Page 61 of In Her Shadow

The doctor said it could be anytime now, and the thought of leaving her, even for a minute, makes me anxious, but my uncle is right. I’ve put off leaving the house so I could be with her for too long, and maybe spending a few hours with her friend is what she needs to cheer her up.

“Fine.” I give in, and she nearly knocks me off my feet when she reaches her arms around my neck to hug me.

“Go carefully,” I remind her, taking her stomach in my hands as I kiss her, and when I look back out to the hall, my uncle’s already gone.

“It was sweet of your uncle to stand up for me.” Eloise smiles down at the hand that’s stroking her belly as I drive her towardKatelyn’s house. She’s right, the suburb Katelyn lives in is only a ten-minute ride to the hospital, and I guess that gives me a little peace of mind. The fact that the person who was in her apartment and sent her that card is still out there cancels it out..

“Yeah, he’s all heart,” I tell her sarcastically, knowing my uncle didn’t have Eloise's best interests in mind when he took her side. He just wanted to ensure I met up with DeMarco’s brother-in-law to discuss the sale of one of our shipyards.

“Come on, Ren, don’t be like that, you know I’m getting nervous about what comes next. Katelyn will be the perfect distraction, and I’m more than safe with her. She once knocked out a guy taller than you because he spilled a drink on her.” I snigger because it’s exactly the kind of thing I can imagine her doing.

“You’ve got a couple of hours,” I explain as I pull up outside Katelyn’s house. “Lock the doors once you're inside. If you're worried about anything, you call me. If you feel even the slightest twinge–”

“I’ll call,” she finishes my sentence for me. “Relax, we’re gonna be fine.”

Katelyn opens the door, waving enthusiastically, and I nod my head at her politely as I round the hood to help Eloise out of the car.

“I hate this,” I tell her, supporting her back as she straightens herself up.

“But you love me.” She kisses my cheek, before waddling her cute ass up the path to join her friend.

“You take care of her,” I call out, pointing my finger at Katelyn before getting back behind the wheel and driving deeper into the city.

ELOISE

“Ren said to lock the door once we’re inside.” I shift myself past Katelyn when she moves aside to let me in. “You have no idea how much I need this.” I slump down on her couch, feeling the size of a whale. Being this pregnant isn’t fun, my back aches, my ankles are swollen and I need to pee every five damn minutes.

“I’m going to take complete care of you. Here.” She hands me a glass of Prosecco. “Non-alcoholic, of course,” she assures me before I even ask.

“Mine, not so much. I love you and all, but it’s been a long week.” She sips from her glass and takes the chair opposite me.

“So, how did you manage to escape?”

“It’s not like that. Ren's just being cautious, and I can’t blame him. He has no way of finding out who was in my apartment or what they were looking for,” I remind her, trying not to think too much about it. I can’t allow any negative thoughts in my head right now. I could give birth any day, and I need all my focus to be on that.

“So, have you had any contractions yet?” Katelyn points her glass at my protruding stomach as she helps herself to astrawberry. I’d like one myself, but I can’t face the effort of reaching across to get one.

“Do you think I’d be here if I had? I had some of those Braxton Hicks a few weeks ago, which was a little scary. But nothing since.” I tap my tummy and smile.

“I’ll bet Ren had Mary boiling water and Otto fetching towels.” She laughs, picking up the bowl of strawberries and holding them closer so I can help myself.

“These are good for you, I’ll just leave them here.” She balances the bowl on the top of my belly and sits back down.

“So when was your last doctor's appointment?” She takes another sip of her champagne.

“Three days ago.” I take one to my mouth, impressed at how ripe they are.

“And is she ready to come?” I get the impression my best friend is getting excited about this. She’s taken much more of an interest than I thought she would, and I’m wondering if maybe she might be considering the idea of being a mom someday herself.

“Oh, she’s ready, head’s down and in prime position. I can feel it every time I walk.” I take another strawberry and stroke my stomach when I feel her shifting around inside me. She’s really running out of space in there, so I hope she decides to come soon. “Ren’s a nervous wreck; the only reason I’m here now is because his uncle convinced him.” I laugh.

“Way to go, Uncle Fester.” She smirks, knocking back more of her drink and placing her empty glass on the table.

“Steady, you're my ride to the hospital if this little one wants to vacate,” I remind her.

“You think it could be that soon?” I don’t know if it’s fear or excitement that she looks back at me with.

“Maybe notthatsoon, but you never know.” I shrug my shoulders. I get so excited when I think about us meeting her, but the idea of labor petrifies me.

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