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)
Margo and Lemon were dying to visit, but they were going to wait until they got back home. That didn’t mean that they weren’t in constant contact with her.
Something had been playing over and over in her mind for the last few days and she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought about it before. But now that her mind had latched on, she couldn’t let it go.
“Here you all are,” Quaid said, walking into the room. He moved immediately to her, leaning down to kiss her lightly.
A spark of something lit inside her and she smiled up at him.
“Hi, baby girl,” he whispered.
“Hi,” she whispered back.
Rock and Spencer had stayed last night with her and Hope, she guessed they were now switching over.
“How are you doing?” Quaid ran his gaze over her. “Did you sleep all right?”
She shrugged, not wanting to lie. It seemed like she could only catch an hour or two here and there. She kept waking up in a state of stress. Worried about where Hope was and if she was all right.
Quaid frowned. “We need to get you sleeping better.”
She wished. She hoped she might sleep better once they got Hope home. But that came with other fears and worries.
Rock lifted her onto his lap, holding her in his warm embrace. Oh, that felt nice. She felt herself relax.
Quaid turned, moving toward Spencer and Hope. He rested his hand on Hope’s small back. She was covered in a blanket as she lay on Spencer’s bare chest.
“How are you today?” Quaid asked.
“I’m good thanks,” Spencer told him. “Bit of a headache and I’ve got an itch on my nose. Could you get that for me?”
Quaid shot him a look which would have obliterated someone else. Spencer’s grin just widened.
Did he know no fear?
“Wasn’t talking to you,” Quaid grumbled. “I was talking to Button.”
“No one ever asks how I am,” Spencer said with a sigh.
Quaid stared down at Hope for a long moment. “I want to do that.”
Spencer blinked. “Do what?”
“Sit with her. Skin-to-skin. It’s important for her, right?” Quaid glanced over at Indie.
“It is,” she said quietly. “But you don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I be comfortable with holding my daughter?”
She sucked in a breath at his words, but before she could say anything, Slade walked in. He was tapping on his phone and frowning slightly.
Was everything all right?
“But I don’t want to give up my turn,” Spencer grumbled.
One of Hope’s nurses walked in behind him to let them know that she was finishing her shift and helped transfer Hope over.
Indie took a moment to take in shirtless Quaid.
Wow.
She might not be feeling sexy or have any interest in sex right now. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t admire how gorgeous he looked with his shirt off.
Slade eyed Quaid for a moment but didn’t say anything. Instead, his gaze moved to her. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
“And hello to you too,” Spencer sang as he put his shirt back on. “What? No kiss?”
Slade looked surprised for a moment, then shook his head, his face filling with chagrin. “Sorry, Boo. That was rude.”
She smiled as he walked over and kissed her. “I missed you.”
“Missed you too,” she told him. “Did you sleep all right?”
“Hmm. I would have slept better with you in the bed with me.”
That sounded like heaven. Their own bed in their own apartment. He cupped the side of her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. “Anything I need to know?”
He looked from her to Rock.
Rock shrugged and shook his head.
“Are you hungry? Tired? Do you need anything?” he asked.
That was Slade. Always taking care of them all.
“I’m fine.”
“Better than fine,” he told her. “You’re beautiful. Stunning.”
She didn’t feel it, but it was nice of him to say that.
He settled onto the sofa with them, there was barely any room, but she wasn’t complaining.
She tuned out the conversation, watching Hope resting against Quaid’s chest. It had taken him a while to relax, but now there was an unguarded look on his face. He seemed at peace.
A few moments later, the door opened and one of her least favorite nurses walked in. She stared around at them all, a look of disapproval on her face. Indie stiffened and Rock tightened his hold on her.
The nurses and doctors had been amazing generally, but this nurse seemed to disapprove of their relationship.
Slade eyed the nurse, watching her closely as she picked the baby off Quaid’s chest.
“We’ve got to take Hope for a few tests,” she said abruptly, placing her into the incubator.
“What tests?” Indie asked, climbing off Rock’s lap.
“Just a few routine things, nothing to worry about,” the woman said in a patronizing voice.
Under other circumstances, Indie might have backed off. She likely wouldn’t have pushed. But when it came to Hope she was finding that she wasn’t going to be walked over. The last thing she wanted was to let her baby down.