Katy wouldn’t be getting it for a while, but she’d have it when the time came.
And that was enough.
Reese immediately replied.
Reese: I think you just made Luke cry.
I barked out a laugh and showed Derek.
He rolled his eyes. “The man is a big fuckin’ softy.”
Then I started taking photos.
I pulled out my ridiculously expensive camera that my dad had bought me for my birthday last year, then I went to town.
I was thankful that I’d brought it with me to the hospital tonight. I wasn’t sure I was going to need it, but I’d wanted it just in case.
And thank goodness I’d brought it!
I took pictures of Derek and Riggs. I took photos of her fingers and her toes. Of the NICU area where she was at. Of her birth information on the little clear cage-like contraption. I took pictures of everything and didn’t stop until I ran out of things to take photos of.
All the while, I continued to send photos to a group message including Luke, Katy, Logan (whom Reese had sent me the number for), Rowen, Dax (whom Derek had given me the number), Reese and Derek.
“I hate group texts,” Derek muttered as he stared down at the baby in his arms.
I got another text and pulled my phone out of my pocket, seeing that there were now over fifty unread messages. The last one saying that Logan was doing well in surgery.
I volunteered to go down and sit with him.
“You stay here and keep that baby warm,” I ordered.
Derek narrowed his eyes. “Come down here and kiss me.”
I didn’t bother to hide my excitement as I did just that.
“Be good,” he ordered.
I winked at him and trailed a finger down the length of his cheek.
“I’ll try.”
Then I hurried down the hall toward the elevators.
But before going to Logan’s room, I made a detour for Katy’s.
I knocked hesitantly on the room’s massive wood door and waited.
Luke was the one who answered.
He grinned when he saw me and pulled me into his arms, giving me a big bear hug that reminded me a lot of my dad.
“Come in,” he ordered, pulling me along with him.
I did, smiling wide when I saw Katy staring at me.
She smiled softly, eyes tired but alert.
“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” I teased as I walked up to the bed.
She grinned. “I saw the picture.”
“I have more!” I said, wiggling my camera at her.
Katy’s smile widened a bit and she urged me over with her hand.
I squeezed in between Reese and the wall, then opened up the camera and looked at them all on the tiny little screen.
“Uncle Derek to the rescue,” Katy said, a rasp in her voice. “This is beautiful, Avery. Thank you.”
“When I have my baby,” Rowen declared, hands on her hips. “I’m totally going to have you take this same picture. This is going to be a tradition with Uncle Derek from now on.”
Dax caught his wife and pulled her into his arms, resting his head on top of hers.
“Knew we shouldn’t have gone out tonight,” Logan supplied from the doorway. “I had that hunch. But I couldn’t tell you no when you were so excited about that SUV.”
I whirled to see him standing there in a hospital gown, clutching his broken arm to his chest, pulling his IV pole.
I immediately hurried over to him and offered my arm.
He took it, then gestured to the pole. “Help me?”
“Logan, you dumbass,” Katy moaned from the bed. “Do you want to fall over and make them redo all the work they’ve just done?” She looked annoyed as she cast her gaze about the room. “Who was supposed to be watching him?”
I winced. “I think that was supposed to be me. But I wanted to show you the photos I took before I went over there and showed him. I’m sorry.”
Katy softened, then gestured at the chair.
“Sit,” she ordered.
Logan all but collapsed into the chair.
“I’m not sure that your anesthesia has worn off,” I admitted, looking at him with worry.
“That chair kicks back, I think,” Luke murmured as he stood with his arms crossed protectively against the wall nearest the door.
Logan’s eyes moved to me. Then went to Luke. “I needed to talk to you about tonight.”
His hand went out to catch Katy’s, and he blew out a relieved breath.
“I think the driver that hit me was drunk.”
Logan’s words were like a sucker punch straight to the chest.
Jesus Christ.
What was it going to take for people to realize that by drinking and driving, they could possibly ruin lives?
I mean, whoever had hit Logan and Katy today could’ve taken out half of their entire family in one go!
A baby had been inside Katy.
And if she hadn’t been so far along, the baby might very well have not survived.
Not to mention, if the twins had been with them… thank God that Logan’s brother had agreed to keep them.