It's Only Love(71)

“She’s not breastfeeding?” Hannah asked.

“She said the baby wasn’t interested in breastfeeding, so the nurses set him up with a bottle.”

“How hard did she try?” Hannah asked.

“I wasn’t in the room, so I don’t know. She’s been crying a lot. I think she’s in a lot of pain.”

“Poor thing,” Hannah said. “She’s so young.”

“And all alone,” Molly said. “How any mother can stay away when her child is in labor is beyond me.”

“And me,” Hannah said. “I want my mommy right there with me when my time comes.”

Molly patted her daughter’s shoulder. “And she’ll be there.”

They made deli sandwiches for dinner, popped corn in the fireplace and even found the makings for s’mores left over from when Colton and Lucy had been there last summer. It was a great night with most of the family there.

“Who wants to go out drinking?” Landon asked around ten.

“Ohhh, college girls,” Lucas said, scrambling to his feet. “Count me in.”

“I’ll go, too,” Wade said.

“Take a cab, boys,” Molly said.

“Yes, Mother,” they said in unison.

“Feels like old times,” Molly said, leaning her head against Lincoln’s shoulder. They were sharing a sofa with Elmer while the others were scattered about the room, some on the floor. Cameron was using Will’s belly as a pillow.

Ella leaned over to quietly ask if she could borrow Cam’s phone.

“Sure.” She wiggled it out of her back pocket.

“Hey,” Will said. “Watch the merchandise, woman.”

Cameron giggled at him. “Sorry, I’ve got plans for your merchandise later. We can’t have it getting injured.”

“Ewww,” Landon said. “Mom, tell them that’s not allowed.”

“I’ll do no such thing. They’re married and can do whatever they want.”

“So can we,” Colton said to Lucy, “’cuz we’re engaged.”

“No comment,” Molly replied, making the others laugh.

“Too bad Hunter and Megan can’t be here,” Elmer said.

“They’re off running your diner and making Thanksgiving for the masses,” Molly reminded her father.

“And they’re doing a fine job of it.”

With Cameron’s phone in hand, Ella slipped out of the room undetected, or so she hoped. She couldn’t wait another minute to talk to Gavin. It felt like a year rather than hours since she’d last seen him.

He answered on the first ring. “There you are.”

“Hi there,” she said, filled with relief at the sound of his voice.

“Well, what’s the good word? Boy or girl?”

“A boy named Caden Lincoln Abbott. Eight pounds, twelve ounces, twenty-one inches long.”

“Oh wow, that’s great, Ella. How’s Max doing?”

“He’s elated and emotional and thrilled. The baby is so cute.”

“How about his girlfriend?”

“Sore and grumpy from all accounts, but I suppose that’s to be expected.”

“You wouldn’t be. Grumpy, I mean.”

“How do you know that? I’ve never pushed a nine-pound baby out of my body. I might be a raging bitch afterward for all we know.”

“You wouldn’t be. I know you wouldn’t. You’d be all glowy and sparkly and happy. Am I allowed to say that?”

“Yeah,” she said gruffly, overwhelmed by the picture he painted. “You’re allowed.”

“I want to see that someday. I want to see you holding our baby after giving birth.”

“Gavin . . .”

“Too much?”

“No.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, you just make me want things when you talk like that.”

“I want the same things.”

“I’m fanning myself right now. It’s getting warm in here.” His low chuckle made her smile. “How was your day?” she asked, steering the conversation into safer terrain.

“It was actually not bad. We finally got the repairs completed up north in time for everyone to come home for the holiday weekend. We’ll get them back up there Monday to hit it hard. We’ve got some lost time to make up for.”

Ella swallowed hard, hoping he wasn’t about to say that he needed to be up there with his men next week. She couldn’t wait to tell him about the trip so she could stop worrying about all the many ways it could go wrong. “I’m glad you got it fixed.”

“Me, too. Huge relief.”

“Now you can relax and enjoy the holiday.”

“Yeah.” That one word was so tinged with sadness that Ella heard it through the phone.

“You can try to enjoy it? Lots to be thankful for this year.”

“You’re right about that. The holidays are tough . . . It’s hard to pretend everything is okay when someone is missing.”

“I know. Do you want me to come home early? I could have dinner with you and your parents. That would be fine with me.”

“You need to be with your family. You don’t have to do that.”