“Wow. That’s like a real baby.”
“Yep. They don’t give out fake ones at the hospital.”
Pierce scooped up Madeleine without hesitation. “I know what I’m doing. I have a lot of cousins.” He immediately started rocking her.
“You’re good.”
“Yeah, I can babysit for you when she gets bigger.”
“How’s work?”
“Good. We miss you, though.”
“I miss you guys too.” But looking at Madeleine, Cordy realized she wasn’t in a rush to get back. Madeleine was so tiny, so helpless, and Cordy had a lot of healing to do.
“Oh!” Pierce looked over at the Kessal brothers. “They’ve got cigars. Do you think I could get one?”
“You arewaytoo young.” Good Lord, where had that voice come from? Cordy sounded like amom.
“But it’s a special occasion.” Pierce was actually pouting.
The Kessals did look like they were having fun. Quint was slapping Chance on the back as Rye handed him a cigar.
And Chance… Chance looked just like a proud father. He took the cigar easily, then grabbed two more. He offered them to Mr. and Mrs. Saxon, but only Mr. Saxon took one. So Chance offered the extra one to Brad.
Cordy never expected her delivery would be like this. She’d thought she’d be alone, doing everything on her own. She’d thought she’d be fine with that.
Maybe she would have been. But after this gathering, she knew she would have missed out, not that she would haverealized. She would have lacked so much and told herself it was fine because it was all she’d ever been taught.
But this was better. This was the best. This was how a baby ought to come into the world. Cordy was so grateful to everyone who had come.
The night nurse poked her head in. “Visiting hours are over. Sorry.”
Everyone filed slowly out, stopping to congratulate Cordy and coo over the baby. The nurse had to come back twice to hurry them along.
“Don’t forget Reed’s house,” Janet whispered to Cordy as she left. “It’s ready for you.”
“Oh.” Cordy squeezed Madeleine more tightly to her. “Of course. Thank you for coming.”
When they were all gone, it was just her and Chance. And the baby.
Cordy suddenly felt weepy. She loved this man so much, but he wasn’t in love with her. And now that Madeleine was here, she couldn’t put off what she had to do any longer.
“Did you get enough to eat?” Chance looked tired. “What about pain meds? You need those?”
She shook her head. “I’m good.”
“Tired?”
Now that the high of everyone’s visit was wearing off, the enormity of what she’d done was hitting her. Her muscles were liquid with exhaustion.
Chance took Madeleine from her. “Your face answered that question.”
“You can put her in the bassinet.”
“No, she’d hate that.” He rocked the baby as he walked to the light switch and flicked it off.
Cordy fought as her eyes closed. She had to tell Chance about Reed’s house. She had to tell him he could go home, that hedidn’t have to stay here—the chair he had to sleep in looked horribly uncomfortable.
