Zip, Zero, Zilch (The Reed Brothers 6)

“Your wife is fine,” I say.

Logan grabs a chair and hits me in the backs of the legs with it, so I sit. He grins and kisses my forehead.

Josh rolls into the kitchen and stops. “Um, Sam…”

Sam looks up.

“We have a little problem out here.”

“What is it?”

“Um…one of Peck’s sisters is dancing on the piano.”

I rush out into the dining area and find, of all people, Star standing on top of the piano. She’s dancing to music only she can hear. She’s not bad, actually. Now she just needs a pole.

Three of my sisters are trying to help her get down, but she won’t.

“What’s wrong with her?” I ask as I walk up to my sisters.

Fin looks at me and says, “We don’t know. She showed up like this.”

“Where’s Wren?” I ask.

Fin shrugs. “No one has been able to find her.”

Crap. I’m actually a lot more worried about Star than I am about Wren. One thing you have to understand about Star is that she always looks perfect on the outside. We know she’s not perfect on the inside. None of us are, but on the outside, she always keeps up the façade. Always. Something terrible must have happened.

Sam walks up beside me. “What the fuck…?”

“Get her down, Sam,” I beg him, tugging on his sleeve.

He motions her forward. “Hey Star,” he says gently. “I have something I need to show you.”

“If it’s your dick,” she replies, “the answer is no, thank you.”

Her speech is slurred and she can barely stand up.

Suddenly, Sam grabs her leg and she almost falls, but he adjusts her body so that she falls across his shoulder.

He hitches her ass higher and walks to the door. Josh grabs her purse and her coat from her table, and he rolls outside with us.

Suddenly, a pain shoots across my middle and warm water gushes at my feet. “Um, Sam…”

He puts Star in a cab and pays the driver. “Do you want to go with her?” he asks.

Well, that was my plan until right this minute. I look down at my feet. “I don’t think I can.”

“Oh, shit. It’s time?” he cries.

“Go get one of my sisters to go with her.” I motion him forward. “And hurry.”

Sam disappears inside.

We need to call Emilio, too, so he can find Wren.

Star gets out of the cab and the driver must see the futility of this mission, because he takes off.

“Well, shit,” Josh says.

Josh just got out of jail. He certainly doesn’t need any trouble, not even when it’s one of my sisters.

“I got her,” I say. I grab her elbow, but a pain suddenly hits me.

“Oh, fuck!” Star cries. “You’re having a fucking baby!” She cups her hands around her mouth. “I’m going to be the best aunt ever!” she yells.

She starts to jump up and down, and her ankle gives out. She really shouldn’t be on those stilts when she’s drunk. She hops a little. She’s going to feel that ankle tomorrow. “I think I just hurt myself,” she says, and her eyes well up with tears. “I think I need to sit down.” Then she plops her ass right down in Josh’s lap.

“You’re a lump, aren’t you?” he says to her as he adjusts her body for comfort.

“Are you calling me fat?” She looks at him over her shoulder.

He grins and shakes his head. “Only in the best possible way.”

Sam runs out of the restaurant and he is dangling keys in his hand. “You ready?” he asks. He looks at Star, who is in Josh’s lap. “What’s up with that?” he asks. “Get her in the car,” he says to Paul.

“You guys should go ahead,” Josh says. “I’ll get some coffee into Star.”

“We should take her with us,” I say, but Sam cuts me off.

“Josh will sober her up and bring her to the hospital later, right, Josh?”

“Yep.” Josh looks warily down her top, which has somehow lost a button. He fixes her up and buttons her up to her throat.

Star wiggles her bottom in his lap. “Are you getting a boner?” she asks with a giggle.

He grunts, picks her ass up and slides her over. “Be still,” he warns.

“You are, aren’t you? I was worried all your parts didn’t work, but apparently…” She waggles her brows at him.

Another pain slices through my middle. “We should go. Now.”

“Oh!” Sam cries.

“Josh, are you sure you can take care of Star?”

He looks up at me and smiles. “You can trust me. I’ll take care of her.”

I believe him. And so does Sam.

Paul leans into the car after we’re inside. “We’ll stay here and close up, and meet you there.”

Sam nods. He lays a hand on my belly. “You ready for this, cupcake?” he asks as Paul slams the door.

I cover his hand with mine and the baby kicks. My whole belly rocks. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

***

They settle us into a room, and Emilio and Marta show up. Emilio looks scared and Marta is glowing. She adjusts my covers. “Not much longer now.”

“Did you find Wren?” I ask.

Marta nods but she doesn’t look me in the eye. “She’s fine.”

Marta was right. Only a few short hours later and they tell me to push.