Page 80 of Love is a Drum Beat
Only… “Meet your daughter,” the nurse said.
Jo’s mouth fell open. “Daughter?” A smile stretched across her lips. “I have a daughter?” She laughed. “I was prepared for a son, but now I can’t imagine having any baby but her. How did this happen?” She looked to her doctor.
Dax’s mom smiled. “Sometimes, we get it wrong, Jo. Congratulations on your baby girl.”
The nurse put the baby girl in Jo’s arms. “Pull down your robe a bit and rest her against your skin.”
As Dax watched them, he realized he wasn’t only in love with one girl.
There were two.
* * *
Jo would have slept holding her daughter if she could, but after she was cleaned up and checked out, a nurse put the baby in a bassinet near the bed instead.
Dax’s mom gestured for him to come out into the hall. “She needs rest, son. My shift ended hours ago, so I’m headed home.”
“Hours ago?”
“Honey, there wasn’t a chance I’d leave the delivering of this baby to anyone else.” She patted his cheek. “Don’t forget our waiting room full of rock stars who deserve the news.”
After she left, Dax glanced back in at the sleeping Jo. She deserved every bit of rest for being a superhero.
Weariness overcame him as he headed toward the waiting room. Was it really only yesterday he’d woken up in Jo’s bed? He checked the time on his phone. Five AM.
Rubbing a hand over his hair, he brought it down to the ridiculous outfit he wore. But he was too happy to care.
When he entered the waiting room, the group stood as one. They were missing Melanie—who’d taken Stella to sleep. But it wasn’t lost on him that these guys stayed here all night.
Dax smiled despite his tiredness and spread his hands. “Rockstars Anonymous has a girl.”
A cheer wound up toward the ceiling. Dax looked to the other people waiting, but they only gawked at the group.
Footsteps sounded, coming their way. A tall woman in a navy pant suit with her black hair in tiny braids approached them. “Hello. I’m Laquisha, an administrator at this hospital. I’ve been called in early because of the VIPs in one of the waiting rooms. Are you here for Jo Jackson?”
They all nodded.
“I can escort you to a more comfortable waiting room with food and beverages.”
Noah crossed his arms. “Is it in this part of the hospital?”
She shook her head. “The South Wing is a bit of a walk.”
Noah sat. “We’re good then. We won’t leave Jo.”
Laquisha raised an eyebrow. “Okay. I’m afraid I have to address another matter. The receptionist downstairs claims three of you say you are the father of Jo Jackson’s baby. If there are DNA tests to be run, we can get you started on the process.”
All four men looked at each other.
Ben raised his hands. “Not me. I was just an accomplice to Noah saying the baby was his.”
Drew shrugged. “It was the only way to get past that scary woman at reception.”
“You mean the one doing her job?” Dax groaned.
Drew slipped his arm over Dax’s shoulders. “She said three. If Ben is out, that means…”
“Fine. I said it too.”
