Chapter 8
Natalia
“What? Is the baby here? Did I miss it?”
I woke to a gentle tap after dozing off for a few minutes in the waiting room. Six of us had been here since two this afternoon, and it was now almost two in the morning—and that was California time. For me, it was five a.m.—exactly twenty-four hours after I’d gotten up the day before. The thought that only one day had passed since I’d gotten up for my flight just didn’t seem possible.
Hunter spoke low to avoid waking Anna’s two sisters sitting across from us. “I’m going to go find a coffee machine for Derek’s mom. You were leaning on my shoulder sleeping, and I didn’t want your head to fall when I got up.”
“Oh. Okay. Thanks.” I rubbed at the back of my stiff neck. Looking over at Hunter, I cringed, finding a wet spot where my face had been. I scrunched up my nose. “I think I drooled on you a little. Sorry.”
“You were also snoring. Want a cup of coffee or you gonna go back to working on the puddle on my shirt when I get back?”
I stretched my arms over my head. “I’ll take the walk with you. I’m stiff from the way I must’ve been leaning on you.”
“Yeah. I’m stiff from you leaning on me, too. Had a perfect view right down your shirt. Red bra, by the way, nice. Sexy.”
“You’re even a perv at two in the morning.”
“You bring out the best in me, sweet pea.”
The two of us wandered the halls of the hospital until we found a coffee machine that actually worked. When we returned with Margaret’s coffee, Derek was in the waiting room giving everyone an update. “She’s at seven. Been stuck there for a few hours. Doctor’s said it’s probably still going to be a while before the baby’s here.”
“You can’t rush perfection,” I said.
Derek looked as if he’d spent the last twelve hours in labor. He raked his hand through his hair. “My feet are killing me. Although if I said that to Anna with what she’s going through, she might literally kill me.”
Margaret laughed. “I’d keep your foot pain to yourself.”
Derek turned his attention to Hunter. “By the way, she’s also pissed at you.”
“Me?” Hunter said. “What the heck did I do?”
“Remember when we first told you Anna was pregnant?”
“I think so?”
“What did you say?”
Hunter’s response was a guess. “Congratulations?”
“Nope. You said maybe we’d have the kid six weeks early to share a birthday with his favorite uncle.”
Hunter smiled. “I guess I did say that.”
“Yeah, well…my wife thinks the baby would have been born a few hours ago, but it stalled to share a birthday with you.”
“So it’s my fault she’s still in labor?”
Derek smiled. “It’s better than it being my fault, which it was until she came up with that crazy theory.”
“I’ll take one for the team. No problem.”
With a promise that the next time he appeared he’d be announcing the birth of his child, Derek headed back through the double doors of the labor and delivery unit.
Since we had some time to kill, Hunter and I decided to go outside and do a lap around the hospital to get some fresh air. It was dark, but Los Angeles still lit the night.
“So, I guess happy birthday is in order?”
“Thank you.”
“How old are you, again?”
“Thirty.”
I turned to walk backwards. “Wow. That’s a big birthday. Do you have any plans?”
“I was supposed to have a drink with Derek while you ladies threw Anna her baby shower. Then we were assigned to load my truck with gifts and deliver them to Derek and Anna’s place. My plan was to try to convince their houseguest to pick up the kiss where we left off at the wedding last year.”
I laughed. “Looks like you’re ahead of yourself. We did that this afternoon.”
“Have dinner with me tonight?”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Hunter pouted. “You’d leave me all alone on my thirtieth birthday?”
“Something tells me you don’t have to be alone if you don’t want to be. I bet you could snap your finger and get a date. In fact, why don’t you have a girlfriend, Mr. Delucia? What’s wrong with you?”
“Why does something have to be wrong with me because I don’t have a girlfriend? I’m guessing you don’t have a boyfriend, since you kissed me this afternoon. Does that make something wrong with you?”
“Ummm…. First off, you kissed me. I didn’t kiss you. Second, I don’t have a boyfriend, or that kiss wouldn’t have happened, no matter who started it. And third, yes, there’s something wrong with me.”
Hunter stopped in his tracks. It might’ve been dark, but I could see legitimate concern on his face. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m divorced at twenty-eight. My ex-husband is in federal prison. I have full custody of a fifteen year old who isn’t mine and doesn’t particularly care for me. I just borrowed twenty grand I’ll never be able to pay back from my mother to cover an overpriced high school so said fifteen year old will hate me less. Should I go on?”
“Do you abuse pets?”
“Pets? Of course not.”
“Do you kick people when they’re down?”
“No.”
“Have you ever committed a robbery, arson, murder, or assault?”
“Never.”
“Then there isn’t anything wrong with you that can’t be fixed.”
“What if I don’t want to be fixed?”
“Then that’s good. Because I don’t want to fix you.”
“You don’t?”
Hunter shook his head. “I just want to fuck you—make you forget what’s broken for a while.”
“You’re really vulgar.”
“Maybe. But I’m honest. I don’t know what your deal is with your ex, but I’m guessing the reason you’re leery of men has to do with him not being so honest.”
Of course, he was right—Garrett had cut me deep. Trust was like glass. When it broke, it shattered, and even if you managed to glue it all back together again, there were always fissures. It was never as strong as when it was whole.
“How about if we go out to dinner for your birthday as friends—no expectations of sex. We’ll just share a nice meal and call it a night. I’ll even pay for dinner.”
“Fine. But you’re not paying for dinner. That’s a deal breaker. I pay for dinner, or you can find someone else to not have sex with after the meal.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Extending my hand, I said, “You drive a hard bargain, birthday boy. It’s a deal.”
Hunter took my hand to shake, but then used it to yank me flush against him. He kissed my forehead. “I drive lots of things hard. And just because I agreed to no sex doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for another round of kissing and dry humping.”
“I can’t wait.” I laughed as if I was joking, but there was a lot of actual truth in my statement.
***
Caroline Margaret Weiner was born at 3:47 a.m., after eighteen hours of labor. I’d watched plenty of movies where the new dad runs out in his blue scrubs and says the baby is born, but actually being part of that in real life was nothing short of magical. Derek had the blue paper mask and hat on when he walked out with his eyes full of tears.
“It’s a girl.”
He’d barely gotten the three little words out before the tears started flowing. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room after that.
Even though I’d sworn I was never going to have children of my own after my life fell apart over the last few years, a tiny crack ran up the impenetrable wall I’d built around my heart when I saw Anna’s baby in the nursery. After another hour of waiting, we took turns going to visit the new mommy.
Apparently Derek hadn’t told his wife I’d flown in for the shower. And since I’d told her I wasn’t able to make it, she was quite surprised when I walked in.
“You’re here! You’re really here!”
“Thank God I am. If I hadn’t come in for the shower, I would have missed this.” The two of us clung to each other, crying tears of joy, until a nurse knocked at the door. She had the baby in a clear carrier on wheels.
“Time for Mommy to show off her beautiful bundle of joy,” the nurse said. She locked the wheels on the portable bassinet and gently lifted baby Caroline out. The precious little thing was swaddled so all I could see was her sweetest, little pink face.
While the nurse settled Anna with extra blankets and a pillow to prop the baby up on, I walked to the sink and washed my hands, then pumped some disinfectant on them as an added precaution. The minute the nurse shut the door behind her, I climbed into bed next to my friend.
“Oh my God. She’s beautiful. She looks just like you.” I unglued my eyes from the beautiful newborn and looked at my lifelong partner in crime. “You have a baby.”
“I have a fucking baby,” she said.
I laughed. “I don’t think you should say that word around my sweet niece.”
Her smile wilted. “You were supposed to have one at the same time and live next door so we could wheel them in carriages like we did our dolls when we were little.”
I stroked the baby’s cheek. Her skin was so soft. “Maybe I can see about getting my ex-husband relocated to a West Coast penitentiary so I can move out here. Do you think they make extra-large carriages? I’m sure Isabella won’t mind if I stuff her in one and wheel her around with you.” I leaned in and smelled baby Caroline. “God, she smells so good.”
We huddled in the bed in our own little world, so we didn’t hear Derek or Hunter enter the room. It was Hunter’s voice that announced their presence.
“Did you just sniff the baby?”
Derek chuckled. “She sniffs everything.”
“I do not.” I totally do.
Intrigued, Hunter walked to the bed. “What does she smell like?”
“Baby,” I said.
Hunter squinted at me, then leaned forward and inhaled a giant whiff of Caroline.
Derek was amused. “God, I hope my kid decided to try out her diaper a minute ago.”
The nurse who had wheeled the baby in came back and interrupted our sniff fest. “Are we ready to see how Caroline does latching on?”
Anna nodded. She looked nervous. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“The first few times can be a little frustrating, so why don’t I go grab you a support pillow and some breast pads while you say goodbye to your friends. They can go to the waiting room, and I’ll come get them when you’re done, if you want.”
“No. That’s okay,” Anna said. “They need to go home and get some rest. They’ve been here all night. Why don’t you guys go sleep and come back tonight if you feel up to it.”
I really was exhausted. And I was certain Anna needed sleep more than I did. “Okay.”
“I’ll give you my keys,” Derek said.
I’d completely forgotten that my plan had been to stay with Anna and Derek after the shower. It would be weird to stay there without Anna home. Plus, they needed their privacy now that they’d have a newborn at home for the first time.
“That’s okay. I’m going to check into a hotel.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Stay at our house. Derek will be here most of the time until I come home anyway.”
Hunter piped in. “I’ll make sure she has a place to stay.”
“Are you sure?” Anna questioned.
“Positive. We’ll all get some rest and come back later to visit.”
Anna yawned. “Okay.”
“Bye, beautiful baby girl.” I caressed Caroline’s cheek one last time and stole one more sniff.
***
“Do you know of a place nearby where I can stay?”
“Sure do.”
I leaned back into the leather seat of Hunter’s pickup and closed my eyes. “I haven’t stayed up this long since college. My body actually aches from lack of sleep. I feel old.”
“We’ll get you some sleep, and you’ll feel as good as you look in no time.”
I mumbled something about him being a charmer and told myself that closing my eyes for three minutes wouldn’t hurt. The next thing I knew, I was being lifted out of Hunter’s truck. I blinked my eyes into focus. “Where are we?”
“My house.”
“You were supposed to take me to a hotel.”
“No. You asked if I knew a place nearby, and I said yes. I do. My place.” He used a foot to swing the truck’s door shut.
“I’m not staying with you.”
“It’s six o’clock in the morning. Check in at hotels is the middle of the afternoon. Even if I found a place with a vacancy—which in this area is not as easy as it sounds—you’d have to wait to check in or pay for last night when you didn’t sleep there.”
He had a point. But still… “I can’t stay here.”
“I have a guest room. You can crash in there for a few hours. I’ll take you to a hotel this afternoon, if that’s what you want. But I have plenty of room, and you’re welcome to stay.”
A part of me wanted to argue. But the man had been shuttling me around since he’d picked me up from the airport, and he had to be as exhausted as I was.
“Okay. But no funny business.”
Hunter grinned. “Never.”