“It did?” he asks, standing on his own now and taking slow, subconscious steps toward his missing pieces.

She nods. “We’re sewing her up now.”

“Sewing?” he rasps.

The nurse pins him with a gentle stare. “She didn’t feel a thing, honey, I promise. She’s beginning to wake now, but the baby is ready for you, if you’re ready.”

Maddoc’s hands shoot out, gripping on to the sleeves of our hoodies. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She laughs through a smile.

“What about Raven? Has she held the baby yet?” he asks.

“Not yet, but as I said, she’s waking now. Would you like to come in, see your little one together for the first time?”

A choppy breath leaves him and when I look over, his jaw is tight, eyes misted. He gives a jerky nod and releases us. He looks from me to Cap.

“Go, brother,” Cap whispers. “We’ll be right here waiting.”

Maddoc disappears behind the double doors, and not fifteen minutes later, they open again.

A bed is pushed through, Raven sitting up inside of it, a little cocoon-like blanket gently tucked tight in her arms, a pillow beneath it, Maddoc at her side.

Something comes over me, settles into me.

Never in my life have I seen that look on my brother’s face and I can’t even explain it.

It’s as if for the first time, he’s whole. Complete.

What a feeling that must be.

Victoria runs around the corner then, her hands flying up to her mouth, and Raven lets out a choked laugh.

Raven’s eyes find mine, and I step closer.

Closer to her, my brother, and their baby.

Zoey’s little footsteps sound behind me and I can’t not spin toward her, everyone else doing the same.

Nobody wants to miss her little when she meets her cousin for the first time.

We stare and she slows her steps, walking up with her hands over her mouth, her little dog ear slippers flapping all around, my dad and Victoria behind her, Maybell behind them.

I pull the small gift from the box, kneeling in front of Zoey.

She reluctantly pulls her eyes from Raven’s arms and meets mine.

I place a pink stuffed wolf in Zoey’s hands with a wink.

She smiles, nods and looks to her daddy.

Captain bends, lifts her, and holds her right beside Raven.

Zoey looks to Raven. “Baby’s not sleeping, RaeRae.”

“No, ZoZo.” Raven swallows. “Baby is wide awake.”

Raven’s eyes come to mine. “So, tell us, Uncle Bro. Was the sonogram right?”

I step closer, staring down at the perfect little baby in her arms, and choke back the emotion threatening to escape.

I pull a second stuffed wolf from the box and lay it against her arm.

She inhales a choppy breath and I lean down, kissing her temple.

I breathe through a smile.

“Yeah, it was right,” I whisper, holding her eyes. “You did good, RaeRae. He’s perfect.”

Zoey leans over, officially making each and every one of us lose our damn cool when she whispers to her baby cousin for the very first time, “I love you, best friend. So, so much.”

Chapter 26

Royce

Nobody wanted to leave the hospital and we pretty much flat-out refused until Maybell worked her voodoo on us. In the end, we agreed to head home for the rest of the night and let them know we’d be back the second our eyes opened.

She had a point, they need their time, Cap needed to get his baby girl into a real bed and not the little cot they brought out for her, even if she was excited to lay in it. He and his girls walked out just before me.

They’ll go home, tuck their daughter into bed and then climb into one together.

Maddoc will stay with his wife and newborn son, as he should.

And me?

“Royce?”

I don’t realize I’ve slowed the car until Brielle calls my name from the passenger seat.

A car horn honks behind us, and it pisses me off.

I hit the gas, only to hit the brakes harder, and the horn honks again.

Brielle jolts forward with a small squeal, frowning as my slow grin spreads. “Royce?”

I reach into the back, grab a bat and push my door open.

Brielle leaps across the center console, grabbing me by the arm. “What are you doing?”

“He’s being a dick.”

“Because you slammed on the brakes, and how do you know it’s a he?”

“Don’t, but I’m about to find out.”

“That’s what you want to do right now, fight? Hurt people?” she snaps. “You just spent an amazing day with your family, waited all night like a kid with a golden Wonka ticket, dying with excitement to meet your nephew, and this is how you want to end the night?”

“And you care why? You’re going home to an empty-ass room like always. I go home and what... fuckin’ sit there?”

“It’s three in the morning, Royce,” she whispers. “You go home, climb into bed, and fall asleep.”

I scoff a laugh, shaking my head, but nothing’s fucking funny.

Nothing is funny.

I’m alone.

Strictly solo.

The leftover Brayshaw.

I drop her off and it officially begins, the just me.

The silent nights that scream loud in my mind.

Dread spreads through my veins, heating and weighing my body down.

“I wanna get fucked-up.”

“Newsflash, Playboy, you are.”

My head snaps her way, eyes angry... until I see hers.

Hers are smiling. Perceptive. “It’s true, you bought a pink and blue wolf so no one would know for sure what the baby was when they peeked. And guess what. They all peeked. They told me,” she teases. “So fucked-up,”

My frown begins to fade, and before I can stop it, a low laugh leaves me.

I close my door and drop my head against the headrest. “You just said fuck.”

Brielle grins, and I let her take the bat. “Drive, playboy, before they get out and knock on your window and I have to find another way to reel you in.”

“Maybe I should stay right where I am then.”

She laughs and I put the car in drive, headed for the group home.

Brielle

We roll to a stop, and Royce sighs, staring at me.

I don’t say anything, but wait for him to instead, and it doesn’t take long.

“You trip me out,” he shares.

A small grin twitches at my lips. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” His voice is heavy, full of rasp. “You make me laugh when I wanna tear shit apart.”

You make me feel things I’m not sure I should.

Royce’s knuckle lifts, lazily trailing along my jaw. “What kind of things, baby girl?”

My gaze flies up to his, and the heat in his is too much.

My stomach comes alive with a million flutters.

He grins, but it’s faint, something so much deeper playing in his eyes.

“Do you have blankets in your truck?” I find myself whispering.

He stares, his tone low. “Why?”

“We could lay them out, watch the stars...”

His hand comes up to push my hair back. “You wanna spend your night with me, Tink?”