Page 72 of Safe at Home

“Let's go hang out in the waiting room. Emma, do you have that card game with you?” Penelope asked.

Emma laughed. "Cards Against Humanity is in my car. I can go get it!”

“Please, tell me we’re not too late!” said a familiar voice that shocked me but made me grin as my best friend entered my hospital room.

Not too long ago, I had finally been given my epidural, so I was feeling very good.

“Meadow!” I cried. “How are you here?”

“Girl, if you think I’d miss the birth of my nieces or nephews, you’re crazy!” Meadow beelined for me and hugged me tightly. “I brought someone else with me, too!”

“You didn’t think I would miss this either, did you?”

“Hunter fucking Montgomery!” Tyler said and stood from his chair at the side of my bed. “I have missed you, asshole!”

“I’ve missed you more than you know. The catcher they called up to replace you took your spot as my roommate, too. Not only is he not the best catcher, but he snores and doesn’t clean up after himself. It’s horrible!”

“He won’t last,” Ty said with a shrug after he gave Hunter a huge hug.

“Hey, Short Stuff!” Hunter said as he came over and gave me a big hug, too.

“How did you guys end up coming together?”

“I texted him that I wouldn’t miss this. There was a direct flight from New York to Cincinnati, and he should come, too.”

“I found a flight from Memphis to Cincinnati. Memphis was only a little over an hour drive from my parents’ house, and I made it just in time. My flight arrived only half an hour after Meadow’s, so we rented a car together and drove the 2 and a half hours here,” Hunter said.

“I love that you’re both here!” I said with a huge grin on my face. My babies were going to have so many of the best real and honorary aunts and uncles!

“I do, too,” Ty said. “But what were you doing at your parents’ house?”

“I’m staying there during the off-season,” Hunter said with a sigh. “Chloe kicked me out of our apartment in North Carolina after I broke up with her.”

“What?!” Meadow practically shrieked as she turned and gave the tall, attractive man all her attention. She placed her hands on her hips and said, “You didn’t tell me that.”

“There wasn’t a good time to tell you yet, Pip,” Hunter said, and I noticed that he and Tyler shared a look. “Especially after you told me that Ryan finally proposed…”

I wondered why Hunter called my best friend Pip but then heard the rest of what he said, and it was my turn to practically shriek. “What?! You told Hunter before you told me or Penelope?”

“I didn’t want to steal your thunder with having the babies. I was going to tell you after they were born,” Meadow explained. “Ryan just proposed right before I came here.”

“Right before you came here? What do you mean?” I asked. I gave Tyler a look, and he raised his eyebrows in answer. I was sure my husband was thinking what I was thinking. Ryan proposed because he knew she’d be spending time with Hunter.

“Where is your ring?” I asked. Ryan was a lawyer and made very good money. I could only imagine the ring he would buy her.

“Well, he said it’s at the jewelers getting sized. He would have it for me when I got back from visiting you.”

I nodded. I had never really liked Ryan, but Meadow already knew that. He was probably looking for a ring now and didn’t already have one.

“Sure…. ‘getting sized,’” Hunter said with air quotes. He didn’t believe Ryan’s bullshit either.

“Well, anyway,” Meadow said, ignoring what Hunter said. “I think we’re going to have a wedding next summer. You have to be my Maid of Honor, Molly.”

“Of course, I’ll be your Matron of Honor,” I exclaimed, even if I didn’t think she should marry him.

“I asked Ryan how he felt about you being a bridesman, Hunt, but he was against that.”

“What the hell is a bridesman?” Tyler asked with a laugh.

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