Meagan wasn’t sure where Abby wanted to go, but unless it was a matter of life and death, she didn’t see it happening. She cocked an eyebrow at Luke, but he shook his head. Apparently, he wasn’t sure what was going on, either.
“Meagan,” Abby said, sliding the phone in her pocket. “I know you just got here, but I have a big favor to ask you.”
Meagan didn’t want to come across bitchy, so instead of saying, “Hell to the no,” like she wanted to, she forced a smile and asked, “What do you need?”
“That was Julie.” Abby’s entire demeanor pulsed with excitement. Meagan was going to feel bad letting her down. But just thinking about being with Luke was enough to assure her she wasn’t going to feel that bad. “Jeff called her. Dena’s in labor!”
“What?” Nathaniel said, while at the same time, Luke asked, “It’s not too early?”
Abby shook her head. “They’re monitoring everything and so far, both Dena and the baby are doing well.” She looked over at Meagan. “Will you drive me to the hospital? Nathaniel has to be in the city.”
“I can rearrange things, love,” Nathaniel said.
“It’s not a problem,” Meagan said. “I’ll drive you.” Dena having a baby wasn’t a matter of life or death, but it definitely took precedence over sexing it up with Luke.
“I have a better idea,” the man in question said. “How about I drive you both?”
“Would you?” Abby asked, and then looked at Meagan. “And you don’t mind?”
“Not in the least,” Meagan assured her.
Once it was decided, everyone moved quickly. Abby kissed Nathaniel good-bye with a promise to drive into the city first thing in the morning so they could make the play. Luke made a few phone calls and pulled Meagan close for a hug.
“You’re an amazing woman,” he said in a low voice.
She gave him a kiss. “When we get back here tonight, I’ll show you just how amazing.”
The drive to the hospital was lively, with Julie sending periodic texts letting them know how Dena was doing.
“This is so exciting,” Abby said, reading the latest news from Julie. “She’s almost fully dilated.” Her smile faded into a frown. “Oh, shit. Her mom just showed up.”
“And that’s bad, why?” Meagan asked.
“Dena’s dad is an ass and didn’t approve of her marrying Jeff. He hasn’t talked to her since they got engaged and her mother’s been the same way. Why she decided to show up at the hospital, much less how she found out Dena was even in labor, is beyond me.”
“I’m sure the impending arrival of a grandchild has something to do with it.”
“True, but did she just now realize it? Where’s she been for the last nine months?”
“At least she’s showing up at all.”
But Abby didn’t look convinced. “I hope I don’t run into her.”
They arrived at the hospital to find out from Julie that Dena’s mother had, in fact, just left.
“Jeff told the staff to call security,” Julie said, after explaining that she hadn’t heard anything from him in the last few minutes. “He said that woman better be gone by the time he came back.”
“I hope the lack of news means the baby’s here,” Abby said.
“Me, too,” Julie agreed.
Meagan took a seat beside Luke and put a hand on his thigh. He placed his hand on top, giving it a little squeeze. “Wasn’t exactly how I planned to spend the afternoon,” he said.
“Me either, but what’s the saying, ‘Anticipation makes the heart grow firmer’?”
He looked at her as if she was crazy. “It’s absence and fonder.”
“Actually.” She inched her hand up his thigh. “I was right about everything other than the heart part.”
“Is that right?” He stopped her hand.
“Yes, it makes something firmer, but it’s not the heart.”
“You’d better watch it,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about you all week. I can’t promise I’ll be able to restrain myself much longer.”
“Funny.” She wasn’t ready to stop teasing him yet. “If either one of us were to be restrained, I’d have put money on me.”
“Meagan,” he warned.
She wasn’t able to reply, because at that moment, the waiting room opened and Jeff entered the room. No one said anything and even though his huge smile reassured them, the very air seemed to hush.
“It’s a girl. We have a daughter.” Tears streaked down Jeff’s cheeks and he choked out, “And she is perfect.”
The room dissolved into joyous chaos with everyone asking questions at the same time. Jeff held up his hand. “Six pounds, eight ounces. Twenty inches long. We named her Mireille Kennedy Parks. Dena is doing great and as soon as everyone’s settled, they’ll let you go back.” He took a step back, clearly happy to have shared his news, but looking down the hall as if some invisible force pulled at him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me . . .”
* * *
“She’s beautiful, Dena,” Meagan said about an hour later. The sleeping infant was bundled in her mother’s arms and her father stood nearby, silently watching over his family with a look of such fierce love, it nearly took Meagan’s breath away.
“Thank you.” Dena kissed her daughter’s head and then ran her fingers over the downy black hair the baby must have inherited from her father.
“And I love her name,” Meagan said.
“We had some discussions over that,” Dena said with a laugh and an upward glance at her husband. “We finally went with Mireille for miracle and Kennedy after the lady who rescued Jeff from the streets years ago.”
“Meagan,” Abby said, sliding the phone in her pocket. “I know you just got here, but I have a big favor to ask you.”
Meagan didn’t want to come across bitchy, so instead of saying, “Hell to the no,” like she wanted to, she forced a smile and asked, “What do you need?”
“That was Julie.” Abby’s entire demeanor pulsed with excitement. Meagan was going to feel bad letting her down. But just thinking about being with Luke was enough to assure her she wasn’t going to feel that bad. “Jeff called her. Dena’s in labor!”
“What?” Nathaniel said, while at the same time, Luke asked, “It’s not too early?”
Abby shook her head. “They’re monitoring everything and so far, both Dena and the baby are doing well.” She looked over at Meagan. “Will you drive me to the hospital? Nathaniel has to be in the city.”
“I can rearrange things, love,” Nathaniel said.
“It’s not a problem,” Meagan said. “I’ll drive you.” Dena having a baby wasn’t a matter of life or death, but it definitely took precedence over sexing it up with Luke.
“I have a better idea,” the man in question said. “How about I drive you both?”
“Would you?” Abby asked, and then looked at Meagan. “And you don’t mind?”
“Not in the least,” Meagan assured her.
Once it was decided, everyone moved quickly. Abby kissed Nathaniel good-bye with a promise to drive into the city first thing in the morning so they could make the play. Luke made a few phone calls and pulled Meagan close for a hug.
“You’re an amazing woman,” he said in a low voice.
She gave him a kiss. “When we get back here tonight, I’ll show you just how amazing.”
The drive to the hospital was lively, with Julie sending periodic texts letting them know how Dena was doing.
“This is so exciting,” Abby said, reading the latest news from Julie. “She’s almost fully dilated.” Her smile faded into a frown. “Oh, shit. Her mom just showed up.”
“And that’s bad, why?” Meagan asked.
“Dena’s dad is an ass and didn’t approve of her marrying Jeff. He hasn’t talked to her since they got engaged and her mother’s been the same way. Why she decided to show up at the hospital, much less how she found out Dena was even in labor, is beyond me.”
“I’m sure the impending arrival of a grandchild has something to do with it.”
“True, but did she just now realize it? Where’s she been for the last nine months?”
“At least she’s showing up at all.”
But Abby didn’t look convinced. “I hope I don’t run into her.”
They arrived at the hospital to find out from Julie that Dena’s mother had, in fact, just left.
“Jeff told the staff to call security,” Julie said, after explaining that she hadn’t heard anything from him in the last few minutes. “He said that woman better be gone by the time he came back.”
“I hope the lack of news means the baby’s here,” Abby said.
“Me, too,” Julie agreed.
Meagan took a seat beside Luke and put a hand on his thigh. He placed his hand on top, giving it a little squeeze. “Wasn’t exactly how I planned to spend the afternoon,” he said.
“Me either, but what’s the saying, ‘Anticipation makes the heart grow firmer’?”
He looked at her as if she was crazy. “It’s absence and fonder.”
“Actually.” She inched her hand up his thigh. “I was right about everything other than the heart part.”
“Is that right?” He stopped her hand.
“Yes, it makes something firmer, but it’s not the heart.”
“You’d better watch it,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about you all week. I can’t promise I’ll be able to restrain myself much longer.”
“Funny.” She wasn’t ready to stop teasing him yet. “If either one of us were to be restrained, I’d have put money on me.”
“Meagan,” he warned.
She wasn’t able to reply, because at that moment, the waiting room opened and Jeff entered the room. No one said anything and even though his huge smile reassured them, the very air seemed to hush.
“It’s a girl. We have a daughter.” Tears streaked down Jeff’s cheeks and he choked out, “And she is perfect.”
The room dissolved into joyous chaos with everyone asking questions at the same time. Jeff held up his hand. “Six pounds, eight ounces. Twenty inches long. We named her Mireille Kennedy Parks. Dena is doing great and as soon as everyone’s settled, they’ll let you go back.” He took a step back, clearly happy to have shared his news, but looking down the hall as if some invisible force pulled at him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me . . .”
* * *
“She’s beautiful, Dena,” Meagan said about an hour later. The sleeping infant was bundled in her mother’s arms and her father stood nearby, silently watching over his family with a look of such fierce love, it nearly took Meagan’s breath away.
“Thank you.” Dena kissed her daughter’s head and then ran her fingers over the downy black hair the baby must have inherited from her father.
“And I love her name,” Meagan said.
“We had some discussions over that,” Dena said with a laugh and an upward glance at her husband. “We finally went with Mireille for miracle and Kennedy after the lady who rescued Jeff from the streets years ago.”
