Beau’s hand shifted lower, his eyes tracking the movement. “He rolling?”
“Yeah, I think that was an elbow.” A sound of discomfort rose in my throat before I could try to swallow it back, and Beau’s stare snapped to mine.
“You’re not fine,” he said softly, confidently. “You wanna be because you thrive on these kinds of days. But I see it in your eyes when you think I’m not looking at you, and I hear it in your voice. I heard that.”
“You don’t understand . . .”
“I do. You wanna be running around, taking care of everyone once they get here. And you wanna make sure everything’s done and perfect before they do. I know.” He placed his other hand on my stomach so he was cradling it. “But right now, I need you to take care of him and take care of yourself.”
“Okay, I will sit down for the rest of the night if you just let me finish—”
“No.” When my lips parted to keep pleading my case, he said, “My mom’s here, she can do it. I’ll help.”
“Your mom is a really amazing cook, but she doesn’t make things the way I do, and I left a bunch of things half-done without telling her what I’d done to them.”
Beau stared at me for a long moment before letting out a harsh sigh and pushing to his feet.
Without a word, he stalked across the living room and picked up one of the plush chairs, carrying it over to set it down in front of the large, round table. Seconds later, he was carrying the matching ottoman over to situate it in front of the chair.
“You can tell us what to do from there,” he said as he helped me up from the couch, voice low and firm, “but you’re not getting back in that kitchen tonight.”
“Deal,” I said, sure I’d be at the stove sooner rather than later.
* * *
I hadn’t ever gotten back into the kitchen, and as soon as people started arriving, I’d been transferred back to the couch.
It felt wrong to sit around while people came into my home. To not get up and greet them and offer them a drink or something to snack on. But, between taking over my kitchen and making sure I didn’t move, Beau had made sure I was absolutely catered to while his mom had taken over greeting the rest of the family.
“You went into early labor?” Emberly asked as soon as they arrived, looking like she couldn’t figure out if she was more worried or jealous. “I just wanna go into labor.” When I looked at her in question, she explained, “Doc told me.”
Madison handed me a water and asked her, “How many days past your due date are you?”
“Six,” Emberly said with a sigh as she rested her hands on her stomach. “She doesn’t wanna come out.”
“I went long with Quinn,” I offered, trying to comfort her.
“Same with Avalee,” Madison added. “She’ll come soon.”
“I just wanna see my feet.” A small laugh left Emberly, but it sounded exhausted. “And sleep. I would like to sleep.”
I placed the cup in front of my mouth and swallowed back the laugh that tried to break free.
Emberly didn’t need me telling her she wouldn’t be getting much sleep after the baby was born either. I’d always hated when people told me that when I was huge-pregnant and tired.
“When did you have your appointment?” I asked, since it had to have been in the last few days.
“Yesterday afternoon.” One of her hands moved tenderly over her stomach. “And nothing. She said I’ll be good through the weekend, at least. Peeing,” she said abruptly. “I’d like to stop peeing every five seconds too.”
I looked at Madison when Emberly waddled away to find her losing the fight on covering her smile. “When I had that appointment she’s talking about, I had Quinn the next day.”
“I had Avalee that night,” she added, eyes wide. “My doctor swore I was probably gonna have to be induced after another week. But . . .” She lifted her hands and then patted her barely-there baby bump.
I moved my feet to the floor, my eyes already searching. “I’m pretty sure we’re having a baby tonight.”
Madison grabbed my shoulder and then pointed at the couch. “Stay there so we don’t have two.”
I huffed a sigh and relaxed against the couch again as I looked around the room until I found Cayson just a handful of feet behind me, talking with his and Emberly and Rae’s moms and stepping out of the way when the kids came running through, screaming and being all kinds of wild.
Hunter caught Avalee’s shoulders before she could get much farther and said, “Lotta pregnant women. Y’all go run somewhere else, yeah?” As soon as they were off again, he continued toward us. “Y’all need anything?”
“I’m great,” Madison said as I asked, “Did Beau send you?”
“Can I not check on my wife?” he asked as he pulled Madison into his arms, feigning offense. But after another second, he admitted, “Yeah.”
“I need to get off this couch,” I said miserably, then waved Cayson over when I caught his eye.
“You okay? You need anything?” he asked as he hurried over, and my narrowed eyes shifted from him to Hunter.
“He’s just worried about you,” Madison said, trying to pacify me.
“I know, but I’m not on bed rest yet. And it feels like he’s trying to put me on it early.”
“Well, if you hadn’t spent an entire day in the kitchen, maybe you wouldn’t be confined to your that.”
A smile tugged at my lips despite my desperate need to leave the couch and rush around my house, doing everything myself. “Maybe you should be confined to my this with me, and we’ll see how long until you go crazy. Anyway!” I shifted my focus back to Cayson, but he was looking around, his brow pinched tight.
“Where’s Emberly?”
“Bathroom,” Madison and I answered at the same time, then I asked, “Do y’all have her hospital bag?”
Surprise and worry replaced everything in an instant as his head snapped back to me. “In the truck. Why?”
“She’s fine,” I said quickly. “But she’s probably not making it through dinner.”
“What do you mean? Why?”
“Take a breath,” I said softly and grabbed his hand. “Emberly is fine. Madison and I are just guessing from experience that y’all will be getting ready to have a baby by the end of the night.”
“Savannah.”
I looked up to see Beau quickly approaching us.
“I would really love to get up.” My hopeful smile faded when he handed me his phone. “Who—hey, why aren’t y’all here?” I demanded when Sawyer’s face filled up the screen.
He scrunched up one side of his face and asked, “Is it cool if we don’t come?”
“No, it’s absolutely not cool. Y’all have to be here.”
He pulled the phone farther away, showing off the tiny bundle cradled in his arm. “How about now?”
“Oh my God!” I cried and held the phone out for Madison and his brothers to see. “Oh my God, wait! But it’s early—what happened? Is he okay—is Rae okay? Where is she? What’s his name, and why didn’t y’all tell anyone Rae was in labor? Oh my God, Saw, you’re a dad.”
Sawyer’s proud smile beamed over the phone as he waited for me to finish my super-fast ramble. “His name’s Griffith. Everyone’s great. He’s healthy. Rae did fucking amazing.”
“Little ears,” I chastised halfheartedly.
A low laugh left him. He turned the phone so I could see where Rae was asleep in the hospital bed. “She did great,” he said again. “He just decided today was the day he was coming. If he doesn’t drop too much weight, he won’t need to go to the NICU, and we’ll be able to go home in a couple days.”
“Oh my God,” I said again, my chest warming and feeling too small for my heart. “Sawyer, I can’t believe it. I’m so excited for y’all.” My stare dragged to the side when Cayson suddenly rushed away and landed on where Beau was talking to my mother-in-law, who looked like she was going to burst from excitement.
“Emberly’s wat
er broke,” Madison whispered from behind me.
My chest pitched with a huff as I looked up at her. “There might just be two tonight after all.”
She squeezed my shoulder, then said louder, “Sawyer, you’re pretty and all, but we wanna see that baby again.”
Sawyer carefully positioned the phone to show off the sleeping baby in his arm, smile all wonder and unconditional love as he looked down at him.
“Griffith is beautiful,” I said softly. “Tell Rae we’re so proud of her and happy for y’all.”
“I will,” he mumbled as he continued watching his son sleep.
“Oh, and if in . . . about half an hour or so, you hear someone cussing you six ways to Sunday between screams of pain, that would be Emberly pissed off that y’all didn’t let her know Rae was in labor.” I pointed off in the direction Cayson had gone. “Emberly’s water just broke.”
Excitement and shock covered his face as he looked up. “No shit?”
“Little ears,” I reminded him.
“He’s sleeping.” A smirk tugged at his mouth. “Tell Em to hurry her ass up. We’ve always said we were separated at birth. It’s only right if our kids are born on the same day.”
“I’ll be sure to tell a woman in labor that,” I said dryly and smiled at Beau as he came to sit beside me on the edge of the couch.
He gripped my free hand, his pinky absently tracing the angel wings on my wrist. “Happy for you, man,” he said to Sawyer, tone dipping as if he’d already said it before. “Try to sleep. We’ll see y’all soon.”
Sawyer nodded, his stare already fixated on the bundle in his arm again. “Later.”
I sighed and leaned against the back of the couch when Beau ended the call, unable to contain all the happiness filling me. “Can’t believe it.”
Beau grunted in agreement. “And now Cays . . .” A smile ghosted across his face as his stare flashed up to Hunter. “You ready for that?”
“So ready,” Hunter said, smile wide and excitement pouring from him as his fingers trailed over Madison’s small bump. “And Avalee’s fucking ecstatic.”
A soft laugh bubbled past Madison’s lips as she imitated her daughter, “Is my sister here yet?”
“Every day,” Hunter said in agreement.
“That doesn’t change, no matter how many kids you have,” I said, looking to Beau when he reached out to tenderly hold my stomach.
“Our day will be here soon.”
A contended hum sounded in my throat as I brushed my hand past his. “Hopefully not too soon.”
“Let me take care of you, and we’ll make it to where we’re supposed to.” His dark eyes searched mine, pleading.
My eyelids shut for a moment as I reluctantly nodded. “Okay.”
“No more trying to sneak into the kitchen?” he confirmed, all amused disbelief. “No more cleaning and fixing things around the house every time you go to the bathroom?”
“I mean, that’s a lot to promise.”
He dipped in closer to press his forehead to mine. “Savannah . . .”
“Okay, I promise.” My claim was nothing more than a breath as his mouth teased mine.
“Thank you,” he said on a sigh. With a soft kiss to my lips, he sat back, relief pouring from him. “I love you.”
“Every last breath.”
Look for more Brewed novels from Molly McAdams!
Fix
Whiskey
Glow
Coming soon . . .
From New York Times bestselling author, Molly McAdams, comes a new, captivating series that follows five girls sharing a house in the heart of Hollywood who all have secret lives of their own. From following passions, to loving freely, to working scandalous careers, the Secrets in L.A. series is filled with excitement, romance, and lies.
Cory—As always, thank you for being my constant support. Everything I do is possible because of you. I love you!
Molly and Amy—A massive thank you for the never-ending support and encouragement. Your friendships mean the world to me. I don’t know what I would do without the two of you.
Molly’s Monsters—Y’all are literally the best group on Facebook. Thank you for all your support, encouragement, and the amazing uplifting spirit y’all have created in there.
Samantha, Letitia, & Shannon—Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this book what it is! From the photo to the cover to the edits . . . you’re all such rock stars!
Dad & the Coles—Thank you for all the amazing insight into your lives to help make this series what I want it to be. The Coles, I’ve always loved your gorgeous Plantation House—getting married there was a dream! However, I’m totally obsessed with the transformation into the boutique inn. It’s amazing and the perfect inspiration for Blossom B&B. Dad, you’re pretty much the best ever. Thank you for enduring countless questions as I tried to uncover your produce business and farming expertise so I could make the Dixon’s orchard just right with little hints of your lifetime achievements. Love you!
Molly grew up in California but now lives in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas with her husband, daughter, and fur baby. When she's not diving into the world of her characters, some of her hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling, and long walks on the beach . . . which roughly translates to being a homebody and dishing out movie quotes with her hubby. She has a weakness for crude-humored movies and loves curling up in a fluffy blanket during a thunderstorm . . . or under one in a bathtub if there are tornados. That way she can pretend they aren't really happening.
For more of Molly McAdams’s novels, visit: www.mollysmcadams.com/books
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