Page 11 of Booth

Lynn was putting her cell phone away when she finally looked at her.She didn’t know how long she’d spoken to Shawn, but it hadn’t changed her one bit.She was still an angry person who seemed to like having a chip on her shoulder about everything.

“I’m not coming back here.”Dee told her she was glad to hear that.“I don’t want you to think this is the end of this either.I’ll be calling you all the time to get what you owe me for all the years you’ve been conniving behind my back.”

“What does that mean?I don’t think of you at all when you’re not around.”She scoffed at her, and Dee had to laugh.“You’re a piece of work.But I don’t care.Once you leave, I’m going to change my phone number and not have to talk to you again.I’m finished with you and your demands.”

“We’ll just see about that.”Again, she laughed at Lynn, but when she turned and left the house, she didn’t even bother going to the door to see her off.The longer she was gone, the better she liked it.And good riddance to her.Her and Betty went on with their working together like they’d not had a woman who had lost her marbles in her home, but were good friends going over work that they both loved.

Chapter 6

Booth decided that he was going to enjoy his classes even if he had to tell himself that every day.Because what he really wanted to do was to be home with his wife and have fun with her.They’d not bonded as yet, and he was a little afraid to ask.She’d been hurt badly, and he knew that it hung on their minds all the time.Especially Dees.

“Mr.Dixon, I don’t understand how to break down this sentence.”He worked with Tony for over an hour earlier this morning on the same question.There were only four sentences to be broken down in Spanish, but he didn’t seem to be getting it.For a second-year student, he seemed to have forgotten everything that he’d learned so far.“I can read it all right, but breaking it down is hard for me.”

“Have you gone over your notes from last year?I told you at the end of last year that you’d need your notes to do well this year, Tony.Did you keep them?”He said that he was having a hard time finding them.“Then I suggest you get with one of your classmates and see if they can let you copy them.They’re very important for you to get a good grade in this class.”

He’d not only told the class to keep their notes from the previous year, but he’d told them that he’d keep them for them so that they’d have them.He’d done that for about half the class, and it looked like the other half was scrambling to get their notes together from being at home all summer long.

Booth rarely assigned homework.He preferred that they do the lessons in the classroom and turn them in first thing at the beginning of class.They could do it at home if they wished, but he was there to help them with any questions that they might have, and he thought that was better.The only trouble he had was students like Tony who thought that if he waited long enough between questions for him, he could have him do his homework for him.That was another reason for the keeping of last year’s notes.So he’d not have to do all the work for them.

At the end of class, Tony had gotten the notes from one of the students who was doing well in the class.For the first few weeks of class, they didn’t speak anything but English.After that, the entire class would speak only Spanish, and it would be from the start of class until it ended.It would help them with pronunciation and sentence formation.

Booth didn’t have a class at noon.He thought he was going to have to do lunch monitoring but that was taken over by the football coach who wanted to make sure that his boys were not screwing around at the lunch hour.They’d had trouble with the football players before, but with the new coach, it seemed to have gone away.He was walking home to get something to eat when his cell phone went off.

“It’s time.”He didn’t know the caller and asked what was time.“Amy.She’s in labor.The midwife is on her way here.We’re going to have a baby today.”He took off running to his home so that he could be there when Dee found out.Mom would have been at the house too, but he didn’t know their schedule anymore, so he didn’t know if she’d be around the house or already on her way to Dallas’ home.

He was only home for a few minutes when he called the school to let them know that he’d not be returning until tomorrow.He was as excited as the rest of the family seemed to be and couldn’t wait until the new baby arrived.

Amy would be attended by the midwives of the troop, and Dallas would be in a room with him and the other brothers.Being that Dallas was the silverback of the troop, special care would be given to both him and Amy when the child was born.This was the first such child born to the family in a whole generation.Hugging his brother, he thought he was very calm for a man about to become a dad.Just as he was telling him that, their dad showed up with Mom, and she went to be with Amy.

“I hate this tradition.When you boys were born, all I wanted to do was to be there with yourmother, and they wouldn’t allow it.Dallas, you should change that rule before the next one comes along to make sure you can be with your lovely Amy when she gives birth.”Dallas said that he’d do that as he didn’t like being shut off from her at all.“You’ve gone the entire time with her around you, and why does this make it so she has to be alone now anyway?”

“You know what?I’m going to do it.”Dallas stood up and smiled at their dad.I want to be there, and since I’m in charge, I’m going to bully my way into the room to be with my wife.”He was nearly halfway up the stairs when he turned back.“Wish me luck.I think I’m going to need it.”

When he got to the bedroom, Booth held his breath thinking that he’d either get in or be back down there with them when he simply opened the door and stepped in.it was a good five minutes before they realized he wasn’t coming back out and was going to get to stay with Amy.Good for him, he thought.Good for him.

It was another three hours before anyone heard anything from the upper floors.He didn’t know what was going on, but the silence was killing them.Dad started pacing, and the rest of them watched him.Something that they’d learned over the years was that their dad could pace a room off better than anyone they knew.And it was best not to disturb him when he was at it either.

At four o’clock, they heard something from the bedroom.The baby had been born.That’s all they knew for the moment, and Dad was getting antsy.As soon as the door opened and Dallas came down the stairs with a bundle in his arms, they all held each other for the good news.No one really cared what the baby was; they just wanted it to be healthy.

“We have a little girl.”Dad started crying as the bundle was handed to him.“Amy was great, Dad.You should have seen her.She was in charge the entire time, and when she was born, Amy said she was going to nap for a little while for me to take the baby to you so that you could see her.Isn’t she perfect?”

The little girl was perfect.She had ten fingers and toes, and her little mouth looked like a bow.She had a head full of dark hair like Dallas did, and when she yawned like she’d had enough of all the things going on today, Dad laughed and held her tightly to his body.

“She’s just perfect.”Each of them got to peek under the blankets that held her tightly.When it was his turn to hold onto his niece, he held her in his arms and marveled at how tiny she was.Her little fingers wrapped around his much larger one, and he could have given her the moon if she asked for it.Not only was she the perfect little girl, but she was beautiful like her mom was as well.Christ, it was like holding nothing; she was so small.

Handing her off to his next brother, he hugged Dallas.He didn’t have eyes for anyone but the pink little bundle that was currently in Cullen’s arms.He made a bigger comparison to her and his rifle, and how she weighed less.

“Martha said she’d feel heavier the longer we held her.I don’t know, she seems to weigh nothing at all to me now.The only comparison that I have to her is that she weighed nine pounds and four ounces.She’s twenty inches long.I know that’s a big baby, but Amy didn’t seem to think so.”

When he took her back up to the room, the five of them, plus Dad, got on their phones and started buying things.He and Dee had decided to wait until the baby was born before they ordered what they had in their carts.One cart for a girl and one for a boy, since they’d not had any indication as to what the baby would be.He was happy to hit the buy button and have it all delivered tomorrow.

Mom came down the stairs first.She looked like she was walking on clouds; she was so happy, and then the other women came down with Dee bringing up the rear.She, too, looked good, and he wanted to take her home and work on their own baby, but he only kissed her.He wasn’t going to force her into anything at this late date, and he told her that he loved her with all his heart.

“I want a child with you.”He kissed her on the mouth and told her that he was game when she was.“I don’t know how it works, us having a child when I’m on the pill, but I’d love to get some practice in before we actually have a child.Understand?”

“I understand that we have to practice a great deal.”She nodded and laughed with him.“You were told that the birth control wouldn’t work if you’re in heat, right?I mean, I’m not sure how thatworks, but I do know that if you want a child, we’ll have one if you’re ovulating.”

“Good.Let’s go home and start on that right away.”Then she looked disappointed.“We have to wait.Dallas and Amy want everyone to be here when they announce the baby’s name.I forgot about that.”

---