Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Quaid had a few tasks he had to do, but he’d try to get in a nap.
“Is Indie all right?” Spencer asked.
Spencer had been quieter than usual lately. Something was going on, but Quaid hadn’t had time to talk to him. Spencer was trying his best to hide whatever was wrong around Indie. Which was good, she didn’t need anything more to worry about.
He hated how stressed she seemed. That she wasn’t getting much sleep. It stirred his protective needs.
“She’s in the bathroom,” Quaid said. “Rock helped her shower, but she kicked him out saying she needed a moment.”
“All right, I’ll go check on her,” Slade said. “The two of you are waiting to say goodbye?”
“Actually, we’re staying to see if she gets to hold Hope,” Quaid said firmly. “We want to all be there for her.”
Rock nodded and understanding filled Slade. “I get that. Let’s get our girl holding our baby.”
Indie could feel herself shaking as she sat on the recliner with Slade’s help. Could she really do this?
This is it.
The moment you finally get to hold her. To feel her against you.
They all knew that skin-to-skin was important. Rock had sent them that information a while ago after reading it in one of his books. And the nurses had also talked about it. Hope hadn’t been stable enough to come out of the incubator until now.
Slade moved closer to her, placing his hand around the back of her neck in a light grip that still felt very certain.
Grounding.
“Breathe, Boo. We’ll help you,” Slade reassured her.
“We’re all here, Princess,” Spencer said from her other side.
Indie nodded. She could do this.
“Ready?” Anna asked kindly.
She nodded.
Spencer removed the blanket she had over her and Anna, along with another nurse, helped Hope settle on her chest. Indie placed her hand on her back gently. Just bracing her. Not rubbing or stroking. And then Spencer replaced the blanket.
Oh God.
She was doing it. This was it. She was holding her baby.
Rock watched Indie with Hope.
The baby looked so small. How could he ever possibly hold her? He had no idea.
And he could admit that he was terrified to try.
But she’s yours. And if she needs you to hold her, then you’ll do it.
He knew he would do anything for his two girls. Something shifted in Indie’s face, she looked so serene. As though this was the moment she’d been waiting for. Holding his fingers apart, he ran them over his face.
Indie gazed up at him, then over to Spencer who smiled down at her. There was a strange look in his face as though he’d been somewhere else. Rock needed to have a chat with him.
“He said, beautiful,” Spencer told her. “And that’s just what the two of you are. Simply beautiful.”
“Do you want to hold her?”
Spencer stared at the nurse with equal parts horror and desire. “Can I?”
While he was freaking out at the idea of holding Hope, he was also filled with excitement. This was the moment he’d been hoping for.
He glanced over at Indie who smiled at him tiredly. She was sitting in the recliner with Hope on her chest.
Had two weeks really passed since she’d been born? It seemed to be a blur. It was stressful and messy, but also beautiful because how could it not be with Hope here?
Part of him was still racked with guilt that this had happened on his watch. He kept thinking about it over and over . . . how he’d found Indie unconscious on the floor, seizing. Could he have done something differently? Why had he left her? He should have stuck right by her side.
Shit. It was eating him up inside.
Push it down. Don’t let Indie see.
“Of course,” the nurse said. “If you want to, that is.”
Spencer knew he must look like one of those bobble head toys as he nodded, but he couldn’t hold back his eagerness.
Indie let out a small giggle, which made him smile. The nurses took Hope from Indie, who slowly stood before covering herself and moving to the sofa.
Which was a negative. But Spencer tore his eyes from her bare skin, pulling off his own T-shirt.
He noticed Indie’s gaze on his bare chest, which made him puff up slightly. Yeah, he liked the way she looked at him.
Then he sat on the recliner and tried to act like his heart wasn’t going to beat right out of his chest with fear as the nurses placed Hope on his chest.
Fuck.
“Where do I . . . how do I . . . shit . . .” He could feel tears welling in his eyes.
“Just hold her here. That’s it. We’ll put this blanket over her to keep her warm. There you are.” Anna spoke kindly and quietly as she moved around. Then she stepped back. “I’ll give the two of you a few minutes.”