Harper laughed, and he hated how he suddenly felt like an ill-prepared moron. How was he not on top of this and more in control? He’d have to do some research and read up on pregnancies and babies. He had a feeling he was about to get an education he’d never planned on in his life.
“For one thing, I’m a woman, and I’ve had pregnant friends,” she started. “We like to discuss such things over fancy dinners. Another thing, when I called my doctor, the nurse went over month by month what to expect during the appointments. I took some notes, but I also remember what she said. There’s a lot that they test for, just as a matter of routine—checking the boxes to make sure there are no surprises.”
Routine. Okay, he could handle that.
What the hell would he do if something went wrong? He knew absolutely nothing about babies or pregnancies. When he got together with his friends, it was to discuss his nightclubs or a limited-edition bottle of bourbon they’d purchased. On occasion they’d discuss trading in their jet or their car for the next upgrade. But never, not once, had the topic of children come up.
“I want to be with you during the doctor’s visit.”
Harper stared at him for a moment, and he thought she was going to argue, but ultimately she nodded.
“I assumed as much,” she said. “I wouldn’t keep you out. No matter how all of this happened or how shocked we are, we’re in this together if that’s what you want.”
“I want to be in my child’s life.” A ball of emotions rolled through him. “My mother passed when I was a teen, and I never knew my real father. There’s no way I’d abandon you or this baby.”
A soft smile spread across her face. She tipped her head, and he couldn’t identify the look in her eyes.
“What?”
She took one step forward, then another. “You haven’t shared much about your life. Just hearing you open up without me asking...it
just means so much now.”
There was no way to go through this with her and not get personal. As much as he kept his heart guarded, his life to himself, he couldn’t be completely closed off to Harper. But he would have to decide how much to share and when to do so.
Once the resort reverted back to him, he wouldn’t mind telling her everything. Right now, though, he just needed to focus on Robert.
But he still wanted to get to know more about Harper—especially when it came to her connection to his resort.
“Did you get any more planning done today?” he asked. “When we parted, you were talking about the ballroom.”
“I called in my team, and we’re going to get started.” She positively beamed when she spoke. Obviously decorating was her passion. “The ballroom won’t be where we begin, though. I’d like to start with the lobby, because I want the first major impact to be the focal point of the resort. I want guests to believe they’ve stepped into another world when they arrive.”
Could she be more perfect?
For the job and to be the mother of his child. Not for him. But the vision he’d gotten a glimpse of was exactly how he wanted to renovate his mother’s dream. All of this was falling into place so perfectly. Robert would foot the bill for a grand redesign just in time for Ethan to take over.
Oh, the victory was going to be sweet.
“And what are your thoughts for the lobby?” he asked, crossing to take a seat next to her on the sofa.
She stared at how close he sat, hip to hip, but not reaching for her in any other way. Yeah, he was just as surprised by his restraint, but the talk of the resort trumped his desires...for now.
Harper’s eyes darted back to his face. “You want to talk about my work?”
Ethan stretched his arm along the couch behind her and nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
He didn’t need to justify his reasons. She’d already mentioned she wanted to get to know more about him, and turnabout was fair play. Besides, he’d rather start with her...with Mirage.
Harper’s dark eyes narrowed before she shook her head and eased back into the cushions. “I was thinking of a water wall, something tranquil and serene. I want the guests to immediately relax, and water is proven to do that. Decorating isn’t just about what looks pretty—it’s about making people feel good about an experience.”
Ethan listened to her, watched how she spoke with those delicate hands. Her eyes shone in a way he hadn’t noticed before. The more she discussed the style, the more he knew his mother would have loved everything this resort would become.
And that was ultimately what he wanted. Of course he deserved to have this place back in his name, but once he was in charge, he had every intention of paying tribute to the remarkable woman who’d started it all.
He remembered her favorite color being green. Somewhere, in some place, he had to incorporate that shade. Perhaps in the Caribbean-themed restaurant or the Italian one. Something classy with green and white, maybe a touch of gold.
“You’ve put quite a lot of thought into this,” he told her when she stopped talking and he’d logged his thoughts for later. “You ran through nearly every detail and didn’t once look at a note in your phone.”