on the closed toilet in the tiny bathroom at her photography studio. Juny hadn’t yet arrived for the day, and everything was still and quiet. Harper had wanted the few minutes of privacy to do the pregnancy test. Now she felt like she might throw up, and it had nothing to do with any potential morning sickness. It was nerves, plain and simple. A lot was riding on these three minutes of pee on a stick.
Two minutes had already passed. One more to go before she could look at the stick and know if she’d be giving her best friend, Adele, good news or bad news.
She desperately wanted it to be good. And yet the idea terrified her, too. Being a surrogate for Adele and her new husband, Dan, was something she’d really wanted to do. Adele had had cancer at a young age and couldn’t have children of her own. It had taken eight long years for her and Dan to reconnect and commit to each other, even though they knew they might never have the family they both yearned for. Harper had a completely healthy uterus and no relationship to speak of. There was no reason why she couldn’t carry a baby for the woman who’d made such a big difference in her world. The woman who’d made her finally feel as if she had a home and some roots to put down.
But now, with the seconds ticking away, Harper was afraid. Carrying a baby was a big thing. She’d attended medical appointments with Dan and Adele, had combed through research, had sat with her feet in stirrups. There had been little that was glamorous or sentimental about the whole procedure, but it hadn’t been frightening.
Until now.
Today, if the plus sign showed up on the stick, there was no going back. She either was or she wasn’t. And if she was...she’d be carrying a little human in her body for the next eight and a half months. Her mouth was dry as she tried to swallow. Thank God Adele wasn’t here now, waiting. Harper wasn’t sure she could have taken the pressure of Adele’s heart being on the line while they waited. Better to know now, get her wits about her and decide what to say. The doctor had said this was a long shot, and probably Adele and Dan’s only chance at using Adele’s eggs. Either way, there would be big news for her friends. Either a second chance or the end of this particular road, and moving on to plan B.
She checked her phone. The seconds ticked down from ten...
But she didn’t wait. She reached for the stick and stared at the result.
It was a plus sign.
She was carrying her best friend’s baby—the most precious cargo in the world.
July
Summer sun beat down on Drew Brimicombe’s head. It had been cool up the mountain, where he’d spent most of the afternoon in an alpine meadow overlooking a turquoise lake. No matter where he traveled, there was something about the Canadian Rockies that beckoned to him and made him feel at home. He’d been here half a dozen times over the past five years, mostly skiing, but now it was different. His brother, Dan, was here, and he was looking forward to some bro time.
And checking out real estate. That was his true reason for the impromptu trip—a tip from a contact about a real estate opportunity. He was always looking at expansion, and this might be his chance to open an Aspen Outfitter store north of the border. He couldn’t think of a better opportunity than in the heart of the Rockies. And when one store opened, he was sure others would follow, making his brand North America-wide.
The townsite of Banff was hotter than he’d expected, though, considering how it was nestled smack in the middle of the mountains. He had on his sunglasses but not the standard ball cap he usually wore, and he could feel the heat soak into his scalp. Today had been a light hike, so he’d worn jeans, a T-shirt and a pair of lovingly broken-in boots. Water, a small digital camera, and some trail mix had been in his day pack, but he’d stayed to the marked trail and not ventured into backcountry. Not today. He’d just arrived and had chosen the easy hike to blow off the dust and claustrophobia of travel. Now he’d stop in at Dan and Adele’s and let them know he’d arrived before heading to his hotel.
The house was tucked into a little side street, with a simple sign boasting Hawthorne Weddings out front. Adele’s business was planning weddings, and one of her clients had been a good friend of Dan’s, causing them to meet again after she’d broken his heart years earlier. No one had been more shocked than Drew when Dan had announced they were getting married, but Drew had come to the wedding and it had been clear to see that they still adored each other. Enough that Dan had uprooted his life as CFO of his company and moved here to be with her. Drew shook his head as he climbed the steps to the second floor of the house where Adele and Dan lived. He couldn’t imagine doing anything like that. Settling down wasn’t even on his radar, let alone leaving everything he’d worked for behind. He’d watched his dad give up dreams and aspirations for marriage and family, and he’d seen the unhappiness in his eyes.
Not that Drew didn’t like Adele. He did. And Dan could make his own choices and he seemed to be happy. It just wasn’t for Drew. He liked his freedom far too much.
His knock was answered by Adele, whose face lit up when she saw him. “Drew! What on earth are you doing here?”
He grinned. “Surprise trip. Are you surprised?”
“Very.” But she smiled back at him. “Dan’s going to flip. He was just talking about you last night. Come on in where it’s air conditioned and I’ll get you something to drink.”
He stepped inside and heard another female voice. “Who is it, Del?”
He remembered that voice, sweet and musical. Harper. The maid of honour at the wedding. He’d turned on the charm a little, but she’d made it clear that she wasn’t the type for a casual fling so he’d behaved himself.
“A surprise guest,” Adele answered as Drew took off his boots. He went into the living room area in his sock feet and saw Harper seated in a plush chair, legs folded beneath her yoga-style, her hair pulled up in a pert ponytail. It highlighted her face and the light smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Beautiful, he thought, but with a definite girl-next-door vibe. He much preferred her natural looks to a lot of makeup and just the right clothes. And shoes. Why women put so much emphasis on shoes, he could never figure out.
“Harper,” he said warmly, stepping forward and holding out his hand. “Good to see you again.”
She looked surprised at the handshake but put her hand into his anyway. “You, too.” She blinked and met his eyes. “They didn’t know you were coming?”
He laughed, then pulled his hand away from her soft, cool fingers. “I didn’t even know I was coming. I decided yesterday to take some time off and visit, but I didn’t want to call unless it didn’t work out on short notice.” He wasn’t sure how much he wanted to say about a possible land deal. For now it was a bit hush-hush. Besides, he didn’t want it to seem like he was bragging—that wasn’t his style. So he left it and merely shrugged.
“Oh.”
He got the sense she didn’t quite approve of his spur-of-the-moment plans, so he added, “I booked a room at the Cascade. No need for Adele and Dan to be inconvenienced by my impulses.”
“The Cascade, in high season? How’d you manage to get a room?” Her eyebrows shot up.
He laughed. “I lucked out. There was a cancellation.”
Her face relaxed a bit and Adele came back from the kitchen with a couple of beers and a glass of lemonade, which
