Page 79 of Honest Boys Don’t Play

When I turn to check on Bertie I find that she’s fast asleep and I’m glad to see it. I settle back in the chair, figuring I’ll grab some extra sleep too, but just like it did all through the night sleep evades me as I ride the high of having my own little family. I’ve always dreamed of this, of being a dad—and a husband one day—and just because things aren’t happening in the order I expected doesn’t change how fucking happy I am.

CHAPTER 28

BERTIE

“Stop crying,” I beg Rosie. “You’re making me cry.”

She rocks my son in her arms. “I can’t help it. He’s so freaking cute.”

Daire stands beside her, his hand hovering softly against her waist. “I’d be happy to give you one.”

“Shut up,” she says playfully. “We have Sammy. Give it a few years.”

“Are you sure you want to wait that long?” He teases and she glowers at him.

Luke comes out of the bathroom and takes in Rosie’s tears as well as mine. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I dry my eyes with the bed sheet since I can’t reach a tissue. “It’s Rosie’s fault.”

“It is,” she sniffles. “He’s just so cute and my bestie is a mom now.”

Luke looks like he doesn’t know quite what to do with our emotional selves. I’m not sure I can blame him.

He adjusts the bottom of his t-shirt and as sad as I am to see his chest disappear, I’m sure he’s relieved to finally have clothes to change into.

Daire and Rosie also brought us food which I’m grateful for since the hospital food turned out awful and I barely touched it before they arrived. Luke unpacks the bag of food and gives me mine before he settles back into the chair beside me with his own meal.

“We have to move to Nashville,” Rosie tells her husband. “Sammy and this little one need to grow up together.”

“We’re not that far,” he sighs, but when he grabs his phone out of his pocket and focuses on the screen I can’t help but wonder if he’s looking at real estate.

“Speaking of,” Rosie looks our way, “does this little one have a name yet?”

I shake my head. “Not yet.” I feel my face warm with embarrassment. I know baby names can be a big deal to other girls, with many picking out names when they’re young, but it was never something I thought about. I feel like I should’ve prioritized it more in my pregnancy, but I was so overwhelmed with the idea of being a mom and taking care of a child that picking a name kept falling to the bottom of the list.

“That’s okay,” Rosie says. “You have time.”

I nearly choke on my tongue. The nurse mentioned I’d be released in the morning, but the baby needs a name first, so the countdown is on.

“Luke says he has a plan for the name.”

Bouncing the baby in her arms, she levels my … whatever he is to me, with an inquisitive look. “Care to share with the class?”

He shakes his head. “No, this is for Bertie.”

“Interesting,” she muses.

“Can I hold the baby now?” Daire asks.

“No.” She holds the baby closer to her chest. “Go sit on the couch and look pretty.”

He rolls his eyes at her antics but does as she says. It’s been hilarious watching the playboy become totally whipped by my best friend over the past year.

“I hope I didn’t mess up your day yesterday.”

Rosie levels me with a glare scorching enough to strike me from this earth. “You didn’t mess up anything. I can’t believe you’d think that.”

“Besides,” Daire adds, “it’s not like you squatted on the dancefloor and gave birth right there.”