“Don’t care,” Hunter hissed.
The desperate edge to his voice made the corner of my lips curl even as they remained glued to his. But ten seconds later, my phone started to ring. I wasn’t even sure where I’d dropped the damn thing. Ignoring it worked the first time, though the second time mine sounded, it became impossible.
I extricated myself from beneath Hunter and found my phone on the floor near the window where we’d started kissing. It stopped ringing again before I could swipe to answer. When the missed call registered, Samantha’s name popped up.
“It was Sam.”
Hunter dug his phone out of his pocket and checked his call history. “Same,” he grumbled. “Probably wants to add six more things to my to-do list.”
I took a second to smooth what Hunter’s hands had done to my hair and then hit Call Back.
“Where are you?” Samantha sounded panicked.
“Relax. We already picked up the flowers, and we’re at Hunter’s place getting the wishing well he made. We’ll get everything you need done.”
“No! There isn’t going to be a shower. Anna’s in labor. Forget the errands. We’re going to have a baby instead.”
“Oh my God! But she’s still got six weeks left.” I covered the phone and yelled to Hunter. “Anna’s in labor!”
“The doctor said the baby is big enough, and since her water broke, they aren’t trying to stop it. She’s already four centimeters dilated.”
“What hospital?”
“Cedars-Sinai.”
“We’ll be right there.”
Chapter 8
Natalia
“What? Is the baby here? Did I miss it?”
I woke to a gentle tap after dozing off for a few minutes in the waiting room. Six of us had been here since two this afternoon, and it was now almost two in the morning—and that was California time. For me, it was five a.m.—exactly twenty-four hours after I’d gotten up the day before. The thought that only one day had passed since I’d gotten up for my flight just didn’t seem possible.
Hunter spoke low to avoid waking Anna’s two sisters sitting across from us. “I’m going to go find a coffee machine for Derek’s mom. You were leaning on my shoulder sleeping, and I didn’t want your head to fall when I got up.”
“Oh. Okay. Thanks.” I rubbed at the back of my stiff neck. Looking over at Hunter, I cringed, finding a wet spot where my face had been. I scrunched up my nose. “I think I drooled on you a little. Sorry.”
“You were also snoring. Want a cup of coffee or you gonna go back to working on the puddle on my shirt when I get back?”
I stretched my arms over my head. “I’ll take the walk with you. I’m stiff from the way I must’ve been leaning on you.”
“Yeah. I’m stiff from you leaning on me, too. Had a perfect view right down your shirt. Red bra, by the way, nice. Sexy.”
“You’re even a perv at two in the morning.”
“You bring out the best in me, sweet pea.”
The two of us wandered the halls of the hospital until we found a coffee machine that actually worked. When we returned with Margaret’s coffee, Derek was in the waiting room giving everyone an update. “She’s at seven. Been stuck there for a few hours. Doctor’s said it’s probably still going to be a while before the baby’s here.”
“You can’t rush perfection,” I said.
Derek looked as if he’d spent the last twelve hours in labor. He raked his hand through his hair. “My feet are killing me. Although if I said that to Anna with what she’s going through, she might literally kill me.”
Margaret laughed. “I’d keep your foot pain to yourself.”
Derek turned his attention to Hunter. “By the way, she’s also pissed at you.”
“Me?” Hunter said. “What the heck did I do?”
“Remember when we first told you Anna was pregnant?”
“I think so?”
“What did you say?”
Hunter’s response was a guess. “Congratulations?”
“Nope. You said maybe we’d have the kid six weeks early to share a birthday with his favorite uncle.”
Hunter smiled. “I guess I did say that.”
“Yeah, well…my wife thinks the baby would have been born a few hours ago, but it stalled to share a birthday with you.”
“So it’s my fault she’s still in labor?”
Derek smiled. “It’s better than it being my fault, which it was until she came up with that crazy theory.”
“I’ll take one for the team. No problem.”
With a promise that the next time he appeared he’d be announcing the birth of his child, Derek headed back through the double doors of the labor and delivery unit.