Inflame

Chapter 35

Kale

AFTER FINALLY opening up about Tara and the baby, Lucy and I have been closer than ever. She’s helped me realize that I never did grieve the way I should have, yet at the same time, I’ve learned that life’s gotten easier as I’ve let go of old wounds.

“Baby, we’ve got to go or else we’re going to be late!” I yell to the back bedroom, where Lucy shooed me out of earlier.

I’m pacing the living room, more than ready to loosen the green tie she encouraged me to wear. It’s late May, and Mother Nature already decided that summer should come early. I know I’ll be losing my jacket and rolling up my sleeves before the night’s over, and I fight the urge to go ahead and do it now.

As I hear the bedroom door open, I turn, my breath taken away as I catch sight of her. She’s an absolute vision, and my mouth waters as I scan her from head to toe. I didn’t think she could get any sexier than she was at her baby shower, but the sight of her now, nearly nine months pregnant and radiating sexuality, has me on edge. She’s grinning at me sheepishly as she watches my eyes creep up her tan, toned legs as I take in the sight of her. Her long blonde hair is twisted and pinned to the side, and she’s gone for the smoky effect with her eye makeup. She’s wearing a short, lacy black dress that clings to every single curve, highlighting her bump. I have no idea how she’s going to be comfortable, but she looks absolutely breathtaking. A silver chain adorns her neck, and the charm bracelet I gave her for the baby shower is on her wrist. She gives me a warm smile as she walks towards me.

“Have I ever told you how sexy you look in a suit?” she asks, her eyes raking over my body.

“Baby, you always tell me I look sexy,” I tease, and I dodge as she goes to give me a playful slap.

“Okay, let’s get a move on. My back’s been killing me all day, and all I want to do is sit.”

She slips into her standard black flats and grabs her purse as we make our way out of the house. Leading her to the car, I gently help lower her into it. Now that she’s nine months pregnant, every move she makes worries me, and I know it’s going to be hard to keep my eyes off her through the night.

When we arrive in Belle Meade an hour later, I’m taken aback as I see the Wellington home. Knowing Knox, I never would’ve guessed he grew up in a place like this. As I hand my keys off to the valet, I try to come to grips with the fact that this is the home of a guy whose bone I’ve seen protruding through his skin. He never let on that he came from money, and as Lucy and I walk down the long hallway, I catch sight of a newspaper clipping that shows him lying on stretcher, waiting for medevac. Lucy’s eyes widen when she sees it, and I wrap an arm around her protectively.

“Just think. If the explosion hadn’t happened, we might not even be here right now,” I whisper to her. “Everything happens for a reason, baby. Believe it.”

She nods in agreement as she continues to scan the article.

“Oh, you made it!” I turn and see Lucy moving towards Charlie, both of them arms wide open. “I know you probably hated sitting in the car on the way here, but I’m so glad to see you. After all, what kind of engagement party would it be without my best friend and maid of honor?”

Lucy grins at her and looks down at her stomach. “Trust me. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I’m just thankful you set your wedding for August so this little guy doesn’t have to make an appearance in every single wedding photo.”

“Trust me. If it were up to Knox, we would’ve already gone to Vegas and gotten it over with, but I think Dad would kill me if he didn’t get to walk his only girl down the aisle. Knox just has to deal. Speaking of, let’s go get you something to drink and find my groom.” She loops her arm through Lucy’s and then heads off in the direction of the backyard. I follow closely behind.

Finding Knox, Jace, and Lexi, we settle into comfortable conversation as Charlie tries to pry the gender of Lexi’s baby out of her. For some reason, Jace and Lexi are keeping it to themselves, something that’s driving Charlie absolutely nuts.

Knox’s younger brother, Cohen, joins the group. I got to know him a little last year when Knox was laid up, and he’s a pretty cool kid. I watch as Knox wraps an arm around his shoulder then looks at me with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

“Guess who’s got a new main squeeze, Montgomery?” he teases, bringing his brother into a headlock.

“Dammit, Knox. I told you that shit in confidence. Plus, she’s not my main squeeze. She’s not my anything. In fact, I’m pretty sure she hates my guts.”

Jace starts laughing and looks between me, Cohen, and Knox.

“All right, Montgomery. Now’s your chance. Let him have it.”

I shake my head. I’d almost feel bad for the guy if I didn’t know just how well they worked for me. I lean in close, and Cohen looks at me with nervous eyes as soon as I say those two promising words.

Charlie cracks up and gives his hair a ruffle. “Oh, Cohen. This is going to be fun.”

Lucy

THE NIGHT continues on as the live band starts to play. It’s an unusually warm May day, and I’m thankful I thought to put my hair up to keep my neck cool. Although I try to mingle as much as possible, eventually I have to find a seat to rest in. I’m going to be worn out by the time I get home. Hell, I’m already worn out. My back’s still killing me, and my uterus is screaming at me as what feels like menstrual cramps set in. I’m sitting on a bench, enjoying the music, trying to convince myself I’m experiencing Braxton Hicks and that I’m not actually in labor. Looking around, I see Kale across the yard talking with Jace. I take short, shallow breaths, and I close my eyes, willing this not to be happening.

“Um, excuse me, miss. Are you okay?” The slow Southern drawl is sexy, sophisticated, and it’s honestly the last thing I need—or want—to hear as I’m trying to control my breathing.

He crouches down in front of me and takes hold of my hand. Shaking my head, I wince as a sharp pain slices through me, and I squeeze his hand tight, trying to brace myself. Without waiting for me to answer, he snaps at a nearby partygoer, signaling for them to dial 911.

“I… Oh, son of a…” I cut myself off as a warm rush of liquid flows out of me. “I’m so, so sorry, but I think my water just broke. Holy shit. Oh God. Oh God. It got on your suit. Holy shit. Umm, I think I’m having a baby. In a backyard.”

I feel the stranger sit on the bench beside me. He slides his hand around my waist, using his other hand to brush away the hair from my face.

“Shhh. You’re safe. I’ve no doubt you’re a strong, beautiful woman, and you can do this. I won’t leave you. I promise. An ambulance is already on the way, and if you can hold off just a little longer, you won’t have to give birth on the grass.”

When my eyes finally reach his face, I realize that he looks familiar, but I can’t place him.

“Do... Do I know you?” I ask, shivering as the pain of a contraction roils through me.

He allows me to grip his hand, and he doesn’t even flinch at how hard I squeeze, almost as if I can transfer the pain to him.

He leans in and gives me a rueful smile. “Name’s Branson. I’m Knox’s big brother, and I haven’t always been well liked around these parts, which is probably why we’re not acquainted.”

As the pain of the last contraction subsides, I glance up at him. He looks at me with earnest care, and I give him a small smile.

“I’m Lucy. And I don’t know, Branson. You seem pretty okay to me.”

He chuckles, shifting me in his arms as he scans the yard, signaling to an unseen person. “You’d be the only person to say so, but I’m workin’ on it.”

Before I can respond, a sharp pain shoots in my belly, and I double over, wincing at the pain.

“Lucy, you okay?” I can hear the panic in his voice.

Clutching his arm, I grasp as hard as I can. “Branson…” I breathe. “As much as I love clinging to you, can you please find Kale for me? If I’m about to have his baby on your parents’ lawn, I should at least warn him, right?”

Branson gives me a beautiful, reassuring smile as his hand strokes my back. “Don’t worry, Lucy. We’ll take care of you. ”

I give him a weak smile as a sharp pain assaults my belly, and I double over in pain once again. All of a sudden, I feel a flurry of activity around me, and I look up just in time to see Knox pushing Branson away. Kale’s by my side, and I look up at him, gesturing towards Knox.

“Make sure to thank Branson,” I insist. Kale frowns down at me, but I don’t back down. “Kale, he was there when my water broke—on his suit, I might add. He held my hand through the pain. I don’t care who he is or who doesn’t like him. I’m just thankful he was around.”

Nodding, Kale gives me a tight smile as Knox returns. He gives Kale a slap on the shoulder then looks down on me.

“I guess this is the little guy’s way of getting back at me for stealing his thunder,” Knox jokes, and I give him a sheepish grin.

My next contraction starts just as the paramedics arrive, and they quickly load me onto a stretcher. Kale follows behind, and it’s a matter of time before we’re wheeled into a whirlwind of activity.

Kales grips my hand in the ambulance, and I look up at him. “Kale? I’m as much as I love Sprout, I’m really glad I’m not giving birth in the grass.”

Grinning, he shakes his head at me. “I’m glad, too.”

I DIDN’T actually have to worry about having a baby in the Wellingtons’ backyard because even after my water broke, Sprout decided to delay his entrance into the world. Fortunately, it was enough time for me to have an epidural, something Kale scowled at me for, but I didn’t care. Until he is the one dealing with labor pains, he doesn’t get a say.

“Okay, Lucy, it’s about that time,” the doctor informs me. “You’re fully dilated and we need to get you ready to push.”

Nodding, I let out a long, slow deep breath, more than ready to meet my son. A nurse in salmon-colored scrubs directs Kale to grab one of my legs. He squeezes my hand one last time and moves to the end of the bed, and I lurch forward in protest. I don’t care how many times his head’s been between my legs. The last thing I want is to traumatize him by seeing a baby’s head coming out of that sacred spot.

“Baby, it’s fine. I don’t mind,” he reassures me, but I shake my head. He cocks an eyebrow up at me, giving me a nod with a smile on his face, almost as if he can read my mind. “I promise I won’t look if that’s what you’re worried about. But you’ve got to push, and I want to help. Let me do this.”

Letting out a deep breath, I concede, knowing that I won’t change his mind no matter how much I want to protest. In the end, when it comes time to push, I barely register that anyone else is in the room. His coaching and encouragement through each push helps keep my focus on him, and even though he promised not to look, I see the way his eyes light up the moment I feel the baby escape from my body. Exhaustion flows through me as I lean back against the bed. Kale looks up at me with watery eyes, giving me the widest smile I’ve ever seen on his face. His expression is full of elation, awe, and pure love.

The sound of the baby crying snaps my attention, and I watch as he’s wrapped in a blanket then handed to Kale. He walks towards me and gently sits on the side of my bed.

“Hey, Sprout, meet your momma,” he whispers, lowering the baby into my arms. An overwhelming sob racks through my body at the sight of him—our precious, perfect baby boy. Kale brushes my sweaty hair aside and leans down to give me a kiss on the forehead. “You did amazing, baby. That was amazing. Like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It was the biggest rush of my life. Bombs have nothin’ on babies.”

Laughter escapes me, and I grin up at him then down at my son. “Hear that, Sprout? You’re more exciting than explosives. Don’t go getting any ideas now.”

“Okay, Momma. As much as I love Sprout, that’s not going on the birth certificate. Are you ready?” he asks, peering down at me.

After weeks of disagreeing on names, we finally decided that we’d split it. I get the first name and he gets the middle, and we both have one veto each. As much as Kale’s baby naming scares me, I’m excited to give our son a name.

“On the count of three?” I ask, and he nods. “One… two… three.”

“Austin,” he says at the same time as I tell him, “Jacob.”

“Jacob Austin Montgomery?” I try the name out and realize that it’s perfect. “I love it.”

Kale leans onto the mattress and gives me a smirk. “You know what this means, right?”

Frowning at him, I shake my head. “I don’t, and I’m not sure I want to.”

He brings a finger up to stroke Jacob’s face. “He’s got one awesome set of initials.” I look at him in confusion. “JAM! Seriously. I had no idea you were even picking a J name, but it worked out perfectly.”

I groan then give him a teasing smile. “Can I use a veto?” I ask jokingly, and he shakes his head.

“No way. From here on out, it’s you, me, and Jacob. Just like it’s meant to be.”