Page 104 of Second Start: Family
She reached out a hand toward her brother, then pulled it back. Bodie flinched. She clearly saw it and quickly put her arms around him and hugged.
Bodie hugged her back, eyes closed, with no masking of his relief and love.
Cambria, off to the side, wiped her eyes.
As brother and sister released the embrace, Hall heard him say, “Think there’s someone else who’d like a word with you.” And nodded toward Hall, who’d stopped a few feet short of them.
“And two words to you, Bodie,” Hall said. “Thank you.”
He stretched out his hand. Bodie returned the grip and nodded.
Hall’s gaze was already on Kenzie.
“I meant what I said in there. I love you Kenzie.” He didn’t care who heard it, but it seemed the others had melted back toward the main group. “If I’ve left any doubt, I’ll make it up to you—”
“You won’t, because there’s no need. Protecting your son, all your kids—”
“Never any need to protect them from you. I’ve got to wait for Danny, then have a talk, the two of us. But after, if I could come see you, Kenzie, instead of here in the hallway and—”
“Yes. You and Dan talk, then you and I can. But I’ll say now, we’ll take things slow, Hall. There’s no reason to hurry—”
“The hell there isn’t.” He stepped in close, his back to the rest of them, his body blocking anyone else’s view of Kenzie, but he doubted anyone would miss when he leaned over to kiss her.
He didn’t care.
That annoying need for oxygen made him back off enough so their mouths brushed.
She moved one hand from around his neck to touch his cheek. “Hall—”
Whatever she was going to say — probably more about taking things slow and reasonable — was lost by a sudden upsurge of voices behind them.
“The baby—”
“Ellyn’s water broke.”
“She’s having the baby — now.”
“At least we’re close to the hospital here.”
“Ellyn, you had to be feeling—” Kendra started.
“I wasn’t missing what happened with Hall and Dan.”
“Stubborn woman,” her husband, Grif, said. “We need to get you to the hospital.”
“Now,” Ellyn agreed with enough emphasis to get everyone moving fast.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Grif was with Ellyn. Her mother and their two older kids were in an area near the birthing room.
The rest of them were relegated to the hospital’s main waiting room.
Grateful they were here, not that small, private area across the hall, Hall sat beside Kenzie, with Dan on his other side, but with an empty chair between them.
They’d filled in some gaps.
Cully telling them how he and Bodie started tracking down the headmaster when they left the schoolhouse yesterday. After they heard about the fire and turned back, Cambria drove so Cully and Bodie could work the phones, persuading the man and arranging last-minute transportation.
