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shadows.
    As Ben steered them into the drive, she had to admit Draegyn’s home was spectacular. Right away, she noticed a profusion of planters in all sizes, shapes, and colors grouped in clusters along the edge of the massive wrap-around porch. Stephanie smiled. Tori’s influence, no doubt. The haphazard mish-mosh of pottery worked because of its disarray. The imperfection was the charm.
    From the angle of their approach down the circular driveway, she couldn’t see the impressive addition Draegyn had designed that stretched off the master suite in the back, overlooking the desert valley. Victoria was over the moon with the new baby’s suite, sending her an endless stream of Instagram pictures.
    The cart stopped at the foot of the wide-open steps leading to the massive porch. The front door flew open and a very pregnant Tori waddled forward with one hand pressed low on her back and the other acting as a sort of rudder to keep her balanced.
    “Mom!” she cried out, love shimmering in her eyes.
    “Oh, shugah ,” Stephanie chirped. “Give mama a big kiss.”
    She quickly swept up the stairs so her daughter didn’t have to navigate that belly any further and threw her arms around Victoria for an intense embrace. Mothers always know , she thought. With one hug, she felt Tori’s love, of course, but also her fear and something else. Uh oh. Pregnancy hormones were in full battle mode. Damnation.
    With her heavily pregnant daughter clasped tight against her chest, Stephanie looked over Tori’s shoulder and found Draegyn standing absolutely still with an expression of worry mixed with relief etched on his face. He was also giving off a sharp, expectant-father, deer-caught-in-the-headlights vibe. Recalling Alex’s statement that Tori’s husband could use some parenting, she held up an arm and motioned him to join the hug.
    Noting his reaction with keen interest, she was gladdened by how swiftly he came forward. Looking down into the upturned face of his wife, he smiled, placed an arm around her bumped out waist then turned politely to Stephanie.
    She was surprised when he grabbed her around the waist and warmly kissed her on the cheek. “I’m happy to see you, Stephanie.”
    Returning the hug, she clasped her precious only child and the man Victoria had entrusted her life to, and tried to infuse them both with her love, affection, understanding, and support. This was her family now. Draegyn, Victoria, and that little rascal taking his sweet time arriving.
    Stephanie was vaguely aware of Ben moving past them. He was making several trips to bring the rest of her travel bags into the house as the three of them hung there entangled in a tight sandwich hug with Draegyn and her supporting Victoria. Concern for her daughter was snaking along her system. She’d done her part and gotten the pregnancy into the last weeks with everyone healthy. Now it was time for Tori to sit back and quietly nest. Prepare for the challenge ahead.
    Add to that, poor Draegyn himself. Holy hairspray . Stephanie almost didn’t know what to make of the anxious, overwrought, unshaven man. He was as big a mess, if not more so than the pregnant lady. What in the hell had she gotten herself into?
    Ben came along and broke their affectionate reverie, announcing that all of her bags were in the foyer and inquiring of Draegyn whether he wanted him to take everything up to the mother-in-law suite.
    “Oh, Mom!” Tori burbled excitedly as Draegyn slowly and gently got them moving toward the door. “Wait till you see the suite Draegyn designed for you! It’s so perfect and sweet with a private deck and a little meditation space. You’ll be right there, near the baby, but have your own mini-wing so you can have some privacy, too.”
    Tori bestowed a beaming smile to her husband, who was guiding them along with a sheepish expression—he clearly wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of praise. Classic sign of an adult who hadn’t been the center of