Chapter Five
Sawyer tore his worried gaze away from their daughter and looked at Royce with pleading eyes. “I don’t think she likes me. Maybe you should try to feed her.”
“Doesn’t like you?” Royce scoffed. “Darla slept against your chest for a solid hour. Our daughter is completely smitten with you, just like everyone else who meets you.” Sawyer raised a cynical eyebrow.
“I’m serious. You heard what Kitty said about newborns.
They don’t all slide from their mother’s womb and knock back the milk like little pros. Some babies take more coaxing.”
Sawyer looked at their sleeping daughter and back to Royce again. “I hear you. I really do, but do you mind trying to feed her?”
“Of course not.” Royce slid his arm under Darla for the transfer. “Hi there, Pumpkin. I missed you.” He ran the bottle’s nipple over her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to latch on.
“See,” Sawyer whispered. “She likes you better.”
Darla attempted to drink for a few seconds but then pulled away and cried like she was in pain. Just like she’d done during her first feeding and again with Sawyer.
“Do you think something is wrong?” Sawyer asked. “She appears to be hungry.”
Royce furrowed his brow as he soothed her. “I’m not sure. Is she hungry or pissed we’re waking her up?”
“Should we call a nurse?” Sawyer asked.
Royce checked the time on the clock. “The grandparents are due to arrive any minute now. I think we should continue coaxing her to drink like Kitty showed us until after they leave.”
“Okay.”
Sawyer sat down beside him and gently brushed his fingers over Darla’s forehead. Her skin smoothed out, and she stopped crying. “Maybe she likes me a little.”
Royce kissed his cheek. “She loves you a lot.”
They worked in tandem, soothing and coaxing Darla to drink until a knock sounded at the door. Royce held up the small, single-use bottle of formula to check her progress. “We managed an ounce in thirty minutes.”
Sawyer stood up and recorded the stats on the chart before answering the door. Eddie and Evangeline stood on the other side, grinning like lunatics. “Hey. Come in and meet your granddaughter.”
The hospital allowed just two visitors in the room at a time. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Evangeline would be one of the first to visit Darla, and Royce was curious how Eddie had finagled the second spot. “Is Barron tied up somewhere?”
Evangeline rolled her eyes on her way to the sink to wash her hands.
Afterward, she paused long enough to kiss Sawyer’s cheek before easing down beside Royce on the sofa and leaning in to get the first peek of her sleeping granddaughter.
“Oh, my heart. She’s so beautiful,” she whispered. “Hello, angel.”
Eddie gave Sawyer a bear hug and walked to the sink to wash up too. “Barron was a perfect gentleman who volunteered his spot since we all knew Evangeline would get first dibs.”
“I know that’s right,” she said.
Eddie squatted down in front of Royce and smiled when he laid eyes on Darla. “What a beauty.”
Darla opened her eyes and blinked up at Eddie.
Evangeline giggled. “She’s batting those long, dark eyelashes at her grandpa already.”
Chuckling, Eddie ran the back of his finger over her downy cheek and smiled at the little girl, who seemed completely enthralled by him. “Are you going to be my best girl?”
“As if anyone can resist the Locke charm,” Evangeline said with a snort. “Eddie, shall we do rock, paper, scissors to see which one of us gets to hold her first?”
Eddie tore his gaze away from Darla to smirk at Evangeline. “The honor is all yours.”
Evangeline placed a hand over her heart. “You’re such a gentleman.”
“Nah, I just don’t want to wear a bloody stump for the rest of my life.”
Evangeline laughed gleefully, and Darla blinked in response.
After rubbing her hands together in delight, Evangeline opened her arms so Royce could transfer her granddaughter to them.
“Oh, how I’ve prayed for this day.” Evangeline stared down at Darla’s face and ran her fingers over the tiny fist that had worked its way out of the swaddling.
She sniffled and gently swayed from side to side. “How I’ve prayed for you.”
“She’s really something,” Eddie said. “I can’t wait to see what’s hiding under her little cap.”
“Curls for days,” Royce replied.
Evangeline snapped her head up. “Really? Can I have a little peek?”
Royce reached over and removed the knit hat to show off Darla’s black hair. The volume made him laugh. Eddie and Evangeline oohed and aahed until he replaced the hat.
“She’s absolutely precious,” Evangeline said. “And seems so peaceful.”
“Until you try to feed her,” Sawyer said. “She gets feisty then.”
“Some babies are pretty lethargic after birth,” Evangeline replied. “How many times have you tried to feed her?”
“Just twice. She managed only an ounce this last time.”
“Is she latching on?” Evangeline asked.
“Seems to, or at least the instinct is there,” Royce replied.
“Harper was a fussy eater,” Eddie told them. “I had pretty good luck with him. Want me to try?”
The offer warmed Royce’s heart. “Maybe if you’re here for her next feeding.
” He checked the clock to gauge when that would be and realized it was already two o’clock, and they still hadn’t heard from Ivy or anyone else at her firm.
What was taking them so long? Royce tried to set aside his rising frustration and enjoy the visit with their family.
“You might have the nurse or pediatrician make sure she doesn’t have a tongue tie,” Evangeline said. “I’d take a peek, but I don’t want to make her mad at me. Sawyer needed a lingual frenectomy when he was a baby. It’s pretty common.”
“What’s a tongue tie?” Eddie asked.
Evangeline opened her mouth and rolled her tongue back to expose the band of tissue connecting her tongue to the floor of her mouth.
“Sometimes they’re too thick or too short, and it doesn’t allow the tongue to move.
Darla might struggle to latch onto the nipple properly, or she could be in pain when she does. ”
Sawyer moved over and stared down at their daughter. “I don’t want her to be in any pain. Maybe we should call the nurse to find out when Dr. Edwards is going to get here for her initial visit.”
Royce stood up and said, “I need to stretch my legs and make a phone call. I’ll head over to the nurses’ station and ask.
” Sawyer’s eyes darted to the clock, and Royce knew he was worried sick about the lack of communication.
Healthy newborns were often sent home a day, sometimes two, after their delivery.
If Darla checked off all the boxes, the pediatrician could sign off on sending her home, but they couldn’t take her from the hospital without the legal documents.
It wouldn’t do either of them any good to get worked up, so he sent reassuring vibes Sawyer’s way. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
He’d almost reached the nurses’ station when Eddie caught up with him.
“Sawyer told us what’s going on with the lawyer,” Eddie said. “How can I help?”
“I’m not sure. We’ve only managed a catnap after being up all night, and my brain isn’t firing on all cylinders. I stepped out here to figure something out.”
“Call your lawyer again now. If you don’t get an answer, I’ll drive over there and talk to someone.
” When Royce opened his mouth to protest, Eddie raised his hands.
“I won’t raise hell or embarrass you. I’ll just make sure someone there knows that Darla was born this morning and you guys need them to send the legal paperwork to the courthouse.
” He cocked his head to the side. “Does Kelsey’s lawyer have copies of the same paperwork? ”
“I don’t know, Eddie. Maybe. They’d have copies of everything we signed, and they’d get copies of the documents filed in court. I doubt they’d file the papers on our behalf. Miguel doesn’t represent us.”
“Good point. I didn’t think of that.”
“Besides, I don’t want to disturb Kelsey right now. She’s supposed to come for a visit after she’s rested.”
“Was her delivery tough?” Eddie asked.
“I think they all are. Damn, I can’t imagine how painful that is.”
Eddie grimaced in sympathy. “Will you give her a great big hug from me when you see her?”
“See who?” Kelsey asked from behind them.
Royce and Eddie turned around to greet Kelsey and Andrew.
She’d changed into lilac pajamas with a matching fuzzy robe, slippers, and headband to keep her curls out of her face.
If Royce hadn’t seen her give birth hours before, he wouldn’t have believed it.
The presence of a wheelchair was the only hint that she’d been through something.
He couldn’t say the same for Andrew, who, though still handsome, looked like he’d been dragged to hell and back.
Royce figured his condition resembled Andrew’s current state than Kelsey’s.
“Sweetheart, how do you manage to look so beautiful just a few hours after giving birth?” Eddie asked her.
“Nice distraction ploy, Eddie. Are you stepping out on me?”
“Never, gorgeous,” Eddie replied. He leaned down and gently hugged her. “You’re one hell of a woman.”
Kelsey patted his back. “I know.”
Eddie shook Andrew’s hand and clasped him on the shoulder. “Good to see you again.”
“Likewise, sir,” Andrew said.
“Are you just now moving over here?” Royce asked.
Kelsey grinned sheepishly. “Baby doll, I ate that feast you bought for us, turned on my bedtime stories, and conked out for hours. The nurses must not have needed my room because they left me alone.” She released an enormous yawn and sighed. “I think I’m ready for another round.”
“Food or nap?” Royce asked.
Kelsey laughed but then winced and placed a hand on her stomach. “Both.”
“I’d imagine so,” Eddie said. “Can I get something for you?”
“My mom is bringing food soon,” Andrew said. “But thank you.”
“How’s Darla?” Kelsey asked.