Nate was in a chair beside her bed, his hand loosely held hers, and although his head was tipped back to rest on the back of the chair, as soon as her eyes opened, he straightened and turned in her direction. When he saw she was awake he beamed at her.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” He leaned his elbows on the edge of the bed and reached over to kiss the tip of her nose.
“Better.”
“Really?” He raised a doubtful brow.
“Really,” she assured him. Whatever was dripping into the back of her hand from the IV was doing its job.
“I never want to live through something like that again.” Nate’s brown eyes were still filled with fear. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”
Rylla patted his hand. “I'm sorry, Nate. But you know I didn't have a choice. There was no way I could let him hurt Naomi and the baby. You're sure they’re all right?” Checking that her friend had survived had been one of the first things she’d asked about after Nate and Matthew had dug her out of what would have been her grave.
“Positive,” said a voice from the door.
She turned to see Naomi sitting in a wheelchair, a small bundle wrapped up in blankets sitting in her lap.
“Is that her?” Rylla struggled into a sitting position, her entire body felt weak and empty.
“Yep.” Naomi couldn’t take her eyes off her baby girl as Sam pushed her over to the bed.
“What’s her name?”
“Daveli Rylla Zeeke,” Naomi replied.
That name was perfect. “After David and Eli.”
“And you, you saved our lives.” Naomi’s brown eyes grew teary. “How can I ever thank you for that?”
“You don’t need to thank me.” Rylla looked from the baby to the look of wonder on Naomi’s face. She remembered when she had looked at Elianna that way, almost unable to believe that something so perfect, something so small and precious, was all hers to love and take care of. For a long time, she had thought she would never again hold a child that was all hers in her arms. It had been too painful to even consider. But now she couldn’t wait until the day that she gave birth to a baby that was half her and half Nate.
“Well I am, all three of us are,” Naomi indicated the baby and Sam, who stood protectively at her side. “Want to hold her?”
“Of course.” Nate elevated the bed further and Sam picked up Daveli and passed her over.
Rylla smiled down at the little girl, her tiny round nose, her soft dark hair, and her pink cheeks. She was beautiful, and she was so touched that Naomi and Sam had named their daughter after her.
“Knock, knock.”
She looked back to the door to see the last person she expected standing there.
“Elliot.” She and her big brother hadn’t been close since he left for college. As kids she had adored him, looked up to him, followed him around everywhere he went until he’d get so sick of her. But then he and Mila hadn’t believed her when she’d told them about their father, then they had been angry that she wanted to become an emancipated minor, and they hadn’t been supportive of her relationship with Josh. It had been like three strikes and they were out. Although she spent time with her nieces and nephews, her relationships with her siblings had remained strained.
That had never really bothered her. She’d still been hurt by Mila and Elliot’s betrayals and hadn’t been in any hurry to forgive them. But now things were different. Now she wanted to grab hold of her family and keep them close.
“We’ll give you two some time,” Nate said, lifting Daveli from her arms and leaning over to kiss her lightly on the lips. He looked so good with a baby in his arms.
When Nate, Sam, and Naomi had gone Elliot tentatively came over to the bed. “You’re all right?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied, suddenly nervous around the brother she had known all her life. She wanted to fix things between them, but she didn't know how to make the first move.
“You and this Nate guy, you’re a couple?”
“Yes.”
Elliot nodded, looking as awkward as she felt.
This was ridiculous. They were brother and sister. It shouldn’t be this hard for them to have a simple conversation.