The Texan's Baby (Texas Rodeo Barons)

“Good. Now, someone will be along soon to take you up to the ward. Get some rest, okay? And try to relax.” He gave an encouraging smile and ducked out again.

“Your family is probably here by now,” Chris said, rubbing her arm. “Will you be okay if I go talk to them and then meet you upstairs?”

“You called them?”

“Of course I did. They’re your family.”

“I hurt you so badly last night, Chris. Nicole told me you resigned.”

“We’ll talk about all that later. We have tons of time. You just rest, okay?”

She nodded and he kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you upstairs really soon.”

He made his way back to the waiting room and found Brock and Julieta there, as well as Jet and Daniel pacing anxiously.

“How is she?” Brock asked quickly, looking up from his wheelchair.

“So far everything is okay.” Relief swamped him once more, just saying the words. “They’re keeping her here for twenty-four hours to be safe.”

“I just saw her this morning. Fool girl is working too hard.” Brock stared pointedly at Jet.

“She’s tougher than you give her credit for,” Chris replied. He saw Nicole, sitting away from the family, watching him now but with her phone in her hands. She’d stayed. She really was a good friend. He was sad to resign on the one hand—AB was a good place to work. But it had felt so right, making that decision, that he knew it was time to move on. Make his own life on his own terms.

“Nicole, come on over,” he called out, motioning with a hand. “This is Nicole Bennett.” He introduced her to the assembled family. “She brought Lizzie in. They were having coffee together.”

Julieta shook her hand. “Thank you for staying with her.”

“Nicole Bennett from AB Windpower?” Brock looked up at her shrewdly. “You’re merger girl.”

“I am. I’m also a friend of Chris’s.”

“So I’d heard,” Brock answered. “Thank you. For calling him and shoving those two back together. Wish it were better circumstances, but whatever.”

Chris figured he could be knocked over with a feather at that point. He hadn’t counted on Brock’s support for their relationship. “Nicole, this is Brock, and his wife, Julieta, and Jet and Daniel.”

He watched as Nicole shook everyone’s hands, but when she came to Daniel, he thought the clasp lasted a little bit longer than the others and a hint of color touched her cheeks. Interesting.

“Are the others coming?” he asked. He got the feeling that the Barons tended to show up en masse to a crisis, much like they had when Brock had been injured.

Jet nodded. “Yep. Jacob’s on his way back from the job site, Savannah will come as soon as someone relieves her at the store, and we called Carly, although she’s home in Houston.”

Good. Lizzie wouldn’t be alone, especially if he had to run out for a bit. “They’re taking her upstairs to the obstetrics ward,” he explained. “I’ve got to run out for a little while, so do you think you could keep her company up there until I get back?”

“Just try to stop us,” Daniel said.

“I’d better go, too,” Nicole added. “Now that everything’s settled down. Tell Lizzie I said goodbye, will you?” She smiled. “I’ll walk out with you, Chris.”

They stepped out into the sun and walked to the general parking lot. “You have something planned?” she asked him, stopping by her car and searching her purse for keys.

“Yeah. Something.” He smiled down at her. “It’s time to make things right. I was angry last night and hurt and I walked out rather than fixing things. I need to fix them now.”

Nicole put her hand on his arm. “I think Lizzie had to figure a few things out first, too. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Keep me posted, will you?”

“I will.”

“And forget about going to work tomorrow. Look after your family.”

His eyes stung. “Thanks, Nic.”