Sawyer (Carolina Reapers 2)

“Not yet,” Sawyer said, eyeing the yellow balloons Cannon held.

“What?” Cannon said, shrugging. “We don’t know what the Reaper baby will be.”

Sawyer grinned at his teammates. “Thank you for coming.”

Cannon set the balloons on the table across the room that was already peppered with other gifts from our friends.

“And now they’re leaving!” Lukas’ voice boomed through the room, and I shot him a good glare. “Sorry,” he whispered, then eyed the guys. “Give them some space.” He waved them toward the door.

“Good luck,” Logan said, flashing us a soft smile as he filed out the door.

“Awh, but I didn’t even get to tell Sawyer about the time I helped a cow give birth on the farm back home,” Connell whined as Lukas all but shoved him from the room. “It’s nearly the same thing...”

“Think the baby will come out with ink?” Cannon joked as he followed Connell out of the room.

I laughed even though it hurt.

I had such a beautiful, terribly overprotective family.

“You two need anything?” Lukas asked from where he hovered in the doorway.

Sawyer glanced down at me. “I’ve got everything I need right here.”

I smiled up at him.

“God, that was saucy,” Lukas said, shaking his head.

“Cheesy, honey,” I heard Faith say from outside the door.

I craned my head to see here there and smiled at her.

She waved, tugging on Lukas’ arm. “We’ll be respectfully waiting in the sitting area!” she called. “You’re amazing, Echo!”

“Thank you,” I said to her just before the door gently shut.

A happy sigh released from my lips. “How’d we get so lucky?”

“Fate?” Sawyer asked.

I narrowed my gaze at him. “Now you sound like Annabelle.”

He shrugged. “I don’t care how we got here, Echo. I’m just glad as hell we did.”

I reached for his hand, interlocking our fingers. “Me too.”

Four hours, some beautiful drugs, and hard pushing later, Sawyer and I welcomed Sadie Jean McCoy into the world.

An hour after that, our doctor came in to check on us as I held my sweet, warm, sleeping bundle against my chest. Sawyer a constant show of support and strength by our side.

“You two are doing beautifully,” the doc said, her tone lowered since Sadie had fallen asleep.

I could barely tear my eyes away to look at the doctor. Sadie was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, though it felt like I’d known her my entire life. My soul glowed with warmth and love and all the things I never knew I needed.

“I’ll let you two rest but will be back to check on you in another hour. Be sure to hit the call button if you need anything at all.”

“Thanks, Doc,” Sawyer said, his hand softly touching Sadie’s head.

“Oh, and I’m not sure if you’re aware,” the doc continued as she headed toward the door. Her tone had both Sawyer and me snapping our eyes to hers. Panic flooded me like there was some huge thing I’d missed during birth. “There are more than half a dozen NHL players in the waiting room looking like they’re about to burst from anticipation.” The doctor smiled at us, a laugh on her lips. “Something I don’t see every day. You all must be really close.”

“We’re family,” I said, returning my gaze to our sleeping Sadie.

The doc nodded, then gently closed the door behind her.

I glanced up at Sawyer, exhaustion hitting my body. “You want to hold your daughter, Sawyer McCoy? I’m afraid I’m going to fall asleep with her in my arms.”

Tears glistened over his gray eyes. “Absolutely,” he said, his voice pinched as he easily took her from my arms, so smooth she didn’t even stir.

I felt the absence of her slight weight like an empty spot on my soul, but the sight of him holding our baby like she was the most precious thing in the world? That was enough to send my heart soaring.

My eyelids drooped, my body wrecked. “I wonder,” I said a bit sleepily as I gazed up at him.

“What?” he whispered.

I took a slow, steady breath. “I wonder if it’s legal to have six sets of godparents?”

Sawyer clamped his lips shut, but his body trembled in a silent laugh. “I guess we’re going to find out,” he whispered and returned his focus to our daughter.

“Sadie McCoy,” I whispered. “The first Reaper baby.”

“Has a nice ring to it.”

“Hey, West Coast?” I said, my mind already succumbing to sleep.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for giving me everything I never knew I needed.”

A slow smile shaped his lips as he bounced gently in place with our daughter cradled to his chest. “This is just the beginning.”

I couldn’t imagine life getting any better than this moment.

But with Sawyer at my side, I was certain that every day would be better than the last.