Undone by Her Tender Touch (Pregnancy & Passion #4)(39)

Ashley pulled a face. “Not soon enough. It could be hours yet. I’m only dilated to four.”

Pippa blinked. “Four what?”

Ashley’s brow furrowed. “Centimeters.”

“Oh.”

Pippa really didn’t want to know what exactly that meant. It sounded painful. These were things she avoided. She’d much rather read about the baby’s first movements and all the development stages after birth.

“Can I get you anything, Ash?”

Ashley shook her head. “No, just stay with me. I’m driving poor Dev nuts. He wants to make it all better and I’m grumpy.”

Pippa laughed. “You grumpy?”

“Here, have a seat, Pippa,” Devon offered as he pushed a chair behind her. “You don’t need to be on your feet, and like Ash said, it’s going to be a while.”

Pippa settled in the chair beside Ashley’s bed while Devon continued to pace in a small area behind them. She reached for Ashley’s hand and offered a comforting squeeze.

“Are you excited?”

Ashley took a deep breath. “Excited. Scared out of my mind. I just want to know how soon I can get my epidural.”

Pippa shuddered.

“I kind of wish now that I’d found out what we’re having,” Ashley said mournfully. “I thought it would be exciting to be all surprised when the doctor said ‘it’s a boy’ or ‘it’s a girl,’ but now I’m thinking no surprises is a good thing.”

Pippa nodded her agreement. Of course if she’d opted not to find out, maybe Cam wouldn’t have wigged out, but then it probably wouldn’t have been good for him to find out on delivery day. The more time he had to come to terms with the fact he was having another son, the better. Or at least that was her way of thinking.

Devon moved to the other side of Ashley’s bed and leaned down to kiss her temple. “It’ll be all right, Ash. You’re going to do great.”

Ashley looked up with such love in her eyes, love that was openly reflected in Devon’s tender gaze. Pippa had to look away and swallow against the knot forming in her throat. She wanted this. What they had. She and Cam hadn’t even discussed if he’d be here when the baby came. She assumed he would, but she was learning it was dangerous to assume anything when it came to him.

She stood abruptly, tears burning the lids of her eyes. “I’ll be right back. I need to make a phone call. Check on the store.”

She all but fled from Ashley’s hospital room, shutting the door behind her and leaning heavily on it as she tried to clear her blurry vision. She pushed off the door and hurried down the hall to the waiting room where hopefully she could regain her composure. Ashley needed her to be strong today.

* * *

Throughout the day, visitors came and went. Ashley’s mother barged into the room a few hours after Pippa arrived, mortified that she couldn’t be reached the minute Ashley went into labor. Pippa was glad to see Mrs. Copeland. She just had a way of making everything better. She’d already hugged Pippa no less than a dozen times and Pippa gloried in each one.

Tabitha, Carly and Sylvia came by but didn’t stay long since the room was growing more crowded with Ashley’s family. Pippa herself had already decided she’d retire down the hall to the waiting area so she wouldn’t be in the way.

She crept out, snagged a cup of water from the cooler and sat in a comfortable chair to wait the arrival of the baby. As the day wore on, more people filtered into the waiting room and it was alive with conversation and excitement.

Ashley had a large family and it seemed that every single one of them was going to be present for the birth of Ashley’s child.

Pippa’s heart squeezed because she couldn’t imagine such a wonderful fuss when it came time for her baby to be born. How marvelous it must be to have a huge, loving family who gathered for special occasions and celebrated with such vibrancy.

Here in a room full of warm, friendly people, she’d never felt so alone in her life.

“Have you eaten anything today?”

She jumped, pulled suddenly from her thoughts by the sound of Cam’s voice coming from behind her. She turned around and shook her head, watching as he frowned his disapproval.

“Let’s go down to the cafeteria,” Cam said.

He started to take her elbow but she pulled away. “I’m not leaving now. Ashley is going to deliver at any minute. No way am I missing this.”

Cam seemed to take in the expectant air that permeated the room. He drew his lips into a thin line and then said, “I’ll go get you something. You need to eat.”

She shrugged—which seemed to irritate him—but she wasn’t exactly concerned with him at the moment.

With another inquisitive look in her direction, Cam turned and walked out of the waiting room. Pippa blew out her breath and settled back in her seat. Yeah, he probably was confused as to why she was snippy. In his mind, he’d probably already blown off the fact that he’d hightailed it after sex again. And he had no way of knowing just how muddled Pippa’s own feelings were and how close to her breaking point she was.

Fifteen minutes later, Cam returned with a foam carry-out container and handed it to her with plastic utensils.

“I wasn’t sure what to get you to drink, so I got you a bottle of water.”