“Um, I think it’s safe to say that it isn’t fine. Or at least, he’s not fine.”
Liz fanned her face with her hand. “It’s like the moment Emma left the hotel, he freaked out. He woke up out of a dead sleep screaming for his mama. The poor baby-sitter hung in as long as she could before she finally called us.”
Megan cocked her head at Noah. “Poor thing.” She bypassed her aunts to hold out her arms. Considering he’d spent so much time with her, Noah happily reached for her, and Megan pulled him into her embrace. “Hey buddy, you’ve got to stop crying.”
He was snubbing so hard his breath came in big hiccups as his chest heaved. “Mama. Want mama,” he pleaded pitifully.
Megan hugged him tight to her chest. “I know, sweetie. But she’s at the hospital having your baby sister.”
Her answer didn’t satisfy him since he drew in a deep breath to start screaming again. She smiled at him. “You wanna go downstairs to the party?” He appeared thoughtful. “Pesh is downstairs. You wanna see him?”
“Esh?”
Megan laughed. “Yes, he’s down there.”
“See Esh,” he said, kicking his feet as if to tell her to start walking.
“Here. I’ll take him,” her mother suggested, reaching for Noah.
He shrieked before wrapping his arms tighter around Megan’s neck. “I think it’s safe to say he’s staying with me.”
“But it’s your engagement party,” Julia protested.
“Yes, and I’ve been enjoying it the last four hours. I don’t think watching him is going to take away anything for me.”
As she started out the doorway, she asked, “Is Mason okay?”
Her mother nodded. “Thank goodness he’s down the hall, or we’d have two toddlers running around at eleven o’clock.”
Megan giggled as she walked down the hall. Her necklace and the beaded sari seemed to be holding Noah’s interest. “Pretty, huh?” she asked, as they got on the elevator.
“Ooh, pwetty,” he mimicked.
When she got back downstairs, Pesh was seated at their table, talking to some of their colleagues. The moment Noah saw him, he reached out for Pesh. “Well hello, little one. Were you really crying because you wanted to come to our party?”
Noah grinned at Pesh behind his pacifier, which caused Pesh to smile. “He looks so much like Aidan when he does that, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, he does. I’m sure he’s going to use that cute little grin to his advantage when he gets older, just like his daddy did.” She eased into the chair beside them.
After spitting out his pacifier, Noah asked, “Daddy?”
“Uh, oh, I shouldn’t have said that,” Megan muttered under her breath.
“My daddy?”
“He’s at the hospital with Mommy. We’ll take you there in the morning,” she replied.
That statement caused Noah’s lip to tremble. Before he could start crying, Pesh rose out of his chair. “Let’s go look at all the pretty party decorations.”
Megan smiled as she watched Pesh take Noah around the room. Her heart warmed at his thoughtfulness. She couldn’t believe there was ever a time when she fought her feelings for him. There wasn’t a better man in the whole world, and the fact that he loved her was a true miracle.
By the time Pesh returned, Noah had fallen asleep. He carefully sat back down beside her. “Here,” she suggested, taking off her glittering drape. She wrapped the fabric over Noah like a blanket.
“Did I mention how much I loved you in a sari?” Pesh questioned, with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
She glanced down to see the top had her boobs bulging out the front as well as the fact her stomach was now bared. “I’ll have to wear one more often for you.”
“I would love that.”
When her phone beeped, she reached across the table and grabbed it. “Oh my God!”
“What?” Pesh asked.
“That was Aidan. The baby is already here.”
“Considering it’s a second baby, it isn’t too surprising.”
“I need to tell my mom and aunts.”
He nodded. “Go ahead. We’re fine.”
Megan smiled at Noah sleeping soundly against Pesh’s chest. “Be right back.” She made her way over to her family’s table. “That was Aidan. Caroline was just born.”
A whoop went up around the table. “Is Emma okay?” Becky asked.
Megan nodded. “He said mother and baby are doing great.”
Julia shook her head and smiled. “Aidan with a daughter—now that’s going to be something to see.”
They all laughed. “That’s so true,” Megan said.
Becky glanced at the group. “Why don’t we go see them? I mean, the hospital isn’t too far from here.”
Angie nodded. “Sounds good to me. I’d personally like to see Aidan in action with his baby girl.”
With a snort, Megan added, “I would have liked to have been in the delivery room when she was first born. His expression then would have been priceless.”
“I bet he cried,” Liz said.
“Oh yeah, he bawled for sure,” Angie replied, with a grin.
As her aunts started gathering up their purses and telling their husbands where they were going, Megan said, “I want to go too.” Before they could argue, she held up her hand. “It’s late. The party is pretty much over, and there’s two more next week at some of Pesh’s relatives’ houses. Besides, I want to see the newest Fitzgerald baby girl.”
Her mother frowned. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
“All right. Go tell Pesh, and we’ll meet you out front.”
She smiled as she went back to their table. “My mom and aunts are going to the hospital to see Aidan and Emma.”
“You want to go?”
Her heart warmed at the fact that he already knew what she was feeling. “Do you mind?”
He shook his head. “Of course not. Can I go too or is this just a hen party thing for the women?”
She laughed. “Yes, you can come.”
Pesh glanced down at Noah. “He’s going to want to see his mother.”
“Oh yes. I don’t think we could go without him.”
As Pesh rose out of the chair, Noah stirred but didn’t wake up. “Get Aidan and Emma’s keys out of my pocket.”
She nodded and reached into his pants. When she accidentally touched his penis through the fabric, he jumped. “Sorry about that,” she replied, as she pulled out the keys.
“No problem,” he muttered through gritted teeth.
They said a quick goodnight to Pesh’s parents and other relatives who remained. Then they headed out to the lobby. After giving the valet Aidan’s keys, they waited for the SUV to be brought around. When she caught her reflection in the glass doors of the hotel, she gasped.
“What’s wrong?” Pesh inquired.
“The jewelry! I can’t go loaded down with this expensive stuff to the hospital!” she cried. She snatched off the earrings and then started working on the necklace. “I’ll run go give it to your mother.”
“If you insist,” Pesh replied.
She kicked off her heels so she could run easier. The necklace and earrings weighed down her hands. She grabbed the first member of Pesh’s immediate family she saw, which unfortunately happened to be Dev. “Can you get these to your mother? I’ve got to get to the hospital.”
His dark eyes widened as he took the jewelry from her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. A cousin’s baby was just born. Don’t let anything happen to that, okay?”
Dev chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll be unloading this pronto. The last thing I need is for my ass to be the one to lose the family jewels.” With a wink, he added, “They’d be taking my family jewels.”
Megan laughed and then gave him a wave before running off. When she got back outside, Aidan and Emma’s SUV had just pulled around. Noah began to squirm in Pesh’s arms. “Guess where we’re going?” Pesh said, before he could start crying.