Harrison shrugged. "Maybe she already has who she wants."
Brooks glanced up. "She hasn't said so."
"Maybe she doesn't know it's an option. Have you said anything to her?" Cole asked.
"No." Brooks shoved back from the table. "And I'm not going to."
"Brooks," Harrison said. "Look, I know it's up to you, mate, but you've been different the last few months. In a good way."
"Gee, thanks," Brooks said, cracking open another beer.
"He's right," Cole said. "You've been happy. And responsible. Hell, you have showed up for every single meeting, on time, and haven't made an inappropriate pass at anyone in months. And you've been happy about it. We're going to have to revive your mother next time she comes to visit. She won't recognize you. And we get it. A good woman will do that to you."
"Well," Harrison added, "they get it. I don't want it. I'm good the way I am."
Brooks snorted.
"But you," Harrison continued, "I don't think you've ever been happier. Who knew that being a responsible adult would be your dream come true?"
Brooks rolled his eyes. The only problem was they weren't wrong and that was all due to Leah.
"Look," Harrison said. "Yeah, it sucks that there is another guy in the picture. And it really sucks that guy is Marcus. However, she barely knows him. She spent one night with him. She's been living with you as your wife for the last six and a half months. Do you really think all of that time with you means nothing?"
Yes, that's exactly what Brooks thought, what he feared. And even if it did mean something to her, it didn't change the fact that Marcus wasn't going away. Brooks had no real rights in this situation, no place. He was her husband, sure, legally, on paper. But neither one of them had entered into the marriage with the intent of making it real, so in his mind it wasn't. It didn't matter how many rings he put on her finger. If she wasn't intending to be his wife for real when he did it, they didn't matter.
And the baby … the baby was hers. It terrified him to admit how much he cared for the little one already and she wasn't even here yet. What kind of a mess would that be to bring her into a world where he and Marcus were locked in some eternal rivalry? Being a stepparent would be hard enough. Having to co-parent with Marcus? Having Marcus always in his life … for decades? There was no way that would work.
Brooks shook his head. "Until she wants me for real, I'm going to go on assuming that our relationship is as it started."
"Well, maybe you should talk to her about it," Harrison said. "She might not know she has the option of keeping you. It's not like you have ever advertised that the whole wife and family thing was something you wanted. She probably assumes you can't wait to get rid of her."
The thought sent another spear of pain shooting through Brooks, but he ignored it. "It's probably better that way, anyway," he said. "Easier."
"Easier for who?" Cole asked.
Before he could answer, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced down at the text. Then things got very strange. Like he was looking at the phone through a long tunnel. He could hear the boys in the background, but nothing they said really registered. The only thing he could focus on were those four words blaring at him from his screen.
It's time! Come now!
"Brooks?" Harrison said. "Did you hear me?"
"I've got to go," he mumbled.
He spun to find his three best friends staring at him like he'd lost his mind. They weren't wrong. He couldn't think of anything but getting to Leah. But once he did … oh my God. She was having the baby. Right now. It was coming right now. But he wasn't there. She needed him. He needed to get there. How was he going to get there? Oh yeah, he had a car. He needed to drive fast. He needed to go now.
"Brooks!" Cole said, snapping his fingers in front of Brooks's face.
Brooks blinked up at him while the world slowly came back into focus.
"Leah's having the baby," he managed to get out.
He'd never seen a phrase have such an effect on a group of men before. They all shot out of their seats and started scrambling around, throwing jackets at each other, patting pockets for keys, yanking phones out of pockets so they could start calling people.
"Let's go!" Cole called.
Brooks realized he was still frozen to the middle of the room. "Let's go! We have to go!" he said, suddenly filled with the energy of a dozen Red Bulls as awareness flooded through him.
He ran for the door with one thought blaring through his brain. He had to get to Leah.
Their baby was coming.
Chapter Twenty
Brooks screeched to a halt in front of his apartment building. Leah was already standing on the curb trying to flag down a cab. "I'm here, I'm here, I'm here," he said.
"We have to hurry. I think the baby's coming now."
"Are you sure? It's three weeks early."
She glared at him. "Yes, I'm sure!"
He grabbed her around the waist and ushered her into the passenger seat of his car. "Don't worry. I've mapped out the route to the hospital. I can get us there in under ten minutes as long as traffic cooperates."
She snorted. "Oh sure, because traffic always cooperates, right?"
She said it with a smile, but the words still sent a rush of panic jolting through him. She was right. There is always traffic, but he couldn't worry about that now. He got her in and buckled her up and then ran around to the driver's side, jumping in and slamming the door.
"Where's your driver?"
"Out with the flu."
"Wonderful," she said through gritted teeth.
"It's okay, I've got this. We're all good. Don't worry."
She laughed a little, though the sound was strained. Then she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay. It's okay, Brooks. We probably have some time. It's my first baby. I've heard that they can take a while. So you probably don't need to ru-"
He slammed on the gas before she could finish her sentence. There was no way he was going to let the baby be born on the front seat. He was going to get her to the hospital if he had to drive on the sidewalk to do it.
"Brooks, slow down," Leah said, gripping the side of the car.
"It's okay," he said. "You just breathe. Don't forget the breathing exercises."
"I won't need to breathe if you kill us on the way there."
"Did you call your mother?" he asked.
"Yes. She's trying to get her plane tickets changed. She'll be on the first flight out. But she's not going to make it in time."
"Cole called Kiersten. They'll meet us at the hospital. Marcus?"
"I texted him after I texted you. He'll meet us there. Oooh," she groaned, gripping the doorframe until her knuckles turned white.
Luckily, traffic did actually cooperate, and they pulled up to the hospital in 14.3 minutes flat. Brooks jumped out and ran around to the passenger side, frantically waving at the orderlies who were coming to meet them with the wheelchair.
"My wife is in labor," he said. "We have a private room reserved for her. Mrs. Leah Larson."
"Yes, we've got everything ready for you. Let's get you inside," the orderly said, helping her into the wheelchair.
Brooks grabbed her bag from the backseat and threw his keys at the valet who stood by waiting, then he hurried in after them. The next few minutes seemed a blur of activity, as the hospital staff got Leah checked in, gowned up, and situated in the bed. There wasn't much for Brooks to do except sit by and watch as they strapped all sorts of monitors and wires to her.
"Is all that really necessary?" he asked.
The nurse nodded. "The monitors help us keep an eye on mom and baby's heart rates. And it lets us know when contractions are coming and how strong they are. Speaking of which, looks like we've got another one coming on."
Brooks could have told her that without the instruments. Leah's fist grabbed the sheet and squeezed tightly. He pried the material from her hands, giving her his hand to grip.
"Squeeze as hard as you want," he said.
She panted through the pain, squeezing his hand until he had to bite his lip to keep from panting himself.
"That was a strong one," the nurse said. "This little one might be coming quicker than we thought. I'll check on the doctor."
She headed out. Brooks smiled when he spied an exercise ball in the corner. He pulled it over so he could sit more comfortably beside Leah.
"We have seriously got to get a few of these for the house. How are you doing?" he asked.
She lay back on the pillows and glanced up at him. "Probably about as well as you'd expect," she said.
He gave her what he hoped was a supportive smile and brushed her hair back from her forehead, leaning forward to kiss her temple.
"Not long now and you'll be holding your little girl."