Page 8 of Luke

Catherine was moving the phone again and was going to a different room. “Paisley?” she asked, getting her attention. “This is what friends and family are for. No matter what that butt Luke has done, everyone will always pull through to make sure that he and his family are taken care of.”

Luke’s hand shook as he held the phone, knowing that wasn’t just for Paisley to hear. He turned the screen to himself. “Thank you, Catherine, for everything.”

“It’s time, Luke. Get her better first and then you need to talk to the guys,” she said sternly.

“I know,” he admitted.

Chapter Four

Paisley

The doctor released her late that evening, and Luke never left her side. As she gathered the things she had at the hospital, he was there, holding her bag and making sure she didn’t need anything. It was endearing and weird.

“You ready?” he asked.

Paisley nodded. “More than anything.”

“We have to get your meds from downstairs, but we can almost go home.” Luke reached for her hand. “Let’s go.”

Confusion had her going along with him without questioning him yet. The whole day that she’d been here and awake, Luke had made sure she didn’t need anything. The nurse had called him her husband more than once, and he hadn’t corrected her.

They made it down to the pharmacy and Luke paid for her medicine, sticking the bottle of pills in his pocket before taking her hand again and leading her out to a waiting car.

“After we get home, I’ll let Catherine know and they will bring Garrett home,” Luke explained. “I want to give you a chance to shower and get the hospital off you before he gets there.”

“We can pick him up now. I want him more than a shower,” she argued.

“If that’s what you really want, we can. I’m worried about you though.”

The doctors had said she had bronchitis on top of exhaustion. The only reason she had slept as long as she had at the hospital was that she hadn’t fully in weeks, and they had thoroughly scolded her for that in front of Luke. Luke had sworn it wouldn’t happen again.

“I want Garrett with me,” she finally said.

“Understood. I’m not trying to tell you what to do or take all your choices away. I’m just trying to put you first since we know Garrett is taken care of.” He leaned forward and told the driver the change of plans. “I’ll call them now and let them know we are on the way.”

Why was him being this concerned about her not as insufferable as she thought it would be? It was nice to have someone care about her needs, but he was the reason she was in the situation she was mostly. She could have gone to the coffee shop and told any of his friends. Guilt ate at her a little for not trying harder to tell him she was pregnant.

“What’s on your mind?” Luke asked. “You’re twisting your shirt in knots again.”

She dropped her hands. “Nothing important.”

He arched one brow at her, clearly not believing her. “I know we need to talk soon. If that’s what it is, I’m not ignoring the fact that this isn’t normal and I’ve just inserted myself into your life.”

“It’s a little weird,” she admitted.

“Tonight or tomorrow, we will have that conversation and a few others that I think are important. Let’s get our son and get home first.”

It was less Luke being there that concerned her and more her feelings about him. Whenever he called Garrett his, little butterflies stirred in her stomach. It was terrifying to think she might fall for him again and he would just leave her like before.

She strengthened her resolve and sat straighter, dropping her hands to the seat. She couldn’t become dependent on him. He was going to leave, she told herself. Then Luke slid his hand over hers and she wondered if her heart would ever listen to her head.

“I’ll go get him. You stay here,” Luke said as they parked outside of the house. “Catherine can be . . . a bit much sometimes.”

Paisley giggled. She knew that about Catherine from seeing her as a customer. “Thanks.”

She didn’t want to go in and talk to anyone, especially when she hadn’t showered in two days and was still in yesterday’s clothes. Luke had bought her a brush and a toothbrush, but she’d turned down his offer of a new outfit.

He wasn’t gone long before he came back with Garrett in his carrier and a diaper bag hanging on his shoulder. Again, those butterflies fluttered at the sight of him being a dad to their son.

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