His dark brown eyes met hers. “Good?” he asked.
She pulled up the pile of blankets. “My feet are kind of cold.”
Without a word, he left her curtained-off partition—returning with a pair of no-slip socks. He slid the socks on her feet quickly, then pulled the blankets down and wrapped them up tight. He wasn’t gentle or lingering or anything but matter-of-fact, but it didn’t change the impact his kindness had on her. His unflinching gaze regarded her steadily, ready and waiting for whatever needed doing.
“Thank you,” she whispered, smiling at him before she burst into tears.
“Miss Otto?” A man, looking way too young to have M.D. after his name, pushed the curtain aside. “We have your results back.” He flipped through the pages. “You have a urinary tract infection.”
Her heart was thumping, waiting for the rest. “That’s all?” she asked, between sobs. Please, please let that be all. She almost choked on the question, “The baby is okay?”
The doctor nodded. “There is nothing abnormal with your bloodwork. Get some rest, drink plenty of water, and follow up with your OBGYN.” He glanced at Braden. “You can take her home as soon as we get the release forms ready for her signature.” He left minutes later.
“Good news.” Braden smiled. He actually smiled.
She grabbed his hand. “I know I said this but thank you—for staying.”
He nodded, holding on to her hand until it was time to go.
Chapter Sixteen
Nick eyed the hospital with dread. He’d spent the night heaving into his toilet until his eyes were going to pop out of his head and his ribs were in danger of cracking. All it would take was one more heave, he knew it.
He’d have done it all again not to be here now.
Not that she’d asked him. She knew better.
He hadn’t had a choice. It took a lot to rattle his mother, a lot to threaten the supreme calm she brought to any situation. This morning, she’d spilled her coffee, dropped her purse, and said “shit.” With Honor missing in action and Aunt Charity in bed with some urinary tract infection thing, he was her only backup. Calling Granddad and Mimi would only add to the drama—thanks to him sneaking out the night before.
No, he owed her, dammit. What he’d done last night was bad enough. But what he’d said to her… He was ashamed of himself. He’d put her through hell, and she’d given him nothing but love.
To make this morning suck more, he was beginning to think he’d nailed his head with the sledgehammer the night before. Every single sound was magnified. His stomach was making horror-movie noises. And his tongue was too big for his mouth.
Lesson learned. Next time he was on the verge of losing his shit, he’d call Owen. He’d rather have sore muscles from working out than a hangover that made death appealing.
His mother paused in the hallway, catching his hand with hers. “Thank you again for coming, Nick. He doesn’t like me—at all.” Her smile was forced. “The only woman he doesn’t mind is Grams.”
Great. He’d heard all about how the kid cried nonstop. Charity said he’d gotten so red a few times that she worried his head would explode. “She can have him.”
His mother laughed. “Nick.”
“It’s an option.” He was teasing. Partly.
But part of him, a pretty big part of him, still hoped someone from Amber’s family would turn up to take the kid away. Far, far away. Any minute now.
No matter what Honor said, Jack wasn’t family. He wasn’t supposed to be a permanent fixture in his life. Jack was Dad’s. The one time he’d seen the kid, asleep and tiny in the hospital bed, had been hard enough. There were baby pictures of him and Honor all over the house. This kid looked like them. He looked like the pictures of their dad when he was a baby. Seeing him made it hard to deny—somehow—that they were connected.
It had to get to his mom, too. It had to.
That’s why he was here. For her.
Not Jack. The kid was going to live with them because it was the right fucking thing to do. And a nightmare. No one wanted this. No one wanted him. It was sad but true. Nick rolled his head, doing his best not to panic when they climbed in the elevator, pressed the button, and waited.
“I’m going to have to take notes on how to care for his cast. It’s a beast.” His mother was chewing on her bottom lip. “Poor thing hates it.”
“So I’ve heard,” he mumbled.
She sighed. “We’re all going to have to be patient with him, Nick. It’s not going to be an easy transition. For any of us.”