She Loves Me (Harmony Pointe #3) - Melissa Foster Page 0,102

the boat, and in that time Piper’s feelings had taken root and blossomed so completely, she was having trouble keeping them in check.

Being around her family and friends, who literally emanated love, wasn’t helping.

Piper pressed a kiss to the top of Emerson’s head, inhaling her sweet baby scent. Her light brown hair was fine as silk, and she had Bodhi’s serious dark eyes. Piper had been thinking about what Harley had said about having children. She knew how badly he wanted a family, but until he’d come into her life as the man in her life, she hadn’t thought too much about wanting children of her own. She loved babies and children, but fitting them into her busy life would be complicated. That used to be enough to stop her from thinking about it. But now she couldn’t stop analyzing her feelings on the topic. Every time she thought about having children with Harley, she imagined him with their babies in his arms, the joy she knew he’d exude, and her insides fluttered. She hadn’t realized how easy it was to get carried away with a fantasy when her heart was involved. She was getting way ahead of herself.

She tried to push away those thoughts and focus on the conversation around the table. Flossie was talking a mile a minute, sharing stories about her favorite Mother’s Day moments. Across the table, Ben and Aurelia fed each other grapes, stealing kisses between bites. This was Aurelia’s first Mother’s Day as Bea’s adoptive mother, and Ben had given her diamond earrings in the shape of the letter B. Piper had enjoyed teasing her brother about who that B actually stood for. His love for Aurelia and their daughter was an incredible thing to watch.

And . . . Now she was thinking about Harley and kids again.

Remi sat on Mason’s lap in the chair next to Ben, and across the yard, Derek and Talia sat shoulder to shoulder at a picnic table beneath a big oak tree with Derek’s father, Jonah, chatting with Bridgette, Bodhi, and Alisha. Bodhi had his arm around Bridgette, and their heads were touching, as if they were sharing secrets. Piper thought of Harley and the way he often touched his forehead to hers or rested it on her shoulder when he was still perched above her after they made love. She liked those intimate touches, and damn it, he should be there with them. He was her other half, just as important as Zane, Derek, Bodhi, or Mason. He felt like family, too. She should have invited him, or gone with him to celebrate with his family. She would not make that mistake again.

Willow laughed, drawing Piper’s attention to the blanket where she and Zane were lying, holding hands and looking up at the sky. Zane leaned over and kissed her, driving Piper’s longing even deeper.

“And then there was the time Aurelia made me a special Mother’s Day shirt in second grade with finger paints.” Flossie looked around the table with an impish grin.

Flossie was tiny at just under five feet, but her personality and flair for fashion made her seem bigger than life. Today she wore a pair of black culottes with a bright yellow blouse and a colorful fabric belt tied around her waist. Her makeup was perfectly applied, and her long silver hair was braided and secured in a bun on the top of her head. Piper couldn’t imagine putting all that energy into clothes, hair, or makeup, but Flossie made it look easy.

“All the other mothers were wearing shirts with colorful streaks all over them, but not me,” Flossie said, eyeing Aurelia. “I was the talk of the town when I wore my shirt with a bright green handprint over each breast. It was spectacular, and I wore it proudly.”

Everyone laughed.

Aurelia covered her face and said, “I will never live that down.”

“Nonsense, bubbelah.” Flossie reached across the table and patted Aurelia’s hand. “You mean nobody else’s child will ever live up to your perfect artwork.”

Piper’s father cleared his throat. He was sitting at the head of the table, looking at Ben. “There was a time when Ben tried his hand at painting.”

“Do not go there, Dad,” Ben said sternly.

Aurelia said, “Now you have to tell us.”

“Dad,” Ben warned, glowering at their father.

Their father held up his hands in surrender. “The man has spoken, and he can withhold a grandchild if I don’t listen.”

Piper rolled her eyes and said, “Ben and Zane got into Dad’s