Page 105 of Books and Hookups

“Yeah. It’s a strange feeling.”

“It’s been a few months of strange feelings, I bet.”

She chuckled. “A hundred percent.”

“Are you hungry?” I asked. “You should eat too.”

“Food service will come by soon,” the nurse said. “Be sure to ask for a tray for Dad too.”

Dad.The name sent a happy shiver through me. I reached out to touch our daughter’s foot through the blanket that covered her.

After the nurse walked out, Lucie said, “You can go home, you know, and get some rest. We’ll be fine here. There’s plenty of people to look after me.”

A chill replaced the warmth from a moment earlier. “You don’t want me here?”

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to stay. I’ve been an ass to you. I don’t want you to stay out of a sense of obligation.”

“It’s not obligation. There’s no place I’d rather be right now.” The baby kicked my hand. I held on to her toes.

“I don’t think I’ll be doing this again.” She tipped her chin at the baby. “I’m one and done.”

“Okay.”

“And I’m going to keep working. I…I finished my book. I’ll send it to my editor when I get home. And when my maternity leave is up, I’m going back to work at the paper.”

“That’s excellent news about your book.” Pride swelled inside me, but I wouldn’t dream of telling her I was proud of her. I didn’t want her to think I was diminishing her achievement by taking any credit for it. Not like her dad did. “And you shouldn’t give up your work. It’s too important.”

“I like living where we live. I love Barb’s. I hate the suburbs.”

“Understood.” Where was she going with this? I opened my mouth to ask, but there was a commotion in the hallway. Leo walked in with a sack from Dolci Momenti. The buttery, sweet aroma of pastry instantly covered the stale beer, sweat, and antiseptic smells in the room.

He took one look at Lucie and clapped his hand over his eyes. “Sorry!”

My mother bumped into his back, then shoved him aside. “Don’t be childish. Everyone in a five-mile radius is going to see Lucie’s boobs. Baby’s got to eat. How are you, Lucie?”

“I’m okay.” She tried to arrange her gown to hide her breast and failed. “Even more in awe of you now. You pushed outfiveof these?”

“Not all at once.” Mom winked. “The secret is pregnancy amnesia. You’ll forget how terrible it is by this time next year.”

Lucie shuddered. “I don’t think I will.”

Giuliana came around to the side of the bed where I was standing and peered at the baby. “Who does she look like?”

I exchanged a mystified look with Lucie. “I don’t know,” I said. “She looks like herself.”

Tony hip-checked me to the side. “I hope she looks like Lucie. Everyone knows I’m the good-looking one in this family.” He leaned over the bed to stare too.

“What’s going on in here?” The nurse stood in the doorway, hands on her hips. “Only three visitors are allowed at a time.”

“We’re family!” my mother said.

“It’s true,” Lucie said, shocking the hell out of me. “I don’t mind.”

“It’s hospital policy,” the nurse insisted.

Tony shot her his dazzling smile. “We’ll work out shifts. Just give us a minute, okay?”

She blinked. “I’ll be back in five to check.”

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