Wyatt's Pretend Pledge

by Liz Isaacson

Liam stretched to reach for his phone again, realizing he shouldn’t have just tossed it away. “I’ll call Rhett.” His oldest brother had agreed to take Denise at a moment’s notice so Liam and Callie could go to the hospital in Amarillo when Belle called. “Two hours,” he added.

  “That was the agreement,” Callie said, darting into the bathroom.

  The line rang at Rhett’s for a long time, and Liam remembered his brother put his phone on do-not-disturb after ten p.m. It was definitely way past that.

  He hung up and dialed again, only waiting for the phone lines to connect before hanging up again. It would ring this third time, as Rhett had the emergency system engaged. Any time the same number called within ten minutes, the phone would ring.

  “Liam?” Rhett answered a moment later, clearly still pulling himself into consciousness.

  “We have to bring Denise now,” he said as Callie came out of the bathroom. She motioned that she was going to leave, and Liam nodded. She was probably going to get Denise ready to go. “Belle is having the baby.”

  “Oh, sure,” Rhett said. “We’re ready. I’ll get Evvy up.” Evelyn and Rhett were the obvious choice for babysitting, as they had a nine-month-old baby of their own, and Evelyn didn’t work outside the home anymore. Heck, Rhett barely did more than take his dog out and throw her ball, come ride horses at the ranch, and consult on a very few, select veterinary forensic cases anymore.

  “Thanks,” Liam said. “Probably fifteen minutes.”

  “We’re up,” he said. “Come on in when you get here.”

  “Will do.” Liam set his phone on the nightstand and hurried to pull on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. His wallet from the bathroom counter went in his back pocket and his jacket was in the kitchen.

  He’d just stepped into the hall when Callie came out of the bedroom down the hall, Denise asleep on her shoulder. “I’m going to put her in the truck,” she whispered.

  “I’ll grab my jacket and meet you out there,” he said.

  “And get the baby bag from the bedroom,” she said.

  He retraced his steps to pick up the bag Callie had packed weeks ago. It had everything she could think of that a newborn might need to come home from the hospital. He’d put the car seat in the back of the truck last week as well, and they had a bassinet already waiting in the corner of their bedroom.

  Liam paused for a moment and looked at it, the soft while lace actually calming him. “Bless us all that this will go smoothly,” he whispered, hoping the Lord didn’t need to be called three times in order to get a message.

  Evelyn met Callie on the front porch, and the transfer of a sleeping three-year-old little girl happened seamlessly. Rhett grabbed Liam in a tight hug, for which Liam was grateful. He felt like he had to be the strong one for Callie, who had started weeping on the drive from the Shining Star to the house on Quail Creek Road, where Rhett and Evelyn lived.

  But he felt frayed, like he would fall apart at the seams before he got to Amarillo.

  “You got this,” Rhett said, and Liam nodded.

  “I’ll call you when we know,” he said, Belle had not wanted to find out the sex of the baby. She’d been in and out of drug treatment facilities, and Callie and Liam weren’t even sure if the baby would be healthy.

  They’d been praying, of course. Everyone in the family had been.

  “I’ll call Momma as soon as it’s a decent hour,” Rhett said. “And everyone else.”

  “But no one’s coming to the hospital,” he reminded Rhett. Belle hadn’t wanted a show, and with the Walkers, even going to a movie became a production. Liam remembered when Rhett’s son was born, and the nurses had had to ask the family to calm down or go outside.

  Callie had laid down the law and said that only she and Liam would be going to the hospital. And even then, they couldn’t go in the room where Belle had the baby. They’d have to wait outside until the nurse brought them the infant.

  Liam’s stomach boiled as he stepped back and swept his arm around Callie’s waist.

  “No one’s coming,” Rhett said. “Keep us updated, and I’m sure Jeremiah will have something at the homestead.”

  “Simone’s been putting things in the freezer for weeks too,” Callie said.

  “Let’s go, sweetheart,” Liam said, anxious to be on the road. They loaded back into the truck, but Liam didn’t pull out of the driveway. “Let’s have a prayer, should we?”

  Callie nodded, sniffling. “I can’t say it.”

  “I will.” Liam hadn’t grabbed his cowboy hat before leaving the house, so he didn’t have to swipe it from his head. He simply closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Dear Lord, please help us to drive safely to the hospital. Bless Belle to have an easy delivery, if it be Thy will.” His voice stalled as his throat closed. He wanted to pray that it would be easy for her to give them her baby, but he knew no part of that would be easy.

  “We’re so grateful for this opportunity to be parents, and bless us that we can do what’s right for Denise and this new baby. Bless the baby that he or she will have few complications, and that we’ll know how to take care of them if there are some.” He paused again, swallowing to try to steady his voice.

  “Amen,” he finished, because he’d begged God for everything already. Callie reached over and threaded her fingers through his, squeezing his hand to let him know she would’ve said everything he had.

  They drove through the darkness, along a lonely strip of road no one else was using at three-thirty in the morning.

  The hospital was well-lit, a glowing beacon in the much bigger city of Amarillo. Liam parked near the main entrance, and he and Callie managed to get all the way to the maternity department on the fourth floor.

  “Bella Forrest?” he asked at the nurse’s station there. “I’m not sure if she’s had her baby or not.” He looked down the hall, but there were only white walls, wooden doors, and windows with curtains drawn over them.

  Callie’s nerves radiated from her, and Liam kept her close to his side. For some reason, now that he was here, he only felt calm and ready.

  A blessing from God, he knew, as every time he’d previously thought about holding a person who weighed less than ten pounds, he’d nearly had an anxiety attack.

  “The doctor went in about ten minutes ago,” the nurse said after checking something on her computer. “I’m sure it won’t be long now.”

  “So we’ll just wait over there,” Liam said, indicating the waiting area down the hall.

  “Yes,” she said. “Sheralyn will bring the baby out when she’s ready.”

  “She?” Liam asked, his heart jumping. “Is the baby a girl?”

  “Oh, sorry,” the nurse said, smiling. “We don’t know that yet. I was just saying when the baby is ready, Sheralyn will bring her out.” She shook her head. “See? I did it again. I guess unborn babies where we don’t know the sex are just all girls.” She gave a quick laugh and went right back to her work.

  Liam took Callie down to the waiting room, and they settled in.

  Ten minutes became twenty, which became thirty. When an hour had passed, Liam had gotten up to go to the bathroom twice, and he’d bought a soda from the machine that stood guard over all the empty chairs.

  “She’s coming,” Callie said, and Liam looked up from the floor, where he’d been memorizing the pattern in the carpet. She stood, and Liam got to his feet too, mesmerized by the woman coming toward him, a soft smile on her face, and a perfect bundle in her arms.

  A perfect, pink-wrapped bundle.

  “It’s a girl,” Liam whispered at the same time Sheralyn asked, “Liam and Callie?”

  Callie nodded, as did Liam, and Sheralyn passed the tiny girl to Callie. “It’s a girl. She’s doing great, as is the mother.”

  A soft, “Oh,” escaped Callie’s mouth as she gazed down at the baby girl. She had perfectly pink skin and the cutest little nose. Her eyes were closed, but she grunted as she shifted against Callie.

  “Liam, look at he
r.” Tears streamed down Callie’s face, and Liam put his arm around her to give her strength.

  “She’s beautiful,” he said.

  “What are you going to name her?” Sheralyn asked. “I can get going on the birth certificate and all that.”

  “Ginger,” Liam said. “Ginger Elizabeth Walker.”

  Callie hummed and swayed with their new baby, and Liam wanted to take a picture so he could remember this moment forever. There was so much love filling him, and so much peace, and he couldn’t help gazing at the little girl in all of her newborn glory.

  Sheralyn repeated the name, and added, “And Miss Forrest doesn’t want to see her again, just so you know. We’ll need to keep her in the nursery for at least twenty-four hours, and I’ve got a room for the two of you, if you’d like to follow me.”

  “Okay,” Liam said, guiding Callie to follow the nurse. She took them to a room that had a couch and a recliner, but not a bed. He knew he wouldn’t be able to get Callie to leave the baby for more than a few minutes, and he eyed the couch like it had already robbed him of a good night’s sleep.

  She sat down, and Liam sat next to her. Sheralyn said she’d bring them something to drink, and she left too.

  “I wish my mother could see her,” Callie said.

  “She did,” Liam said. “She knows.”

  Callie nodded, smiled down at Ginger, and leaned her head back against the couch.

  Exhaustion pulled through Liam too, and he sent a quick text to Rhett. It’s a girl. We named her Ginger Elizabeth, and they gave us a room because Belle doesn’t want to see her.

  How long until we can come? Rhett asked. And I just mean us, with Denise.

  Come this afternoon, Liam sent back to him. And let Jeremiah know we won’t be home until at least tomorrow.

  With his texts sent and his plans made, he said, “Rhett’s going to bring Denise for a couple of hours this afternoon.”

  “Okay.”

  He’d just started to doze when Sheralyn returned. “Liam? Callie?”

  His eyes shot open. “Yeah?”

  “We need to talk about Ginger’s test results.”

  Chapter Nine

  Skyler woke to a slew of messages on his family text string, instant annoyance soaring through him. His brothers all woke with the sun, but Skyler did not. Which was why he’d muted the family texts and only looked at them when he was good and ready.

  He hardly ever contributed anything, but if anyone noticed how quiet he was, they’d never said.

  He yawned as he tapped on the phone to see he’d missed eighty-seven messages since last night.

  “Eighty-seven?” The level of incredulity in his voice filled his bedroom. He put the phone back down, already overwhelmed with his family.

  He loved them, sure. But at times like these, he was glad he was a little bit removed from them. In the shower, he hoped the thoughts of his brothers and all the families they’d started would wash down the drain with the water.

  Honestly, it was hard being a Walker. There was a standard his parents expected, and Skyler had already fallen short of that several times. He’d never be as compassionate as Rhett, who looked over all the brothers, texting them individually and checking in constantly. At least he did that for Skyler, and he appreciated it.

  Without Rhett, Skyler would feel very little connection to the brothers, and his oldest brother seemed to know it.

  He’d never be able to play the role Jeremiah did, as family manager, cook, and the open-arms party planner. There was always room for one more with Jeremiah, especially now that he’d found a woman and was starting a family too.

  The twins were great examples of how to avoid letting money and fame go to their heads, but they’d always had each other, and Skyler had given up trying to crack into their relationship. His best friends in the family—besides Rhett—were the younger brothers: Wyatt and Micah, and thankfully, neither of them had gotten married yet.

  Skyler couldn’t imagine what his life would be like if he were the last Walker to get married. The phone calls and texts he’d have to endure then.

  The swirling thoughts of his family maintained him through his morning routine, and Skyler found himself grabbing a protein bar and a bottle of soda on his way out the door, just like he did every day. The thoughts were still with him. His phone felt heavy with all those messages, and Skyler kept looking at the device sitting in the console as he drove over to campus.

  He didn’t particularly like college, but he wasn’t going to quit. He couldn’t fail again.

  After sliding into a seat in the back of his business finance class, Skyler decided to get the messages read and done with.

  He now had over a hundred to sift through, and he wondered how any of his brothers could keep up. They had lives and responsibilities too.

  He knew why the moment he tapped on the string. Rhett had texted first, and he’d said Liam and Callie just had a baby girl! They named her Ginger Elizabeth Walker. They’ll keep us updated with more details, but they’ll be in Amarillo until at least tomorrow.

  Skyler’s heart skipped and leapt as if it were running through a dewy meadow. He wasn’t surprised by the name; it had been discussed to death on the family text. Ginger was Callie’s mother’s name, and Elizabeth was his great-grandmother’s name.

  The texts that came after were congratulations and well-wishes, followed by a couple of pictures of the new infant from Liam. Lots of hearts and aww-ing after those, and Skyler found himself smiling at his device while his professor talked about something he’d probably need to know to pass the class.

  He reached the end of the texts and quickly added a Congrats, Liam and Callie! with his own heart emoticon, sent the message, and turned his phone over. Guilt threaded through him that he’d been frustrated with his brothers and their wives. A new baby was a good thing to celebrate, and one of the few reasons Skyler believed the family text should be used to communicate.

  And he’d been surly about it.

  He wondered if there would come a time when he didn’t feel guilty, if that religious upbringing his parents had provided for their family would ever truly fade. The only time Skyler went to church anymore was when he was living at Seven Sons, and he’d been considering not going back to the ranch until his degree was finished. He could stay here in the summer, and take a few classes as he explored all that Amarillo had to offer.

  His phone buzzed, which meant he’d gotten a message that wasn’t from the brothers. He picked up his phone and saw a message from Mal. They’d been friends for a while, and he’d recently been attending her yoga class after she’d begged him to.

  Skyler didn’t enjoy yoga, just like he didn’t like school, but Mal needed bodies in the class right now, and Skyler couldn’t say no to her.

  She was full of life and fun, and she liked a lot of the same things Skyler did—seeing the sights, talking about frivolous things, eating at every restaurant in the city.

  Saw you smiling at your phone. What’s on that thing that’s so interesting?

  He grinned again, looked around the huge auditorium-classroom for her, and didn’t see her high, dark ponytail.

  Hey, anything is more interesting than what Jackson is talking about. Skyler glanced up at the instructor. He honestly didn’t even know what he was saying. You’ll have to help me catch up later.

  Right, Mal responded. You’ll get Suzie-Sally-Sarah to help you. Or some other blonde.

  Skyler shook his head, his smile widening. Nope, it’s gotta be you, Mal. I haven’t been coming to all those yoga classes for nothing.

  Skyler had no romantic interest in Mal. Or Suzie, Sally, or Sarah, all of whom he’d flirted with like this via text or in person. He simply wasn’t interested in having a real relationship with a woman at all.

  Some people—the twins, Jeremiah, and probably Rhett too—called him a player. Heck, his own friends here at the university did too. He was comfortable in that role, and he didn’t mind the negative label. Wom
en knew what they were getting with Skyler Walker, and it wasn’t his heart or his time.

  Only if you tell me what had you smiling at the phone. If it’s another woman, I’m out. She can help you with risk and return.

  My brother had his baby this morning.

  As soon as Skyler sent the text, he realized how it sounded. A laugh started in the bottom of his stomach, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to contain it. And there was nothing funny about risk and return in the financial sector.

  I mean, he didn’t have a baby. He and his wife are adopting, and the baby was born this morning.

  He heard someone giggle to his right, and he knew it was Mal. He had to get out of there. He quickly tapped send on the last message, grabbed his backpack, and headed for the door, a chuckle escaping his mouth as he went.

  In the hall, he laughed before the door was all the way closed. The thought of Liam having a baby shouldn’t be this funny, and maybe Skyler was stressed. Maybe he felt ashamed for thinking his family was a burden when the texts were worthy and about something he wanted to know.

  A moment later, the door opened again, and Mal and her giggles spilled into the hallway too. Skyler started laughing again, and it sure was nice to chase away some of his darker emotions with laugher.

  And oh, Skyler was very good at covering up his true feelings with laughter.

  “Your brother had a baby,” Mal said, still laughing.

  “He did,” Skyler said. “And I need to call him and see if I can go visit. They’re here in the city.” That would probably earn him some much-needed family points, but Skyler hated that thought too. No one was keeping score with points. He knew that, but it still felt like he was playing catch-up, especially with Micah living at Seven Sons now.

  “You better get back in there and take notes,” he teased as Mal pulled her long, dark hair into a ponytail. She had olive skin and a pair of deep, dark eyes too. She hailed from South of the border, and she was an exotic kind of beautiful Skyler really liked.

  Their eyes met as she sobered, and something arced between them that he had never felt with her before. “I can’t go back in there,” she teased. “I had to climb over four people with all my stuff.” She lifted her backpack and her purse, both of which were quite bulky. “As I laughed out loud.”