Page 63 of Merritt and Her Childhood Crush
Not until tonight, when I had to leave Merritt at dinner, when I saw her face before I left, did I reallygetwhat Mom meant.
But what am I supposed to do? I had to come. At least for Izzy.
But where I want to be at this exact moment is wherever Merritt Markham is. And since Cass seems just fine, I’m itching to gonow.
“Have you heard from Adam?”
Cassidy’s mouth tightens, but she forces it into a smile. “No. The hospital said surgery should be done in an hour. Maybe two.”
“You’re okay, though?”
She glances toward the machine. Maybe I should remember what kinds of things it’s tracking, but I don’t.
“I think so. They gave me some drugs to slow the labor down, and now it’s a waiting game to see if that works. You and Izzy can go. I’ll be fine until Adam gets here.”
“You sure?”
Cassidy nods, but then her expression shifts. “But even if the labor does fully stop now, it looks like I might be here for a while.”
“I can take Izzy for a couple of nights. No problem.”
This was always the plan once Cass went into labor. We’re just doing a little trial run.
I’m already thinking of Isabelle’s schedule and what I’ll need from the store. Last I looked, my fridge had some medications for the dogs, expired milk, and not much else. I always keep clean—or, pretty clean—sheets on the twin bed in her room. The dogs will be excited to see her. Banjo will be thrilled. Izzy gave him his name and bottle-fed him when I first brought him home. We’re all always happy to have her around.
Except, maybe not this exact moment. Because one thing Merritt and I didn’t get to talk about was the fact that I’m a dad now. And I have a daughter who shares Merritt’s middle name. The name we once dreamed about using for our own child. Definitely a conversation aboutthatis coming.
“No, Hunter,” Cassidy says, shaking her head. “What I mean to say is they’re putting me on bed rest and want to monitor me until delivery. You’ll need to take Isabelle for the next fewweeks.”
At that moment, Isabelle looks up from her screen. “Daddy!” she cries, launching herself across the room and into my arms. “You’re here!”
I crouch down to catch her, then stand up, taking her with me in a giant hug. “Hey, ladybug.”
“I calmed Mommy down,” she says, leaning back so she can look into my eyes. “Did she tell you?”
“She did. I’m glad you were here, Izz.”
“Me too. The nurses said they should offer me a job. Oh!” Her eyes dart nervously to her mom before she leans in again. “One of the nurses was really pretty,” Izzy whispers in my ear. “I might have given her your number.”
* * *
Mom meetsme as soon as I cross the bridge onto Oakley, and I transfer a sleeping Isabelle into her car. “M&Ms,” she mumbles as I buckle her in.
“Got it, ladybug,” I tell her, closing the car door as softly as I can. “You’ll be okay getting her in the house?”
Mom scoffs. “I can’t carry her, if that’s what you’re asking. But I have a feeling she’ll hit her second wind. We’ll be fine.” She pauses, and I don’t miss the smirk on her face. “You have fungetting groceries.Take your time.”
The way she says getting groceries sounds like a euphemism, and I really don’t want to think about what, exactly, my mom means.
“I’ve got all night,” she adds with a wink, and now I knowexactlywhat she means.
“Mom. Please. No.”
Sobering a bit, she asks, “And you’ll have Izzy for a while?”
“A few weeks. Until the baby is born, however long that takes.”
“The timing,” she mutters. “Well, your father and I are around. We’ll help any time. Especially if you need toget groceries.”
