Page 37 of Claiming Becca

“Melissa is in the room with Caroline. She was working and met us when we got here,” Bass explains.

“Is she alright?” Bailey asks.

Bass grimaces, giving us an uneasy smile. “She’s fine. They were Braxton-hicks contractions. She’s not in labor.” I roll my lips between my teeth. She’s not in labor. Bailey chuckles.

Bass takes a deep breath. “She told me not to call you guys, but I was excited. So, I promise next time I won’t call until we get to the hospital and know for sure.”

I start laughing and step forward to hug him. “You’re going to be such a great dad.” He returns my embrace as he laughs. Everyone else claps him on the shoulder or hugs him.

“I feel like an idiot,” he admits.

“You’re not an idiot,” Connor replies. “It’s the first time you’ve gone through this, too.” Everyone voices their agreement.

“The doctor just finished checking her out, so she’ll be out soon. So you’ll will be able to see her soon.” We walk down the hallway so we can wait and run into Melissa. She smiles at everyone.

“Everyone is here.” She chuckles, hugging each person. “She’s coming now. She had to go to the restroom,” she tells us. When Caroline comes out of the room, she looks around at everyone and begins to cry.

“You all came,” she says. Bass wraps his arms around her and pulls her into his chest. A huff of laughter leaves me, and Connor grins at me. She leans into Bass for a few seconds before hugging everyone. “Next time, we’ll make sure I’m actually in labor before we call,” Caroline promises.

We all tell Melissa bye so she can finish her shift and walk to the elevator. Connor and I enter the elevator first, and because there are so many of us, I’m squeezed against him. His hand trails down my back, over my ass, and to the hem of my dress. His fingers brush the bare skin of the back of my thigh. I suck in a breath, trying not to react.

Bailey glances over at me, tilting her head at me. “Will you try to go on another date?” she asks me. That gets everyone’s attention, and I want to hide. I don’t like people to focus on me.

“You went on a date?” Caroline and Bass ask at the same time.

“Yes,” I reply. “I met him through your app, Lincoln, and he sucked.” I scowl at him.

He puts his hands in the pockets of his slacks. “What do you mean he sucked?”

“He ate before he came to the restaurant and was on his phone the entire time. Then he got mad at me because I accidentally made his glass of water spill on his phone and him.”

Ansley starts to laugh. “Sounds like he deserved that.” Liv nods in agreement.

“Unfortunately, there’s not much I can do. You can leave a comment under your experience to warn others. Unless he’s blatantly stating he’s someone he’s not, I can’t take him off the platform,” Lincoln says.

“There are people out there that would enjoy going out and being on their phones the entire time during the date. Sebastian and I see it all the time,” Caroline says. “In fact, when I was with my ex, on the rare occasions we went out, I used my phone so I didn’t have to interact with him.”

“I’m rarely on my phone, so it was a bit of a shock,” I explain. Everyone else agrees.

“I think when you’re with your person, you want to be completely there. Especially if you’re on a date,” Liv chimes in. “At least that’s what I’m assuming.” The elevator opens, and we all walk out.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Bailey says. “Will you try to go on another date?” Connor stiffens beside me, but I force myself not to look at him.

“Probably not,” I want to tell them that I did go on another date. It was the best date ever, and it was the person I love most in the world.

But I keep those thoughts to myself. What if Connor doesn’t want to tell anyone yet? We all say our goodbyes. Connor and I walk back to his truck quietly. Why didn’t he tell them? Why didn’t I? Am I a secret? Is he? I’ve wanted him for so long I want to shout it from the rooftops. Does he feel the same way?

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CONNOR

BECCA ISvery quiet on the way back to the restaurant. She’s distant, not like she was on the way to the hospital. I think through everything that happened at the hospital but can’t think of what I could have said to upset her. She gets out of the truck quickly when we get to the restaurant. I have to catch up to her as she approaches her car.

Grabbing her hand, I pull her around to face me. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes stay glued to my chest, so I bring my thumb to her chin and raise her head until she’s looking at me.

Her eyes are filled with uncertainty. “Why didn’t you say anything at the hospital?”

I tilt my head at her. “What do you mean?”

---