Bait (Wake, #1)(81)

“I don't know. I just felt like laughing.”

“You're so weird,” I heard him say softly, like he thought it out loud. I heard it though. Humor. Candor. It was small, but I could smell it like blood in the water.

“Weird because I'm laughing?” I cracked.

“Yes. This is totally supposed to be awkward and uncomfortable and you're ruining it for me.”

Then I cackled. Laughter poured out of me and I folded over with joy. He was laughing, too.

“Seriously, Blake. This is weird. Stop laughing. It's f*cked up. We're in a fight.”

In a fight, like when my brothers would lock me in my room? Like when Kari used to borrow my clothes and then not return them in high school? In a fight suggested it was only for now. That eventually we wouldn't be in a fight.

We were in a fight and that sounded like the best news I'd heard in months.

“What are we fighting about?” I asked out of morbid curiosity. It had been way too long since I'd taken a dip in the vast, open mind that was Casey.

“Because you're stubborn and I'm a *.” He laughed outright. I heard Micah bark a laugh in the background. I hadn't realized that she was there. We'd usually been alone when we were on the phone in the past. I'd assumed he was in the waiting room or somewhere else.

“Was that Micah? Can I talk to her?” My dearest friend was in labor and I'd just heard her laugh. That didn't add up.

“Blake, I'm having a baby. Get your ass here,” she told me.

“I'll be there as soon as I can. Are you doing okay? You sound great for being in labor,” I admitted. It wasn't at all what I'd expected to hear.

“I'm fine. They gave me an epidural. Be glad you weren't here earlier. I was a mess. That shit hurt for real. Shit,” she said. “It's still feels like hell, but much better. I wish Cory was here already.”

“Where's Cory?” I asked, a little taken back that he wasn't with her. He'd been all over her night and day for the last few months. Every time we talked he was there. Even though their voices were different, they still sounded similar, and I love calling her and listening to Cory talk to her while we were on the phone.

“I made him get out this morning. He was driving me nuts! He was on a bike ride. So Casey brought me here. He's supposed to be here in a few minutes. It's so crazy. He’s been under my skin lately and now that he was finally doing something, that's when this baby decided to show up.” She laughed a little and I heard a little moan slide out.

“Well, good luck. I'll be there as fast as I can. I love you. Just focus and get tough.”

She growled at me through the receiver. “I'm tough.”

“Okay, here's Casey again,” she said and passed me back.

“Hey,” he said. There wasn't really anything else for us to talk about.

“Hey, okay. So I'm going to call the airlines and see if I can get my ticket moved up. Should be there some time later today or this evening, if it all works out.”

“Sounds good.”

“Casey?” I said before hanging up.

He let out a long sigh. “Yeah.”

“Can you please text me if anything happens? Do you mind?” It was baby time, and I was dying to know what gender it was and all of the details.

“Sure. I'll text you. Will that be okay?” I heard the hint of sarcasm.

“Yes. Grant's not coming with me. Besides, Micah is having a baby.” That sounded like a good excuse.

“Okay, I'll let you know.”

“Thanks. ’Bye,” I said and ended the call.

I’d become a whirlwind. I was used to traveling, so I already had a full second set of toiletries that never even left my bags. I threw clothes in my suitcase, packing for about a week. I was supposed to make a trip there this week for work anyway.

I packed up my laptop and chargers and put last minute things in my carry-on.

Grant was actually kind of excited for me. When I came out of the bathroom, I'd screamed, “Micah's having the baby.” Yes, I was over-the-moon thrilled about that, but I think what really had my blood racing was that I was about to see Casey.

Grant offered to drive me to the airport so that I could call and make arrangements to at least get on standby. As it turned out, I wasn't going to have to wait that long. The customer service person was able to get me on a flight that afternoon and I'd be at the hospital in hours.

I got a coffee and took a seat in the terminal at which I was to board said flight.

I looked through social media on my phone and coincidentally found my way over to the Bay Beer Twitter page. Like always, there were pictures of the staff back at the brewery, as well as all the new things that had just started happening for them. Beer enthusiasts were taking pictures with their pints and tagging Bay Brewing.

They were doing really, really well. I thumbed through their photos, like I always seemed to do, and found one of Casey. It was a newer one. He still looked as handsome as ever. He had his hair trimmed, but not cut. So it wasn't as wild as I'd seen it could get. He wore faded jeans, a Rolling Stones T-shirt, and a fitted gray sports coat. He looked good in anything.

It had been about an hour and a half since we’d spoken, and sitting there I got my first message from him in far too long.