“How’s it going, kid?”
“It’s been an awfully long time.” Nick’s hand shook a bit as he lifted the cigarette to his lips. “I mean, Sydney was only in a couple of hours for Griff. It’s getting really intense, and Rachel kicked me and the camera out. How come they don’t do something?”
“I don’t know a lot about it,” Alex mused. “But I think babies come when they’re ready.”
“It’s only been a little more than six hours.” Bess moved in to soothe, touched that Nick should have such deep concern for his sister-in-law.
“Feels like six days,” Zack commented as he staggered in. He plucked the cigarette from Nick’s hand and took a deep drag. “She’s swearing at me. I know what some of those names are now, even if they aren’t in English.”
“That’s a good sign,” Bess assured him. “It means things are moving along.”
“She swore at the doctor, too.” With a sigh, he passed the cigarette back to Nick. “But she didn’t take a swing athim.”
“If she missed,” Alex commented, “she must be in really bad shape.”
Wincing, Zack rubbed his shoulder. “She didn’t. I’d better get back.”
“Let’s go give him some support,” Alex began, but then he spotted a woman rushing off the elevator. “Tash!”
“Oh, Alex!”
Bess watched the woman fly into the waiting room, Gypsy hair flowing. There was concern in her eyes and laughter on her lips as she swung into Alex’s arms.
“Alexi, how is Rachel?”
“Swearing at her doctor and punching Zack.”
“Ah.” She relaxed instantly. “That’s good. Nick.” She held out a hand for his. “Don’t look so worried. Your niece or nephew will be along soon. Spence is parking the car. We were going to leave the children, but they were so disappointed, we brought them. Freddie’s looking forward to seeing you.”
Nick brightened a bit. “How’s she doing?”
“She’s taller than me now, and so pretty. Alex, where’s Rachel?”
“I’ll take you. Oh, this is Bess.”
“Bess?” Natasha turned, one hand still on her brother’s arm. Of course, she’d heard about Bess. West Virginia might be a fair distance from New York, but family business traveled fast on phone wires. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”
“That’s all right. You’ve got a lot on your mind.” And then Bess said the first thing that came to hers. “What fabulous genes you all have.”
Natasha’s brows lifted. Then, below them, her eyes lit with laughter. “Rachel said I would like you. I hope we have time to talk before we leave town. I’m sorry to rush off.”
“Don’t worry about it. I think Nick and I’ll go to the cafeteria, rustle up some food for this group.”
Three hours later, Bess had delivered sandwiches and coffee, bounced Natasha’s youngest daughter, Katie, on her knee and introduced herself to Spence Kimball and helped him entertain his very cranky son. She’d met Freddie and noted that the pretty, pixielike teenager was deep in puppy love with Nick.
As time dragged on, she added her support when Mikhail pressured his very tired wife to rest in the waiting room, took a few minutes to interrogate some nurses to help her beef up some hospital scenes and soothed Alex’s nerves as his sister’s labor reached the final stages.
“It won’t be much longer.”
“That’s what they said an hour ago.”
They were standing in the waiting room. Alex refused to sit. After a yawn and a good stretch, Bess wrapped her arms around him.
“She’s fully dilated, and the baby was crowning. The last glance I had of the fetal monitor showed a really strong heartbeat. A fast one. I think it’s a girl.”
“How do you know so much?”
“Research.” She settled her head on his shoulder. “I was figuring earlier that I’ve delivered twelve babies, including one set of twins. In a matter of speaking.”
