Page 93 of Bound Hearts

Dropping a pen onto the glass desk, I sigh. “Don’t veer us off track. Get me Pete from their finance department on the phone, and we will threaten withholding payments.”

The sound of the conference door opening grabs our attention, and we’re all surprised to see Celeste, who is breathing as though she ran here.

“Your phone must be on silent. It’s Sutton.”

Something unusual begins to tip inside of me. “What about her?”

“She’s gone into labor.”

“What?!” I stand, panicked. “It’s too early.” I’m already swiping my blazer off the back of my chair with urgency taking over and a deep concern that shackles my heart.

“Olivia is helping her to your car downstairs. You need to go.”

The guys are already nodding, with worry also on their own faces. “Go!” Easton tells me, but I’m already at the door.

“What happened?” I ask as I jog, and Celeste attempts to keep up.

“We were in a meeting when she started having pain, and she said she was going into labor.”

I hear her, but I don’t respond, just enter the elevator alone and punch the button so hard that I could probably break it.

A thousand thoughts run through my mind.

Mostly, we’re not ready for this.

We are supposed to have more time.

Nothing calms my mind as I run through the lobby on an adrenaline high until I reach the waiting car where Olivia steps to the side of the open back door of my car. “Go,” I direct my driver sharply as I slide in. I don’t even acknowledge the woman who was helping Sutton. Immediately, my eyes dart to Sutton, who is sitting and rubbing her belly.

“That was rude,” she chides. At least she’s making jokes. But I know my wife too well, and it’s the façade that covers her deep concern, especially as she holds her belly.

“What happened?” I scoot closer and hold her; my hand drops to her belly.

“It was good news, I should have been elated. But he’s been moving a lot today, then suddenly one kick didn’t feel like usual, and then it started to feel different in my pelvis, and my water broke. I’m positive it’s contractions, especially as it’s happened twice in ten minutes now.”

Keeping one arm protectively around her, I use my other hand to drag out my phone from my pocket and swipe. “I’m calling the hospital and letting them know we’re on our way.”

“I don’t even have a bag packed for labor, and we’re going to miss our dinner reservation,” she lists almost humorously. But then she sobers. “Foster,” she whispers, and I peer down at her with her doe eyes staring back at me. “It’s too early.” Her words are fragile, and I feel it, too.

“You’ll be okay. He’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you both,” I promise.

The corner of her mouth twitches as though I spoke the words she needed to hear.

Hell, I needed to hear them too.

I stare impatiently as the two nurses fret around Sutton, setting up monitors and taking her blood pressure. They accompanied us right away to a room, calmly, and all I wanted was more haste.

“Where’s the doctor?” I bite out as they help Sutton onto the bed.

The young nurse in a blue uniform looks at me. “He’s on his way. Don’t worry, we paged him as soon as your wife was admitted.”

Oh no, it’s not Sutton’s normal doctor. This isn’t going to ease her. “He? Where is Dr. Ryder?” I interrogate as my eyes travel chaotically between the contraptions and Sutton, trying to understand what they’re doing. One nurse is putting a monitor belt across Sutton’s belly, and the other is taking her blood pressure.

“She’s on vacation, but Dr. Wolf is a fantastic doctor,” the nurse assures me.

“That’s not a comforting name, but fine. Just ensure she has the best medical care. Remember where donations come from,” I snipe.

“Foster!” Sutton scolds me, and her tone slaps me in the face to focus on the moment.