He had his thumb firmly pressed into his mouth as he slept peacefully.
“How are you?” I wrapped an arm around her.
She tucked herself into my side and let out a huge breath. “I’m exhausted, but good. He sure did take his sweet time getting here.”
“Took his sweet time? He’s a month early,” I exclaimed, incredulously. “What are you talking about, woman?”
Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow. “When you have to spend more than seven hours in labor then come back and repeat that comment.”
I made a face at her. “I couldn’t do it to be honest. I know only you can.”
She kissed the top of Alexander’s head. “I was worried I wouldn’t know how to nurse him. I’ve read a lot of books, but the real thing is different.”
“I see you figured it out.”
“Yeah, the nurse said it would come to me naturally,” she said, softly, a look of pure awe stretched across his features. “Look at what we made.”
I bent my head down and smiled. “Yeah, I hope he looks like you.”
“I think he’s going to look like you actually,” she declared. “And why shouldn’t he? His father is very handsome, so he should get the good looks.”
“His mother is drop dead gorgeous,” I said, matter-of-factly. “So, no. I win this argument.”
She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at me. “No, you don’t.”
“But I do.”
“But you don’t.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Nuh-uh.”
She snorted. “We’re not going to get anywhere like this. Let’s just agree to disagree. Your father is quite a stubborn man, Alex.”
“Pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?”
She looked up at me, her brown eyes hopeful. “Do you want to hold him?”
I was surprised by the sudden change of subject, and before I was even fully aware of what I was doing, my head was moving up then down. Carefully, she placed him in my outstretched arms, and I cradled his head with the palm of my hand.
“I’m afraid I might break him,” I admitted, my voice catching on the last syllable. I coughed as I began to rock him up and down.
“You won’t,” she said, confidently. “Just keep supporting his head and doing that rocking thing. He loves it.”
I tucked his blanket tighter around him, and he snuggled against my hand. My heart leapt as I made a humming noise in the back of my throat.
Someone knocked on the door, and a second later, Tenley poked her head in.
“Can we come in?” she questioned, quietly, and I could see Kaitlyn’s parents standing behind her anxiously.
Kaitlyn smiled and rearranged the baby blue blanket, so that it was covering her properly. She gestured for them to come in, and all of them filed in expectantly.
Tenley immediately began gushing about what a handsome boy her nephew was, and he squirmed as if he sensed they were talking about him. He tilted his head in the direction of the noise as he lapped up the attention.
Tenley whisked him away to his adoring grandparents and mother who were doting on him. I stood next to Kaitlyn’s bed, beaming proudly as I rummaged around for my phone.
I fished it out of my pocket, realizing that I had switched the ringer off, and in the midst of the commotion, I had completely forgotten.
I had fifteen missed calls from Charity.
My stomach twisted itself into knots when I tried calling her back, but she didn’t answer.
The worry in my stomach began to spread.
Something was wrong.
I leaned in and pressed a firm kiss on Kaitlyn’s cheek. “Something is wrong with Charity. I’m going to go check on her.”
Kaitlyn wheeled her head to the side, her brown eyes filled with concern. “Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know. She called me fifteen times, and she’s never done that before. I’m just a bit worried, but I’m sure it’s all for nothing.”
I gave Kaitlyn a reassuring smile which she saw right through. She placed her hand atop mine and squeezed.
“It’s okay,” she reassured me. “My family is here. Go check on Charity and call me if you have any updates.”
I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, made my excuses to her family and strode down the hallway purposefully. I tried not to go over the speed limit on my way to her apartment, but I couldn’t help myself.
I cursed as I tried her one more time only to find that her phone had no signal.
Shit.
Where are you, Charity?
The tires screeched as I pulled into a parking spot and all but hopped out of the car as soon as the ignition switched off. I pressed the button and ran up the stairs two at a time, my heart hammering frantically in my chest.
I rapped my knuckles urgently against the door. “Charity? Are you okay? I was at the hospital with Kaitlyn.”
No answer.
I frowned as I raised my hand again only to notice that the door was left slightly ajar. Cautiously, I pushed it open and stepped inside.
“Hello? Charity?” I called out as my finger hovered above the keyboard to call 911.
My eyes scanned the room, and I froze when I spotted Charity lying in the middle of the living room with dried blood matted on her head. Her arms lay limply at her side, and her chest wasn’t moving.
I fell to the ground and frantically crawled towards her.
Want to know what happens next? Make sure you get the next book in the series, A Baby for the Wrangler! It releases on October 3, 2018!
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About the Author
Henley Maverick lives in Northern California and when she's not writing, she's reading, shoe shopping, or at the beach.
A Baby for the Vet (Boys of Rockford Series Book 4) Page 19