“We need to get there,” I say immediately and hurry for the stairs. “I can be packed in five minutes.”
“Stop.”
I turn to find him just behind me. He drags his knuckles down my cheek.
“What is it?”
“Thank you.”
“For not being a bitch because your brother is about to be a father?”
He smiles. “Something like that.”
“You’re welcome. Now let’s get a move on.”
Chapter 10
~Keegan~
“You can go up without me. I’m not trying to keep you from them, I just have to get a gift before I go in there.”
I grin down at her as she fusses over some pink and blue blankets in the hospital gift shop.
“I can wait ten more minutes.”
“I just don’t know if I should get something for the baby or for Anastasia.”
“We can get something for both of them,” I suggest. “Get all of it, if you want.”
She sighs and bites her lower lip, concentrating way harder than I think is necessary, but I’m not a woman. They’re a mystery to me.
“Wait.” She turns to me with wide eyes. “Do we know if it’s a boy or a girl?”
“No, because we aren’t upstairs yet.”
“Well, crap.” She finally decides on a yellow giraffe blanket and a bigger, fluffier gray blanket for Stasia. “Okay, I’ll start here and shop for more later.”
“All right, let’s do this.”
I pay for the gifts, along with the gift bags to stuff them in for exactly six minutes, and earn a glare from Izzy.
“What?”
“I was supposed to buy them.”
“Can’t they be from us?”
“Oh, of course. I just didn’t want to assume that would be okay.”
I stop us in the hospital hallway and turn her to me. I tip up her chin. “You and I are an us, Isabella. I didn’t realize that wasn’t already implied, so I’m happy to make it clear right here and now.”
Her lips tip up into a grin. “Well, okay then. Let’s go meet a baby.”
I kiss her lips before taking her hand and leading her into an elevator and up to the labor and delivery part of the hospital.
It’s been a few hours since that call to Maeve at the cabin. From what I understand, Stasia has since had an emergency C-section, and both she and the baby are safe.
But they don’t want to tell me what the sex is until we get there.
“What room is she in?” Izzy asks.
“That one at the end of the hall.”
“How do you know?”
I grin at the laughter and chatter coming from the room. “Because I can hear them. We’re not a quiet lot, that’s for sure.”
Izzy and I fill the doorway, and I smile at the scene before me.
Anastasia is sitting up in the hospital bed, wearing a tired smile and an IV in one arm. Kane sits close by, one hand on her ankle as he talks with Anastasia’s brother, Archer, and his wife, Elena.
My mother rocks the new baby in the corner as my father stands next to her and smiles down at the wee one.
Maggie and Maeve are on their phones, most likely methodically calling all of the Montgomerys and O’Callaghans all over the bloody world.
“You’re here,” Stasia says. “Come in.”
“Is there room?” I ask, teasing her. “You’re awfully popular.”
I walk to her and kiss her cheek before circling the bed to hug my brother.
“Shawn and Lexi just left,” he says. “Amelia and Wyatt are on their way.”
“What about your parents?” I ask Stasia.
“They just went down to the cafeteria for some lunch.”
“So, it’s been a revolving door.”
“I just got off the phone with Will,” Maeve adds. “He and Meg will be here this evening. He can’t get out of practice since they have a game in a few days.”
I glance back at Izzy, who’s still hovering in the doorway.
“Come in, love. We don’t bite.”
“I should wait in the waiting room. I don’t want to overwhelm—”
“If you don’t get in here,” Anastasia says, “I’ll be offended.”
Izzy laughs and steps inside, then offers Stasia the gift bags. “We stopped downstairs to get a little something.”
“Oh, you didn’t have to…thank God, blankets! Everything happened so fast this morning, I forgot to bring the baby’s blankets and one for me. I’m always cold. This is absolutely perfect, Izzy, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Izzy, this is my brother, Archer. You met his wife, Elena, at the baby shower.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Hey, why did Archer get out of going to the baby shower?” I ask.
“I had work,” the other man says with a smug grin.
“Is anyone going to tell us if it’s a boy or a girl?” Izzy asks the room.
“It’s a boy,” Kane says proudly. “Thomas Edward O’Callaghan.”
Named for our father, and for Anastasia’s. “That’s a fine name if ever I heard one.”
“Come.” My mother gestures to Izzy. “Give him a cuddle.”
“Oh, Keegan should hold him first.”
I shake my head. “You go ahead. Really.”
Izzy doesn’t so much as look my way as my mother gently lays the baby in Izzy’s arms and then gestures for her to sit in the rocking chair.
The baby doesn’t even make a peep as Izzy slowly rocks back and forth and gazes down at him as if in awe.
“Well, aren’t you a tiny one?” She drags her finger down his little cheek. “You’d make a woman’s ovaries explode.”
We all laugh, and the girls nod in agreement.
“He’s the sweetest baby,” Ma says. “Just content to sleep away.”
“He’s already eaten, too,” Stasia adds.
“Yes, you’re a healthy little fella,” Izzy coos and pushes his hat back so she can see his hair. “And you have your daddy’s dark hair. You’re already a heartbreaker.”
“What happened this morning?” I ask as Izzy rocks the baby.
“My water broke, and everything seemed fine, but when we got here, they said he was turned awkwardly, and I’d never be able to push him out. So, they had to rush us back for surgery.”
“Thank goodness you’re both safe now,” Maggie says.
“Okay, it’s your turn.” Izzy turns to me, but I shake my head.
I’m terrified of him.
“I think I’ll wait until he’s not so fragile.” But I squat next to them and rub his small fingers. He wraps his hand around my finger, and that’s all it takes to send me head over heels in love with him. “Well, hello there, sweet Tommy. I’m your uncle Keegan. I’ll be your favorite.”
I hear laughter around me, and when I glance up, I find my mother smiling softly down at me.
I know what she’s thinking.
And for the first time in my life, I’d say she’s not wrong.