“You’re not getting married?” Logan asks, eyebrows drawn together. “Why?”
“We are getting married,” Mia corrects. “Just not this year.”
“Jimmy,” Nico urges, grabbing the attention of his soon-to-be father-in-law who doesn’t look one bit pleased. “As promised, she finished college,” he says, setting his flute aside.” So I hope this...” He moves Mia in front of him, his big hands flattening her swing dress to reveal her small baby bump. “...is good news.”
Endorphins hit, obliterating that sinking feeling in my stomach. I’ve known for three weeks and keeping this a secret was fucking torture. Same as not holding my hand across Mia’s tiny bump every time I saw her.
Everyone is silent for the first three, maybe five seconds. My mother reacts first with a quiet elated whimper that snaps everyone out of the shock.
“I’m going to be a grandpa?” Jimmy asks first.
“Surprise.” Mia beams. “And... it’s a girl.”
“No fucking way!” Logan booms. He’s trying really hard to look pissed off, but he’s smiling so wide his mouth’s not far off splitting in half. “How far along are you?”
I chuckle under my breath. Him and Cass are still waiting to find out if baby number three is a boy or a girl because the baby was facing the wrong way during the last scan.
“A couple of weeks behind you two,” Nico admits.
While everyone gets up with congratulations, I remain seated. Once I get my hands on Mia, there’s no way I’m letting her go quickly just because someone else is waiting in line.
“You knew,” Blair whispers, angling her head to speak in my ear. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
I stamp a kiss on her temple. “I found out by accident and promised to keep my mouth shut.”
She smirks, bouncing her eyebrows. “It’s killing you to wait right now, isn’t it?”
“You have no fucking idea,” I huff, dragging my hand down my face. “Nico doesn’t let me hold her anymore. He’s gone off the rails but he won’t shove me away in front of everyone.”
Blair chuckles, nestling her head on my shoulder. “You’re both off the rails about Mia.”
Yeah... that’s true. I love my real sister, Rose, but Mia’s more. She’s my best friend. And when she went above and beyond to give Blair a chance two years ago, our friendship grew that much deeper. We’re living proof that platonic friendship between men and women is possible.
The doorbell rings, announcing the arrival of the last missing piece of the Hayes family. Colt’s the only one we’re waiting for and with the beeline for Mia still six people deep, I make my way across the lawn, inside the house, and to the main door.
But when I yank it open it’s not Colt standing outside with a solemn look on his face. It’s a friend of Shawn’s from work in full police uniform. A squad car is parked behind him, another cop standing ground by the hood.
“Tim, hey, man. You looking for Shawn?”
He pinches his lipstogether, an uncertain gloom in his blue gaze. “No, actually, it’s you I need.” His jaw works for a moment as if he’s battling whatever he needs to say. And that’s enough for anxiety to invade my mind.
Uncomfortable silence, lack of eye contact and a heavy, threatening atmosphere is never a bearer of good news.
“There’s been an accident, Cody,” he eventually says, the sentence leaving his mouth slow and heavy.
Everything inside me seizes. Everything apart from my heart that hammers so hard it’s fucking painful.
“Colt,” I rasp, my voice distant, hands clammy. I immediately know it’s Colt because I’m his emergency contact. “Where is he? What happened?”
“Car crash. High speed from what I gathered so far. He was airlifted into the hospital half an hour ago. It’s... it’s bad, Cody. He’s in critical condition. They’re operating as we speak, but—”
“What’s going on?” Theo’s voice comes from behind me, his heavy footsteps clapping like tiny thunder in the empty entryway. “Hey Tim,” he adds, stopping on my right and I must look like absolute shit because his face falls immediately. “What’s wrong?”
“Colt’s in the hospital,” Tim reiterates. “They’re operating, but it doesn’t look good. The steering wheel crushed his chest, damaged his lungs and heart...”
The world tips on it’s fucking axis. Shatters around me as the news rips me apart.
Critical.
