I turn back to Caroline, but she shakes her head with a nod toward Tate. “Later. We’ll finish this later, honey.”
Knowing she’s right but hating that she has—twice now—given me the words that prove how much she cares for me without me returning them, doesn’t feel right. I need to wait to tell the woman who stole my heart weeks ago that I love her when I can take the time to prove it, and as much as I dislike it, that isn’t now. I fucking hope she can see the truth in my eyes. I bend toward her and kiss her quickly before standing and grabbing her hand at the same time. We both walk over to Tate, Maverick and Leigh already at his side.
“He’s perfect,” Tate says with a beaming smile. Realizing that my sister just gave me a nephew, I feel like someone punched me in the chest. “She’s the strongest woman I know, thought that before, but after witnessing her bringin’ our son into the world I know just how true that is.”
“A boy!” Leighton exclaims. She looks up at Maverick. “A boy, Mav!”
“Heard Tate, darlin’,” he answers, his voice thick with emotion.
When he looks at me, I see the same overwhelming emotions I’m feeling in his gaze. I swallow what feels like a golf ball and nod. Mav’s eyes close and I clench my jaw, but somehow we both manage to get ahold of ourselves, but fuck, it takes one hell of an effort for me to keep from crying like a goddamn baby. I’m so happy for our sister that I feel like I might combust.
I can’t believe my baby sister is a mama.
“Y’all ready to meet your nephew?” Tate asks, looking every bit the proud papa he is.
I keep Caroline’s hand firmly in mine while we all follow Tate down the hallway. We wait while he pops into Quinn’s hospital room to make sure she’s decent, but not even a second later he’s back and ushering us in. Leighton is first, moving as fast as she can. If I wasn’t feeling like I was about to break down and cry, I’d find her waddling that quick funny as hell. Mav follows, stopping to slap Tate’s shoulder in silent support.
“Go on, honey,” Caroline urges when I don’t move from my spot in the hallway.
Before stepping into the room, I release her hand and pull Tate forward. His hug in return is just as tight as mine. “Congratulations, Tate.”
“Thanks, Clay. Means a lot.”
There’s so much I want to tell the man who broke my sister’s heart years ago, but I release him and nod instead. He’s made her happy since coming back to Pine Oak, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for Quinn.
Leigh is bawling her head off when we step into the dimly lit hospital room, looking down at Quinn as she smiles at the bundle in her arms. When I look over her shoulder and see my brother finally lose the war over his emotions with wet cheeks and a warm smile, I stop trying to hold mine in and suck in a heavy, choppy breath. Quinn glances up from her son and smiles at me, her chin wobbling like crazy.
“Come meet him,” she requests softly.
My vision gets blurry and I step to the side of her bed and get my first glance at the next generation of our family.
“He’s an impatient one, but healthy as can be, with lungs stronger than you’ve ever heard. Doc checked him over and said that for bein’ a month early, he’s perfect.” Quinn lays him down on her thighs, tucking the blanket around his tiny chin to give us a better look at the baby who looks like the spitting image of his parents. “Grayson Ford Montgomery just couldn’t wait to meet the best family in the whole wide world.”
“He’s perfect,” Caroline whispers, and I squeeze her hand.
“Oh, Q,” Leigh cries softly. “He’s the most handsome thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Did good, Quinnie. Did real good.”
My sister looks from Mav, when he finishes speaking, and blinks up at me with watery eyes. I reach out, roll my fingertip across Grayson’s tiny forehead, and take a rough pull of air into my lungs. His lips purse and his nose scrunches, but his eyes stay shut.
“So proud of you, Quinn,” I finally mutter, unable to resist my new nephew’s silky smooth skin and caressing his cheek with my fingertip again.
“Here,” she chokes on a tiny sob, lifting her son up toward me.
Caroline jerks her hand away, but with the tiny life being placed into my arms, I don’t dare look and see if I can read what’s going through her mind. The second I’m holding the seemingly weightless bundle, I never want to give it up. Feelings so foreign to me are hitting hard.
“Jesus, Quinn,” I breathe, staring down at Grayson.
“I know, Clay. I know.”