Giving her a not-amused expression, I pointed to her back. “I meant physically. Everything all right?”
Anna waved away my concern. “It’s just a backache. It happens when you’re carrying around a hundred pound bowling ball. It will go away if I keep my feet up.” To emphasize her point, she wriggled her toes, which were stretched out on a chair in front of her.
“I don’t know, Anna, maybe you should see a doctor. When was the last time you saw one?” Anna hadn’t exactly been keeping up on her checkups since leaving Seattle. I wasn’t sure what they did at all of those doctor’s appointments, but they probably had advice on backaches.
Anna rolled her eyes at me. “For a backache? What are they going to do at a hospital? Have me sit down, that’s what. And I’m doing that, so . . . I’m following my doctor’s orders before even receiving them.” She smiled at me. “Because I’m that good.”
I was about to answer her sarcastic comment when she whimpered and hissed in a sharp breath. The bowl of popcorn rolled off her stomach and crashed to the floor, scattering everywhere. Both of her hands clamped onto her back, frantically massaging the muscles around her hips. Seeing the pain on her face, I turned her and moved behind her. Pressing my thumbs deep into her lower back, I watched my sister lean forward and struggle to breathe calmly without groaning in pain. My heart began to race as I quickly started realizing that this was so much more than a backache. This was my nephew knocking, and he wanted out.
“Anna, you have to go to a hospital. You’re in labor.”
She shook her head. Voice strained, she reiterated, “It’s just a backache, Kiera. I’m not due until next week.”
I wanted to smack my sister over the head like Kellan sometimes smacked Griffin, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop massaging her while she was in so much pain. “Hardly anybody actually gives birth on their due date, Anna.”
Groaning, she muttered, “Then why the hell is it called a due date? It should be called an estimated date of delivery.”
Controlling my smile, I told her, “Well, no matter what it’s called, the baby decides when to arrive, and regardless of what you have to say on the matter, it looks like Maximus wants to be born today.”
Anna simpered and pointed at the colorful sea of M&Ms resting at the edge of the toppled bowl. “But my chocolate . . .”
Massaging her with one hand, I grabbed my bag and rooted around for my phone. “Your snack will just have to wait, Anna.”
I found my phone once again hiding inside the book I was only halfway through. Yanking it free of the pages, I scrolled through my numbers and dialed Kellan. He didn’t pick up. I tried Griffin next. He didn’t pick up either. Not expecting anything different, I tried Evan and Matt, then Kellan again. Nobody picked up. I wasn’t too surprised. Tory had a strict no-cell policy when it was time to meet with fans. Deacon had answered his once during a greeting, and Tory had ripped him a new one once all the fans had left. She may place rock stars higher on the priority list than the general public, but she understood just who it was who bought the CDs.
“Damn, I’m going to have to go get them.” Which also meant I was going to have to barge into a room full of Kell-Sex supporters. I really didn’t have a choice, though.
Anna nodded, a groan escaping her. “Get Griffin . . . I want Griffin.” She sounded like a little girl, lost and afraid.
I patted her back, then stood up to go find her husband. Her voice made me pause at the door. “Kiera!” she shrieked.
When I turned back to her, she was looking at me with panic clear on her face. “I think I just peed my pants.”
I shot back over to her. Her black stretchy pants were soaked, and the chair beneath her was wet. My mouth dropped open. “No, I think your water just broke.”
My sister officially started to freak out. “No, no, no! I am not giving birth backstage at a rock concert. I need to be in a hospital, pumped full of every drug that they can legally give me!”
I was so shocked, my only response was, “Well, he was conceived backstage at a concert, so it’s sort of fitting for him to be born at one.”
Anna smacked my arm, and not gently. I was going to be bruised tomorrow. “Get me to a fucking hospital, Kiera!”