“Because they’re going to ask why we aren’t in a hospital with her coming early. And they’re going to want to come over right away to see you.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.” He walked over to the door and waved Badger in, had a quick chat with him, and then made the call. When that was done—and of course Lu’ana wanted to leave the resort immediately and return—Beck turned to the doctor, who’d come back in to check on them. “Can we get a lift home in this jalopy, doc?”
He laughed. “Sure can.”
By that night, Lu’ana and Reggie had finally returned home—after Badger and Duncan convinced them not to pick up Bebe yet—and Beck and Nami were all alone at home with their little girl.
“We woke up without a baby this morning,” she said. “And we’re going to bed parents.”
Beck smiled where he sat on the edge of the bed next to Nami, where she held their sleeping baby. “Yeah.”
“I won’t really neuter you,” she said. “Maybe.”
He laughed. “I promise I’m going to treat you like a queen, baby. I’m going to change diapers and everything. You might have to teach me what to do, but I’m going to try to learn.”
“I wish Momma was here,” she said. “It’s not fair that man is still alive when she was a good person with people who loved her.”
“I know, baby.” He sighed. “But all we can do is live and remember her. And Mom and Dad and Lucie are on their way down now. I told them they can stay with us, but they said if you’d prefer, they’ll go to a hotel or Dewi’s.”
Nami shook her head. “I want them to stay here. They’re family and I hardly know them. We have the room.”
“Okay.” A few minutes later they had the baby safely tucked in the bassinet next to Nami’s side of the bed, and they were curled up together. “This is the new happiest day of my life, baby,” he said.
She pulled his arm tighter around her. “Mine, too.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
Ken
That Monday morning,Badger looked over at Ken, who was riding in the truck with him on their way to Carl and Mateo’s. Duncan and Dewi were staying behind at the house this morning. Martin, Stig, and Elliot were back in town, and she wanted to sit down with them and Joaquin, get a detailed debriefing about the resettlement process so far, and get them caught up. With Beck out of commission for the next several weeks, at least, she needed them here.
“What’s wrong? Yer awfully jumpy.”
“Besides the obvious?” Ken snarked.
“Yeah.”
There was sooo much wrong that Ken hadn’t been authorized to tell Badger yet.
Peyton was, once again, winging his way halfway around the world to the UK on another visit.
That much Ken could reveal. “Peyton’s heading back to England today.”
“Fer how long?”
“I don’t know. He said a few days. I guess with this latest news he wants to have another talk with Tamsin’s mother. Don’t say anything to anyone but Dewi.”
“Eh, I know why him leavin’ would set Gillian’s teeth on edge at this time, but why’s it botherin’you?”
Because it means the weight of the pack drops on my shoulders.
But he couldn’t say that.
He had a default answer hecoulduse, however.
“Because I don’t want to be put into a position, if something happens to him, that I’m not comfortable with. Official things to handle for him.”
