Page 58 of Cody

She wrapped her arms tightly around me. It felt good. It felt right. Like she belonged there. “Good girl!” I kicked up the stand, and once I was sure that Alina was settled, I took off. Max was ahead of us, but I knew we’d catch up quickly.

The roads were quiet at this time of night, not because it was late, but because that’s how it was in our small town. I knew all that would change once we hit the highway that would take us to the hospital. I usually avoided taking the highway whenever possible, but I knew that the back roads would take twice as long, and I wanted to get to the hospital fast. Max hadn’t given us much information other than that Mia was in labor. This was her third baby, but King, who had a daughter with his first wife, was probably wearing a hole in the linoleum with worry. My brothers and I figured our presence and support would ground him.

Thirty minutes later, Alina and I were rushing through the hospital doors with Max right behind us. We headed straight for the receptionist desk where a kind-faced, older woman sat with a bright smile on her face. Alina gave her a brief explanation of why we were there, and she directed us to the fourth floor.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Max asked, “Do you think she’s had the baby yet?”

I gave him a scowl, still slightly pissed at seeing him kiss and grope Alina. “No, dipshit. It can take hours.” I kept Alina close to my side.

She glared at me, apparently unhappy with my response to Max. “It’s possible,” she began, directing her gaze onto Max. “It depends on how long she was in labor before they got here. Plus this is her third baby. But I have a friend who delivered her second baby in nine hours, so you never know.”

Max winced. “Nine hours of steady pain. Not even sure I could handle that.”

Alina laughed. “That’s why God made women the child bearers.”

It got quiet for a minute as Max considered her answer. He frowned.

I snorted.

And Alina gave us both a smirk of amusement that conveyed more than just words.

Chapter 28

Alina

It hadn’t taken long for Mia to deliver nine-pound, twenty-two-inch Nathan. Just as I’d suspected, she’d been well into labor before she and King had arrived at the hospital. The waiting room had been full of their friends and was slightly chaotic with all the excitement and conversations going on at once. I got a chance to meet King’s daughter, Scarlet, and I knew all the others who were there.

The talk Cody had promised we would have while we waited for the delivery hadn’t happened, so once it was all over and we were ready to leave the hospital, he’d driven me to get my car, which was still at the hall, and then followed me home. He’d suggested going to his place, but I’d wanted to check on Mom, and I hadn’t wanted to call her in case she was sleeping. So while I’d checked on her, Cody had poured us each a glass of wine.

I was nervous and I wasn’t sure why. We were sitting out on the new porch, on the new cushioned, rattan loveseat. It was late, the quiet darkness surrounding us only broken up by the occasional dog barking in the distance or the hoot of an owl. The porch light, a soft dim glow, only added to the intimate atmosphere.

“I don’t like seeing you with Max.”

It had been quiet for so long that Cody’s voice coming out of the darkness startled me. But what startled me more was his comment. The man had nerve! Max and I were friends, while he had several girlfriends.

I huffed. “You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to have me either?” I did a poor job of disguising the anger in my voice and took a deep breath before releasing it slowly to calm down. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his head turn my way, but I refused to acknowledge the movement. I knew the only way I would be able to say what I really felt was to avoid meeting his eyes. “You think I like seeing you with other women and knowing that you sleep with them?”

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