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“Lorna does what Lorna wants to do. No one stops her.”
The whole thing is so transparent. “She’s doing this as a reaction to what Leith said. He called her a whore so she’s going to behave like one. How soon does the club open?”
“Maybe a month or so, depending upon construction.”
“Then we have time to talk her out of it.”
“Good luck with that. Lorna can be a real hard-ass.” Good thing I’m a bigger one.
“Westlyn and I can talk some sense into her.” We have to.
“Speaking of jobs, I’ve been thinking about mine lately. I’m kicking around the idea of sending someone else to law school to replace me as solicitor,” Sin says.
I like this idea a lot. “I’m all for it.”
“I’m juggling three positions. Husband. Leader. Lawyer. Father to two newborns will soon be added to that list. It’s a lot. My position as leader is growing by leaps and bounds every day. It’s interfering with my role as solicitor for The Fellowship and that’s not beneficial to the brotherhood. But it’s interfering more with my time at home. I think it’s best to head it off now rather than later.”
I know the perfect person to take his place. “I think it’s a wonderful idea. You should offer the position to Linsey. She’s already familiar with the job and she’s driven. She would be great at it.”
“You think?”
Without a doubt. “She’d be an asset to The Fellowship.”
It would be beneficial for the other women to see a female in an important role such as solicitor. It might inspire them to shoot for higher goals.
It doesn’t escape me that all decisions being made now are in preparation for Sin to take over. I’m not ready for that. I don’t want to sour this happy time by thinking about this right now.
I take his hand and pull him toward the door. “I couldn’t choose which color paint I liked best for the nursery so they rolled on samples of my two favorites. We have to choose the one we like best so they can paint tomorrow.”
We examine the samples on the walls of the room our babies will soon occupy. I went with gray, just as I planned. “The one on the right looks too lavender.”
Sin laughs. “They look the same to me. Both gray.”
“One’s more on the purple side while the other is more green.”
He stands behind me and puts his arms around my tummy. Won’t be long until they’re completely stretched to encompass my roundness. “Whatever you say, Bonny.”
My doctor said he wanted me to make it to thirty-seven weeks. That’s thirteen weeks away. Not long. “We’re going to have babies soon.”
“That’s what they keep telling us.”
“Two little people are going to be sleeping in this room in just a few months. They’re going to depend on us for food and shelter and safety. And love. Lots of it.”
“You’re the one they’re going to depend on for food.” Sin pats his chest. “They’ll get nothing from me.”
The thought overwhelms me. “Two babies needing to nurse at the same time. How do you even do that?”
“Two babies. Two breasts. I bet we can figure out something.”
I hear a ringtone in the sea of boxes. “That’s my phone but I have no idea where it is in this mess.”
Sin finds it and passes it to me. I don’t recognize the number. “Hello?”
“Hi, Bleu. It’s Brooke.” The widow of Callum Drummond, one of the brothers killed during a raid on The Order several months ago. “I bet you can guess why I’m calling.”
“Your baby must be coming.”
“Aye. My water broke about an hour ago and I’m already dilated four centimeters.”
I look at Sin with wide eyes. “That’s wonderful. Everything is going well, then?”
“They say it is, but I’m scared and alone. I know it’s a lot to ask––and I’ll completely understand if you can’t––but I’d love for you to come to the hospital to be with me.”
I’ve spoken with Brooke on several occasions since Sin’s swearing-in but I was not expecting to be asked to attend her baby’s delivery.
Sin vowed to personally take responsibility for Callum’s family. He died by Sin’s side. As Sin’s wife, the duty falls to me if Callum’s widow needs someone to be with her while she gives birth. I can’t tell her no.
“Of course I’ll come. I’ll be there within the hour.”
I end the call and look at Sin. “Brooke is alone. She asked me to come be with her.”
He looks as surprised as I feel. “Is that a good idea? It might make you want to back out of having these two.”
“Ha-ha. Very funny.”
I’m not sure I need to see all of that so close to my own delivery. “There must be dozens of women she could’ve asked. Why me?”
“The women of The Fellowship adore you. I’m sure she considers it an honor to have the wife of her leader attend the birth of her child.”
Maybe, but it still feels weird. “She has no immediate family?”
“No. She and Callum were both orphaned when they were children.”
And now she doesn’t even have her husband. It must be horrible for her. “She has no one.”
“Not true. She has her Fellowship family. We’ll always be here for her.”
There’s one very honorable thing about The Fellowship. They take care of their own.
I need to change. I can’t go to the hospital wearing a T-shirt and yogas. “Will you call Sterling while I get dressed?”
“You can’t go to the hospital alone. I’m going with you.”
“What will you do while I’m with her? I’m sure it’ll be hours.”
“I’ll sit in the waiting room. I can catch up on reading since I haven’t had as much time for that lately.” He waggles his brows at me.
“Her water is broken and she’s four centimeters so maybe it won’t be a long time.”
“The pregnancy book says normal progress is a centimeter an hour for a first-time mother. We should be looking at a delivery about three in the morning.”
I guess he would know. I swear he’s a walking, talking pregnancy encyclopedia. And I think it could possibly make him even hotter.
* * *
“Thank you for coming, Bleu. Ye’ll never know what it means to me that ye’ll be here for the birth of my daughter.”
My heart melts. “Ah! A baby girl! Have you chosen a name yet?”
“I still don’t know. I decided it would come to me when I look at her face.”
“I’m sure it will.” Maybe that’s what Sin and I should do since we can’t seem to agree on anything.
“Do ye have names for yer babies yet?”
“We have a few we’re thinking about but nothing definite.”
“Still haven’t found out what they are?”
“It’s a mystery.”
“I don’t know how ye can stand not knowing, especially with two of them.”
It’s really not been that difficult. “I was forced to learn patience at an early age.”
Brooke grabs her abdomen and begins breathing deeply. “Another one already. They’re coming much closer.”
She’s hurting so I think it’s safe to assume she doesn’t have an epidural. “Nothing for pain?”
“Don’t need it. Women have been having babies forever without anesthesia. I can too.”
Baby number one was breech on the last sonogram. Of course there’s time for him or her to turn but as it currently stands, it looks like the only anesthesia choice I’ll get is spinal versus going to sleep for a C-section.
“Have they checked you for dilation since you called?”
“Aye. Up to six.”
That’s two centimeters in an hour. “You’re making great progress.”
“I know. The nurses are a little concerned about how much bleeding I’m having.”
She needs reassurance. “I‘m sure they’ll keep a close watch on it.”
“Where’s Sinclair?”
“In the waiting room.”
She’s beaming. “I’m so grateful ye came to be with me. Thank ye.”
“You’re family. We want to take care of you.”
Four hours after my arrival, the doctor places a screaming baby girl on Brooke’s chest. She’s wrinkly and bloody, looking around through squinted eyes. Simply beautiful.
“Oh, look at her, Bleu. I can’t believe she’s finally here. I think she’s the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.”
“She is lovely.”
Brooke strokes the top of her head. “She has Callum’s dark hair. I was so sure she’d take after me and have bright red.”
“Think of it as a nice reminder of your husband when you look at her.”
“I hope she looks like him.”
