Just One Thing (The Alexanders 6)

Then once they’d arrived, she’d spent what felt like ages calling Nick, Julia and anyone else she could to let them know what was going on, since Jackson wasn’t answering his phone. Jackson arrived at the hospital about fifteen minutes after they did. He hadn’t heard his phone ringing over the noise in the ice cream parlor. He’d taken her place at Ridley’s side while Katie supervised the kids who fortunately hadn’t realized that something was wrong.

Julia had arrived not long after that. After checking on Ridley, Julia had taken the children home with her, promising to be back as soon as the babysitter she’d contacted arrived at her house. She’d also thanked Katie profusely for being there for Ri, which had only made her feel worse.

Why hadn’t she listened to her instincts? She’d thought something was off with Ridley but she’d just chalked it up to her friend being cranky, not sick. All she could do was send up a thankful prayer that it had all turned out well.

“Katie?”

She whirled around at the sound of Bennett’s voice. Katie tried to squelch the irrational surge of excitement at the sight of him. His brother had just become a father again. Of course he was here.

“Hey. Congratulations on being an uncle again.”

“Thank you. And thank you for being here for Ridley. Jackson says you coached her like a champ.”

Katie slumped against the wall, the hours of exhaustion catching up with her all at once. Going through childbirth for the first time was a scary thing and Katie knew from firsthand experience how hard it was to do it alone. Don had been in surgery when she’d gone into labor and she had ask

ed them not to tell him. She’d known even then that he would be annoyed at the interruption instead of happy to be by her side.

Katie had been determined not to let Ridley feel alone. With no mother to support her and her sister out of town, Ri had been terrified. But her friend had hung in there despite things not going according to plan. Katie felt honored to have been there to hold her hand through it. They’d done the Lamaze breathing Ridley had learned in her birthing class together.

She had coached her like a champ, Katie realized. It had been scary and intense but she’d kept it together. It was a good feeling. An accomplished feeling.

Over the years, she’d allowed others to get inside her head and make her feel that she wasn’t as accomplished just because she didn’t have a university degree or high salary. But maybe her mother had been right all along. Katie took care of people. She was a nurturer and she always had been. She had spent her time cultivating the most important things in the world—her relationships with her friends and family—and in return, they viewed her as someone they could count on.

That might not come with a diploma on the wall but it was an achievement all the same.

Katie was proud of herself.

“I’m glad I was there. She looked so gray when I found her. It scared me.”

Bennett grabbed her hand and Katie soaked up all the warmth and acceptance that she’d missed so much. Then all at once she remembered how she’d wanted to find him before everything happened.

“Don told me that he met you. Whatever he said to you was bullshit. He’s such a jerk sometimes.”

Bennett squeezed her hand. “I shouldn’t have listened to him anyway. And I definitely shouldn’t have avoided talking to you. I was just hurt. I thought you’d gone back to him.”

Katie grimaced at the thought. “Not a chance. There were so many times I wanted to call you but I figured you were probably getting ready for your date with Olivia.”

“It wasn’t—”

She held up a hand. “I know it wasn’t a date. I was just being jealous before. You’ve never given me any reason not to trust you and I know you’d never jump from one woman to the next like that, anyway.”

“No, I wouldn’t. I’m awkward but I’ve never been stupid. I’m smart enough to know that our relationship is special. I don’t want anyone else.”

Katie couldn’t stop smiling. Maybe under any other circumstances she could play it cool but all her emotions were at the surface after watching her friend just bring new life into the world. Suddenly it felt like anything was possible.

“I don’t want anyone else, either. I should have just trusted you more. You’re perfectly capable of spending an evening with a female friend without anything happening.”

Bennett bit his lip. His fingers tightened around hers.

After working so closely with Bennett for more than a month, she could read his facial expressions like a map. His face often telegraphed his thoughts even when he didn’t realize it. Which was why his expression was so alarming.

Katie narrowed her eyes. “Bennett? Nothing happened with Olivia, right?”

“Um … It was nothing. But she did kiss me. Once.” Seeing her expression, he quickly stammered, “but it’s okay! Olivia is in love with someone else. She doesn’t even want me.”

The door opened behind her and Jackson stuck his head out. “Oh hey, Bennett. I didn’t know you were still here.”

“Yeah. I’m still here.” Bennett tried to keep hold on her hand but Katie yanked it away.