranch.

  Just like that, Joshua’s role had changed. It had become his job to keep Muz busy, listening to her stories about Ellie’s childhood, and laughing at her suggestions for her grandmother name. Right around dawn, they’d decided on “NanaMuz,” and she’d said, “Jeez-a-rino, that was tough! It’s not like it was rocket surgery or something!”

  That’s when they’d heard the baby’s first cry ringing from the master bath where Ellie had chosen to give birth. Joshua couldn’t hold the older woman back, and she’d gone barreling in to meet her grandchild.

  “It’s a boy!” Will had proudly announced from his place by the bathtub, where Ellie—draped in a towel—was sobbing and smiling and staring down at a tiny bundle of purple skin and pale hair.

  Joshua hadn’t realized he was crying until he felt the tears on his cheeks.

  He’d let the family have their time together—and Ellie her privacy—since they’d no longer had any need for what little he could offer. He still wasn’t sure why Ellie had wanted him there, but he was glad he’d been able to help in some way. He’d waited outside—playing with Indy, and then snoozing in the hammock—for another few hours, while Allison monitored baby Reddy’s vitals, and administered the postnatal care Ellie needed. Although the new mother had been high on joy and excitement when she brought her baby into the world, she soon crashed from sheer exhaustion.

  And then Allison, her duty done, had given a list of instructions to Dink, an
d was now deep asleep as well.

  Joshua eased the door to his room closed behind him, wanting to give her all the rest he could. She deserved it. He didn’t think he’d ever experienced anything so incredible as what he’d seen last night; not just Ellie’s determination and strength, but the way Allison had nurtured and supported and loved through it all.

  She might not be a mother herself, but Allison seemed to understand what it was all about. He remembered a conversation they’d had last week—had it only been last week?—when he’d asked if she’d ever wanted kids. She’d shrugged and said, “Yes, but it wasn’t in God’s plan.”

  Now though, Joshua wondered. He’d been having a thought, an idea...that maybe God—and the fairies—would give them both a chance.

  But first he had to talk to Aunt Jaclyn.

  As always, his great aunt seemed to be waiting for him. Up until recently, he’d just assumed it was luck. But now, he had utter faith that the fairies had told her he was coming. So when she held the door open without a word, he just smiled and nodded and slipped past her on the way to the living room, giving a knowing nod to the fairy wind chime dangling in her kitchen. Sure enough, there was tea and snickerdoodles waiting on her coffee table, with a pot of honey for him.

  Folding himself into one of her chairs, he pushed one of her rabbits out of the way, and reached for the teapot. “You know just how I like it,” he said, stirring a teaspoon of honey into the tea. “One might guess you were expecting me.”

  She scoffed. “Don’t be daft, boy.” Scooping up two large gray rabbits, she plopped herself down in the chair across from him and cradled the animals on her lap. “You know good and well I was expecting you.” She began to stroke one of the rabbits behind the ears, but her movements were contained, jerky. Like she was agitated about something.

  Joshua hid his grin behind the tea cup and saucer. “Ah, yes,” he said calmly. “I suppose you want me to believe the fairies kept you apprised of my schedule?”

  He was hard-pressed not to laugh out loud at the look of confusion that flickered across his great aunt’s face. She blinked, opened her mouth to reply, and then shut it with the snap. Sparring with her was much more fun now that he knew her hidden edge.

  Slowly, she moved one of the rabbits to the floor by her feet. “You mean to tell me, after all the evidence I’ve shown you, you still don’t believe in fairies?”

  “Evidence? What evidence would that be?”

  “How can you say that? You’ve seen all the things I’ve managed to do—all the couples I’ve brought together!—with the fairies’ help! You really don’t see—”

  Joshua’s laughter stopped her. She really was adorable when she got so irate. Absently, Joshua wondered if his great aunt had ever met Ellie’s mother, Muz. They’d probably get along like a house on fire.

  The old woman’s eyes narrowed. “You’re teasing me, aren’t you?” As she scratched the remaining rabbit’s ears, her expression turned thoughtful. “I just can’t figure out what you’re teasing me about.”

  “I’m not teasing you, Aunt Jaclyn,” Joshua lied. “I’m just saying I don’t think you can really hear the fairies speak to you.”

  “How can you say that?” she repeated at a near wail. “They’re all around us!”

  “Yes, I know.” Joshua calmly sipped his tea, inwardly smiling at her stunned expression. “I just think you might be getting hard of hearing.”

  “Why, you impudent—” The old woman bit off her insult, glaring at him. She looked like she wanted to throw the rabbit at his head. “I hear everything they say to me, perfectly! I’ve been listening for more than thirty-five years, after all.”

  When Joshua let his smile slowly grow, her eyes narrowed. He could see her working back through their conversation, and he could see the exact moment she realized he’d agreed with her about the fairies. Her eyes went wide, then narrow, then wide again.

  “What did you say?”

  “I said…” Wow this is fun. He raised his voice theatrically to yell, “I think you might be getting hard of—”

  “Not that!” she scoffed. “You said you knew. You agreed that the fairies are all around us.”

  He stared into his murky tea. “But either you misunderstood them, or they are lying to you.” Before she had a chance to ask what he was talking about, Joshua continued. “Because you told me they’d said Allison Ravenwing was not the woman for me.”

  The sudden anger he felt roiling in his stomach surprised him. Still, this was the rest of his life the fairies were messing around with. So he let that irritation show when he looked his great aunt in the eye. “And Allison Ravenwing is most definitely the woman for me.”

  He slammed his tea cup and saucer down on the table, making one of the nearby rabbits jump and glare at him. Aunt Jaclyn, however, hid her reaction well behind a bland mask. For some reason, that made him even angrier.

  “She’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, Aunt Jaclyn. And this isn’t a hypothesis. In science, we call certainties—like gravity—‘theories.’ But this isn’t even a theory. It’s the repeatable, provable, unequivocal truth.”

  The old woman’s only reaction was to raise one slim eyebrow. “And how do you know that, boy?”

  Her calm question infuriated him even more. Pushing himself out of the chair, he roared, “Because they told me so!”

  Aunt Jaclyn burst into tears. Well, not so much burst as she uttered a half-choked sob, dropped the rabbit she was holding, and clasped her hands to her cheeks. Joshua’s anger ebbed to puzzlement, then awkwardness, as she rose from her chair and moved around the table to hug him. Standing there, enveloped in her arms, Joshua suddenly felt like a little boy again. A little boy who wasn't quite sure what was going on.

  “I'm so proud of you, Joshy! I've waited so long for this moment.”

  “What? For me to find out you lied?” That was the only explanation. If fairies were real, and if they could speak to him and his great aunt, then she must have lied to him about their message.

  “Well, no.” She gave a half-laugh, half-hiccup, and squeezed him one more time, before pulling back. “I’ve only been waiting—what? A week?—for you to figure that out.”

  This was getting more and more confusing, and Joshua hated not understanding something. It made him feel even younger than he currently felt. “What are you saying?” He leaned away from his aunt’s hug. “That you admit to lying to me? You did it—why? On purpose?”

  She kept her hands on his shoulders while she smiled up at him through her tears. “For years, I’ve been trying to convince you I’m not crazy. Oh, I know you love me, Joshy, but you’re a scientist. You always saw me as not-quite all there, didn’t you?”

  He shifted uncomfortably, suddenly unable to meet his aunt’s eyes. It made his stomach flip over, knowing that’s what she’d assumed he was thinking all this time. Even worse, he wasn’t entirely sure her assumption was wrong.

  “Aunt Jaclyn…”

  But she just smiled softly. “I don’t begrudge you your opinions, boy. But fairies are real, and I knew they were in your blood. I wanted a way for you to see them. To see me.” She squeezed his shoulders. “I saw the way your eyes lit up when you spoke about Allison. I said to myself, ‘Here’s a reason he would confront the fairies, if only to prove me wrong.’ So I lied to you about her being the wrong woman for you.” Her hands dropped from him, and she looked away. “I hope this won’t ruin your opinion of me in my final years.”

  Oh man. When Aunt Jaclyn did her little-old-lady act, Joshua knew he could forgive her anything. “Oh, come here,” he muttered under his breath, as he pulled her into a hug.

  Her arms snaked around him, and she squeezed him the way she used to when he was a little boy. “You forgive me?”

  Not willing to admit his weakness towards her, he just grumbled against the top of her gray hair. Still, he felt her cheeks crinkle into a smile.

  “It worked though, didn’t it?” Her voice was
muffled against his chest.

  Leaning back, he held her at an arms-length. “Yeah. It worked.” He mock-scowled down at her. “But that doesn’t mean all of your schemes are going to work.”

  She just patted his hand where it rested against her upper arm, and beamed up at him. “Of course it does, dear boy. Don’t you know my schemes always work? You confronted the fairies to prove them wrong, didn’t you? You saw the connection between you and Allison, didn’t you?”

  Remembering the golden thread that seemed to link his heart to Allison’s, Joshua smiled slightly. “Yeah. Yeah I did. The fairies told me she and I are meant to be together, and I believe them.”

  “And the fairies?”

  He pretended like he didn’t know what she meant. “Hmm?”

  Scowling, she poked him in the chest with one long finger. “The fairies, Joshy. Do you believe in the fairies?”

  Sighing, he finally admitted the truth. “Yes, Aunt Jaclyn. I do.”

  “It’s about time! Now…” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked up at him expectantly. “What are you going to do about it?”

  “About the fairies?”

  “No, you silly boy!” She rolled her eyes, exasperated. “About Allison. What are you going to do about Allison, and the connection your hearts share?”

  Until that very moment, Joshua hadn’t been sure about the answer. But there was a sparkle in his aunt’s eyes as she smirked up at him that made him wonder… And then, there was a melodic tinkle from the kitchen, as the fairy wind chime turned without any wind.

  And he knew.

  A kind of lightness built in his chest, filling him to bursting. He smiled, suddenly knowing the only way to release it. “I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Allison woke herself after a two-hour nap, stripped out of her dirty scrubs, and climbed in the shower. From experience pulling all-nighters, she knew she shouldn’t nap too long, or she’d never get back on her regular sleep schedule. Long, hot showers, however, worked wonders for waking her up.