Page 75 of Derecho

“Are you kidding me?” I snarled. “She said she wants to leave, her sister is a midwife who used to work at this hospital, and she’s going home to a place where she’ll have constant support and care. If she wants to leave here, she’s going to leave, and I’ll pay for whatever costs there are.”

She nodded, and I didn’t miss how the nurse patted Lainey’s shoulder before heading out into the hall.

“You didn’t have to stand up for me like that,” Lainey whispered.

“I wanted to. Thought about beating his face in with my cane, but figured that wouldn’t be too good to do.”

“Probably not.” Lainey shifted her hold on the baby.

“Lain, what did he want?”

I watched as a shudder rolled through her body. “He wanted to give me money…”

“To help take care of the baby?”

She shook her head. “To sign over full custody of the baby. To Greg.”

My jaw popped open. “You can’t be serious?”

“Greg told him I’m financially unstable. That I’d see the money and probably throw the baby at them. That asshole took everything from me, and he’s telling people I’m so desperate for money I’d sell them my baby.”

“God, Lainey. I…He better never come around you. I’m going to call Colt and tell him we need to push harder about the restraining order. This is out of control.”

“Don’t bother him right now. I’m sure there are bigger things to deal with after that storm.”

“Yeah, well, you’re the only thing I care about,” I admitted as I scrubbed my hand over my face.

“How did you get here so fast after I told you Joseph was here?” she asked quietly as I shot off the text to my brother.

Greg’s dad was at the hospital, harassing Lainey. Wanted to give her money to have her sign over custody of the baby to Greg. Please tell me you’ve heard something about the restraining order.

“I was sitting in the parking lot,” I admitted as I slipped my phone into my back pocket, wanting so fucking badly to wrap my arms around her and the baby.

“What?”

“Yup.” I laughed, but every ounce of humor was removed from it. “Was waiting for visiting hours to come up and see you both. Seems I can’t go more than a few minutes without missing the way you sass me. And now that the little guy is here…well…I didn’t want to miss out on anything with him.”

“But I’m in the hospital.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Lainey shifted in the bed, her face pulling tight as she moved to the side farthest away from me. Shit. Had I scared her? Did she not feel safe with me?

“Will you…”

Leave. Go away. Stay quiet as I move in with Beau and Birdie…Whatever she was about to say was going to break me wide open, I just knew it.

“Will you come lay in bed with me?”

Oh.

Oh.

Instead of my chest breaking under the weight of the pressure I felt pushing against it, warmth sparked. A little glow of hope that helped me not go under.

I turned, walking to the sanitize station on the wall.

“Don’t go,” she whispered, and I froze.