Page 17 of Blake Marshall Says He Needs Me

“Uh, thank you,” I whispered.

Blake nodded and eyed me closely.

I slipped out of the room and was surprised Blake had followed me.

I turned on my heel and plastered a smile on my face. “Uh, can I help you with something, Mr. Marshall?” I asked.

“Thank you for helping Missy. We heard all of the screaming and knew it must not have been easy.”

I held up my hands. “I didn’t really do much. Missy did all of the work. Make sure to tell her she did amazing.”

Blake shook his head. “You helped her.”

I had, but I didn’t need thanks. I knew what I did was appreciated, but all of the focus should be on Charlie and especially Missy. “Yes, well, I need to go do some paperwork and whatnot.” I turned toward the nurse’s station, but Blake caught my hand. I looked down at his hand on my skin and then up at him. “Blake,” I whispered.

“This was what Sheldon wanted to do, right?” he asked. “He wanted to do what you’re doing.”

I knew what Blake was insinuating. It was my fault Sheldon was dead, and I was living the life he had wanted. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think that exact same thing. “I need to...” I hitched my thumb over my shoulder. Blake knew the answer to his question. It didn’t need to be spoken out loud.

Blake let go of my arm, and I turned on my heel. I sprinted to the nurse’s station and didn’t stop until my butt was in a chair in the back room.

Tears welled in my eyes, and I quickly swiped them away.

I was fine. I knew Blake was going to take shots at me.

I thought I had been ready for it.

I didn’t think he would do it when Missy had literally given birth twenty minutes ago, but he did.

“Dr. McGee?”

I dried my tears and put Blake out of my mind. I had been doing that for the past years, and I just needed to keep doing it. Nothing had changed after all of these years.

Chapter Eight

Blake

“You good?”

I nodded and moved to the foot of the bed. “How’s Nugz doing?” I didn’t want to talk about myself or Shannon. Something had spooked her, and she took off before I could tell her she had done amazing with Missy. Sheldon and she both wanted to be OBGYNs, and it was nice to watch Shannon do what she always wanted.

Missy glared at me. “Her name is not Nugz, Blake.”

I shrugged and folded my arms over my chest. “As if you are going to name her something better.”

“Clara Grace Beck,” Charlie announced proudly. “I was rooting for Ivy, but Missy gets the final say since she did all of the hard work.”

“As it should be,” Missy cooed to Clara. “You look just like a Clara, too.” She cradled Clara in her arms and rocked from side to side.

“That better than Nugz?” Wilder asked.

I shrugged. “I mean, it does roll off the tongue.”

“I love it, too,” Wilder agreed.

Charlie shook his head but couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. “That’s good since we want all of you to be Clara’s godparents,” he announced.

“Charlie,” Missy laughed. “I thought we agreed we were going to wait until we went home?”

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