Amusing You - Claire Cullen Page 0,80
seems you’re one of them. We’ll know for next time.”
William wasn’t sure about next time, deciding that once was exciting enough for now, but Harper smiled and agreed softly, “Yeah, next time.”
Zac came to take a closer peek at the baby, and then stepped out to call Beckett. The doctor and midwife finished their checks, helped Harper tidy up, and left them to it.
“You were right to come,” Harper admitted, smiling tiredly. “You’d have missed this otherwise.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. But you couldn’t have known it would happen so quickly. Look how surprised everyone else was.”
“Yeah. And hey, now you get to say you delivered your own kid. There must be a merit badge for that, huh?”
“Must be,” William said with a laugh. “You were right, you know. You and your bones.”
No matter how many times Harper had insisted he knew it was a girl, William had been skeptical.
“Well, the odds weren’t exactly astronomical.”
William climbed onto the bed beside him, and Harper passed the now blanket-wrapped baby into his arms.
“We should decide on a name.”
They’d been gifted a few name books and had idly flicked through them, but neither of them wanted to commit to a name until their little one was in their arms. But there she was—a warm, precious weight against William’s chest. Something in his heart that had long been cracked mended as he stared down at her.
“She looks like a Lilah.”
He wasn’t sure where the name came from, but now that he’d said it out loud, he didn’t want to take it back. She yawned, her tiny mouth forming a perfect little O as one arm reached out, her hand grabbing the air as if searching for them.
“Lilah,” Harper repeated, testing the name on his tongue as he caught her tiny hand in his. “I like that a lot. Li-lah. Lilah Riley.”
“You don’t think it’s too much?”
“Definitely not too much. I’d wager there are lots of people expecting me to name her something flamboyant and exotic. Lilah is beautiful but not showy. Just like how we are together.”
“Just like that,” William agreed.
Zac returned, trailed by a grinning Beckett. And they got a message to tell them that Harper’s parents were on the way to see their first grandchild.
William leaned closer to Harper and murmured in his ear. “Holding up okay?”
“This was easy. I could do it a dozen times over.”
He knew the omega was teasing and had to laugh at the matching looks of worry on Beckett and Zac’s face.
“Let’s just take a moment—or maybe a few years—to appreciate what we have, hey?”
“Yeah.” Harper smiled down at Lilah. “We got everything we wanted, didn’t we?”
William kissed his cheek. “Yeah, we did.”
Epilogue
When William had asked him how he felt about a fairy tale wedding, Harper had never pictured this. The castle that William had chosen sat just off the beach, giving them the best of both worlds for their special day.
The ceremony itself was on the sand. Harper wore a pair of simple white pants and a shirt, while William had on a stylish blue that showed off his subtly muscular form. Brendan held Lilah while the vows were exchanged. She was quite content in his arms, so Harper didn’t feel the need to check on her every few seconds. He’d always thought William would be the hypervigilant parent and had been surprised when he realized it was him after all. But he was finally getting the hang of this whole parenthood thing. At least until the next phase hit.
Giving William his full attention, he beamed at the alpha as he recited the simple words they’d written together.
“You bring light to my darkness, you bring sunshine to my rain.”
“You make me feel like the most special person in the world. When I see how you look at me, I feel more than I am. Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts.”
Luca was their ring-bearer, adorably cute in the little outfit they’d picked out. They’d chosen it especially to be light and loose, so he could run and play and be a little boy.
William ruffled his hair as he took the rings. “Great job, kiddo.”
Luca beamed back at them as he was ushered to stand next to Zac.
William cradled Harper’s hand in his and slipped the ring with the delicate waved line along the center onto his finger, lifting his hand to press a light kiss to it. And then it was Harper’s turn to take the alpha’s hand, the solid titanium band reflecting William’s steady nature.
And then it was done, promises made, hearts sealed. Joy bubbled up inside him as they kissed, and he held on just a moment too long, the small crowd of friends and family laughing softly. William was flushed, his eyes dark with passion as they pulled apart. He leaned in to whisper one single word into Harper’s ear. “Tonight.”
Harper bit his lip and watched William coyly. He was very much looking forward to their wedding night and all that it would bring.
They moved under some shade once the pictures were done, drinks and snacks handed around while everyone talked and laughed. Harper snagged Zac’s glass of champagne and took a sip, making a face at the taste.
“Duck, this is sparkling water.”
Zac hushed him, stealing the glass back, and Harper looked at him a little more closely. “Something you want to share?”
His friend blushed, his hand hovering over his stomach for a moment. “I only took the test yesterday. Beckett knows, of course, but we’re keeping it to ourselves for now.”
“Your secret’s safe with me and William,” Harper said with a wink, gratefully accepting a glass of champagne from his husband as he joined them. Husband—he liked the sound of that.
He stood on his tiptoes and whispered into the alpha’s ear.
William raised an eyebrow and glanced in Zac and Beckett’s direction. “Happy for you both,” he murmured, shushing Harper gently. “Let them have their secret.”
They had a few hours to spare between the ceremony and the meal, and the guests were encouraged to enjoy the beach and explore the grounds and the castle itself. Harper stole Lilah back from Brendan, grumbling at the baby’s clear adoration for the alpha, and let William lead him inside the castle to show him around.
They went up to the third floor, following a winding staircase that led to the top of one of the castle’s towers. Side by side, William’s hand held tightly in his, Harper stared out at the panoramic view. On one side were sprawling fields that yielded to towns and cities, and on the other, sand, sea, and the distant horizon.
“This is where it all begins,” William said, lifting his hand to press another kiss to it. “Our life and our future. We don’t know what’s beyond the horizon…”
“But whatever it is, we’ll face it together,” Harper finished.
William slipped a hand around his waist, and he leaned against the alpha, cradling Lilah to his chest. He was no longer the omega left behind or the dreamer drifting too far from the ground. He had William and Lilah to love and care for, and to be loved and cared for by them too. What he hadn’t guessed, when William had first approached him about being his muse, was how inspired he’d be in turn. Now he had the life he hadn’t believed he could have. He’d never been so happy to be proved wrong.
Author’s Note
Thanks for reading Amusing You, the second book in the Omega’s Luck series. I really hope you enjoyed reading Harper and William’s story! If you have a moment to spare, reviews are always appreciated.
If you’d like to hear about new releases in this or other series, you can sign up to my mailing list here or visit clairecullenbooks.com.
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Copyright © 2020 by Claire Cullen
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