Broken Dreams (Broken 2)

I saw Layton pick up Gracie as Reed ran around the front of the truck and jumped in.

“Shit! I forgot my wallet.” He jumped back out and ran into the house.

Layton opened the driver’s door and smiled at me.

I smiled back and said, “What’s up, cowboy?”

He let out a laugh and said, “I’m so happy for you, Courtney. I truly am. You’re going to make a wonderful mother.”

My smile faded slightly and then returned. “Do you know when the first time was that I really knew I liked you?”

Layton flashed me that damn smug smile that could melt any girl’s panties. “When?”

“That first day I met you when you tried so hard to act like you weren’t attracted to Whitley. I could see it in your eyes, and something told me that you were the one who was going to make my best friend happy.”

Layton’s smile spread wider on his face. “Yet, you still felt the need to threaten me on more than one occasion.”

“Oh yeah, and it still holds true. You ever hurt her…I’ll hurt you.”

Layton laughed and said, “Courtney, you never cease to amaze me, you know that?”

Reed came running out of the house and yelled, “Get out of the way, Layton!”

Layton winked at me and said, “Good luck, Court. You’re gonna do great. I’ll have Whit call you, and we’ll be there as soon as we can.”

I winked back and said, “Just give her and Taylor a kiss from me. Don’t come down there and sit and wait. Reed will call you—”

Reed jumped in the truck and said, “Yeah…we’ll call. Got to go.” He slammed the door shut and put the truck in drive, and then he practically ran over poor Layton.

I tried not to smile, but somehow, the calm man who had run into the house had come out a freaked-out man.

“Um…Reed, are you okay?” I asked as I reached for his hand.

He glanced at me quickly before looking back at the road. “We’re having a baby. Do you realize that we…you and me…we’re about to have a baby? I mean, this is not a lab puppy. This is a baby. A human baby!”

I bit down on my lip to hold in my laughter. “I thought I was going to be the one freaking out.”

“I’m not freaking out. I’m not freaking out. Oh. My. God! Mr. Jenkins, could you drive any slower?”

I was going to have to apologize to our poor neighbor, Mr. Jenkins, for Reed almost running him off the road. I felt the contraction coming for real this time, and I grabbed and squeezed Reed’s hand.

Somehow, me doing that calmed him down, and he said in a soft voice, “Breathe, baby…that’s it. Just take deep breaths, and breathe through the contraction.”

From that point on, until we got to the hospital, Reed was calm as a cucumber. Me, on the other hand—the closer we got, the more scared I got.

Reed pulled up to the ER and jumped out of his truck. He ran around to open my door. He helped me out of the truck and then into the ER.

A nurse came over with a wheelchair and smiled as she said, “Dad, you go park the car, and I’ll take her over to labor and delivery. Did y’all preregister?”

Reed and I both said, “Yes,” at the same time.

Before I knew it, I was in a room, and the contractions were coming faster and faster. Reed had asked the nurse when they would give me the epidural, and she said the anesthesiologist was on her way.

“Thank God,” Reed said as he looked at me and smiled.

“Why are you thanking God? I’m the one in pain!” I said as another contraction swept over my body.

Reed leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. “I’m so sorry, Courtney. I wish I could take all the pain away from you. I’d do it in a heartbeat, angel. Seeing you in pain about brings me to my knees. When you hurt, I hurt. When you’re happy, I’m happy. I just want you to be happy.”