Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“Yeah.” She shifts her gaze to me and her cheeks fill with a pretty pink color. “But you helped more.”
Even tired from giving birth to Jenna, with her hair a tangle of curls and dark circles under her eyes, she’s so fucking beautiful that I have to lean over and brush a kiss over her lips before I ask, “How’d I help?”
“The baby’s middle name always has the same initial as their mom, so Ann is for Aubrey, since I’m her mama.”
It’s like the whole world stops for a moment when it hits me what she’s about to say next. The nurse is still in the room with us, but the only people who matter to me right now are Aubrey and Jenna. I want this to be just ours for now, so I get up and bend over the bed, caging Aubrey in by pressing my hands into the mattress on either side of her head. Then I drop my forehead against hers and ask in the barest of whispers, “And her first name?”
“It’s supposed to be the same initial as her father, but I couldn’t do it. He doesn’t get to touch any part of my precious girl, not her name. Nothing.”
“Of course he doesn’t, sweetheart. He’d have to go through me to get to either of you, and that’s never gonna happen,” I swear.
Her eyes fill with tears and she nods. “When the nurse asked about her name, you popped into my head, the way you’ve taken care of me, the way you looked at her. It felt... right. I know I probably should’ve asked first, but… I—”
“Don’t ever try to apologize to me for this again.” I cup her cheeks with my palms and swipe the tears on her cheeks away with my thumbs. “Naming her Jenna after me? I’m so fucking honored and proud.” I have to swallow down a lump in my throat before I can continue. “I promise I’ll do right by both of you and earn that gift you just gave me.”
“Justin,” she whispers.
“Promise, Aubrey.” I squeeze her hand and touch my fingers to Jenna’s cheek, knowing that she and her mommy were always meant to be mine.
Chapter 9
AUBREY
I SMILE AT the nurse when she quietly enters the room then watch her get a soft look on her face when she searches for Jenna and finds her cuddled in Justin’s arms, both of them asleep in a chair next to my bed.
“You doing okay, honey?” She comes toward me, pulling the cart with a blood pressure cuff and thermometer attached.
“Yeah.” I look over at the man in the chair next to my bed, holding my beautiful girl, thinking good doesn’t even express half of what I am right now as she takes my vitals.
“Are you in the mood for company?”
“Company?”
She turns to look at me as she writes down the information from the machine on the whiteboard on the wall at the end of my bed. “There’s a whole bunch of people out in the waiting room who are looking forward to meeting your little beauty.”
“Are you sure they aren’t here for someone else?”
“I’m sure.” She smiles then says, “If you’re okay with them coming in, just press your call button and let the desk know.”
“Okay,” I reply, wondering who could be here.
“Do you need anything else right now?”
“I think I’m okay for now.” I watch her nod, and when she leaves, I look at Justin and see his eyes are open and on me. “The nurse said people are here.”
“I heard. Do you feel up to having people around?”
“I don’t know,” I admit quietly. There’s a very short list of people I’d be comfortable having in the room with Jenna so soon. She was only born a few hours ago, but that doesn’t mean that my maternal instincts aren’t already in full swing. “Would you mind going out there to see who it is?”
“I don’t even need to leave the room to figure that out.” He offers me a reassuring smile as he shifts his hold on Jenna so he can pull his phone out of his pocket. “Kenton sent me a text when the lactation consultant was here to help you get Jenna to latch on the first time. He and Autumn were getting ready to come to the hospital to check on us. They should be here by now. I can ask him who else is out there with them.”
“Your friends came to check on us?” My voice wavers at the end, and Justin’s head jerks up. After he scans my face, he drops his phone in his lap and reaches out to take my hand. I give him a weak smile and explain, “It’s just been awhile since I’ve had people in my life who care enough to go out of their way. I… I thought I left that behind in Vegas with my family.”