by Nora Flite
Her eyes shined, all the blood gone from her face so that she looked like a porcelain doll. I wanted to be strong, but I hated how pale she was.
I'd never felt so afraid in all of my life.
31
Hunter
My hands were shaking as I hurriedly tied on the scrubs they insisted I put on. I almost told them no, to fuck off and let me into the room with my wife, but Lanie came out to tell me to chill out and just get the scrubs on.
When I got to Jo she was still pushing. Relief washed over me. I hadn't missed it.
I held her hand as Lanie coached her. "Push," she said, trying to get Jo to look at her.
"I am!" Jo groaned.
"Push like you're trying to beat me at the rock wall!"
"I always beat you at the rock wall!" she screamed, eyes scrunching up as her whole body tensed.
Lanie smiled at me, winking once. "Then this should be a cakewalk for you! Push! Push!"
Jo squeezed my hand in a vice grip; I held her back, linking our fingers as if someone might try and tear us apart. She was fighting through more pain than I ever had. Jo was stronger than anyone I'd ever met.
What felt like forever passed, and then I finally heard the doctor say, “Almost there.”
Jo sobbed, lying her head on my chest as she went limp. I inhaled, my heart lodging in my throat. I started to ask if she was alright. A tiny, earsplitting, perfect cry shut me up.
“It’s a girl,” the doctor announced.
I couldn't contain myself. I yelled, “A girl! Jo, a girl! We have a daughter! Can you believe it?”
Shaking her head, she wiped away the hair stuck to her sweaty cheek. "I've known that for months, so yeah. I can." Looking up at me through her lashes, she froze. “Hunter, are you crying?”
I didn't realize it, but I was. I let the wetness stain my cheeks as the nurse handed me the baby. I'd expected her to give her to Jo, but I think a secret look had passed between them, because here I was, holding the most beautiful being in the world.
"Am I doing it right?" I whispered.
Jo sat up, tracing her fingertips over our daughter's eyebrows. "Just like a football."
"Hardly," Lanie mumbled.
To my surprise, the baby grabbed my index finger tightly. I couldn't believe how strong she was. "She's got my grip."
Jo smiled at me, motioning for me to hand her the baby. I was reluctant—now that I had her, I didn't want to let her go. But seeing my wife cradling our daughter was a different kind of amazing.
A few minutes later, a nurse came to take the baby to run some tests. Jo’s eyelids fluttered shut, I stepped out to give her some time to rest. I was surprised to see my mother standing there in the waiting room. “Mom?”
She perked up at the sight of me, her hands bundling together at her chest. “I’ve been trying to reach you. Lanie called me when Jo went into labor. How is the baby? Is it a boy or a girl?”
Too dazed to consider not answering, I said, “Healthy and strong. It’s a girl.”
Her frail arms wrapped around me. Just like that, I pushed out my resentment. I didn't have the energy to be bitter with my mother.
“A girl! Oh, I’m so happy for you two,” she whispered.
“I take it Dad’s not here?” I asked.
She hesitated, stepping back so I could see her face. "I thought you should know, not to cast a shadow over your big day, but I’ve decided to be on my own for a bit. It’s for the best.”
“You're divorcing him?" I stood straighter, noticing just how easier she seemed to be breathing. Without my father around, she was happier already. "I’m proud of you, Mom. I know you’ll be fine.”
“I’m proud of you too, Hunter,” she said. Tears boiled up and out; she grabbed a tissue from her purse, mopping at her eyes. “Oh my, I’m a grandmother now, aren’t I?”
I hugged her again. “You sure are. Want to come meet baby Hannah?”
“Hannah?” she repeated.
“Hannah was Lanie’s mom. I haven't officially asked her yet if it's okay, but I've got a good hunch she'll love the idea.”
"Yes," she said softly. "I think that's very fitting."
A few minutes later we went back into Jo’s room. Mom took in a breath, and so did I; Jo looked perfect holding our perfect girl. She studied me, then my mother. Our body language must have announced that we'd mended our hearts. Smiling, she held the baby up. “Want to hold her, Victoria?” she asked.
"Please," my mother said, scooping the little girl up carefully. "Hello, Hannah."
Jo stiffened in the bed. "Hannah?" Eyeing me, she dug her fingers in the sheets. My nerves went wild; had I gone too far?
"Jo—" I began.
She cut me off, her voice steady. "How did you read my mind, Hunter?"
Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, I embraced her while she clung to me with all she had left. My mother handed Hannah back, letting the three of us be alone. I think she was trying to be helpful, thinking we'd want the time.
Don't get me wrong. I definitely did.
But it wasn't like it would be a rare moment.
Our little family was going to be together forever.
None of the football games I'd played had really mattered. None of the trophies or the cheers or the piles of money and sponsorships. But being here with my wife and our baby . . .
This was what it meant to really win.
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About the Author
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A USA Today Bestselling Author, Nora Flite lives in SoCal where the weather is warm and she doesn't have to shovel snow—something she never grew to love in her tiny home-state of Rhode Island.
All of her romances involve passionate, filthy, and slightly obsessive heroes—because those are clearly the best kind! She's always been a writer, and you'll probably have to pry her keyboard/pen/magical future writing device out of her cold, dead fingers before she'll stop.
She loves when people say hello! If you see her in the wild, walk up and start chatting. Or hey, just email her— [email protected]
www.NoraFlite.com
-Nora Flite
Allison Starwood loves bad boys whose naughty ways become even naughtier when they find their match. When she isn’t writing, hanging out with friends, or roller blading, she loves to eat chocolate chip cookies and watch football.
She loves to hear from readers! Send her an email at [email protected]! Or add her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/allisonstarwood/
Also by Nora Flite
Big City Billionaires:
Billion Dollar Bad Boy
Other Books:
Never Kiss a Bad Boy
The Bad Boy Arrangement
My Secret Master
Last of the Bad Boys
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