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Raith scowled. With him, the woman had been a complete mess, panting and sweating, begging for her man. But now that Taggart had arrived, she was composed and smiling like an angel, as if nothing had ever been wrong.
"Raith stayed with me," she added, making Dylan Taggart lift his head abruptly to realize someone else was in the room with them. He took in Raith's uniform and then shocked all three of them when he lurched forward and hugged the deputy.
"Thank you for being there," he said with genuine heart-felt emotion before he quickly pulled away and returned his attention to Camille, who was starting to have another contraction.
Malloy blew out a breath, grateful he was off the hook. But as he walked from the delivery room, his mind drifted to another delivery room and another woman in a time yet to come.
He wondered if Willow would let him watch their child enter the world. He wondered if she'd even ask for him as Camille had begged nonstop for Taggart. God, he wondered if he'd ever even see her again, though that question was answered thirty seconds later as he strode toward the exit. He jerked to a stop when the sliding doors opened and she breezed inside. She nearly plowed into him before she realized he stood in her path.
Eyes widening, she yelped out a scream and slammed her hand to her chest. "Oh, my God."
He studied her face, wanting to reach out and touch her. "Your cousin's still in the delivery room," he said.
She frowned. "You've seen Camille?"
He nodded. "Someone called 911 when her water broke in the middle of the grocery store. I was the first on the scene."
Not even realizing what she was going to do, he blinked when she reached out and anxiously grasped his arms. "How is she?"
He snorted. The woman was in labor, how did DeVane think she was? But instead of turning snarky, he lifted his hand to flex his fingers. "I think she broke a few bones because she squeezed so hard every time she had a contraction."
Willow's shoulders relaxed. Taking her hand off him, she lifted a brow and sniffed. "Well, good. It's no less than you deserve."
Glad they were back to their insult-tossing exchange, he blew out a breath. "DeVane, we need to talk."
But she lifted a hand and sent him a cool glance. "Not now. I'm here for my cousin. I don't want to deal with you or any of that today."
Though he wanted to press the issue, Raith merely nodded. "Later then." He stepped aside to let her pass and then watched her stride down the hall. After she disappeared from view, he cursed and stormed out of the hospital.
~ * ~
Well, that was a start, Willow decided as she turned the corner in the hospital hallway, only to pause and press her back against a wall. At least Malloy wanted to talk to her. Ignoring the little hitch in her chest as a spark of hope ignited, she pushed from her support and continued toward the maternity ward.
Half her family had already arrived and were gathered in the waiting room. Finding a seat next to Kit and her uncle Fletch, she crossed her legs and waited.
Thirty minutes later, Dylan rushed into the room. "It's a boy!" he declared, though everyone had known for some time the child was supposed to be male.
"Come quick. You've got to see this kid. He's perfect." Lining up behind Kit's wife Tina, Willow waited her turn to get into the packed room and meet William Matthew Taggart.
"We're going to call him Will for short," Camille explained after announcing the name they'd been keeping to themselves for the past nine months. "That way he can be named after both Willow and his Grandpa Fletcher because Daddy's middle name is William."
"I like it," Willow said and held her breath as Dylan lifted the child from his mother and turn to set Will in Willow's waiting arms.
"Meet your mommy's best friend," Dylan told the boy.
Tears clogged her lashes and she laughed as the infant opened his eyes and gazed up at her.
"Hey there, handsome," she cooed.
"Please thank Malloy for all he did," Dylan said, pressing a hand onto her shoulder. "Camille's glad he was there for her. I'm glad he was there for her."
Willow lifted her face in surprise. As her gaze met her cousin's, Camille smiled softly. "It won't be long until you to hold your own."
Unable to help herself, Willow wept a little harder.
Twenty One
It took five days for Willow's visitor to return.
