Epilogue
“ Ugh, Bailey’s so lucky,” Poppy said. She shifted her massive girth, trying and failing to get comfortable in the stiff hospital chair.
“I’m not certain getting her abdomen cut open counts as lucky,” Sully said. Bailey’s blood pressure had started to creep toward the danger zone the last few weeks. To be safe, her doctor ordered a C-section a week ahead of her due date.
“Still, she gets to be done. So lucky.” Poppy said. She closed her eyes and inhaled, trying hard to push away the nausea. She had felt so good the last few weeks, and now in the home stretch she was bound to be miserable.
Sully began smoothing his hand over her leg, soothing her. The man had actual magic fingers. “Honey, what’s this really about?”
“It’s stupid.”
He nudged her.
“Fine. I had this dream we’d have our babies on the same day,” Poppy said.
“I’m sorry,” he said, tipping closer to kiss her forehead.
This was why she loved the man, because no matter how silly and fanciful her daydreams, he never chastised her for it. She smiled and dipped her head to rest on his shoulder, but now his brow was furrowed.
“Your forehead is clammy.”
“I don’t feel so good,” she replied.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, his hand now pressing to her brow.
“My old friend nausea. It’s like Moriarty and I’m Sherlock.” She shuddered, fighting her gag reflex. Her mother, who had apparently been eavesdropping on them instead of reading the giant book of azalea varieties in her grasp, leaned forward and spoke.
“Honey, you know I was sick with all three of you girls when I was in labor. Felt like the flu.”
“I don’t think I’m in labor,” Poppy said, wincing when her abdomen pinched painfully. Sully, who noticed everything, pressed his hand there now.
“Poppy, that’s squeezing tighter than my amazing biceps,” he said, which made her giggle, as he knew it would. But the giggle ended on a groan. All at once the pieces came together and she sat up straight.
“Hey, I think I’m in labor.” Her family looked at her like, Yes, we know. She scowled at them. “Why am I the last to know everything?”
“You’re not,” Blue said, darting Sully an annoyed glance. He and Jane had used her father’s billions and billions of unused frequent flyer miles to be there for the birth of Bailey’s baby, but there had been a weird energy between Blue and Sully since their arrival. They’d had a few whispered conversations that ended whenever Poppy arrived. The only words she’d been able to catch from Blue were, “know how much I illegally hacked to find them that fast,” and from Sully, “swore I’d never tell anyone.” She had the sense it had something to do with her dad, but she couldn’t imagine what. Blue was the one who worked for her father. What did Sully have to do with any of it? Maybe it was something about Jane. Poppy pushed it away as another wave of nausea rolled over her, coinciding with the tightening of her abdomen.
“It doesn’t hurt, though,” she said, looking to her mother for direction.
“It will,” her mother said with a sympathetic smile.
“Come on, baby. Let’s get you checked in,” Sully said, attempting to lead her to the front desk. She shook him off.
“I can’t until I hear how Bailey’s turns out.” Bailey and Cal had intended to find out the sex of their baby, but the baby stubbornly refused by keeping his or her back to them the entire time. She really is carrying a mini-me, Poppy thought and couldn’t suppress her smile. It would serve her perfect sister right to be carrying a mini hurricane in the making.
An hour later, Sully became unbearably antsy and Poppy became unbearably uncomfortable when Cal appeared in scrubs, beaming.
“Girl. It’s a girl.”
“A girl!” Poppy exclaimed, delightedly clapping her hands. “Did you hear that, Sully? Two girls. They’re going to be best friends, I know it.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Sully said distractedly. “Now can we please check in?”
“Fine,” Poppy said, leaning on him heavily as she stood and waddled away. Juniper turned to her husband, tears of joy shimmering on her cheeks. “Did you hear that, Bear? Two more girls.”
“Heaven help us,” The Colonel replied, though he also smiled, or as close to it as he came.
“And Poppy thinks they’re going to be best friends. Should we tell her they’re likely going to try and kill each other most days?” Juniper mused.
“Let’s save some surprises for the next generation,” he said, and then because he could never resist when her face looked the way it looked right now, he kissed her. And then kissed her again.
T hank you for reading The Ranger and the Hurricane, book 7 in the Spies Like Us series .