Page 149 of Bet Me Something

“My mother. She heard over the news that after winning your award, you had to leave because your wife went into labor. Damn press. She’s upset I haven’t contacted her yet.”

Knowing full well I wasn’t going to let Kenzie’s mother stress her out another minute, I bit the bullet by taking her phone and dialing.

Kenzie’s eyes went wide.

“Hi, Mrs. Lane.”

Her upset voice greeted me, but I didn’t hesitate in pushing forward. “I’m sorry to be calling so late at night, but wanted to let you know that Kenzie went into labor. With all the traffic around the Globes and chaos, we’re only now in the parking lot of the hospital, about to go inside.”

She calmed down considerably and let me know she’d be on a plane first thing in the morning. At least it wouldn’t be tonight.

“I’ll tell her. Safe travels and congratulations, Granny.” Hey, I couldn’t resist the nickname. It was clear that Kenzie’s mom was never going to really like me, which made it that much more fun to mess with her when the opportunity presented itself.

When I hung up the phone, Kenzie fell into a fit of giggles. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe you just called her Granny. That was awesome.” She threw her arms around me, kissing me with exuberance.

“She’ll be here most likely tomorrow, but you have a day at least.”

Kenzie sighed. “I’ll take it, and you’re my hero.”

I picked up her legs so that her feet were on my lap and slid off her shoes. When I massaged the first one gently, I enjoyed the little gasp of pleasure she expelled at the contact. “I’m already her least favorite person, so let me be the bad guy with her. I mean it, if she starts to stress you out, I’m throwing her out.”

Kenzie bit her lip, apparently enjoying the foot rub. “God, that feels good. If she steps over the line, she gets one warning, then I’ll throw her out myself. And I don’t think you’re her least favorite person, although finding out we were an item when she caught us kissing at the Christmas Eve party with your hands on my ass probably didn’t start you guys off on the right foot.”

I laughed at the memory from a couple years ago of her mom, in shock, dropping the glass she’d been holding. “I don’t seem to remember you minding. And can I help it if my hands wander there automatically? Matter of fact, your ass and I have become so acquainted over the last few weeks, with me only being able to do you from behind thanks to the belly, that I think I could dub myself a definite ‘ass man’ now.”

She smiled. “Careful with how you phrase that.” She shifted in her seat, sighing. “You would have to get me all hot and bothered at the most inconvenient time ever.”

Her voice was low and husky and made me think about all kinds of things, none of which were associated with being in a public place or keeping our clothes on in the back of this car.

“Are you kidding me? The fact that I’m able to turn my wife on while she’s in labor, at the hospital is like the crowning achievement of manhood.”

She gave me another kiss before wincing through what I assumed was another contraction. “All right, I’m done gorging myself. I guess we can go in now. Thanks for the foot rub, by the way. Best husband award definitely goes to you.”

She’d gone through the last forty weeks like a champ, making my role easy. I gathered up the trash, slipped her shoes on, and helped her out of the car.

“Remind me why we didn’t have a destination delivery?”

I laughed out loud. “Even if there were such a thing, I’m not sure your mother has gotten over the fact that Brian and Sasha didn’t tell her they were adopting until after they brought their son home. Nor do I think she’s forgiven us for eloping, so going off to have this baby would probably send her over the edge.”

She scoffed. “A true elopement would’ve meant she hadn’t been invited. She was there.”

In fact, our whole family and most of our friends, along with our exuberant rescue dog, Lucky, had attended our big engagement party almost a year ago, where we’d surprised them by turning it into our nuptials. I didn’t blame my bride for not wanting to deal with the aggravation of planning a wedding with her mother, so we’d unapologetically done it our way by getting married on the beach in Cabo in a low-key sunset ceremony. The only concession to her mother’s disappointment had been to let her throw us a large reception back in Virginia a month later. Kenzie may love her mother, and her mom may have made some positive changes to help their relationship, but the days of letting her dictate her life were long gone.

I led Kenzie into the maternity wing where we met my mom and Josh all of us looking hilariously out of place in formal wear. He handed me her bag which thankfully he’d insisted on taking with us tonight just in case and hugged me.

My brother had been especially supportive of me over the last few years and we’d grown closer both with professional respect and on a personal level. Last week we’d gone old school back home in our decrepit tree house drinking our father’s favorite whiskey with him telling me he was proud of the man I’d become. As if marrying the woman of my dreams, being nominated for my first major award and having a baby wasn’t enough to make me overly emotional, hearing those words from my big brother, who I’d always looked up to, about did me in.

Thankfully Kenzie had insisted that it just be the two of us in there for the birth, so when we went into her room it was only the nurses coming in and out. Even though I was nervous as hell, at least we were in it together.

She took my hand, looking completely at peace with the fact that we were about to become parents. “You doing okay, soon-to-be-my-baby-daddy?”

I grinned like a loon. “I sure am.” I couldn’t wait to become a dad. Since Josh had become a father again earlier this year and Brian for the first time only a month ago, I already had a welcoming committee waiting for me to enter the club, too.

“Promise me something, though,” Kenzie started, while changing out of her beautiful gown and into the hospital garb.

Helping her onto the bed, I watched her breathe through yet another contraction, one which seemed to come faster than those she’d had in the car. She rolled her eyes as if the interruption in conversation was annoying and then kept talking.

“Promise that even after this baby, we’ll still make time to go on tropical vacations and have hot, amazing sex like last night.”

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