Forged in Steele (KGI #7)(116)

“I love you,” he said gruffly, pressing his mouth to her temple. “Love you so damn much, Maren.”

“Love you too,” she said in a voice strained with fatigue but with all the gentleness and love that made her who she was.

God, he loved this woman. He couldn’t remember his life before her. Didn’t want to remember it or go back there. He only wanted to look forward. To a future brighter than the sun. Nothing was better than this. Right here, right now. There was never going to be a day more special than this one.

After the placenta was delivered and Maren was cleaned up, the nurse said they’d be taking the baby to the nursery for all the stuff—whatever that was—they did with newborns. Steele frowned. Oh hell no. Not before he got to show her off.

He glanced down, seeing that his daughter had loosened her hold on Maren’s nipple and had closed her eyes. Maren too had closed her eyes and so he carefully picked up the precious bundle, cradling her against his chest.

Without saying a word—he damn sure wasn’t going to ask permission to take his daughter to see everyone who was anxiously awaiting her arrival—he walked out of the room and down the corridor to the waiting area.

The nurse started to protest, but Doc Campbell held up his hand. “Let him go. Give him a few minutes. The baby will be fine.”

Steele shouldered his way into the waiting room and every eye turned toward him. His team was there. Every single one of them. The Kellys were there. Maren’s parents. All gathered, just as they’d gathered all those months ago when Rachel had delivered the twins. He was a part of this now. It baffled him and humbled him all at the same time.

He stared at them all and smiled. Really smiled. A smile that no one in this room likely ever thought him capable of.

“I want you to meet my daughter,” he said proudly. “The most beautiful baby ever born.”

Laughter went up. Cameras clicked, cell phones were held up to capture the moment where the ice man met the one thing guaranteed to melt him into a puddle on the floor.

A beautiful six-pound, eight-ounce baby girl.