“Okay, I’m going to go watch television now.” I grinned as I stood up. “Want to join me?”

She grimaced. “I have a load of clothes in the drier. Shane has more clothes than Lana.”

I laughed. Shane was worse than any girl when it came to clothes. He was the only one of my guys that I didn’t have to shop for. “Good luck with that.”

Layla stuck her tongue out at me. “Thanks!”

Still laughing, I turned around and started out of the kitchen. Two steps and I stopped. There was a sudden pressure between my legs. Just as suddenly it was gone. I didn’t think anything of it until I felt my panties getting soaked. When I realized what was happening fear overtook me and I screamed.

“Oh. FUCK!” Layla exclaimed.

Chapter 19

Jesse

“I can’t believe you just said that, dude!” I wiped my mouth with my napkin and tossed a fry at Shane. He had been telling crazy, funny jokes from the time we had sat down for lunch. Already, Nik had spit soda out his nose, and I was sure that Shane was determined to make us all do the same.

“What?” Shane grinned. “It’s true.”

Drake snorted. “How do you know? Oh, wait. I don’t want to know.” He shook his head, making his hair fall in his face as he gave his younger brother a disgusted yet amused glare. “I don’t need to know how you know a woman can do that!”

I was still laughing when my phone buzzed, and I pulled it out of my back pocket to see Layla’s gorgeous face smiling back at me. “Hey, baby,” I greeted.

There was a pause on the line and for some reason my heart tensed. “Layla?”

There were muttered curses in the background before Layla’s voice came clearly through. “Jesse, where are you?” she demanded, sounding anxious and out of breath.

“Having lunch with the guys. What’s going on?” I thought I heard Emmie crying and fear like I had never experienced before gripped me. “Layla?”

“Listen to me, Jess.” Her voice was suddenly very calm but that didn’t help the churning in my gut. “I want you to get in a taxi, all of you. Don’t drive, okay? Tell the taxi to take you to the Women’s Center. Emmie’s water broke. I have her in Shane’s car, and I’m driving there now.”

“Oh fuck!” I whispered and glanced over at Nik. He frowned at me, but I was already pulling my wallet out and tossing a bunch of bills on the table. I didn’t care what I was leaving. It didn’t matter anyway. Nothing mattered but getting to the Women’s Center. “Is she okay?”

Another pause and I heard Layla murmuring something soothingly in the background. She was trying to keep Emmie calm. After a second, Layla was back. “She’s starting to have contractions, Jesse. The baby is too big for her to deliver. You know that. Just get Nik to the hospital as quick as you can. But take a taxi. I’m serious. None of you will be sane enough to drive. You’ll kill yourselves.”

“Okay. Fine. Just… Just keep her safe until we get there.”

“I will. I love you.”

Tears were already pooling in my eyes. “I love you too. Tell Emmie…Tell her…” I couldn’t get the words out.

“I will,” Layla assured me, knowing what I needed to tell Emmie without me voicing the words.

I was already walking out of the restaurant, and the guys hadn’t even questioned me as they followed me out. When we were on the sidewalk, Nik grabbed my arm. “What is it?” he demanded. There was a wildness in his eyes that I completely understood. “Tell me!”

I swallowed hard, trying not to cry. “Her water broke. Layla’s taking her to the hospital right now…”

Drake stepped off the sidewalk and right into the line of traffic. The taxi driver blew his horn but Drake just opened the door and slid in the front seat while the rest of us took up the back. I told the man where we were headed and then tossed him a bunch of big bills to get us there as quickly as possible.

It was lunch time and traffic was a bitch, but the driver, either scared by the menacing why Drake glared at him or the incentive from the big tip I had already given him, got us there in record time. The car hadn’t even come to a complete stop in front of the Women’s Center when Nik opened the door and jumped out.

He was almost incoherent when we stopped by the information desk. I pushed him aside and told the woman why we were there. The little old woman in the pink jacket gave us a smile, obviously having dealt with scared, crazy daddies on a daily basis. She gave us directions up to labor and delivery and told us that Emmie was already being prepped, whatever that meant.

The elevator ride up to the fourth floor felt like it took forever. I thought Nik was going to start climbing the wall and was glad when the door opened. We stepped off the elevator and found a nurses’ station right in front of us. Every nurse was running around. Working fast and talking faster. I stopped by the desk. “Can anyone tell me where Ember Jameson is?” I called out.

Several heads turned in my direction. “Are you family?” A nurse demanded.

I didn’t even hesitate. “She’s my sister.” I told the woman.

She gave me a skeptical look but nodded her head. “Down the hall. Room 403. We’re prepping her for surgery.”

Nik was already running down the hall before I could even turn around. Drake and Shane right behind him. He pushed a door open down the hall, and I followed them in. Emmie was lying on a little bed, an IV in one arm. There was a heart monitor on her, and I was transported for a second back to the night she had been so sick. Fear gripped me even harder, and I stood there just taking her in for a long moment.

She looked pale, her big green eyes standing out in her pretty face. Nik held her against his chest, whispering something to her, and they were both shaking. This was scary. Terrifying! I wasn’t ready for this to be happening. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The doctor had set us all down during Emmie’s last appointment and explained in detail what would happen, but this wasn’t it.

This was rushed. There was a doctor and three nurses trying to get Emmie ready while we stood there.

A soft hand touched my arm, and I looked down to find Layla standing there. She gave me a small smile. “It’s going to be okay, Jesse,” she promised me.

I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face in her hair. “Are you sure? She looks scared as hell and that is scaring the shit out of me.”