She smiled sadly. “Talking to his mother, believe it or not.”
“Really?” I asked in disbelief. “How’d that happen?”
“She called while we were in the waiting room. He didn’t know her number and thought it might be about work, so he answered it.”She blew out a breath. “He went outside to talk. The look on his face when he realized it was Kellie...I hope this works out for him, Kari. It’s been weighing on him so heavily.”
“I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but your husband’s name is Cane?” Connor had a perplexed look on his face, like he was figuring out a difficult patient.
Jada nodded. “Cane Alexander. Why? Do you know him?”
Connor’s face paled.
“You okay, Connor?” I asked.
“Again, not to pry, but what’s going on with his mother?” he asked Jada.
“Well, she left him as a child and now she wants to get to know him again, I guess. He hadn’t decided one way or the other, but she just called and he answered by accident.”
The door opened again and Cane came through, looking like he seen a ghost. “How is he?” he asked me, nodding to Max.
I couldn’t respond. Cane standing next to Connor Manning was eerie. From the sandy blonde hair to the blue eyes, to the strong jawline and sturdy frame, they were so similar that it was shocking. I looked to Jada and she looked at me, her eyes wide.
Cane looked at Max, to me, and then to Jada. “What? What’s going on? He’s alright, isn’t he?”
“Yeah,” I muttered, my voice still caught in my throat. “Max is gonna be fine.”
“Blaine is out in the waiting room. He really wants to come back, but I told him I had to ask you first.” He laughed a little. “I thought I’d throttle that cocksucker if I ever saw him, but after today, he got a pass.”
“How considerate of you,” I chuckled, shaking my head.
“He apologized. I think he felt my need to kick his ass right off the bat. But once he started explaining to me how he came to find you guys because you wouldn’t answer—how he saw Sam’s car out there and Max standing there through the window...” Cane shrugged. “Ifhe messes with you again, though...” He cocked an eyebrow, making me smile.
Connor cleared his throat and extended a hand to Cane. “I’m Connor Manning. Nice to meet you.”
Cane furrowed his brows and turned to see Connor standing there for the first time. He shook his hand. “Cane Alexander.”
“This, uh, probably isn’t the right time or place to do this, but because Max is going to be alright, I’m going to forgo standard procedure for a minute,” Connor said, clearing his throat. “Your wife was saying you just took a call from your mother that you haven’t seen in a while.”
Cane looked to the floor. “Yeah.”
“Is her name Kellie Manning, by any chance?”
Cane’s head snapped to Jada then to Connor. “Yeah, actually, it is. Why? How did you know that?”
“She’s my mother, too.”
FORTY-SIX
MAX
“Let me get the door,” Kari said, rushing forward and pressing the handicap button to open the doors to the maternity wing at the hospital.
“I can use my arm, sweetheart,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s been a week. I’m fine.”
“Whatever,” she said, trying not to laugh as we went down the hall to room 301.
Cane was sitting in a heavy wooden rocking chair, holding a bundle of pink blankets, his back to us. Jada was propped up in a bed beside them, tussling Cane’s hair while watching him hold the baby.
“Hey,” Kari said excitedly, trying to not be too loud.
