I’d been in heaven, curled up around Augie’s body in his big bed when one of our phones lit up somewhere in the room. I’d carefully extracted myself from his embrace and got out of bed to find it. It was my phone, and when I reached it, I saw a text from my sister.

I’d flipped my phone on mute earlier, so I realized in addition to the text, I’d also missed some calls from her. Shit.

After slipping my clothes back on, I debated whether or not to wake Augie. He looked so peaceful, and I knew he’d been stressed lately because of work and the break-in. I decided to let him sleep and leave him a note instead.

I leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, keeping my lips pressed against his skin for several long moments so I could inhale the scent of him all warm and sleepy in bed. God, he was beautiful. The selfish part of me wanted to strip down and slide back under the covers with him, but the responsible brother in me knew I needed to go.

MJ was my twin, and she needed me.

Before I left, I found a scrap piece of paper in the kitchen and scribbled a note to Augie, apologizing for leaving without waking him and explaining that I was going to help MJ and Neckie. I slipped into the master bathroom and set the note on the mirror behind the sink faucet so he’d see it first thing.

Once I got on the road, I called MJ to get an update on Neckie. She’d gone into premature labor, and the baby was coming whether it was ready or not. But because Neckie was all new age and natural, she insisted on maintaining her home birthing plan.

The woman lived in one of the most secluded cabins on the far side of the lake. It was closer to Oklahoma than to Hobie, and I’d never understood why she’d never chosen to move closer since she owned a business in Hobie.

When I got to Neckie’s little treehouse in the woods, there were already half a dozen vehicles there I recognized. Thankfully, I saw West’s truck as well as Hudson’s ex-girlfriend Darci’s car. Having a doctor and nurse on site helped me let out a breath.

Doc and Grandpa opened the door, but instead of letting me in, they hustled me right back outside.

“You don’t want to go in there,” Grandpa said. “MJ is in the zone as Neckie’s coach, and if she sees you, she’s going to lose her focus and let her worry overtake her.”

“How’s Neckie doing?”

“She’s having a tough time of it, but Darci brought a labor and delivery nurse friend of hers who’s helping. I can tell West is trying his hardest not to be a doctor in there.”

“Why not? She needs a doctor, doesn’t she? I thought she had high blood pressure?”

Doc reached for Grandpa’s hand as they walked farther away from the front door. “She does, but Elena is more experienced with birth complications than West is. He and I are both here in case Elena needs assistance, but Neckie really wanted to do this at home without medical intervention. We have to respect her birth plan.”

I knew he was right, but I worried about Neckie and the baby, my brother and Nico, and most of all my sister’s heart. If something happened to Neckie this soon after coming together with MJ, I wasn’t sure if my sister could take it.

“What can I do to help?” I asked.

Doc’s face widened into a grin. “Make us a big stack of grilled cheese sandwiches. I brought groceries.”

So I went to work. As the hours of Neckie’s labor passed, I made myself as useful as possible. I cooked and cleaned, ran laundry, and even drove Grandpa’s truck out to fill it with gas. At one point I realized I’d never brought up the real estate mystery to Augie in my haste to get him in bed. I spent time trying to figure out the best way to tackle the tricky subject without making his family out to be scammers. One thing was for sure: I’d have to tread lightly.

By the time my new niece came into the world, it was after dark and half my family was huddled around a makeshift fire ring next to Neckie’s driveway.

“She’s here!” Darci called from the front door. “She’s tiny but strong as hell. Gonna be just fine. West wanted me to get Doc and Grandpa.”

Doc and Grandpa were in the midst of a tight hug of relief when they heard that. Doc pulled away but not before leaning in to place a soft kiss on his husband’s lips. I couldn’t hear their whispers from across the fire, but I could see the words of love on their lips.

It was the most selfish thought in the world considering the timing, but I couldn’t help but want that. I wanted what the two of them had shared for the past forty-something years.

I couldn’t help but think of Augie and wonder if he’d ever allow himself to have that kind of love—open and free for everyone around him to see.

There was one thing I knew for sure regardless of how Augie felt about finding love.

I, Saint Wilde, was finally ready for it.

MJ had been a star. She’d mastered the balance between soothing and encouraging Neckie to keep going when she’d wanted to give up. As soon as I had a turn to go in and see them, I noticed the way Neckie looked at MJ.

Like MJ was a frigid waterfall in the middle of a desert, offering sweet relief for Neckie’s parched and tired soul.

All around me were shining examples of partners loving and supporting each other. How in the world I’d managed to make it to thirty-one without realizing I was missing something huge was beyond me.

I spent a few minutes examining the tiniest toes on the planet as Nico and West sat huddled together on the papasan chair in Neckie’s front room staring at their new baby.

“We already asked Neckie’s permission to use her name,” Nico announced.

The room fell silent.

Neckie and MJ were still in the bedroom with the nurses, but the Wilde family in the front room were careful not to make a single disparaging noise. All ten of us siblings could attest to the sheer frustration at having an unusual name. Our Canadian mother had been fucking insane when she’d named us all after towns in her beloved home country.

“Um…” My sister Sassy looked worried. “Can I just tell you from personal experience that…”

West cut in. “Relax, everyone. We’re going to call her Reenie. Her full name is Adriana Nectarine Wilde after Nico’s sister too.”

Sassy sat back with a smile. “Reenie. I like that.”

Nico’s tears overflowed, and West leaned over to thumb them away before replacing the dampness on Nico’s cheeks with kisses. “I love you so much,” he murmured with a choked voice.

I heard Grandpa turn to Doc and call him “Great-Grand Doc,” which set all of us off laughing.

After a few more moments spent celebrating the new Wilde among us, it was time to clear out and let Neckie get some peace and quiet. I poked my head in long enough to blow Neckie a kiss and thank her for giving my family an amazing gift. MJ walked me out to the car.

“You were incredible today, Em,” I told her. “She obviously loves you as much as you love her.”

“Isn’t she amazing?”

I pulled my sister into a hug. “You both are. She’s going to need your quiet company in the days to come, I’m sure. Please tell me if I can help in any way. I know West and Nico will not just ditch her, but it might be easier for me to help than them. I’m sure looking after a two-year-old and newborn is going to be a challenge.”

MJ nodded. “If you can keep helping at the gym, that’ll be the biggest worry off her shoulders. She has good staff, but I’m sure she can use all the help over there she can get.”

“I’m on it,” I promised. “Get some sleep.”

It was midnight before I got back to my grandfathers’ ranch and the bunkhouse. I was exhausted from the emotional upheaval of the day, but I could finally rest easy now that I’d seen how healthy the baby was and had been able to witness the pure love and support radiating from my sister toward Neckie.

When I finally slid between the sheets, I checked my phone. It’s not that I hadn’t thought of Augie all day—I had. But I’d had no way of calling him since my phone hadn’t charged while I slept at Augie’s and there was little to no reception where Neckie lived. I’d finally used Hudson’s phone to text Lanny at the office and make sure they told Augie not to show up for our lesson the following day. But I didn’t have his number to call him directly.

When my phone powered up back at the bunkhouse, there was a missed text.

Work? Why did he think I’d gone to Twist when my note said I was going to Neckie’s? Despite the late hour, I typed in a response.

I fought sleep as long as I could, waiting for a response, but it never came. The minute my eyes popped open the next morning, I knew what I needed to do. I threw on the same clothes from the night before and bolted out the door.