Chapter Two #2
Andrew and Kelsey locked gazes and conducted an entire silent conversation in a matter of seconds before bursting into laughter.
“I give it eight weeks before Royce climbs the walls,” Andrew said.
Kelsey shook her head. “Nope, he’ll paint them or tear them down in the name of renovation by the end of six weeks, and Sawyer will give him the boot.”
Royce looked at Sawyer and shook his head. “I’d protest again, but they’re not listening. At least you believe in me.” When Sawyer didn’t immediately respond, Royce gasped and clutched his chest. “Do you agree with them?”
“Idleness isn’t in your wheelhouse. You’re a doer, baby. I think the first six weeks will be easy to stay home because we’ll be sleep deprived and getting used to new routines. But once we get a system down…”
“You think I’ll get bored?” Royce asked.
“No, of course not. I think you’ll just have excess energy if you’re not getting enough activity.”
Royce’s brow furrowed into a dark scowl. “Like a dog?”
“He just keeps digging himself a deeper hole,” Andrew told Kelsey. “Think we should bail your bestie out?”
Kelsey giggled. “If it helps, I sent Andrew back to work after a month. He was used to a fast-paced career, and it was a tough adjustment for him. He put his excess energy into ‘helping’ me, which sometimes felt a little…”
“Smothering,” Andrew said. “And I kept hogging the remote control.”
Laughing, Kelsey kissed his cheek. “That too. No offense, my love, but I’m happy that my mama is coming to help with Ella while I recover this time. She likes the same face-slapping dramas I do and wouldn’t dream of turning on sports instead.”
“No offense, my love, but I’m happy your mama is staying with us too. She’s told me about the yummy food she plans to make for us while she’s here.”
Sawyer laughed at their antics, and the reverberation dislodged the tension balled in his chest. Sawyer exhaled slowly and looked around the conference room, taking in the framed accreditations and accolades on the walls interspersed with photos of the legal team posing with some of the families they’d assisted over the past two decades.
They were in excellent hands and had nothing to worry about.
Royce’s knee nudged his, pulling his attention back to him. “You good?”
Sawyer smiled. “I’m great.”
Hushed voices from outside the conference room caught his attention.
From his vantage point, Sawyer could see down the hallway to where Ivy spoke with a distinguished gentleman he recognized as the founding partner of the firm.
At the moment, Ned Owens looked nothing like the smiling man in the photos on the wall.
His posture was tense and his expression severe as he glanced at his watch.
“I was hoping to talk to you about a pressing matter before I left, but I don’t want to keep your clients waiting,” Ned said.
“Sorry,” Ivy replied. “My phone call ran longer than I’d expected. I can make time now if you like. The clients are here, but Miguel is running behind.”
Ned looked down the corridor and caught Sawyer watching their exchange.
The older man didn’t flinch, but he seemed very uncomfortable.
He forced a smile and gave Sawyer a subtle nod before turning to Ivy.
“That’s okay. I’ll call you later this evening.
” Ned checked his watch again. Was he really concerned about the time, or was he anxious about something else?
“Is everything okay?” Ivy asked.
“Of course,” Ned replied, but nothing about his stiff posture or brisk tone offered assurances. “Ah, here comes Miguel now.” The relief in his voice was palpable.
Ivy watched Ned closely as he shook hands with Miguel. She seemed unsettled by the entire encounter but snapped out of it when Miguel greeted her next.
Royce leaned into Sawyer’s personal space and tried to peer down the hallway, but the angle wasn’t right. “What caught your attention?”
“Miguel is here,” Sawyer replied.
“Should I be jealous?”
“Would it stop you if he said no?” Kelsey teased.
Sawyer and Royce both laughed, then said, “No,” at the same time.
“Ivy had a strange interaction with Ned Owens before Miguel arrived,” Sawyer told them.
“Strange how?” Royce asked.
Kelsey leaned forward as far as her belly would allow. “Do tell.”
“Nothing juicy,” Sawyer replied. “Ned had wanted to talk to her about something before he left but didn’t want to keep us waiting. She told him that Miguel wasn’t here yet and offered to make time for him then. Ned caught me watching them and declined, saying he’d call her later.”
“That doesn’t sound ominous,” Andrew said, then furrowed his brow. “Unless you think he needed to talk to her about us.”
Sawyer shook his head. “I didn’t get that impression. He just seemed tense and checked his watch twice in thirty seconds.”
“Anxious,” Kelsey said, narrowing her eyes. “We’ve got ourselves a mystery, gang.”
But Miguel and Ivy swept into the room before they could discuss the situation further. The group exchanged pleasantries with the attorneys as they sat at the table.
Ivy tucked a lock of straight black hair behind one ear and smiled at Kelsey. “How are you feeling?”
“I feel great, and Lil Sketti Squash is thriving.”
“Not much longer now,” Miguel said. He looked at Royce and Sawyer. “Are you guys ready?”
“Oh yeah,” Royce said. “The nursery is ready, the car seats are assembled, and the hospital bags are packed.”
Ivy opened a manila folder, and the sight of the paperwork made Sawyer’s heart skip a beat. “I have Royce’s proof of paternity and the post-birth order that establishes Royce and Sawyer Locke as the baby’s intended parents.”
Miguel opened a similar file and said, “And I have the post-birth relinquishment that Kelsey needs so Lil Sketti Squash can go home with her dads.” The group laughed at his use of the nickname they’d given Darla at thirty-six weeks.
She’d be their Lil Pumpkin before long. “Everyone should read the documents and ask questions before signing them.”
Ivy passed her paperwork to Royce and Sawyer while Miguel did the same with Kelsey.
“You read it first since you speak legalese,” Royce said.
It took staring at the page for a few seconds before Sawyer’s brain allowed the letters to form words.
He tried to maintain a sense of objectivity as he read the legal documents that would make their dreams a reality, but everything he’d learned in law school flew out the window.
Sawyer’s heart spiked, and he felt both hot and cold at the same time.
Royce placed a calming hand on his knee, and Sawyer took steadying breaths until he focused on the words in front of him.
“Everything looks accurate to me,” Kelsey said. “I’m ready to sign.”
“I agree,” Sawyer said as he slid the paperwork to Royce.
“I expected more documentation,” Royce said.
“This is just the beginning,” Ivy told him.
It didn’t take Royce long to read through the paperwork. “I’m ready to sign too.”
The attorneys had flagged the places that required their signatures, so the entire process was over in minutes.
“Great,” Ivy said. “And now we wait until Lil Sketti Squash arrives. Call me as soon as she’s born, day or night.
I will send the post-birth order to the family court to get a judge’s signature.
That will trigger the rest of the tasks we need to complete before we can make the adoption official. Does anyone have questions?”
Sawyer and Royce looked at one another, then shook their heads.
“Kelsey?” Miguel asked.
“No, I’m good.”
A few minutes later, the two couples were back outside. Sawyer held on to Kelsey longer than usual during their goodbye hug, but no one seemed to mind. Andrew and Royce chatted as they continued to their vehicles.
Kelsey pulled back and smiled at him. She’d traded in her heeled boots during the third trimester, but she was still nearly as tall as Sawyer in her flat boots. “Be honest. Did you worry I’d change my mind?”
“No,” he replied. “I’ve never doubted you.”
“I am going to miss this little girl, but I’d never hurt you guys that way,” Kelsey told him.
“And we’ll never keep her away from you,” Sawyer replied. “She’s always going to know that you’re her biological mother.” Sawyer squeezed her hand. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”
“A time or two,” Kelsey said with a smile. “And I love you too.”
“Obviously.” Sawyer kissed her cheek and led her toward the vehicles where their men waited. “Want to get pedicures on Saturday? I’ll book the royal botanical treatments with all the extra bells and whistles.”
“Yes, please.”
“Enjoy dinner with your man,” Sawyer said when they reached her car.
“Oh, I plan to, and I plan to enjoy it with your man too. Wednesday is half-price daiquiri nights at La Casita Bonita, including virgin ones. The first couple to the restaurant needs to grab a booth and order a gallon of queso cheese.”
Sawyer chuckled as he opened the door for her. “Will do.”
“And a virgin strawberry daiquiri for me,” Kelsey said as she slid onto her seat.
“Got it.”
Sawyer waited for her to swing her legs in and shut the door before getting in Royce’s SUV.
“La Casita Bonita?” Royce asked.
“Is that okay with you?”
Royce snorted and backed out of his parking spot. “I’ve already planned my order.” He glanced over at Sawyer with a smirk. “I’m going with low spice, and I’m skipping the beans because I have big plans for you later.”
“This night keeps getting better.”