His head wags. “No, I…I would never say that.”
“But that’s what your silence sounds like. Don’t you get that? You’re allowed to be mad, but you’re acting like a child. Jennie doesn’t need you to protect her. She needs you to stand by and be her friend and her brother and watch her lead her own life because she kicks ass all on her own. You should want her to be happy no matter where she finds that happiness.”
“I do want her to be happy,” he whispers, finally climbing off me, sprawling out on the ice beside me. “Jennie deserves the world.”
“And I want to give her it.”
His head flops so he can stare at me.“Ollie said I wasn’t being fair. Made me sleep on the couch.”
“You have, like, three spare bedrooms.”
“Four. She said I didn’t deserve a bed.”
I sigh, running a hand through my soaked hair. “I haven’t talked to my best friend in almost two fucking days.”
Carter watches me carefully. “Best friend?”
“Jennie’s my best friend, Carter.”
“What if she takes the job in Toronto?”
“Then we’ll figure it out. But to be honest, I don’t even think she wants that job. I think the only reason she’s considering taking it is because she thinks you don’t want her here now, and that without you, she’ll lose everyone else she loves.”
“Shit. I fucked up.”
“That’s putting it lightly, yeah.”
“Beckett,” Coach calls from across the ice. “Get off the ice! You’re done!”
Carter rockets up to sitting. “What? No, we were just—”
“Coach, it’s all good. We won’t—”
He stops in front of us, spraying Carter with ice, grinning. “You’re needed at the hospital.”
Carter’s spine straightens. “What?”
“You’re about to be a daddy.”
“Holy shit!” Carter rolls over, throwing himself on top of me in some sort of hug before he scrambles to his feet, throws his arms out wide, and screeches, “I’m gonna be a dad!”
Adam hoists me to my feet as Carter flies across the ice.
“Olivia! I’m coming, baby!”
“Is this your first?”
The receptionist at the desk watches Carter with a smile. It’s one of those humoring kinds, probably because he’s pacing the hallway, flapping at his face. Cara’s been recording to show Olivia later. Right now isn’t the time to shove it in her face that her husband is falling apart.
“Baby? No.” He lays a hand on his chest. “Dog dad.”
Holly narrows her eyes. “Carter.”
“What?” He looks at her. “Oh, human baby? Yeah, this is our first human baby. And our last.” He laughs anxiously. “Just kidding. We’re gonna have three, probably. Maybe five.” Another shrill laugh. “Five human babies.” He runs a shaky palm over his mouth, his skin exceptionally pale. “Hey, you got any buckets around here?”
The receptionist’s brows pinch. “Buckets?”
Carter points across the room to a trash can, striding toward it. “Oh, that’ll do.” He grips the rim and promptly empties the entire contents of his stomach into the bin.
Alannah, Carter and Olivia’s niece, nudges me. “About time, huh? I thought Uncle Carter was gonna puke an hour ago. He’s so dramatic, and he’s got a weak tummy when he’s scared.”
“I’m not scared!” Carter yells, then heaves into the bin once more. “It’s the oatmeal I had for breakfast!” Another lurch of his stomach. “It must’ve been bad!”
Alannah lifts her brows in a told ya so kind of way. “Scaredy cat.”
Carter’s been here four hours, the rest of us two. He’s been in and out of that room thirteen times, and each time his pitch has gone up an entire octave. His face is red, forehead drenched with sweat, and his hair is pointing in a thousand different directions. The man isn’t scared; he’s fucking terrified.
“I knew this was going to happen,” Holly mutters, digging through her purse. She produces a packaged toothbrush and a tiny tube of toothpaste, shoving them into Carter’s chest. “Here. Go brush your teeth and don’t leave your wife’s side again.”
“Maybe I should go in there,” Cara suggests, rising. “Do we really trust Carter? Plus, when they’re both upset, they feed off each other’s energy. Have you seen those two fight? It is not pretty.”
Emmett tugs her down. “Carter’s gonna put on his big boy undies and be strong for his wife.”
Carter agrees, I think, with a lot of silent head bobbing before finally wandering down the hallway, toothbrush and paste squeezed in his fists.
I slump in my seat, drumming my fingers on my thighs. “Has anyone, uh…called Jennie? You know…to let her know.”
Holly smiles at me. “Her flight left earlier this morning. She should be here soon.”
I sit up. “Her flight? But I thought she was staying another day? She was supposed to come home tomorrow.”
Holly just winks. I don’t get it. If her flight left this morning, she didn’t know Olivia was in labor. So why is she coming home early?
“What did she…does she…is she…ahhh.” I bury my face in my hands and drop my elbows to my knees. “Just forget it.”
The next hour and a half is spent wandering back and forth from the vending machine and the Tim Hortons downstairs in the cafeteria. I’ve eaten an entire twenty-pack of Timbits, and when Adam reaches into the empty box, he scowls.
“Sowwy,” I mumble, swallowing the birthday cake–flavored Timbit. “I eat when I’m nervous.”
A door bangs somewhere, followed by the fast, hard slap of footsteps. Carter skids into the room, clothed in blue hospital scrubs, one of those little caps on his head.
“It’s a girl,” he sobs, choking on the tears streaming down his face. “I’m fucking terrified!”
He disappears as quickly as he arrived, and we explode with cheers, embracing, and I wish Jennie was here.
“I fuckin’ told you,” I say, holding my palm out. With a collective groan, Emmett, Adam, Jaxon, and Olivia’s brother, Jeremy, stuff a bill into my waiting hand. I tuck my winnings into my pocket. “Hank, you knew better, eh buddy?”
“Knew it would be a girl the moment Carter said it’d be a boy. My sweet Ireland always wanted a little girl, and do I ever wish I could’ve given her one. I dreamt of her too. A miniature version of the kindest woman I’d ever known, with the same big heart.” He smiles up at the ceiling, eyes glassy. “Bet she’s here now, making sure that little lady arrived safe and sound to her family.”
Holly pats his hand. “I think you’re right, Hank. Your Ireland has always been with us.”
An hour later, Olivia’s midwife greets us with a smile. “Mom and Dad would love for you to come meet their little girl.”
I hang back as everyone climbs to their feet.
“Gare?” Adam glances back at me. “You coming?”
“Oh.” I wave a hand around. “No. Probably not me.”
“Carter specifically said everyone,” the midwife clarifies
“Oh. Okay.” I scrub my clammy palms down my thighs and stand. “Cool.”
The room is massive, even with all of us in here, lining up to greet the brave mom.
I wrap one arm around Olivia and kiss her cheek. Exhausted as she looks, she’s still beautiful. “Hi, little mama. You kicked ass, and you’re brave as hell for letting us all in here at once.”
She laughs, hugging me tighter. “We had to have our family here.” Her eyes coast over the room, and she frowns when she sees the person who’s missing.
“How are you feeling?”
“Would you believe me if I said the pain was forgotten as soon as I heard her cry?”
“My mom said the same when Alexa was born.” I give her hand a squeeze. “You did it, Ol.”
“She’s going to be the luckiest little girl with an uncle like you. I’ll even forgive you for giving Carter a split lip today of all days, only because he deserved it.”
I chuckle, but it dies quickly at the voice screaming from the hallway.