“Oh jeez, Bree, lighten up. Don’t know ’bout this one here, but the other one will be your brother-in-law someday. Maybe you should start bein’ nicer to him.”
“It’s okay. A hote
l will be easier, and closer.”
“Maybe you oughta go stay with them, Bree, you’ll be closer.”
Jace anticipated that, any second, Bree would either storm off or tear into Lyric. But she didn’t. She laughed. Lyric had a way about her that Bree responded to. Jace should ask her to give him lessons. The more he was around her, the more he wanted Bree to like him.
Blythe needed rest, so Paige and Mark talked everyone into leaving. Everyone but Jace and Tucker, who they didn’t bother talking to.
Jace approached his brother, who was sitting on a bench by the hospital entrance. “Hey, man, let’s go find a place to stay.”
“I’m good.”
“They’re not gonna let you hang out on this bench all night. I’ve got some clothes at Billy and Renie’s. I can swing by there, get ’em, and then we can get somethin’ to eat.”
“You go on ahead.”
“Tucker, come on. She won’t see you.”
“Don’t care. I’m not leavin’.”
“First, you leave when you shouldn’t. Now, you won’t leave when you should.”
“Shut it, Jace.”
“She’s sleeping. When’s the last time you slept? Or ate?”
Tucker didn’t remember, and he didn’t care. He had to get back in to see Blythe. He had to tell her, make her understand. He left for her, to keep her safe. If he’d known she was pregnant, he might not have left. He couldn’t say for sure.
“Go, do whatever you need to do. I’m staying.”
“They won’t let you in to see her.”
“We’ll see.”
Renie was at the house when Jace got there. And she didn’t look happy.
“What? And before you answer that, every woman I’ve come in contact with today has yelled at me. If you’re gonna pile on more, save it. I guarantee you, I’ve already heard it.”
Renie walked over to the oven and pulled out a plate wrapped in foil. She set it down on the counter in front of Jace.
“What’s this?”
“Dinner.”
“Uh, thanks.”
Willow came running toward him, and waited for him to pick her up. When he did, she wrapped her little arms so tightly around his neck, he thought he’d choke.
“Thanks, baby girl,” he said, pulling his head back a little ways from hers. “You don’t know how much I needed that.”
Willow didn’t let go. He could swear she sensed his sadness and wanted to make him feel better.
Pretty soon she started babbling, but he could only make out every other word of what she was trying to tell him.
“Yes, baby girl. After your bath, you can try to talk Uncle Jace into reading you a story.”