Page 10 of No Take Backs

“I thoughtI was going to lose you there for a minute.”

I looked up from staring at the floor where I’d been cradling my head, taking deep breaths. Amber was pale, her voice sleepy, yet the biggest grin I’d ever seen her wear stretched wide on her young face.

“I love you, Amber, but never again.” I chuckled lightly, struggling to get to grips with the mixture of horror I’d witnessed, along with the absolute awe and beauty of the moment.

“Thank you.”

I frowned at the catch in her voice.

“For being here, for everything.”

“Hey.” I stood quickly and returned to her side, stroking the hair off her sweaty forehead before smiling softly at the incredible baby in her arms. “You can count on me, always. You’re amazing.” She seriously was. How she’d got through this—pushed Ivy out of her like that—was as mind-blowing as it was harrowing.

Amber sniffed and wiped a tear from her cheek. “I promise you’ll never have to get close to my vagina again, okay?”

I laughed loudly before cringing when Ivy made a squeaky sound in her mum’s arms. “That would be great. She’s worth it all, though, right?”

Amber looked down at her sleeping daughter, affection in her eyes that squeezed at my heart. “She really is.”

“I just can’t believe how perfect she is.” I really couldn’t. She was pink and squishy and had a mass of brown hair. I was sure that meant she should have looked weird and more like the alien I’d declared her to be, but bloody hell, she was beautiful.

“I keep just staring at her.”

I chuckled softly. “Right.” On cue, my gaze drifted back to Ivy. Jesus, this kid wasn’t even mine, but already I loved her. “I’m worried we’re not going to be able to stop. You know, when she’s fifteen, and we’re still finding it difficult to not look away, she’s going to want to leave home, right?”

Amber gave a tired snort. “I think maybe our fascination will wear off.”

I scrunched my nose, not convinced. “Maybe it’s her smell. Don’t people go on about baby smells or something?” I went to lean in, but Amber’s words stopped me.

“You know she smells beautifully of my vagina and amniotic fluid, right? And I think I may have shit myself too.”

I stared in wide-eyed horror at Amber. The nightmare woman that she was, she quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. I expected so her loud-arse laugh wouldn’t wake her baby.

“The hell you say that for?” I complained.

She shrugged and finally seemed to calm herself enough to speak. “Will you collect Gran and call Ryan and let him know?” Her gaze locked on mine, and I was sure she was waiting for a grimace or something. While my stomach flipped at reaching out to her brother, I’d do so for Amber.

“Sure thing. You need anything from home?”

“Nah. I think I have everything I need in my bag.”

“Text me if you change your mind.”

“Thanks,” she said as I dotted a kiss on her forehead and brushed a finger tenderly over Ivy’s supersoft hair.

It didn’t take long before I was in the car and heading to pick up Gran. Amber had already laid down the law about her gran not being with her during the delivery, worried about Gran’s health and the dizzy spells that hadn’t improved. Gran had been miffed for sure, but she’d taken her granddaughter’s request in her stride and had sat this one out.

I’d already called Patrick, asking him to open up the store, and Dad said he’d head on in during the busier hours to cover me. With those basics covered, there was just Ryan to deal with.

While I’d yet to speak to him again after his first call, he’d made an effort with Amber and his gran, calling them regularly, even though the game season had officially started. While I hated taking sneaky looks to check how his team was doing and if his name was mentioned in gameplay write-ups, I actively avoided any game footage. Seeing him would be too hard. Moving on was difficult enough, and I couldn’t lie to myself; I’d spent too much time over the years fantasizing about what could have been with Ryan Broadwater.

I hit Bluetooth, asking Siri to call Ryan B. A quick glance at the time, and I figured it was late afternoon in the US, and he didn’t have a game today—or yesterday, since he lived in the past. I snorted at the irony, sure I was still stuck firmly there with him.

“Nate, everything okay?”

That he’d answered immediately was a start. Ignoring the way my heart picked up speed, I replied, “Yeah, all good. Amber’s good; so is Ivy.”

“Holy shit, she’s a mum? I’m an uncle?”

---