Page 7 of Bound By Words

“Hottie at the bar in the black suit. Yum.”

Drew glanced at the bar and turned back toward me with wide eyes, mouthing “Da-yum.”

“Quit staring at him,” I hissed as I turned my attention to the DJ, who was announcing the bride and groom.

I watched them raise their joined hands in the doorway to the ballroom. Evan twirled Chase under his arm before grasping her around the waist and dipping her dramatically, kissing her with too much tongue to be appropriate around all their relatives.

Looking back at the bar, Nathan was still there, watching me. I flashed him a small smile, and he lifted his glass in my direction before he downed the contents and pushed off the counter, heading in my direction.

“Oh, God. Oh no…”

My eyes widened as a hand clamped down on my thigh, drawing my attention to Isobel’s whimpering voice from where she was seated next to me.

“Oh, shit.” From how her face was contorted, I could tell something was wrong. Her fingers tightened on my leg, and a low moan came out of her mouth as Adrian turned back toward her from his conversation with Ethan on his other side.

“Are you alright?” I asked as I placed my hand on top of hers.

“I think my water just broke,” she whimpered as I looked down and saw a wet spot spreading across the pink satin of her dress.

“Holy…” I looked up, making eye contact with Adrian, who looked just as startled.

“Babe? Is she coming?”

“I think so…” she panted, grimacing as her hand tightened on my leg.

“But it’s not time yet. We were supposed to be back home. She’s not due for over a month.”

As I watched her try to breathe through a contraction, a hush fell over the rest of the wedding party as they realized what was happening.

“Grab her wrap, hot shot,” Miguel instructed as he gestured at a shell-shocked Adrian.

“Fuck, sorry, babe.” He seemed to come out of the panicked fog, quickly pulling Isobel’s heavy velvet wrap off the back of her chair and throwing it over his girlfriend’s shoulders.

“Do you think you can stand?” I asked as her fingers relaxed and her breathing slowed.

“Maybe.”

“Let’s get you up then.” Grasping her elbow, I pulled her up as I stood, holding on tightly as she wobbled a little.

Adrian pulled out her chair and shifted the heavy velvet around her waist as he bent slightly, pulling her into his arms.

Well, damn. I knew Evan joked about him being a gym rat, but he didn’t even look to be straining while he held his heavily pregnant—whatever they were.

“I’ve got yah, babe,” he assured her in his heavy Boston accent as he nodded to the table. “Grab her clutch and follow me to the front, would yah?”

By the time we got to the corner of the dance floor, Chase and Evan had realized what was happening, rushing over to see if they could help.

“I’m fine. I promise. I’m so sorry,” Isobel apologized as Adrian started to carry her toward the exit, with most of the wedding party as his entourage.

“Don’t apologize,” Chase waved away her worries. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“I didn’t mean to ruin your wedding reception. I thought we still had a few weeks. My doctor said it was okay to fly,” Isobel whimpered as Adrian whispered reassurances.

KELLY

Minneapolis

By the time we got to the valet stand, Drew had already run ahead to flag down someone and arranged for them to bring around a car.

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