Lucky and Bo exchanged a glance, and Bo pulled a slip of paper from his wallet. Together they reviewed the list. Somehow, the names they’d thought so perfect while scribbling them didn’t seem so perfect now.
In the bassinet, the baby began to cry, waving her fists and wailing. Lucky pressed his nose to the plexiglass. “Is she okay?” Somebody needed to come get his daughter before he fought his way to her.
What a set of lungs! A Lucklighter kid, all right.
A nurse came up to the glass and lifted the baby. She calmed instantly, though her lower lip still trembled. “So, she likes attention like her father,” Bo quipped.
Lucky scowled. “If you know so much about her, what’s her name?” He felt a tug on his sleeve, and looked down to see Rett’s son. He wasn’t hiding behind his mother, and stared at Lucky full on.
Lucky squatted down to be on the kid’s level. “What’s up, little man?” Any second now, he’d run back behind his mother. He never came near Lucky, and rarely spoke.
Lucky nearly toppled backward when the kid said in a clear, determined voice, “Her name is Jenny.”
What?
“What did you say?” Bo asked, kneeling.
Rone turned from Lucky to Bo. “Her name is Jenny.”
A wrinkle formed between Bo’s brows, and he mouthed the name: Jenny Schollenberger. His lips turned up into a smile. “What about a middle name?”
“It’s Lynn!” Rone insisted.
“Jenny Lynn Schollenberger.” Bo turned to Lucky. “What do you think?”
Rett stood off to the side, hand over her mouth and failing miserably at hiding a laugh. What the hell? Was she making fun of Lucky being all doting father?
One eye on Rett, who’d nearly doubled over with laughter now, Lucky replied. “Well, something simple works. I’d hate for her to be in high school before she can spell her full name, and we’re already giving her a mouthful with Schollenberger.”
“Jenny Lynn Schollenberger.” Bo rose and grinned at the baby through the glass. “Hi, Jenny. Welcome to the world.”
Tears streaming from her eyes, Rett laughed so hard that she gasped for breath and slid down the wall.
As they were leaving to visit with Charlotte, Lucky hissed at Rett, “What the hell are you laughing at?”
Rett giggled, forcing out words while trying to catch her breath. “Charlotte… showed him… the nursery. He saw something… writing… on the… on the crib. He thought it was… her name.” She slapped Lucky on the back, nearly knocking him down, and wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. “Jenny Lind is the brand of her crib.”
At least being named after furniture beat being named after a NASCAR track.
One day he’d tell little Jenny Lynn how she got her name.
Or make Rone tell her.
