Chapter Six
EMERSON COULDN’T BELIEVE Baz stayed with them all day. They chatted as they played poker and gin rummy and loved on Brennan, and when Brennan slept, Baz turned down the lights, urging Emerson to nap as well. When the nurses and the doctor came to check on her, he gave them privacy. He’d left the room a few times to take phone calls, and he surprised her by having burgers and fries delivered from the Salty Hog for lunch, insisting that they had the best fries around.
He was right. They were delicious.
Gwen had texted a few times. She was wary of Baz’s motives and told Emerson to be careful. But Emerson had a feeling that once she told Gwen more about him and what he’d been through and how protective he was over her and Brennan, her bestie would be happy she had a friend like him watching out for them.
As she finished changing Brennan’s diaper, Baz threw the dirty one in the trash and asked, “What are you craving for dinner?”
“Nothing.” She felt bad that he was buying her meals. “You should go out and have fun. It’s Saturday night.”
“Trying to get rid of me again, Lockhart?” He smirked. “Am I boring you?”
“ No. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to stay.”
“I like flirting with the nurses.” He waggled his brows.
She rolled her eyes. Some of the nurses flirted with him, but he didn’t flirt back. He was his charming self. Maybe that was flirting and her radar was off, but it seemed to her that he spent his energy showering her and Brennan with attention, making sure they had what they needed, and keeping her entertained when she wasn’t sleeping.
“I’m going to hit the head. I’ll be right back.” As he headed for the bathroom, he said, “Think about what you want for dinner.”
“Yes, boss.” She smooched Brennan and laid him in his bassinet. Then she climbed onto the bed and rested her head back, grinning like a fool.
There was a knock at the door, and a woman wearing tortoiseshell glasses peeked into the room. “Hi, Emerson? Am I interrupting?”
“Not at all. Come in. Is there more paperwork to fill out?” She’d already filled out Brennan’s birth registration and the application for his social security number.
“No, honey,” the tall strawberry-blonde said as she came into the room. “I’m not with the hospital. I’m Ginger Wicked, Baz’s mother.”
“Oh! Sorry. Hi.” She sat up taller. “He’s in the—”
The bathroom door opened, and Baz walked out. “Mom, hi. What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Sorry to barge in. Your brothers told me you’d had quite an exciting evening and that you were here keeping Emerson company. They mentioned that Emerson didn’t have any family in town, and I thought she might appreciate a home-cooked meal. I brought you guys dinner, and I couldn’t resist picking up a few things for the baby.” She held up the bags she was carrying. “I hope that’s okay.”
Stunned, Emerson stammered, “Um… Oh. Yes, it’s fine, thank you. Now I see where Baz gets his generosity from.”
Baz cocked a brow at her. “I believe you said I was pushy.”
“You are pushy, but you’re also generous.”
“That’s my son to a T,” Ginger said lovingly. “I hope you like chicken casserole and homemade biscuits.” She set the bags on the chair.
“Sounds delicious,” Emerson said. “But you didn’t have to go to all that trouble.”
“That was really nice of you, Mom. Thanks.” Baz hugged her.
“It was no trouble at all. Sid had Ollie with her when she stopped by earlier. Your father was elated to make a new four-legged friend, and you know how quickly word spreads. The girls are excited to meet your new friend and her sweet boy.” Ginger peered into the bassinet and put her hand over her heart. “My goodness, Emerson, you must be over the moon. What a precious little one he is. You are truly blessed.”
“Thank you.” She got a little choked up at the emotion in Ginger’s voice, which made her miss her mom even more and reminded her that Ginger had lost her daughter. “Who are the girls ?”
“I think she means Leah and Sid,” Baz said.
“I do,” Ginger said. “And Baz’s cousin Madigan, and her brothers’ significant others, Chloe and Reese. They’re putting together a meal train, so you won’t have to worry about cooking for a few weeks.”
There was no hiding Emerson’s surprise. “That’s really nice of them to think of me, but they don’t have to do that. I can handle it. I’m used to taking care of myself.”
“Oh, honey. It has nothing to do with you not being able to handle it.” Ginger sat on the side of the bed and put her hand over Emerson’s. “We did this for Leah and Chloe, too, and believe me, those young ladies can handle anything.”
“But they’re your family,” Emerson argued. “None of you even know me.”
“We don’t need to,” Ginger said sweetly. “Baz knows you, and that makes you and your baby family, too.”
Panic bloomed in her chest. “I think you have the wrong idea. Baz and I aren’t…I’m not trying to get him to be my baby daddy. I’ve been telling him he doesn’t have to hang around.”
“Nobody thinks you’re trying to rope me in,” Baz reassured her. “That’s not what she meant.” He and his mother exchanged a glance she couldn’t read. “Family has a much broader meaning to us than just bloodlines, birthrights, and intimate relationships. Every member of the Dark Knights is my brother, and their families are our family.”
“And the people we meet, the people we help, and the ones who help us, are family, too,” Ginger added. “We’re all found family, and I believe we’re brought together for a reason.”
“Like you and Gwen,” Baz said, holding her gaze, the painful past she’d confided in him hanging in the silence.
She swallowed hard. “I understand, and it’s really nice of all of you, but they don’t have to go to that much trouble for us. We’re going to be fine.”
“Of course you will, honey,” Ginger said. “But if you’re like most single moms, once you’re out of the hospital, you’ll try to jump back into doing all the things you always have. I have no doubt you’ll be able to accomplish a lot, but you’re going to be far more exhausted than you can imagine. Trust me. I’ve been through it a number of times.”
“Leah and Chloe were whipped, day and night,” Baz added.
“Being a mother is hard work,” Ginger said. “I remember feeling like a walking zombie, and I had Baz’s father helping me at night. Hopefully Brennan won’t end up being awake all night, like Baz was for the first few weeks.”
Baz leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Don’t believe her. I was a perfect baby.”
Ginger smiled. “You were perfect, honey, but I swear after we came home from the hospital, you fussed from the second the sun went down until it rose the next morning. You woke Tank up every night.”
“He probably deserved it.” Baz smirked.
Ginger looked at her. “We tried everything to calm Baz down. We walked the halls, rocked him, sang to him, but he was relentless. Until one night, when his father jokingly said he needed to be raised by wolves, and lay down with him beside our dog.”
“And that worked?” Emerson asked.
“Like a charm. Magnus was always protective of the kids, and as Baz got older, they were inseparable. It’s no surprise he became a vet. He’s always had a way of connecting with animals.”
Emerson had a feeling he’d always had a way of connecting with women, too.
“Sorry about all the sleepless nights, Mom.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. You were just preparing me for when you boys got to be teenagers,” Ginger teased. “But those are stories for another day. Emerson, I can ask the girls not to help, but you’ve just spent months nurturing a new life inside your body, and pregnancy and childbirth take a big physical and emotional toll. These first few weeks should be about bonding with your baby and resting, so your body can heal. You’ve got plenty of time to be Superwoman, and the girls don’t have to stick around. They can drop off the goodies and be on their way. Or if you’d rather, Mads and I can do it. And don’t worry, Leah and Chloe nursed their babies, too. We all know what foods to stay away from, and we are happy to make meals around your preferences.”
Emerson was exhausted, and the thought of trying to plan and cook healthy meals seemed like it would take too much brainpower. She’d probably end up eating peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches or spaghetti every night. “Are you sure they don’t mind doing all that cooking?”
“I’m positive,” Ginger said. “We all love doing things like this. It gives us reasons to get together.”
Emerson glanced at Baz, his eyes imploring her to accept their help. “ Okay , thank you. But I think I would feel better if it wasn’t too many people. How can I ever pay everyone back?”
“There is no paying back,” Baz said. “We pay it forward when we can.”
“And there’s no pressure to do that, either,” Ginger clarified.
“I don’t know what to say. I feel like I’ve either stumbled into some weird type of cult or some of the nicest people on earth.”
“Let’s go with nice people,” Ginger suggested.
“Yeah. Our Redemption Ranch chapter helped a girl who escaped from a cult, and I wouldn’t wish that environment on anyone,” Baz said.
“I think I remember seeing something about that on the news.”
“Those awful men got what was coming to them,” Ginger said. “And sweet Sully finally has the love and the family she deserves.” She handed one of the bags to Baz. “Honey, why don’t you dish out dinner before it gets cold, while I show Emerson the cute things I picked up for Brennan, and then I’ll get out of your hair.”
As Baz unpacked their dinner and Ginger showed her several cute outfits and an adorable green-and-yellow baby blanket with tiny clouds and sheep on it, the room filled with the savory scent of home cooking, and Emerson didn’t feel quite so alone in the world.