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Walking right up to me, Davida pulled me into her arms and hugged me so tight a grunt popped out.
“There.” She pulled back, her hands on my shoulders. “Come to me for hugs. Don’t go searching for human contact from inappropriate sources.”
“I don’t think I was searching for it,” I protested. Ihadn’tprotested Elliot touching me, though. Not even a little bit.
“You allowed it because you neededsomething. Not Elliot—you don’t need that kind of complication in your life.” She went back to Jeffrey’s smoothie, smashing the berries into vanilla yogurt. “You think I don’t want to tell Jeffrey to piss off? But everything’s simpler if I come in, do my job, go home, and forget about it. I like simple.”
Raymond tugged on the cuff of his tweed sports jacket. “Personally, I’m into messy—but not the kind of messy that comes from getting overly involved with the man signing my check.”
He gave me a look that was long and pointed. Then, his expression softened so much I had to wonder if I was giving off the wounded creature vibe Liam told me I sometimes had.
Without warning, he lunged at me, giving me a hug more gentle than Davida’s. Raymond smelled like Christmas morning, all pine and cinnamon. I laid my head on his shoulder, and he let me.
The scene in this room was far from professional, but no one was watching. The assistants were the only ones who ever came in here, and we had our own code. Hugs weren’t outside the lines of acceptable, though it was fair to say this was the first time we’d ever indulged.
Davida looked up from her task. “Now, tell me, darling, you mentioned no one’s been with you for your appointments. Who’s going to be there for the birth?”
My lips pressed together, the panic I’d shoved aside since Liam admitted he was gone for good, threatening to rise.
“I’m doing it on my own,” I admitted, pulling myself away from Raymond’s delicious scent.
“No.” She put her hands on her hips. “All of this is foreign, but as the official daddy to the child, I can’t allow you to go through this by yourself. I’ll be there.”
Raymond groaned and folded over the counter. “I’m going to have to be there too, aren’t I?”
“You don’t have to, Ray,” I whispered.
Their offer was too big for me to speak at full volume. I’d been mentally preparing myself for going it alone. To have even one of them there was more than I could have ever asked for.
“No, no.” He pulled himself upright. “I don’t take my title of Daddy lightly. I’ll be there too, but I’m not looking. Strictly moral support.”
“I didn’t give you that title,” I reminded him.
He pressed his hand to his heart. “I’m a daddy now. I’ve got this.” Then he spun himself toward the door. “Anyway, duty calls. I’m out.”
When it was just Davida and me again, she picked up the envelope I’d tossed on the counter. I’d been in such a daze I’d forgotten I’d brought it in here with me.
“Oooh, this place is supposed to be posh.” She slid the gift card out and gaped at the amount. “Oh, Elliot Levy is far more generous than I assumed.”
“Me too.” I took the card from her, rubbing my thumb over the embossed logo.
“You don’t seem thrilled.”
“It’s a generous gift. It really is.” I huffed, frustrated I couldn’t be happy with what I’d been given. “It’s hard to get it up for spa treatments right now. I don’t really need a massage, and I sure as hell won’t have time to lie around and get beauty treatments after Baby Girl’s here.”
Davida shook her head slightly, obviously seeing my point.
I tossed the gift card down on the counter. “If he really wanted to get me something I could use, a gift card for Target would have had me singing his praise. Do you know how many diapers I’m going to need?”
She shook her head again, less subtly this time.
“I didn’t either, but I looked it up, and it’s staggering.” I sighed. “I—”
“Excuse me.”
I whirled around at the sound of Elliot’s voice coming from behind me. He was standing there, holding my iced coffee out to me.
“Elliot—”
