“Until a few weeks ago,” he reminded her. “What if that caused a problem or hurt the baby? What if it’s the reason she’s in labor now? What if…”
Squeezing his hand, she interrupted, “Dean, we have to think positively! The doctors have been watching her carefully and she’s been very cooperative and following their orders to take things easy.”
“They never should have gone away this week,” he muttered, pulling his hand from hers and walking out the front door.
With no other choice, she followed, locking up behind her. When she climbed into his truck, she knew she needed to get him to calm down before they went anywhere. The last thing anyone needed was Dean flipping out at the hospital and starting a fight with someone. She reached out and snagged the keys from him before he could start the truck.
“What the hell?” he demanded.
“You need to calm down!” she said firmly. “I get that you’re upset and worried about Scarlett, but we all are! This is one of those times when calm, cool, and collected Dean is most appreciated. We’re going to a hospital and you can’t go in there looking for a fight!”
“I’m not going to fight with anyone,” he said with disgust. “You know I’d never do anything like that.”
“Normally I would agree, but I’ve never seen you like this before and I have no idea what’s going on in your head.”
Letting out a long breath, Dean rested his head back against the seat. “Yeah, I’m usually alone when I freak out this way. Sorry.”
Without thinking, she reached for his hand again. “I don’t want you to apologize. If anything, I like knowing that you’re not always in control.” When he looked at her like she was crazy, she gave him a small smile. “You’ve said it often enough–you’re the levelheaded one all the time. I often wondered how it was even possible. Now I know that you’re just as human as the rest of us.”
“It’s not a bad thing, right?” he asked, his voice a little hesitant.
“It’s actually a great thing.” Leaning in, she kissed him softly on the lips. “Now let’s go to the hospital and wait for a baby!”
But he didn’t pick up the keys right away. He looked down at their hands and sighed.
“What? What’s the matter?”
“This was supposed to be our night to finally tell Scarlett what’s going on and now…”
“Yeah, I think she’s got more important things on her mind.” She laughed softly again.
“But we’re showing up there together and…”
“And we’ll deal with it if anyone has anything to say,” she quickly stated. “Although with so much going on and everyone focused on worrying about Scarlett and the baby, I highly doubt anyone’s going to be paying much attention to us.”
He kissed her again before picking up the keys and starting the truck. “We’ll see.”
“You’re going to wear a path into that floor if you don’t stop pacing.”
Dean merely glanced at his father and kept walking. Was it normal for labor to take this long? And why hadn’t anyone come out to update them lately? No one had seen or heard anything from Mason in over two hours!
With a low chuckle, Domenic Jones blocked his son’s path. “Come on. Come walk with me outside. I can use some air.”
“Dad, if we go outside, we might miss an update on Scarlett!”
That just made his father laugh again. He turned toward the cluster of sofas in the waiting room where everyone was sitting and talking. “If any word comes down, Dean and I will be outside,” he called out. “There. Problem solved. Let’s go.”
Knowing there was no arguing with his dad, Dean simply followed him across the lobby and out the doors. It was dark outside and the air was cool, but he had to admit it felt good after being inside the hospital for over four hours already.
“These things take time, Dean,” his father said once they were walking away from the front doors and down the walkway to a sitting area. “Trust me. I did this with four kids of my own and not that long ago with Hunter on the night Eli was born. There’s no rushing a baby to be born.”
“But she’s so early, Dad,” he reasoned. “You would think they would be doing their best to deliver quickly so they can make sure the baby is okay.”
“Sometimes that puts more stress on both the mother and the baby. They’re monitoring both of them and if they see something’s wrong, they’ll do whatever needs to be done. We just need to be patient.”
“Yeah,” he said wearily. “Not my strong suit lately.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I think out of the four of you, you’re the most patient. Always have been. Sometimes I wish you’d be a little more impatient and take some initiative, just…not right now in this particular situation.”
Frowning, he stopped walking. “What does that mean?”
A small smile played on his father’s lips. “I noticed you arrived with Courtney. And food.”
“And?”
“And I just think it’s interesting,” Domenic said. “I think something’s been there for a long time and you’ve just been standing back, being patient, and not confident enough to do anything about it.”
“Dad, you’re not making any sense.”
Rather than argue, his father just nodded and began walking again.
Seriously, did everyone notice how there was a…a thing…between him and Courtney that neither of them ever did? How was that possible?
One of the things Dean had always prided himself on was being attuned to how other people felt or to their needs–particularly with his family. But somehow he has missed out on the fact that Courtney had had feelings for him for years and how other people were aware of it.
“You’re a smart man,” Domenic went on. “And you’re one of the most caring people I know. It’s no wonder you’re looking out for Courtney. She’s a little lost right now and I think it’s nice how you’re looking after her.”
Wait…
“Although, I have a feeling you’re not really doing it out of brotherly concern…”
“I’m not her brother, Dad.”
“Glad to know you realize that.”
He stopped walking again. “Dad…” he said with exasperation. “If you’ve got something to say, can you please just say it?”
Domenic paused and turned around, a look of mild amusement on his face. “All I’m trying to say is that if you’re happy and Courtney’s happy, then I’m happy. It seems to me the both of you have seemed a whole lot…”
“Happier?” he asked, with just a hint of sarcasm.
“Well, yeah. For lack of a better word.” Then without another word, he turned and started walking again.
Sighing, Dean followed. After several silent moments, he had to speak. “So you don’t think there’s anything wrong with what we’re doing?”
“Depends on what exactly it is that you’re doing.”
“Dad…”
“I’m not asking for specific details, Son, so relax. What I am saying is that if the two of you are just messing around–even if it’s mutual messing around–I can’t say I’d be pleased.”
He’d ask why, but Dean was pretty sure he already knew the answer.
“We’re not messing around.” He paused. “At least, I don’t think we are.”
“You’re not sure?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure about anything anymore. I was so freaked out about how everyone else was going to react that I’ve sort of been on pins and needles, holding part of myself back just in case things couldn’t work out.”
“Couldn’t?” Domenic repeated. “That’s an odd word choice.”
“You know what I mean. If everyone freaked out and made Courtney uncomfortable, there’s no way we would could continue seeing each other.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why? Because it would be hard!”
“So?”
He groaned. “You don’t understand…”
“I understand better than you
think,” Domenic clarified. “When I first met your mother, I wasn’t exactly her family’s first choice for her.”
“How come?”
Shrugging, he went on, “Because your mother had dated Alan Wagner before we met.”
“Who’s Alan Wagner?”
Domenic chuckled. “To me he was nothing more than a pretentious jackass, but to your grandparents, he was someone who had a tremendous future who could give your mother a better life than she had growing up.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. But your mother was smart and knew he wasn’t the man for her.” With a mirthless laugh, he added, “Although he did seem to be the man for a lot of other women around town.”
“Ah. Gotcha.”
“Anyway, that was something your grandparents didn’t know about him, and when I started coming around, they were very vocal about all the ways Alan could give her more than I ever could and how I was destined to stay in this small town and live paycheck to paycheck.”
“Wow, Dad. I had no idea. It always seemed like you had a great relationship with them.”
“That came with time,” he explained. “But there were a few years where they made it very hard to be around them. Your mom used to cry all the time about it. I thought about walking away but…I couldn’t. I loved her and she loved me and we used to just pray that they’d come to realize that.”
“I guess they finally did.”
He nodded. “They did. It helped a lot when Alan went to jail for racketeering and it came out what a womanizer he was.”
Dean laughed out loud. “I’m sure that really helped.”
“I’m not a spiteful man or one who takes pleasure when bad things happen to people but…I was really happy to see ol’ Alan fall like that.”
“I get that.” He paused. “But it’s not really the same with Court and me…”
“It is. You two are happy together, right?”
With a nod, Dean said, “We are.”
“And if other people weren’t happy for you–if they thought you should be with someone else or she should be with someone else–they’d be vocal about it, right?”
“Right.”
“See? Same thing. We got it from your grandparents. You thought you’d be getting it from me and your brothers and sister.”
“Hunter knows and he was fine with it. I haven’t mentioned it to Kyle but I imagine he’d just make fun of me for a while or joke around and tell Courtney she picked the wrong brother.”
“And your sister?”
He sighed. “We planned on telling her tonight over dinner, but then Mason called and told us she was in labor.”
“She always did have bad timing,” Domenic responded with a laugh and after a moment, he asked, “How do you think she’s going to respond?”
“I think she’s going to freak out.”
“You know her bark is worse than her bite. Scarlett talks first, thinks second. That’s always been her biggest downfall. If I were you, I’d prepare for the bark and then just give her a little time. Although, you may have lucked out with the baby coming early.”
“Why?”
“She’ll be a bit distracted. I’m not saying go in there when the baby comes and open with announcing you and Courtney are dating, but…you know what I’m saying.”
The sound of footsteps rapidly approaching had them both looking over their shoulders. As his brother Kyle quickly caught up to them, he knew it could only mean one thing.
“It’s a boy!”
13
“Thanks for being willing to stay and hang out for a few minutes,” Scarlett said as she kissed her newborn son’s head. Courtney hadn’t really thought about the reality of her friend having a baby, but now that he was here, she began to feel a little emotional.
“No worries,” she said softly, not wanting to startle the baby. “Is everything okay?”
Looking up at her, Scarlett smiled. “I feel like I ran a marathon and then got kicked in the crotch, but other than that, I’m great.”
Laughing quietly, she commented, “You really have a vivid way of painting a picture.”
“I try.” She paused, kissing the baby again before relaxing against the pillows and focusing on Courtney. “Listen, I have something I have to talk to you about.”
Uh-oh…
“The last couple of weeks, there’s been something on my mind, but between the bed rest and missing our honeymoon and…well, you know…”
Courtney nodded, afraid to speak.
Reaching out, Scarlett grabbed for one of Courtney’s hands and squeezed it. “You know how much I love you, right?”
Another nod.
“I mean…you’re my sister!” she explained emphatically. “Ever since we were assigned the same table on the first day of kindergarten and you asked me if I liked Beanie Babies, we’ve been inseparable.”
“I know,” she said, smiling at the memory.
“I had never met anyone as girlie as you,” Scarlett went on. “I was fascinated by everything you did and said and wore. I think my family was so tired of hearing me talk about you and all the demands I made for more girly things.” She laughed. “You were my first friend. My first real friend.”
“Scar, you’re going to make me cry.” And sure enough, her eyes were beginning to sting with unshed tears.
“Welcome to my world. I’ve been crying for almost a whole year.”
“Oh, stop,” she said, her attention going to the tiny baby in her friend’s arms. “All those tears were worth it. I mean, look at him. He’s perfect.”
Scarlett’s smile grew. “He really is, isn’t he? And I can’t believe how big he is for a preemie. The whole time I was in labor, the nurses were preparing me for the fact that he could be small and have to go into an incubator and be monitored, but he’s over five pounds and seems perfectly fine.” She paused. “Although, they are going to keep him in the nursery tonight to monitor him. I just asked to keep him with me for a little longer.”
“You probably should have let Mason stay with the two of you instead of shooing him out of here.”
“He understands. He knew I needed to talk to you.”
Damn. She thought she’d distracted her.
“Whatever it is, Scar, it can wait. You’ve had a long day and I’m sure Mason wants to be back in here with the two of you.” She stood and squeezed her hand before letting go. “And have you given this little bean a name yet?”
“Sadly, no. We wanted to wait until he was here so we could look at him but there hasn’t been a spare moment to really stare at him, you know?”
“All the more reason to get Mason back in here.” She paused and smiled at how happy Scarlett looked. “I’ll go get him.” Leaning down, she kissed her on the cheek. “And I promise to come by tomorrow. Do you think you’ll get to go home?”
“I think it all depends on this little guy. If he’s staying, I’m staying.”
“Okay, I’ll check in with you in the morning and see what’s going on.” She walked to the door before she stopped and turned around. “Scar?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m so happy for you. I know you’ve only been a mom for like…an hour, but it’s a really good look on you.”
“Dammit, now I’m going to cry!”
“Like that wasn’t going to happen anyway,” she said with a wink. “Talk to you tomorrow. Try to get some sleep.”
“I will. Thanks, Court.”
“I love you, Scarlett,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.
And with a watery smile, Scarlett replied, “I love you too.”
Out in the hall, she took a minute to compose herself. There were so many emotions threatening to overwhelm her and she needed to get herself together before she walked out to the waiting room and faced Dean and Mason and whoever else was still here.
Sitting with Scarlett and seeing the baby in her arms had her longing for the same thing. How many times had they talked about doing this together–having thei
r babies at the same time so they’d either be best friends or a couple who would one day marry each other? There was no way she was ready to talk to Dean about anything like that, but she couldn’t help but wish that she was.
She’d never admit it but…all the times she and Scarlett talked about their kids, Courtney always pretended her child was Dean’s.
Oh, if only…
Taking a steadying breath, she made her way back to the waiting room. Stopping before anyone could see her, she simply watched everyone as they talked and celebrated. Mason was hugging his sister Parker while he talked to their parents. Domenic was standing with them and he was just beaming. That made her smile as well. Next to them, Dean was talking with Kyle and whatever it was that Dean said made his brother laugh.
It was a good scene and she was so happy she hadn’t missed it. If she had made it to Raleigh that night weeks ago, she wouldn’t have been here for this.
As if sensing her, Dean looked over at her and smiled and just like that, her heart skipped a beat. He was everything she ever wanted and it didn’t matter if it was too soon or if they didn’t know how everyone else felt about them, she wanted him to know how she felt.
Tonight. I’ll tell him tonight.
Forcing herself to relax and smile, she joined the group. Domenic stopped her as she walked over and hugged her.
“Congratulations, Grandpa,” she said, hugging him back. “Another boy in the family!”
“I really thought she was having a girl,” he said with a grin. “Or maybe it was just wishful thinking.”
“Yeah, I was kind of hoping for a girl for her too, but once she found out she was having a boy, I realized a boy would be perfect.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You knew?”
Blushing, she nodded. “Yeah. She swore me to secrecy.”
Chuckling, he shook his head again. “You two…why am I not surprised?”
Dean walked over with Kyle and when he put his arm around her right there in front of everyone, she melted a little. It felt so good not to hide their relationship anymore. It gave her hope for them.
And if she could just find a damn job, life would be perfect.
And Then One Day (Magnolia Sound Book 4) Page 17