Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
“I know of a few teammates who got out, but we still don’t know about a lot of them.”
He was emotionally wrecked—understandably. I didn’t know exactly how to be there for him, but I’d figure it out. He’d been the one caring for me for much of the time we’d known each other, and I wanted to do the same for him.
“Keep the faith,” I said, taking his hand. “That’s all you can do right now.”
Claire had told me there was a massive search and rescue effort underway at the arena. I was deliberately avoiding my phone because I wasn’t ready to hear bad news about it.
“Meet your son,” Claire said, walking over with our sleeping, silent baby. “This is Charlie.”
Beau’s face crumpled when he looked at him. He reached out and his mom gently passed Charlie to him, a nurse frantically trying to put a surgical cap over Beau’s hair, probably because of the dust he still had in it.
“Charlie, I’m your dad,” he said, crying.
I lost it, too. What a road we’d walked together since I’d asked him eight months ago to be my sperm donor. There had been so many surprises, including Charlie’s early arrival.
“He’s good?” Beau asked me, looking up to meet my gaze. “Even though he’s five weeks early?”
“He’s perfect.”
Beau lowered his face to kiss our son’s tiny forehead. “You’re strong, Charlie. You’re a Fox.”
He seemed to remember at that moment that we’d never discussed Charlie’s last name.
“Yes,” I said softly. “And I want you to choose his middle name. Charlie was my grandpa’s name. I hope that’s okay with you.”
“It’s perfect. What about Charlie Grant Fox? That way he has your grandparents’ last name in there, too.”
I thought I’d cried all the tears I had today, but that brought forth a few more. I nodded, incredibly grateful my intuition had told me this was the man who should be my baby’s father.
“Hey, turn around so I can get a picture,” Fiona said from behind Beau.
He moved and I realized almost the entire family was in the room. Claire stood next to Henry, both of them looking overjoyed. Asher, Chloe, and their kids stood together beneath the TV mounted to the ceiling. Fiona was there, minus Adrian and their new baby, and Isaac stood with her. Genevieve was the only sibling who wasn’t here, since she was away at medical school.
Beau passed Charlie back to me and I settled him against my chest. Beau leaned close, smiling for a few pictures and then kissing me on the cheek for another.
“Welcome to the den, Shelby and Charlie,” Fiona said.
Marlowe walked in then, carrying a tote with a bag of spicy Doritos poking out of the top.
“Beau, are you okay?” she asked as soon as she saw him.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I heard you took care of Shelby when she went into labor. I appreciate it.”
She grinned. “Well, she’s my best friend. And it’s not every day she goes into labor while we’re recording a TikTok dance.”
Beau gave me a shocked look. “You were doing a TikTok dance?”
“I was bribed with Doritos.”
“Check it out,” Marlowe said, holding her phone out for Beau to see the screen. “It already has more than 10,000 views.”
I groaned as I listened to myself realizing my water had just broken. Marlowe hadn’t told me she was posting it, but I wasn’t surprised.
Beau smiled at me, his eyes dancing with happiness. “That’s the best TikTok I’ve ever seen.”
“I love it,” Fiona said. “You’re a total rock star, Shelby.”
I realized Marlowe hadn’t been introduced to almost everyone in the room.
“Marlowe, this is Beau’s family. Everyone, this is my best friend, Marlowe.”
Claire was walking over to meet Marlowe, but Isaac beat her to it.
“Hey, I’m Isaac,” he said, extending his hand. “Beau’s younger, more charismatic brother.”
“Nice to meet you,” Marlowe said with a coy smile.
Beau and I exchanged a look. I suspected Isaac and Marlowe would be spending some time alone in the future, possibly between the sheets.
I wondered if it would be before or after he found out Marlowe broadcasted the details of her sexcapades for the world to listen to.
Either way, I wasn’t going to be the one to tell him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Beau
“I’m on my way,” I mumbled, groaning from the pain in my ribs when I rolled over in bed and got up.
In the week Charlie had been home, Shelby and I had developed a Pavlovian response to his cries. He wailed, one of us ran. Sometimes both. Whether it was two in the afternoon or two in the morning, we were on call to meet his needs.
When I got to the nursery Shelby had put together for him in the guest room of her apartment and found his crib empty, I panicked. He was crying, but he wasn’t in his crib?
“Babe?” I called as I walked toward the living room.