Page 40 of Handle Me

“Did you come from your date?” she asked.

“What?” I shook my head, trying to understand how she could be worried about that during a moment like this.

“You look like you were out late,” she continued, her eyes lingering on my hair and swollen lips.

She knew, I realized with a sinking feeling.

But I wasn’t about to admit to any of it. I squared my shoulders and focused on what was really important right now. “How is Clara?”

“In labor,” she said with a casual toss of her head.

“I thought she was having another c-section. Is it too early? Have you seen her?” I peppered her with questions.

“I don’t know,” she responded with a sniff. “Alexander won’t tell us anything. We heard she was at the hospital from BBC One.”

“Where is Alexander?” I glanced around. The waiting room was full of people and balloons and presents, but my brother-in-law was nowhere to be seen. Clara must still be in labor.

“He’s in and out,” she said.

Regardless of what my mother thought, I agreed with Alexander. His place was by my sister’s side, not out here soothing his mother-in-law’s fragile ego. I was about to tell her that when the swinging doors that led to the delivery room opened, and he strode out.

Alexander had an appropriate authority to his presence, even now. His black shirt and pants hugged his muscular frame. I turned and glanced back over at Brex and Smith. Were they all wearing the same clothes? What, had they been playing some type of football? Alexander’s eyes fell on me, and he relaxed a little as if he was relieved to see me. We weren’t exactly close, but he knew I could be counted on to keep the Bishop side of his family in check.

“Everything okay?” I asked quietly as I joined him.

“It will be,” he murmured, his eyes haunted. I wondered if he was answering me or trying to convince himself.

I was about to press more when the lift opened to reveal Anders holding the bouquet I’d sent him to procure. Alexander caught sight of him, and something flashed across his face. It was gone so quickly that no one else probably noticed. But I recognized that look.

It seemed Alexander hated his brother as much as I did.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

ANDERS

“No one sees her.” Alexander was staying firm on this rule.

“Then, we’ll wait.” Lola’s mother was every bit as stubborn as she was. She refused to leave the waiting room despite my brother’s proclamation.

“So will we,” Lola said calmly.

I refrained from tossing the flowers into a bin. Instead, I dropped into a chair and waited. It wasn’t like I had somewhere to go. Lola took a seat on the opposite side of the waiting area. Her business partner, who’d I met in passing a few times, joined her and began to whisper. I assumed they were talking shop until Lola glanced over at me and then quickly turned away before I could look.

No one spoke to me. Why had I allowed Lola to convince me I should be here? At least she was one of them.

But it was clear no one was seeing Clara for a while.

“Get comfortable and keep it down. She needs to rest,” Alexander said in a grim voice before vanishing behind the swinging doors. I had no idea if my sudden appearance was at the root of his rudeness or if he was always an asshole. As soon as he was gone, the group began to dissipate, but no one seemed ready to leave. A few of his closest security team seemed to be sweeping the halls, coming in and out of the maternity ward like they were taking shifts. Eventually, Belle yawned, patted her own swollen stomach, and pointed to the door.

“I’m going to nap and come right back,” she whispered to me.

“Don’t rush. We’re here,” I said.

Her eyes looked a little frantic as she nodded. Maybe she was starting to fear her own birth. As soon as her husband took her home, Madeline started in on the only other distraction in the room:

Us.

“What were you two up to?” Madeline asked, eying both Lola and me with hawk-like eyes.