Page 80 of Her Billionaire Bargain (Kensington Square)

My brother did something on his phone then pressed it into my hand, already playing a video that made me want to immediately turn it off. “Educate yourself,” he snapped.

Ryan turned to him from where she was sitting behind April on the edge of the tub. “PMS, there is no room for that kind of hostility in this room. Please re-energize.”

He leaned down to her and within a moment, they were laughing softly, which apparently was part of re-energizing.

And I was never going on YouTube again.

April let out a loud moan and grasped Bishop’s arm. “It hurts! I’m trying to count down and it fucking really hurts!”

On the other side of the tub, her other witchy bestie, Luna, stroked her hair and held up a large pink crystal. She’d recently given birth herself so I imagined she was somewhat of an expert on the process. “Focus on feeling the light fill you with warmth—”

“Oh, fuck the hell off,” April gasped and let out a blood-curdling scream while possibly breaking Bishop’s forearm.

After that, things moved very quickly.

Ginny the midwife rushed in with someone else of the medical variety, a young man who flashed me a grim smile as we made room in the very crowded bathroom. Bishop’s little sister Michaela rushed in with a cup of ice chips for the mother-to-be, who was too busy screaming to care.

April’s grandmother pulled up a stool next to the tub and instructed for Bishop to move out of the way, she was taking over.

Bishop seemed quite fine with that option. Couldn’t say I blamed the man.

Ginny was coaching April through her breathing and pushing, and I did my best to make myself turn into a decorative shelving unit in the corner so I wouldn’t be called into some sort of service.

Just in case Icouldhelp, I grabbed a spare towel and tried to resist hiding my face as April obviously reached some sort of pinnacle, crying, screaming, and sweating buckets. But then the most marvelous cry tore through the air. A moment later, Ginny lifted the squirming, squishy, red-faced child while she squalled murderously.

And Bishop embraced April, the two of them laughing and crying and sharing words of love as April cradled her baby against her bare chest. Ryan and my brother did the same—minus baby-cradling—although their love sonnets consisted of a lot more insults.

Me, I stood in the corner, just outside the fray while everyone celebrated.

Common theme lately.

But when the time came, I stepped up to the tub and knelt to get a closer look of the now sweetly sleeping little one, swaddled in a blanket. “She’s beautiful,” I murmured, trying to swallow over the lump in my throat. “Congratulations, guys. She’s amazing.”

And she was. She had a tiny perfect nose and the cutest bow lips and the softest-looking eyelashes. Little Adeline seemed too small to touch. Utterly breakable.

“Thanks. She’s so fucking strong. My warrior.” Bishop brushed a kiss over April’s forehead.

“I still might be one and done,” April reminded him in a weary voice.

“Your choice.”

And who could blame her?

I grinned. “You’re definitely a rockstar, April.”

“Are you put off children forever now?” she asked me with a tired smile.

“No.” I had to clear my throat. “Not at all.”

Exactly the opposite, honestly. What the hell was happening to me?

SEVENTEEN

It had officially beenfour days since I’d accused Dex of sleeping with the pet-sitter. And he wasn’t taking my calls.

Well, more accurately, he wasn’tableto take my calls because his voicemail was full.

I’d sent over another copy of the paperwork yesterday after no word from him, with a hot-pink sticky note to please sign and return by the end of the business day.

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