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As Harper Tennison, Harper had stated the baby’s surname would be Tennison-Harkin, and that immediately set Layla and her sibling aside. I wanted both my babies to have the same name, but more than that, I wanted Harper to have mine.
“Harper?” I murmured, turning to spoon behind her, as best I could, with the pillows anchored between her legs and another stuffed under her bump.
“Mm?” she mumbled, sleepily.
“Do you want to marry me?”
Harper’s body stiffened.
“Can you ask me again tomorrow,” she muttered in a sleepy state.
“I’d rather know now,” I insisted.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to lie awake all night wondering,” I replied.
“No, not that, I mean why ask?”
“Because I think I’m ready… no, I’m sure I’m ready to take this step with you, and I couldn’t have gotten here without your love.”
“Good answer, but I’m quite content, Cole. We don’t need anyone to officiate what we’ve got.”
“Are you reluctant because you think I’m replacing Grace? That’s not what I’m doing. This is a second chance at a new beginning I never thought possible, and it ties up who we all are to each other perfectly.”
Turning slowly, she molded herself to me as much as she could and wrapped her arms around me.
“Explain.”
“My girl doesn’t begin to describe who you are to me. I want you to be mine. That means you taking my name, our children having my name, our family having a family name. Layla having a mother for the first time in her memory, both kids having a mom as well as a dad.”
“Having your name has never mattered to me. Having the man is much more important. If it makes you happy we’ll get married… make it neat for the kids, but it won’t change how I feel about you and it won’t—”
“I know, but I think it will make our children feel we all belong together. You’ll be Layla’s mom, that will go a long way when this little one comes. She’s had you to herself until now, Harper. When the novelty wears off and your time is split between them, she may feel pushed out, no matter how hard you try to reassure her.”
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that too,” she admitted, “maybe we should make what we’ve got official, but I want a prenuptial agreement,” she added, firmly.
My body steeled, and my heart rate spiked in shock as I moved my head back enough to see her face in the darkness.
“What? Where the fuck has this come from?” I asked, suddenly hurt that she’d think I’d want that.
“I’d hate people to think I snared you for your money by having your kid.”
I remembered the newspaper articles and sat up quickly, putting the nightstand light on. “Who the fuck put this in your head?”
“Look, it doesn’t matter. If we’re getting married, I want one. If anything happens to you, I want any assets you have to go to the children.”
“Jesus, Harper, you really have thought about this,” I ground out; furious she’d even have to think of such a thing.
“It’s not fucking happening. No prenup, we both know this is the real deal; I won’t have it. Now I’m gonna ask you again, who put this notion in your head?”
Rolling over she sat up, got out of the bed, and sighed. For a few seconds I watched the internal struggle and knew she was breaking a confidence.
“Sarah-Jayne has one with Max. She told me Max’s management and law firm wrote one for Max and she was asked to sign it a few days before their wedding.”
“All right, first let me say, I’m not Max, and I’m surprised he put that on Sarah-Jayne, but that’s between them. We have no idea what goes on behind closed doors, so I can’t comment on his situation. But this right here,” I wagged my finger between us, “this is real love, and let me tell you, even with what I felt for Grace, it’s not the same… what we’ve got is far more.”
“Don’t get upset about it. I can understand your managers and lawyers wanting to protect what you have,” she pleaded.
