He’d been willing to put the effort in once he knew that we weren’t going to fuck him over.
***
Izzy
“Is she here yet?” I practically ran into the waiting room. “I got my kids put to sleep, and my grandmother is watching them,” I explained as I took a seat on the opposite side of Max. “How’s she doing?”
“Still in labor,” Max murmured. “They’re discussing whether or not to perform a C-section.”
“There a reason they’re just not doing it?” I asked.
“My sister is a stubborn asshole,” Dax muttered as he sat up. “Jesus Christ, just go tell her to do it already.”
That comment was aimed at his father, who looked resigned. “Do you think that the Tremaine women do anything that I tell them to do? I’m just a bystander in this thing I call life.”
I grinned widely at the two men, loving the addition they made toward our family.
Ever since our mother and father had cast us aside, we’d been sorely lacking in that.
“Where did you go?” Rome asked as he took the seat beside me. “One second I was searching for coffee, and the next you were gone.”
“I didn’t want to wait to hear anything while you searched for coffee,” I shrugged. “I’m so excited I could burst.”
One by one, the waiting room filled with members of the Bear Bottom Guardians MC. Family. Kids. Babies. Grandparents. Every single person that meant something to Slate was here.
Now all that had to happen was a baby had to be born.
***
Slate
“Harleigh,” I said softly. “You can give it one more try, but if she doesn’t come with this push, you’re getting the C-section.”
“Him,” she corrected me out of habit, looking exhausted and beautiful and scared.
“No argument?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, it’s time.”
And it was. She’d given it her best shot, but if it didn’t happen this time, we both knew what needed to happen.
“One more time,” I said, watching the monitor.
“Push!” Payton ordered, helping hold up one leg while I held up the other.
Harleigh hunched over her belly and pushed with all she had…and our baby came sliding out as if she was ready to be born.
That was right.
She.
“It’s a girl,” I murmured, stunned.
Harleigh burst out crying. “I knew it!”
Payton and I started to laugh, and as the baby was cleaned up and placed on Harleigh’s chest, I knew that everything was all right.
The baby was crying hard and loud, and the doctors weren’t rushing her away like they said they would if she came out not crying.
She honestly looked beautiful…though very small.
“Well,” the doctor said as she stared at us. “That’s one tiny little baby to be giving us so much trouble!”
Harleigh started to laugh. “My dad said the same thing when I was born.”
“It must run in the family,” I said as I ran my finger down the baby’s cheek. “You’re going to make my life a living hell, aren’t you?”
It was directed at my daughter, but Harleigh was the one to answer.
“And you’re going to enjoy every single second of it.”