Trent (Redemption Romance Book 4) (19 page)

At Dawn' return to the room, Aurora stood and held a hand out to guide Hope's mom to see her daughter.

"Is your husband here?" Luke asked, standing as the women did, and looking down at her with a mixture of empathy and contempt.

"Um, no, he stayed at home."

Nodding, I heard Luke mutter, "Thank god," as the women cleared the threshold. I knew that the last thing we wanted at the hospital was Hope's father.

Looking around the room at my friends, and thinking about the ones just down the hall, I considered how many of us had at least one shitty parent. Aurora's had been good, though I only met her mother. She had been a kind and loving woman. Luke's parents were likewise loving if a bit crazy. His mother seemed like the quintessential Texas housewife now, but some of the stories I heard about her teenage antics were epic. Jake and Gavin both had good mothers, though Jake's mother had passed some years back. Each of them, like me, had shit for fathers, though. Hope was fucked on both scores, her mother was beaten down, as my mother had once been, but mine never stood down and allowed shit to happen to her children - at least not that she knew of.

Thinking about my own mother now, she was fierce. When she testified at my father's trial, she was strong. Trina Harris held her head high and gave it all to the jury, no matter how bad she may have looked. She was brutally honest and helped put that dickhead in prison. Amber's parents were good, though overly protective, to the point that I worried that they might have made her question her own abilities and maybe even her own worth. Reed's parents had been good. They were simple farmers, in love, though quiet until his little sister became ill. After a long, arduous bought with a rare form of cancer, she died. From what I understood, that devastation had broken them financially. They subsequently lost their farm due to the tremendous debt which had piled up. Reed's father took his own life about the time Reed turned twelve, leaving his mom and Reed to make it alone. She was a gentle, quiet woman who had worked as a church secretary from the time her husband died and from what I knew, she still worked for the same pastor. She was a devout woman, but not afraid to give a swift correction if she felt Reed was out of line. I knew that his manners and gentle nature were thanks to his mother's influence.

Resting my head against the wall behind me, I allowed my eyes to close, while my fingers stroked through Amber's long hair. The peachy scent emanating from her relaxed me further, and I drifted.

"Honey, wake up." Amber's breath tickled the side of my neck as she whispered into my ear.

"Hey, how long was I out?" I asked, looking around the now bright room and clamped eyes on the man standing in the corner, scowling.

"Almost an hour."

Leaning forward, I gave her a perfunctory kiss on the forehead and rose to standing. I noticed Reed standing to the man's side. Reed was speaking in low tones while glancing around the room. I noted that Luke and Gavin were both absent.

"You're not welcome here." I heard Reed say as I walked toward the duo. Mr. Lewis straightened, his glare intensifying. He focused on Reed, stupidly, since Reed was a good seven to eight inches taller, as well as stronger all around.

"Hope is my daughter, and I'll be here to see my own grandson."

Looking for the chairs that were once occupied by Aurora and Mrs. Lewis, I saw that all the women in the room had gone, save for Amber. Not wanting to ask after them now in the midst of this latest nonsense with Hope's father, I held the question and joined Reed, blocking the man's view of the room.

I wasn't as tall or broad as Reed, but at just about an inch shorter. My much leaner frame was quick and taking that asshole would be no problem for me.

"You were not invited. Hope and Jake don't want you here."

"I've done nothing wrong, and am entitled to be here if I please."

Nodding his reluctant assent, Reed growled, "Fine, but one nasty word and you're out."

The douche has the audacity to scoff as we made it back to our seats. For the moment, we ignored him, not wanting any more drama than necessary. I knew without a doubt that the man's wife, Elaine didn't invite him. Her relationship with Hope has been tentative at best and from what I saw at their wedding, she was eager to spend some time with her daughter. Jake made it clear months ago, that if Elaine wanted to see Hope, she had to leave George at home.

After George's verbal assault on Hope when she was in the hospital, there was no way Jake would have the man around his wife or his son. It had been after her ex-boyfriend stalked and beat her savagely that Jake walked in on the tail end and escorted his future father-in-law out of the hospital and warned him. Since then, as far as I knew, there hadn't been any contact.

Thirty minutes had passed before the door opened to the cramped waiting room. Elaine Lewis let out an audible gasp when she caught sight of her husband.

Amber and Dawn followed, with Luke and Gavin close on their heels, taking their seats once again.

Mrs. Lewis walked to her husband and appeared to be pleading with him, quietly. His escalating anger was visible on his bloated red face.

"Where were you guys?" I asked, looking to Gavin, still wondering how George Lewis got into the room. Luke was watching George closely, resigned annoyance clear on his face.

"Went down for some-"

Gavin's words were cut off when the door slammed open, a wide, delighted smile prominently displayed on Jake's face. It appeared that he'd grown another inch or two, he stood tall and proud as he shouted, "He's here!"

Leaving her husband, Elaine rushed to Jake and took the much larger man into her arms, like a mother would and held on. Various hiccups and sobs rang throughout the room. Each of us stood to congratulate the new father.

Shaking his hand, and giving him the obligatory one armed hug, I congratulated Jake and moved aside when Amber pushed me. Chuckling, I watched as my tiny sprite of a woman launched herself into Jake's arms shrieking her own best wishes. As she'd been the night before, she was exuberant, manic even. Her behavior registered as odd, but I shook it off and appreciated that the baby's arrival hadn't plunged her into that deep depression once again.

Jake and Elaine left the room to go and see Dylan Nolan Thompson. Luke held Aurora, who cried silently, wrapped, protected in his arms. I knew she had to miss her brother, Nolan, terribly, we all did. Looking around the room, thinking about both men, Dylan and Nolan and so many others we lost in the sandbox, my eyes stung with emotion. I noticed that I wasn't the only one.

The one person in the room, not moved, was George Lewis. Not that I was surprised. I noted movement from the corner of my eye, as I cradled Amber. Turning to look, I saw George moving quietly around the myriad of people in the room. Reed stood alone - something about that made my heart hurt for him before it registered where good ole' George might be going.

Reed, Luke, Gavin and I were in motion as the slimy bastard escaped the waiting room and began heading down the hall to Hope's room in a rapid clip. Just before he made it to the door, Gavin slipped in front of him, and the four of us surround him.

The belligerent jerk started to stutter and huff like we should let him into that room.

"I'm going to see Little George!" Hope's dad shouted angrily, gaining the attention of several nurses at the nearby set of desks.

"If and when Hope wants you in there, someone will come get you. Until then, you need to wait - quietly." Luke's words were a quiet and irritated growl.

As George bristled and opened his mouth to say something stupid again, the door opened, and Jake slipped out into the hallway.

"You need to leave," Jake stated. The blissful glow only slightly diminishing the frustrated sound of his voice.

"I'm going to see my grandson, you're not going to keep me from George."

"I am. He's my son and Hope is my wife. You are nothing but an abusive prick that she would prefer to never to see again. As far as I'm concerned, you'll never know Dylan."

"Dylan? My grandson is to be named George. That's how it's done in my family."

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head in annoyance, Jake turned toward the nurse's station and nodded. Making eye contact with each of us in turn, Jake asked us to keep the insane man out of the room as we waited for security. Jake, having expected this outcome, had apparently planned ahead - smart man.

While we waited for the security guards to escort Mr. Lewis out, Gavin, Reed, Luke and I begin a conversation about cars. No one gave any attention to George. Since we were all taller than he was, it was easy to avoid eye contact and ignore him completely. It didn't take long before he was huffing and puffing again, about ready to start spewing his bullshit. Thankfully, the security guards showed before George was able to get loud again and disturb all the new parents and babies on the maternity floor.

As I looked up, I saw the nurse directing the burly guards in our direction.

"Do we have a problem here, Mr. Lewis?"

"I do not, I'm here to visit my grandson, George. My daughter needs to name him after me. That's how it's done." He continued spouting off. After listening to his nonsense for more than a minute, I realized that he was absolutely delusional.

Fortunately, the guards were experienced at their job and had already herded him toward the elevator, without him realizing it. As the elevator doors closed in front of his angry red face, he was still yelling.

Three days had passed since Dylan was born. Amber's excitement hadn't diminished since the blessed event. She went to Hope's to visit every day, taking them meals and helping to clean up around their house.

I jolted awake, confused. I glanced at the clock and saw it was just after three. Lying still and waiting for my cell to ring, which I assumed had woken me up, I grabbed it and looked at the screen. Waking it with a swipe, I noted that I had no missed calls.

Taking a look around, listening, trying to determine what had woken me, I stretched out an arm to lay it on Amber's back. Instead of feeling her warm skin, I felt cool sheets.

Sitting up, I peered around, straining my eyes to see through the darkness. I didn't see any lights on in the house, and it was completely quiet. Then I heard it. A soft meow, then a muffled sob.

Was that Amber? Was she - was she crying? Scrubbing my hands down my face, I stood and moved quietly to the bathroom down the hall. The door was closed, but light came from underneath.

Confused, I tapped on the door and opened it slowly, bracing myself for what I'd find.

Amber sat, knees to chest, head resting on top, face toward the door, her back against the wall near the tub. Even in the low light of the nightlight, I could see she'd been crying.

"Sweetness, what is it?" Moving toward her quickly, Snowball raced in past me and pressed himself to her side. Crouching down next to her, I placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted. Her beautiful aqua eyes were red and glistened with more tears. Her soft, delicate peaches and cream skin was damp and blotchy. I hadn't seen her this upset in ages.

Sliding a hand behind her back and the other under her legs, I lifted her slightly, then slid to sit where she'd been and pulled her only my lap. Cradling her sideways, I pressed the side of her face into my chest and stroked her hair.

Her crying had all but stopped when she whispered, "It's all I ever wanted, and I feel horrible, but I'm just so fucking jealous."

My arms tightened around her, and I kissed the top of her head.

"I know, I'm so sorry honey." Feeling the moisture level increasing in my own eyes, I blinked rapidly. My heart ached, knowing how much Amber hurt.

"Our baby would have been three months old by now."

"Oh, Amber, we can-"

Shaking her head wildly, she interrupted me.

"I can't go through it again. It was so hard. I don't know how I'd survive it. My mom had so many miscarriages, and I remember the last one, there's no way I could do that, Trent. I'm not that strong."

"Shhh, don't say that. You're the strongest woman I've ever known. I love you, and if it's you and me, then that's what we have, okay. I never imagined I'd find a woman that I could love this much, just don't ever pull away from me again, please honey, I can't take it."

I kept my imploring tone soft, but I'd beg her if I had to, no way I could go through a separation like that again.

Instead of answering, she snuggled her head deeper into my shoulder and rested her hand over my heart.

"I'm serious, you can't push me away again, okay?"

"Okay."

We sat like that for a long time, and I thought about our situation and Amber's mother's history.

"Do you know why your mom had so much trouble?"

She sat there for a minute, seemingly considering my question.

"No, we've never talked about it. I was too young to have understood if I was ever told."

"Did anyone else in your family have a similar issue?"

"Not that I know of, I haven't heard about anyone. My mom's sister has seven kids, but I don't know if she lost any."

It was the first time we'd talked like this, openly, about her miscarriage. As difficult as it was for me, and for her too I was sure, I knew it was important for us to be able, to be honest.