Bayou Stix Series: Bayou Stix Limited Edition Box Set (130 page)

O
h boy. Liam just sent out a mass text saying Clove is in labor and that everyone can head to the hospital. Dade is freaking out, so I’m driving his Hummer. He’s on the phone with Liam who is also freaking out because his wife is in labor. I can hear Clove in the background telling both of them to calm down and that women have babies every single day.

Of course she would be the calm one and she’s also the one in labor.

It takes us about half an hour to get to the hospital and before I can park, Dade is out of the Hummer and sprinting through the doors. It makes me chuckle though I know everyone is nervous since Clove has had a rough few months. She’s a little early, but the doctors, well, Melonie, says everything is fine at this point.

It’s an exciting time. The first Bayou Stix baby. I’m happy for them.

My cell rings as I’m getting ready to get out of the truck. The number says,
“Unknown Caller.”
How the hell is someone not in my Call List calling me? I have a private number. I don’t answer it and let it go to voicemail.

It takes a few minutes since the caller is leaving a message. As soon as it pops up, I check it. As I listen, my fists ball and my eyes darken with rage. My head feels like it’s going to explode. The message is long over but I can’t get out of the vehicle. I’m so enraged, I’m scared to move. I’m lost in my own dark thoughts.

I don’t even know how long I sit, but the ringing of my phone alerts me that it’s been a while. Looking down, I see
“Dade”
on the display. Shaking my head to clear some of the rage, I take a deep breath and answer.

“Hey, man. Sorry, I’m on my way in now. Where am I going?”

“You ok? I’ve been in here almost an hour, Cruz. Melonie says she’s doing well and with no complications. Baby John should be here shortly. Are you coming?”

I open the door and walk rapidly across the large parking lot. “Yes, I’m coming in now. I need to know where I’m going though.”

Dade gives me directions and says Jessie and Blue are in the hall and will show me the way from the elevators once I get off.

I need to clear my head and not let the phone call mess with me. This is a happy time. I’m excited for my friends. No time to dwell on this bullshit right now. I’ll deal with it later.

As I step off the elevator, I’m met by Jessie and Blue. Blue is talking animatedly and Jessie is just listening and smiling. I’m trying to listen to what she’s saying, but I don’t even understand half of it. It’s like she’s speaking Greek.

“Dilated nine centimeters… water broke in the kitchen… baby should be here really soon. Hoping the baby has dark hair…” I’m just staring at her as I try to take it all in. I don’t know what any of that means.

Blue is leading us down a hall, chattering away. I look at Jessie and mutter, “What the hell does any of that mean?”

He shrugs and laughs. “I have no damn idea. I’m just nodding in agreement with her. I think it just means she’s close and John will be here very soon.”

We turn the corner and there’s a huge crowd of people in the small hallway. Blue races over to Lexi and Bradi who are in the corner. Jessie and I head over to talk to Jude, Dade, Micah, Erik, Alec, and Mr. George. He’s kind of Dade and Clove’s surrogate father since they don’t really have one. As we get there, Dade is on the phone and I catch the tail end. “Yes, sir. She’s doing well. Y’all be careful crossing the Basin. Don’t rush. Call back when you get here and we’ll meet you downstairs. It’s kind of a maze in here. Tell Ms. Verna to drive safely… See y’all in a little while.”

He hangs up and looks at everyone. “That was Paw. Ms. Verna is driving them in. They should be here in another forty-five minutes or so.”

I nod. “I’ll go meet them when they get here so you don’t have to leave.”

Dade nods and claps my shoulder. “Thanks, man.”

Liam pops his head out of the door and calls out, “Cruz here yet?”

I call out that I am.

He hollers, “Clove wants to see you. Come here.”

I look at Dade in confusion and he shrugs. As I walk around him wondering what Clove needs to see me for right now, I see Tifanie step out from the group of girls. She sees the confusion on my face and mouths, “I brought Mel, Lexi, and Erik. No cars.”

That’s right. I knew they were all carless today. I smile at her in thanks and nod.

Liam hollers again, “Hurry up, dude!”

What the hell does she want? Is everything ok? Liam isn’t acting like something is wrong.

Walking into the room, I’m nervous. I don’t like hospitals and I don’t know why Clove wants to see me. She’s grimacing on the bed when I walk in, like she’s in pain. I frown and walk over. Melonie is in the room in scrubs and a white doctor’s coat. She’s monitoring a lot of machines and talking quietly to a nurse. She looks over her shoulder and smiles at me.

Walking to the bed, I take Clove’s hand. “How are you doing, Clove?”

She chuckles and then grimaces. “I’m good, just in labor, which hurts like a bitch.”

“You wanted to see me?” I’m perplexed.

She smiles at me and even with sweat and pain on her face, she’s glowing. “I did. Can you call your mom? She’s always been so sweet to me. I don’t have a female around and, well, I wondered if she could come by if she has time.”

Ah, of course. Clove and Dade’s parents were junkies and left when she was just a baby. Dade raised her and she’s never had a maternal figure. My momma always had a soft spot for her since we went to the same schools and are about the same age. I nod. “Of course. She’ll love it. I’ll go call her now.”

Clove smirks at me. “I guess she’ll get to meet Tifanie too, then.”

Shit, I didn’t think about that. But, yes, she will. Tifanie is here. Am I ok with her meeting my momma? That’s kind of a major thing. But, it’s Tifanie. If ever I was going to let any girl meet my momma, it would be her.

I’m just not sure I’m ready to answer the questions. I’m not certain I know how to answer them…

I realize I never answered Clove. “Yes, I suppose she will.”

She smiles at me with a knowing look in her eyes. “Something is different.”

“What do you mean?”

She points at me. “With you. Something is different. You look… lighter…”

I look lighter? What the hell does that mean? I looked heavy?!

I’m so confused by not only this conversation, but by the feelings and the complexity of the feelings running through me about Tifanie. “Lighter?”

She laughs and it ends in a groan as she grabs the bedpost and screams out. It only lasts a few seconds and then she breathes and cracks her eyes at me. “Sorry, contractions are a real bitch!” She looks over my shoulder and Liam pushes past me and takes her hand. She smiles at him before once again focusing on me. “Yes, lighter. Like you’re not walking around with the weight of the world on your shoulders. What happened? You know you’re going to tell me.”

I chuckle. I better just tell her. She’ll get it out of me anyway. “What do you mean what happened?” I’m stalling.

She glares at me. I’m taken aback. “You stop being coy, Robert Cruz Edwards! What is going on with you and Tifanie? She’s here, you are visibly different. So, what happened? Are you a couple?”

Are we a couple?!

Um, no. No, we’re not a couple. Are we?!

She frowns at the confusion on my face. “What’s wrong? Tell me what that look is about.”

Liam is fascinated by our conversation and just sitting on the edge of Clove’s bed, rubbing her hand and watching us.

I shrug and scratch the back of my neck before massaging the sudden tenseness there. “I don’t think we’re a couple. I mean no. No, we’re not a couple. But, I know we’re not just friends anymore either.”

She’s rubbing her stomach and staring intently at my face. Her eyes are shifting and traveling over the planes before returning to my eyes. I hate when she does that. It makes me think she can see into my soul.

She finally smiles softly. “I see. She’s busted through the gate.”

The gate? What the hell is she talking about? I look at Liam in silent question.

He smirks.

Clove writhes again in pain before she looks at me with glassy eyes. “Sorry, Hun. I know this is uncomfortable for you. They’re a lot closer together now. I meant that your heart is not locked behind the fortress you keep it in. Tifanie has forged through the gate.”

My eyes widen. She chuckles. “I’m not saying you’re in love, calm down. But, I am saying you care about her. And she’s just what you need. You push and she pushes back. She’s not going to walk away, Cruz. Figure it out. Take your time, but leave yourself open to the possibilities with her. Because I have a feeling that she’s not going to allow you to run…And you need that…” She moans again and Liam looks at Melonie who is at the foot of the bed.

Melonie says, “Let’s check and see how close you are because those contractions are on top of each other now.”

Liam looks at me in fear and excitement. “We’re about to have a baby! I’m about to be a daddy, man!”

I smile and get choked up at the emotion on everyone’s face as I head to the door. “We’ll talk more later, Clove. Right now, you need to concentrate on having that baby. Good luck y’all.”

Melonie is saying, “It’s go time. Are you ready to push, Clove? With the next one, push when I say go, ok…”

I walk out. Clove’s scream follows me into the hall and everyone stares at me. “She’s pushing.”

Dade jumps up and Mr. George grips his arm. “Calm down, son. Women have been having babies for thousands of years. Besides, Melonie is in there with her. No better hands for our girl to be in.”

Dade’s phone goes off and he answers, “Hello. Hey, Paw. She’s pushing now… Yes… Ok, Cruz is going to come down to meet y’all and bring you up… Yes, sir… Ok, he’s on the way down now.”

He hangs up and I’m already on it. “Got it. Are they at the front entrance?”

Dade nods and stares at the door to the hospital room as it rattles with the sound of Clove’s screams. We can also hear Liam talking to her through the door, but we can’t hear what he’s saying.

I turn toward the hall and Tifanie is standing there. She smiles at me and says, “I’ll come with you, if that’s ok.”

I nod and gesture for her to go in front of me to the elevators. She smiles and steps around me, brushing against my arm as she does. I feel the charge all the way to my toes.

She pushes the button and we head down to the first floor. It’s quiet in the elevator and we don’t speak as the doors close. We stop a few floors down, but the hallway is empty, so we’re still alone on the elevator. Finally, she turns to me and speaks. “You ok, Cruz?”

My gaze meets hers and we stare at each other in the elevator. I nod. “I’m good. Just a lot on my mind.”

She clicks her tongue and bites the pink tip. “Like what?”

I shrug. “Just a lot of stuff.”

She hums and stares at me. “Are you ok today about last night? Not that anything happened, but are you ok today?”

She thinks I’m freaked out about her?

Well, you are. Sort of. Yes, there’s all kinds of shit going on in my head, but yes, some of it is her.

Leaning back against the wall, I cross my long legs and stare at her. “I’m good.”

“You sure?”

I nod and stand up. She watches me. I take a step and am standing in front of her. Reaching down, I gently pull her and she comes forward. Her hands grip my forearms. Her head angles back and she looks up at me as I look down at her. Her hair is in a ponytail, and it’s swishing from side to side, tickling my hands as they cup her sides. “Yes, I’m good,” I say and then lean down to kiss her.

I wasn’t even sure I was going to do that, but once she was staring at me and meeting my gaze with her wide hazel eyes, my head shut off and I stopped thinking so much. I just acted.

Her head angles as I hold onto her ponytail and deepen the kiss. She’s pressed against the back wall of the elevator with my thigh between hers. The sexy moans escaping her throat are driving me on. I attack her mouth as if I’m consumed and the only thing keeping me sane is her lips on mine… her tongue dancing with mine. I can taste the lingering flavor of sweet caramel in her mouth.

We forget that we’re in the hospital. I forget the enraging phone call and the fact that I’m meeting my friend’s grandfather down here. I forget everything but the woman in my arms and the kiss that is rocking my world.

The ding of the doors doesn’t even alert us to the fact that we’ve stopped.

An uncomfortable clearing of a throat is the only thing that breaks through the haze. Stepping back, I drop my hands and turn. A disapproving gaze is directed at me and a condescending glance is thrown my way. I stand taller and in front of Tifanie in a protective stance. I’m used to people looking at me like that, but I don’t want it directed at her.

I open my mouth to apologize. “I’m sorr…”

But, the woman’s shocked gasp and then, “Tifanie?!” cuts me short.

Looking at her, I can see the shock on her face as she looks around me at Tifanie. Then her disgusted gaze travels the length of my body before her accusing eyes center once again on Tifanie.

“Honestly, Tifanie. You can’t bother to show up at events or even answer your phone, yet, here you are… consorting… with this
gentleman
in a hospital elevator. A
public
elevator?!”

Tifanie