I gasped. “Ellie had the baby?” I asked, so excited for them. Envious, too.
Three years. I’d stuck it out for that long with Jackson and had missed out. Ellie was definitely younger than me. I could’ve had a baby or two by now.
“It was a good thing she left the diner when she did because she was in the delivery room for twenty minutes when she had the baby. Molly delivered just a little while ago. Two girls!” she said, her eyes filledwith happy tears. Mr. Wilder–I assumed since he looked like an older version of the other men–came over and they hugged.
Oh my. Two babies. Cousins born on the same day. I glanced around at the Wilders. A pang of envy shot through me.Thiswas what I wanted. A real family, not corporate drones. They hugged. Cried. Cheered. Took over an entire waiting room.
“I’m glad all is good,” I said, then waved, very eager to leave and deal with the ache in my heart.
The other man from the diner, the new dad, Ellie’s husband, blocked the doorway. He must’ve come from one of the delivery rooms. His hair was a mess, as if he’d been pulling on it and he looked slightly dazed. But, he was smiling in a way that made him practically glow.
“Congratulations,” I told him. “I, um… left your hat with your brother.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” He studied me, then frowned. “Wait, you’re not leaving, are you?”
“Well, yeah. I’ll let you all–”
“You can’t go yet,” he said, raising his hand to stop me. “Ellie specifically asked for you.”
I frowned, glanced at Buck, who moved to stand beside me. I felt his heat at my side and his presence was just… large. “Me?”
Out of the corner of my eye, one of the pregnant women handed Mrs. Wilder a cherry danish and a napkin.
“Yes, you,” Trig confirmed.
“Why?”
“Because we named our baby after you.”
3
BUCK
I couldn’t believeshe showed up at the hospital. Not because I didn’t think she was a generous or a kind person to bring food for us–if she was anything like her aunt Mabel, then she had to be–but because I was given a second chance to see her.
I’d driven a very calm Ellie and a batshit crazy Trig to the hospital, then joined Ma and Pops and Shep who’d been in the waiting room for news about Colt and Molly’s baby. They’d been surprised and excited to hear about the twist in the baby news and had called in the others for double deliveries.
Now, hours later, my entire family was in the waiting room and both babies were here.
Fine. Great. Yay, for new babies.
Butshewas here.
Sage. While everyone else was distracted by babies, I focused on her. Couldn’t look away.
Her hair had come out of its braid even more since our early morning breakfast–that we never ate. Her cheeks were flushed, probably from the cold outside. Her eyebrows were full and arched, strong cheekbones and full lips.
Kissable lips.
As we talked, I loomed over her. She wasn’t much taller than Lainey, which was pint sized, but sturdier. More than a handful. Wearing a coat, it was hard to tell her shape, but I remembered her curves in the simple t-shirt and jeans.
She wasn’t fancy. If she was running the diner, she was a hard worker.
We’d barely spoken to each other and still I knew she was going to be mine.
Except she wasn’t from Devil’s Ditch. She was from New York and here to fill in for her aunt. That meant if she was thinking about going back, I had six weeks to make her mine. Make her stay. Hell, Icould have her knocked up and permanently tied to me by then.
I heard–maybe more than I wanted to–that Colt and Molly liked to use handcuffs in bed. If that was their kink, then fine. I was all for tying Sage up and satisfying her until she passed out. Hell, yeah. Now, the restraints had a whole new meaning.
