Chapter 14
Roman
“Have you heard from her?”
I checked my phone and shook my head. “Not since this morning.” It was quarter to four, and Sage still wasn’t at Kellan’s house. I had messaged her directions this morning, and she had promised she would be here before dinner.
Molly had just called everyone up from the basement where we had been playing foosball, and we were just waiting on Sage.
“I’m sure she is on the way.”
I looked over my shoulder at Hadley and smiled. I hoped to God she was. I had tried calling her numerous times, and I never heard from her.
“She still has fifteen minutes ‘til we eat. Don’t start freaking out yet.”
Dante growled at Molly and picked up his knife and fork. He was sitting at the table, his napkin in his lap, and his hands in fists on the table with the knife and fork in each hand. “The woman terrorizes me about my cookies, and now she is holding up my turkey day.”
“Easy, grandpa,” Kennedy scolded. “I fed you before we came over, so don’t act like you’re starving.”
“That was three hours ago.”
Kennedy sighed and dropped into her chair next to him. “I swear to God, I have to start packing treat bags for you.”
Dante nodded. “Best idea I’ve heard all day.”
“She’s here!” Molly called from the window. “I’ll grab the turkey.”
“Hallelujah,” Dante grumbled.
Hadley smacked his head as she walked by. “Oh no, I’m so sorry, Dante. Although, maybe I smacked some sense into you.”
Kennedy giggled, and Dante pointed his fork at Hadley. “Easy, woman.”
It was like a three-ring circus around here. I snuck a glance out the window and saw Sage and Sam jogging up the front walk. I swung the door open, and Sam jumped into my arms.
“Ro!” he cheered.
I swung him around and ruffled his hair before I set him down. “Go wash up, and let’s eat, little dude.” Hadley held her hand out to him, and she dragged him down the hallway to the bathroom.
“Lord, I wish I could drink.” Sage shut the door behind her and leaned against it.
“You okay? I called you a few times.”
She blew her hair out of her face. “The hospital has horrible reception.”
I took a step closer and grabbed a hand. “Hospital? Are you okay?”
She nodded her head. “I’m peachy. Hungry, but physically okay.”
“Then what in the hell were you doing at the hospital?”
She sighed and shook her head. “Mary thought she had a heart attack. I told her about the baby, and she almost passed out. Then she started fanning herself and saying her chest was tight and she couldn’t breathe.”
“Holy s-h-i-t. Is she okay?”
She waved her hand and rolled her eyes. “Mary is healthy as a horse. She just had a panic attack.”
“Say what?”
Sage closed the distance between us and wrapped her arms around my waist. “Yup. It’s safe to say she did not take the news of me being pregnant very well.”
“Well, you were afraid they weren’t going to take it well. Although, I have to say, I did not expect it to put her in the hospital.”
She rested her head on my shoulder. “I honestly can’t think about it anymore. She’s going to have to deal with it. I’m having a baby, and her not liking it isn’t going to stop it.”
I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed her back. “Did you get anything to eat?”
She shook her head. “I took Sam to the hospital cafeteria where he had cereal, but I couldn’t find anything that didn’t make me want to puke.”
I looked down at her. “That’s a new one.” Sage hadn’t had any nausea since she got pregnant.
“Yeah, tell me about it. It was not pleasant at all. I’m starving, but nothing looked good.”
“Well, I think we need to get some food in you then, Mrs. Wick. You’ve got a little baby to keep cooking in your belly.”
“Baby and I are ready for turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. I daydreamed about it the whole drive over here.”
“Come eat!” Molly called.
“It sounds like you came to the right place, baby.”
I slipped her coat off and tossed it on the back of Kellan’s expensive ass couch. She grabbed my hand and laced her fingers through mine. “I missed you,” she whispered.
It had been only twenty-four hours since we had seen each other, but it had felt like twenty-four years. I pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I missed you more.” Yup, I was totally going to be that sappy guy when it came to Sage. It never felt like I was missing something, but now that I had her and Sam, I was whole.
She pressed her body to mine, and for the first time, I felt her stomach against me.
My hand cupped her belly, and I looked down at us. “I don’t see you for twenty-four hours, and this happens.”
A laugh bubbled from her lips. “Yeah, I noticed in the shower this morning. It’s still tiny, but it’s there.”
“Would you two grope each other later and get your asses in here so we can eat?” Dante shouted.
“Asses!”
Sage’s jaw dropped, and she tried not to laugh. She was right when she had told me Sam repeated what he heard.
“Get your asses in here!”
Oh, dear God, Sage was going to kill Dante.
“Hey, Sam, knock it off, brother. You’re gonna get me in trouble.”
I rubbed Sage’s shoulder and pulled her close. “Breath, baby. I’ll beat the shit out of him when I train with him tomorrow.”
“Promise?” she said through clenched teeth.
I kissed her ‘til she relaxed into my arms and hopefully forgot Dante had just taught Sam his first cuss word.
“That was a nice distraction, but I still want to stab Dante with a butter knife.”
“Hey, I heard that,” he hollered back.
“I’ll make it up to you tonight.”
“Promises, promises, Mr. Yeck,” she sang. She pulled out of my arms and laced her fingers through mine. “Now feed me so we can go home, and you can start fulfilling some of those promises.”
Now that was a plan I could get behind.
*