Beautifully Awake

“Lil, thank god, what took you so long?” Sierra picked up on the first ring. “I’m not in labor, right? I can’t be in labor, I’m only thirty-six weeks. I thought this little shit needed to cook for forty weeks.”

I chuckled because I just couldn’t help it. “Um, Sier, hi! And yes it’s possible you’re in labor—people have babies early all the time—but maybe you’re just having those Braxton Hicks contractions.”

“Shit, Dodd’s gonna kill me. He told me we shouldn’t have had sex this morning because I could go into labor. And now he’s on a goddamn plane for the next six hours. Fuck, I told him he didn’t know what the hell he was talking about—we had four more weeks. I practically shoved his dick inside me. I’m such a horny bitch.”

I laughed so freaking hard I couldn’t talk.

“Quit your freaking laughing … ah shit!”

“What! You’re contracting?”

“No. I’m looking at my sucky toes. I need a pedicure stat. This chick is screwing with my plans.”

“You’re worried about your freaking nails and you might be in labor. Do me a favor before you rush to the nail salon ... call the doctor and I’ll meet you there. If you’re in labor we need Dodd on the next flight home. I’m not dealing with your craziness by myself.”

“All right, ass, I’m calling. I’ll text you when I have my appointment time.”

“K, bye. Oh and Sier, you’re so not in labor because we’ve been chatting at least five minutes and you haven’t contracted once.”

“Hey, just ‘cuz you’re fucking a doctor, doesn’t make you a doctor. Hell ... who am I kidding? You’re probably right, this sucks.”

“You’re a nut. Just call the doctor.”

“Fine.”

“Good. Then text me ... and Sier, I’m so excited for you. It’s really close, you know. You’re almost at the finish line. Hang in there.”

“Me too. Thanks.”

She was so not in labor, but that didn’t stop my excitement from bubbling to the surface. I was borderline giddy when I hung up the phone. It was crazy how the past eight months flew by. For me, at least. Sierra was going to be a mom.

6:15 tonight OB appt.

C u there.

Call if anything changes.

K.

Thx aunt lili!

Well, no sticky finger dinner for two. At least not tonight. But I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Sierra had dropped so much of her life for me over the years it was my turn. My honor. Chase could handle a night solo.

“Closed, long and firm. What the fuck is that?” Sierra hissed, a little too loud.

I closed the exam room door behind us. “Shhhh ... at least wait until we are outside.”

Oh, she was pissed, and not because the office staff left us in the exam room for over an hour before her doctor came in to examine her.

“Lil, this sucks. Long and firm. What the hell? I’m never going into labor.”

Disappointment was written all over her face. I felt bad for her. Hell, I was even a little disappointed. “You’re only thirty-six weeks, you don’t want to go into labor yet. You even said she needed to cook for forty weeks. This is a good thing. And you heard your OB, her growth is good, her fluid is good. She’ll come when she’s ready. Besides, now you have a chance to get your pedicure, and if I remember correctly, you were pissed just a couple hours ago when you thought you couldn’t get it.”

Sierra rolled her eyes even though she knew I was right. Typical. She scheduled her appointment for next week at the front desk. Her manners were ... questionable, but she held it together, for the most part. The clock above the receptionist read eight fifteen. It was late. I was hungry; Sierra was cranky. Not my vision of how I wanted tonight to go down. We turned to leave the reception area, and sitting in the waiting room by the door was six feet plus of beautiful, head down, concentrating on his iPad.

I rubbed the nape of Chase’s neck to get his attention. “Hey, what are you doing here?” His hair was getting a little long. He needed a haircut. It looked amazing.

He wasn’t startled or surprised, like he’d been waiting a while. “How’d you do?” His voice was ... sincere. He didn’t answer my question but looked straight up to Sierra instead. I loved that.

Sierra shrugged. “False alarm. It’s a good thing, I guess.” She glanced back at me, then back at Chase. “Shit. I totally ruined your night, didn’t I? I’m sorry.”

Chase flipped the cover over his iPad to close it and stood up. “You didn’t ruin anything, just glad everything turned out okay.”

I smiled and squeezed Sierra’s hand. “We can eat on the floor with our hands anytime. Whatever.”

“Like now, hungry?”

Oh. Awkward. “It’s late, Chase. And I want to make sure Sierra gets home. Besides, I canceled our reservation.” I had called him earlier, spilled the beans about the night I planned and promised to make it up to him.

Chase didn’t bat an eye. “We have to eat. Let’s go, my car is outside. Of course I’m going to make sure Sierra gets home ... after I feed her.” He winked at both of us. “I changed the reservation. For three. But Blue, sorry to bust your bubble, Sierra and I are not sitting on the floor.” Sierra chuckled and smiled. She smiled so big my heart could have burst from my chest. Was this man for real? Screw a fancy diaper bag, this meant the world to me.

Ethiopian food was delicious. Not at all what I expected. Thankfully, Dr. Sophisticated ordered for the table because the menu was pure hieroglyphics to Sierra and me. We ate with our hands, made a huge mess, and talked about everything and nothing. Chase told us the little boy hooked up to the KimCore had done really well and was going home in a couple of days. Then he told us about a really tough case he had and even casually admitted Guy was a big help in the OR. Sierra and I recapped some of the latest CJ and Kate drama, wondering why we still hadn’t met him and when she was going to realize she deserved better. I hinted at a possible Asher, Kate introduction. Chase shot my idea down, “Forget it, Blue.” We talked about my dad and Sharon’s upcoming visit and somewhere I found the courage to mention Wrangel’s changing Main Street. Sierra knew fuck-face and family were relocating, but she had no idea Chase now owned the property and evicted them. I kept it quiet for now because even broaching this topic was huge for me. Sierra knew it and so did Chase. Surrounded by the two people who knew me better than anyone, I couldn’t have felt safer or more loved. They both supported me in their own way, the way I needed. Chase scooted his chair a hair closer, entwined our fingers and pressed our hands against his thigh under the table. His eyes never wavered from mine. And Sierra did what Sierra does and changed the subject at the first hint I was getting uncomfortable.

“So who would have guessed?” She slapped her sassy hands on the sides of her plate, drawing us back from the heaviness starting to surround our small table. Her grin was mischievous; her focus on Chase as she picked up her wine glass motioning a toast. It was seltzer all around tonight. Chase was driving, and even though I said I was too tired for wine, that was a lie. Knowing Chase’s demons with drinking and driving, I had no desire. If we were driving, we weren’t drinking. Period.

“Turns out you and my cervix have something in common, or so I’ve heard.”

Ummmm??

Sierra clinked our glasses. “To long and firm!”

Oh my god. Going to kill her.

I turned seventeen shades of red. Sierra twinkled, she was so proud of herself. This was how she aimed to change the subject. Total overshot.

Chase roared. He freaking laughed his ass off. I’d never heard a better sound in my life. Best sound ever. My perma-grin from seeing him so relaxed and carefree reached my eyes, but I was speechless, shaking my head in disbelief. Only Sierra.

Sierra ticked her head at me as if to say, come on, that’s funny. All right. It was. But there was no way in hell I was encouraging her. No telling where she’d go next. And I changed my mind, Leanne was a timid kitty compared to what Sierra just let loose.