Chapter Five #2
“She’s getting her first lessons in world domination from Evangeline,” Royce replied. He briefly debated telling her about the situation with Ivy but decided against it. She deserved to rest peacefully. He’d tell her there was a problem if he identified one existed.
Kelsey narrowed her eyes and studied him closely. “Then why are the two of you out here?”
“I needed to stretch my legs, and I have a question for the nursing staff,” Royce replied.
She cocked her head to the side. “You would tell me if there was something wrong, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course.”
Kelsey shook her head and sighed. “I know there’s stuff you’re not telling me, but I’m honestly too tired to interrogate you further. You’re safe for now.” She looked over her shoulder at Andrew. “To our recovery suite, Big Sexy.”
Andrew saluted Eddie and Royce with two fingers before wheeling her past them.
“Love you, Kels,” Royce called out.
“Love you more,” she replied.
They stayed put until Andrew wheeled her out of sight, then Eddie leaned in and whispered, “She’s scarily perceptive.”
Royce nodded his agreement. “And I better have some solid answers the next time I see her.”
“Try the lawyer’s office again,” Eddie suggested.
Ivy’s cell phone and the office line went to voicemail. Royce texted her, even though he didn’t expect to have a different result from his previous attempts.
“Nothing?” Eddie asked.
“Nada.” Royce tucked his phone away and blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m going to take you up on your generous offer. I don’t want to leave Sawyer and Darla, and I’m in no shape to drive. Do you promise to be polite if you’re able to talk to someone at Ivy’s office?”
Eddie clasped his shoulder. “I promise I won’t fuck this up for you, son. You take care of your little girl and let me see what’s going on at the law firm.”
His father’s steady gaze calmed his nerves. “Okay. I appreciate it.”
“Do you mind if Jo hangs around here until I get back?”
“Of course not. Send her back so she can meet Darla.”
They exchanged a fierce hug before going their separate ways. Royce’s spirit felt much lighter as he approached the nurses’ station.
Kitty looked up from her computer and smiled. “Is everything okay?”
“Maybe not,” Royce replied honestly. “Darla wasn’t interested in eating again. She tries to latch on or acts like she wants to, but cries when she tries to drink from her bottle. Like maybe she’s frustrated or hurting. Do you know when Dr. Edwards is expected to arrive?”
“Aww, bless her heart,” Kitty said. “Dr. Edwards is here now, visiting her newest patients. You should be next.”
Royce rapped his knuckles against the counter. “Perfect. Thank you.”
“Is there anything else I can get you?”
“No, but thank you.”
Kitty leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Was that Evangeline O’Neal I saw entering your suite?”
Royce laughed. “Yes, she’s my mother-in-law.
” The nurse blinked rapidly for a few minutes, and he could see her doing the math.
Evangeline didn’t look old enough to be Sawyer’s mother, but he wasn’t even her oldest kid.
Royce knew better than to say that part out loud.
“She has fantastic genetics and probably mystical powers,” he whispered to Kitty.
She laughed. “I believe it.”
“You should stop in and meet her. She’s lovely.”
“Oh, I couldn’t. Not without spending an hour in the locker room to do my hair and makeup.”
Royce waved her off. “She’s not pretentious like that. No one makes you feel better about yourself than Evangeline.”
Kitty tilted her head as if considering his words. “Maybe if things stay quiet.” Her phone rang, and she pointed at it. “Just jinxed myself.”
“Good luck,” he said before walking away.
A tall Black woman in a lab coat stopped outside their suite as Royce approached. They’d only met her once when they were interviewing potential pediatricians, but they’d been drawn to her warm nature immediately. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you, Dr. Edwards,” he said. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
She arched a brow. “Is everything okay?”
“We’re concerned that Darla either doesn’t want to drink or wants to but can’t.” Royce opened the door and gestured for her to enter first. “We’ll feel much better after you’ve examined her.”
Sawyer greeted Dr. Edwards warmly and stood up to shake her hand. Royce stepped into the room and closed the door. Evangeline was too focused on her granddaughter to notice anything else.
“And you can be anyone you want to be, my love,” Evangeline said to the sleeping infant in her arms. “You can travel wherever you want to. Love whoever you want to. The sky is your limit.”
Sawyer placed a hand on his mother’s back. “I hate to interrupt, but Darla’s pediatrician is here to examine her newest patient.”
Dr. Edwards held out her hands and said, “May I?”
Evangeline tightened her hold ever so slightly before relinquishing her granddaughter with an exaggerated sigh. “If you must.”
Sawyer chuckled and hugged his mother. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Returning his squeeze, Evangeline said, “Where else would I be?”
Someone knocked on the door, and Jo pushed it open enough to poke her head into the room. “Eddie said I could come on back.” She saw Dr. Edwards at the bassinet with Darla. “Oh, should I come back in a bit?”
“Not on my account,” Dr. Edwards said.
“Come on in,” Royce said.
Jo stepped inside and shut the door. She hugged the guys before embracing Evangeline. “This is so exciting.” She clasped her hands together in front of her. “It’s been a while since I’ve held a baby. I might be rusty.”
“It’s like riding a bike,” Evangeline said. “She’s so sweet and cuddly. I practically snarled at the doctor when she asked to examine her.”
Royce and Sawyer eased closer to Dr. Edwards without crowding her.
She examined Darla from head to toe, talking sweetly to her every step of the way.
Darla would open her eyes occasionally or fuss her displeasure at being disturbed.
She formed a moue with her little bow mouth, furrowed her brow, or scrunched her cheeks in protest.
“Your little girl has opinions,” Dr. Edwards said.
“Good,” they replied.
Dr. Edwards laughed as she swaddled Darla once more, and the baby settled immediately. “Who gets her?”
“Can I hold her now?” Jo asked Evangeline. “I might just burst otherwise.”
“I’ll share her with you,” Evangeline replied.
“Yes!” Jo practically Tigger-bounced over to the sink to wash her hands.
“What about her fathers?” Sawyer asked.
His mother grinned. “Eh, maybe.”
Jo took the sleeping bundle from Dr. Edwards and carefully crossed to the sofa. The grandmothers fussed over Darla, and the guys turned their attention to what the doctor had to say.
“She definitely has a tongue tie, and it’s my opinion that she would benefit from a procedure to correct it.
But we need to consult certified lactation consultants and speech pathologists first.” Dr. Edwards looked at the feeding chart and noted the time of her next bottle.
“I’ll make sure both are on hand to observe her next feeding, and if they agree with my assessment, I’ll perform the procedure early tomorrow morning.
” She described the frenectomy in enough detail to make Royce’s stomach pitch, while Sawyer gripped his hand hard enough to snap bones.
“I know it sounds awful, but I will give her a small amount of anesthesia to numb the area, and her recovery time will be minimal. We might have to keep your darling at the hospital for an extra day for observation to make sure she’s latching on properly and taking a bottle well. ”
“Thank you so much,” Royce said.
“My pleasure.”
Once Dr. Edwards left, Royce turned to Sawyer. “This might buy us some extra time to figure out what’s going on with Ivy. Hopefully, Eddie’s mission is successful.”
“Where’d Eddie go?” Evangeline asked.
“He’s driving over to our lawyer’s office to see what’s going on,” Royce explained. “He’s going to make sure someone at the law office calls us.”
“Should’ve sent me,” Evangeline said. The menacing scowl on her face told Royce he’d made the right decision to send Eddie instead, something he never thought he’d say.
“Whoa, killer,” Sawyer told his mother.
Royce was on the verge of telling Evangeline not to jump to conclusions when his phone rang. A glance at it showed Eddie’s name on the caller ID. Royce accepted the call and said, “Have any luck?”
“I couldn’t get in,” Eddie said. “The place is swarming with cops.”
Royce froze in fear. “Cops?”
“What’s going on?” Sawyer whispered, but Royce only had enough functioning brain cells to concentrate on one conversation at a time. He held up his finger and asked Sawyer to wait.
“Yeah,” Eddie said. “They’ve barricaded the parking lot, so no one can get in there. I approached on foot to ask some questions, but the sheriff’s deputy wasn’t in a chatty mood. He sent my ass packing.”
“Sheriff’s deputy?” Royce asked. “Why were the county boys there? The law office is within city limits.”
“Beats me, but there were more county boys there than city,” Eddie said. “Son, I have a really bad feeling about this.”
“Me too, Eddie. Me too.”