Claim My Baby (Crescent Cove 2)

“The baby?” I asked, relief coursing through me that they’d still thought to contact me. I had another chance to fix this ho

pelessly snarled mess. “Is it time?”

“It’s time. We’re on the way to the hospital. Ally wanted me to call. She would’ve done it herself but she’s focusing on her breathing.”

I heard a screech in the background that was unmistakably my best friend. “And not ripping my hair out! I need drugs. Lots of drugs. Sage,” Ally wailed. “Hurry!”

My eyes filled again and I laughed, giving up any hope of staving off the tears. Clearly, tonight was a night to let my emotions run rampant.

“I’m on my way. Don’t have it until I get there, all right? I want to hear the first cry.” I clutched the hem of my sweater.

All in one day, I’d found out I would have my own little one, and I would get to meet my godson. How had I ever seen myself as anything but supremely lucky?

“I’ll do my best,” Ally said loudly, obviously speaking through gritted teeth. “But you better move fast.”

“Moving,” I called, despite knowing she couldn’t hear me. I shoved my feet back into my boots and wetted my lips. “Is Laurie taken care of? She’s with—” Even saying his name was too difficult.

“Yes, Oliver has her. No worries there.”

“Thanks for calling me, Seth. I…it means so much to me.”

“You’re family,” he said simply. “See you soon.”

Yeah, tears were going to be a thing today. No avoiding it.

After grabbing my purse, I rushed out to my car and hurriedly drove to the hospital. My hurrying was a relative thing, however, since the snow made the drive treacherous and the hospital where Seth and Ally were having the baby took some time to reach. I had no sooner arrived than Seth texted me again. This time, there was a picture of a beautiful little boy with a shock of dark hair, swaddled in a white blanket with brightly colored footprints all over it.

I squealed right where I stood in the hospital hallway, doing a little booty dance that nearly made me wipe out on account of the snowy puddles on the floor.

“You okay, ma’am?” A nurse touched my arm as she walked past.

“Yes, I’m fine. Look, my bestie just had a baby! I’m his godmother. Isn’t he the most adorable kid ever? I hope mine is—” I broke off and aimed a guilty look at my belly. That info needed to stay under wraps just a little longer. “He’s so cute.”

“He sure is.” The nurse smiled. “Look at those ruddy cheeks.”

“Can you please direct me to where they’d be?”

A few minutes later, I approached Ally’s cracked door, pausing outside as Mr. Hamilton’s booming voice echoed out of the room. He was laughing, reminding me again of what Ally had said about him getting laid. Disturbing to consider, since he was older than my father, but the evidence was there. He was happier now than in the past. Perhaps because his son was happily married and he had a new grandchild…

I shut my eyes. God, what would he think about my baby? Would he think I’d done this intentionally to try to get a Hamilton payday? There had been whispers about that very thing with Seth’s first wife. Not with Ally, of course, since she’d put up with him for a decade before marriage and a long game only went so far.

Would Oliver think I was after his money? He hadn’t pushed me to take the morning-after pill, but that was when the child was just a tiny possibility. Now that it was on the way for real, would he wonder?

I couldn’t think about any of that right now. I was here to support Ally and Seth and see my little cutie-pie godson. The rest would wait.

Knocking on the door, I stuck my head in and smiled. “Hey there. Can I come in?”

“Of course. You’re here.” Ally flashed a tired smile and waved me inside. She was propped up by a bunch of pillows with Seth and Mr. Hamilton on either side of the bed.

Oh shit, I hadn’t even thought of Oliver’s father being at the office the other day during my outburst to end all outbursts.

Please, please, please let him not have overheard.

If he had, the baby wouldn’t be as much of a shock to him. Bright side! I was looking at all of them.

Digging them out with a dang shovel if I had to.

“I am here. Just a little too late, I see. Made it through okay? You must have, since your son came so fast. Super-fast, especially for a first-time mama. Where is he? He’s so adorable. Seth sent me a picture and I can already see modeling in his future. Or better yet, maybe he’ll be an actor. You know, someone debonair like George Clooney.”