Call Her Mine (Harmony Pointe #1)- Melissa Foster Page 0,59

as saucers beneath his mop of brown hair. “Put me down! Mommy said you have a baby. I want to hold it!”

“It’s a she, buddy,” Ben said as he set Louie on his feet.

“I know! B! ” Louie ran toward Roxie, who was cooing at the baby.

“Slow down, Louie,” Bodhi called after him. At six three, Bodhi dwarfed Bridgette, and his love for her and Louie was just as immense. He clapped a hand on Ben’s shoulder as Bridgette hugged Aurelia, and he said, “Congrats, man. On both counts.”

“Maybe we need to start calling you Potent Ben,” Bridgette said as she hugged him.

Bridgette was the youngest and had always been the wildest of Ben’s siblings. She’d left college to marry a musician, only to lose him in a tragic accident shortly after Louie was born. She was an amazing mother to Louie, and though she’d missed her husband, she’d never complained about raising Louie alone. But Ben was glad she had Bodhi now, giving her and Louie the love they deserved.

Bridgette put her hand on her little baby bump, smiling up at Ben, her wavy several-shades-of-blond hair framing her face, and said, “Were you trying to steal our baby thunder?”

“Hardly, Bridge.”

The front door opened, and Talia and Derek stepped inside. Their faces were flushed, and Derek’s dark hair, which hung nearly to his shoulders, was messy and tangled. Talia averted her eyes.

Aurelia looked at Talia like she’d grown a second head and said, “I think your sweater is on backward.”

Talia gasped and looked down as Piper appeared in the doorway behind her. Piper joined them, closing the door behind her. “Hey, Tal. I swear I thought I saw your car parked on that side road people used to . . . Is your sweater on backward?”

Talia blushed and hurried down the hall toward the bathroom, causing them all to chuckle.

Derek pushed a hand through his hair with a rakish grin and said, “We, uh . . .”

“Looks like someone took advantage of not having his father underfoot,” Zane said with a waggle of his brows.

Everyone laughed and talked at once as they moved into the living room. Zane and Bodhi gave Derek grief about going parking like a teenager. Bridgette grabbed Aurelia’s hand and said, “I want to hear everything,” and dragged her toward the baby with Piper in tow.

Dan draped an arm around Ben, who said, “Welcome home, Dad.” He noticed the way his father was looking at him differently. “What?”

“It’s not every day my son becomes a father.” He drew him into a manly hug and said, “Congratulations. Fatherhood looks good on you.”

Ben hadn’t expected the rush of emotions consuming him, but he didn’t have long to swim in them. His father said, “Did you put the baby in her own room?”

“Not yet. I can’t. I like having her close.”

Dan shook his head, smiling as he said, “Just like your mother. That’s okay. You’ll know when it’s the right time.”

Talia entered the room wearing her sweater properly and made a beeline for the baby. “Okay, Nana Roxie. Give Auntie Talia a turn, you baby hog.”

“Auntie Talia,” Louie said as Roxie handed her the baby, “her name is Grandma Roxie.” Having said his piece, he went to play with the toys Willow and Zane kept in a bucket by the fireplace.

“Hear that, baby?” Talia said sweetly, nuzzling the baby. “It’s Grandma Roxie. Did you have fun with Uncle Fletch and Molly yesterday at the park? I heard all about how cute you were. You are the most precious little muffin, aren’t you? Found on the front porch like the best gift ever, huh?”

Ben listened to his usually too-proper sister spewing baby talk in a high-pitched voice, and he could do little more than stare. Boy, had his studious sister changed. By the surprised looks in the room, everyone else was also confounded by her baby talk.

“Derek, what have you done to her?” Bridgette asked. “She wasn’t this way even when Louie was born.”

“I was too,” Talia said.

A murmur of disagreement made its way around the room.

Derek put his arm around Talia and said, “I don’t know what you guys are talking about. Tallie loves babies.”

“I think someone’s maternal clock is ticking,” Roxie said.

“I love this baby, but better her than me,” Willow said.

Roxie looked at Ben and said, “Ben, she’s a beautiful girl, but I have a few questions, some of which are about her mother.” She turned a softer look to Aurelia and said, “Aurelia, honey, you know