Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
“Luke! Doctor Gallo!” I rush the words out. Nadine and Marissa can wait to be dealt with. I’ll activate the girls, give them the code name, and we’ll hash it all out later. Then I’ll suck it up and tell Luke what went down along with the way I reacted.
“You don’t have to scream. I’m being admitted. The twins said it’s time to make their grand appearance. There’s only one problem with that.” Her breathing is changing; the hee-hee-hoo is in motion.
“What’s that?” I move toward her, offering my hand to hold while she breathes through what I’m assuming is a contraction.
“Jesus, what the hell is going on?” Luke comes flying around the corner, his white doctor’s coat flapping in the wind. His gaze moves from me, and I almost blanch at the implications I might have started when he looks at the duo, who look to all of a sudden be in a state of shock. Then he sees Lennie, and Doctor Camden is activated. He’ll take over, I’ll do what I can, and the rest will be up to Lennie.
“I can’t get ahold of Asher. I don’t think I’m going to last much longer.” Her face scrunches and, shit on a brick, if Doctor Gallo doesn’t move his ass, Lennie might have the babies right here in front of me.
“I’ll tell you later. We need to get Lennie to the hospital. I’m going to call all the girls. Surely, one of them can get the dad-to-be here within ten minutes.” My hands are still full. I move everything to one arm. No fucks are given if I spill food. I’ve got shit to do.
“Well, what are you doing standing there? Do your job and get a wheelchair,” Luke fires off toward his staff. Nadine is the first to snap out of her daze.
I fire off a text to the group chat. Lennie made it well known that whoever finds out first is to send out a group text. Kennedy will handle Lennie’s family from there. Her sister, adopted mom and dad, and, well, the whole Johnson family are in town preparing for this moment. Needless to say, the waiting room is about to be packed full for the birth of the first babies in our group.
Me: Get to the hospital. The babies will be here, and freaking soon.
I back out of it just as quickly, thumbing through my contacts until it lands on Asher’s name. Luke made sure I had everyone’s phone number; it’s what they do, take care of each other no matter the time of day.
“Finally,” I say into the phone when Asher answers. It only took three hundred rings. “Lennie’s been trying to reach you. Get to the hospital. I’m talking lights and sirens, Asher.” I don’t even let him get a word in.
“Motherfucker, I’m on my way. Tell my wife I love her, and thank you, Shae.” We hang up right as the wheelchair appears.
“Asher is on the way. He says he loves you.” I squeeze her shoulder. Luke’s hands wrap around the handles, and we’re moving at what seems like the speed of light. Doctor Gallo falls in step beside me. I remain quiet. My input isn’t needed. It’s baby time.
20
LUKE
“You want to tell me what all that was about downstairs?” I ask finally, sitting down next to Shae. Our time has been divided ever since we made it up here. I got Asher to finally calm his shit down; he was worried he fucked up when he didn’t. It took Lennie snapping him out of his shit fit, her words, to be exact, to get him to calm down. Gallo took over, and that meant I walked out to the waiting room to our group, every last member of the Johnson family along with Lennie’s sister and Asher’s parents. It’s made for a crowded room, a lot of introductions, and talking has overshadowed the conversation I’m beginning to put together with the bits and pieces the girls’ voices carried.
“Not particularly. This is a happy time, and those two are anything but.” My hand goes to Shae’s, and I lace our fingers together, then pull it up and place a kiss on the back of her hand.
“Shae.” I’m not liking this, at fucking all.
“Later, I promise.” She’s appeasing me, and I know her well enough. Shae will sidestep the conversation for as long as she can. The protective side of her is fierce, and she’ll willingly put herself on the line for others. It looks like I’m going to have to somehow work that out of her, especially when it comes to me. There’s not a single person or thing I need protection from, especially if it comes in the form of Shae taking the brunt.
The door hitting the wall has everyone swinging their gaze toward Asher. “Thank fuck,” I mutter under my breath. My gut finally unravels the knot of worry, and my tension eases at the big-ass smile plastered on his face. Lennie’s pregnancy didn’t have any complications, but you never know, and it’s different when the person on the table is more family than a friend or a patient.