Epilogue
TWO YEARS LATER
“It’s time.”
“What do you mean it’s time?” Thatch asked with a panicked expression.
I ran my hand over my enormously pregnant belly. “It’s time.”
“Oh, shit.” He jumped up out of his recliner and started flying up the stairs. “What do we need?”
Thatch and I hadn’t really talked about having more kids. We were both very content with the way things were, but discovering we were having a son thrilled us both. He was looking down at me from the railing as I pointed over to the corner. “My bag is down here in the closet.”
“Oh shit, I forgot.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I watched my adorable husband dart back down the steps and rush over to the closet. The man looked like he was on the verge of hysteria as he grabbed my overnight bag and asked, “Is this everything?”
“Yes, babe. That’s everything. I packed it weeks ago.”
“Are you sure?” He brought it over to me. “Did you get something for him to wear home?”
“Yes. You helped me pick it out, remember?”
“What about diapers?”
“I got those, too.”
“Okay, what else do we need?”
“Just Cat and the keys.”
“Got it.” He rushed over to the end of the stairs and shouted, “Hey, Cat! We gotta go!”
“Go where?”
“The hospital! Your mom’s having the baby!” He slapped his hand against his thigh. “Let’s move it. We gotta go!”
“She’s having the baby?” Cat asked as she rushed down the stairs. “Like right now?”
“Well, not right at this very moment.” My two favorite people in the world had lost their ever-loving minds.
It was as if they never realized this day would come and were completely freaked out that I was in labor.
I tried my best to remain calm as I told Cat, “My water broke, so we need to get to the hospital.”
“Awesome,” Cat replied excitedly. “Jared is finally coming.”
“Yes, he is.” I turned my attention back to Thatch as I reminded him, “The keys, sweetheart.”
“Oh yeah.” He rushed over and grabbed a set of keys from the table, then back over to me. “Okay, let’s go.”
I placed my hand on his chest, and I could feel his heart pounding against my palm as I told him, “Everything’s going to be fine. You just need to breathe and calm down a little.”
“Calm down? I’m fine. I don’t need to calm down.”
“Those are your Harley keys.”
“Oh, fuck.”
“Breathe, Thatch. Just breathe.”
“I don’t see how you’re standing here acting so fucking relaxed.” He motioned his hand down at my stomach. “A baby’s about to come out of you.”
“I’m about to have our son, and I’ve been through all this before. I know it’s going to be ...”
My voice trailed off as I was hit with another contraction. This one was slightly harder and longer than the last, and I had to hunch over a little to get through it. Thatch ran his hand over my back as he asked, “You okay, baby?”
“Yeah, but we really need to get to the hospital ... Now.”
Cat grabbed Thatch’s other set of keys from the table and held them up as she announced, “Got the keys to the truck.”
“Good girl,” I told her. “Now, let’s get going.”
Thatch helped me out to the truck while Cat got in the back seat with my overnight bag. Once we were all buckled in, he sent Axel a quick text and then we were on our way to the hospital. I was a little nervous, but at the same time, I was excited that we were finally going to meet our son.
The past two years with Thatch had been incredible.
When Thatch and I got together, I hadn’t realized what it meant to be the president’s ol’ lady, but I soon found out that there was nothing his boys wouldn’t do for Cat or me. They were always available whenever we needed them, and I never had to ask.
I’d felt so welcomed and adored by every Ruthless Sinner, and it wasn’t just because of Thatch. They genuinely cared for us both and quickly became our family, which made it easy to see why Thatch loved them all like he did.
I was pulled from my thoughts when Thatch sped through a stop sign. Worried that we might have an accident, I reached over and placed my hand on his thigh. “It would be nice to actually make it to the hospital, babe.”
“What?” he asked innocently. “There wasn’t anybody there.”
“How could you tell? You just flew past it. It was like a blur back there.”
“I’ll handle the driving.” He smiled as he teased me. “You handle having the kid.”
Another contraction hit, so I was in no condition to argue. I simply groaned and nodded, then tried to breathe through the pain. The contractions were coming faster and more intense, but I didn’t say a word fearing I’d freak him out even more.
When we finally got to the hospital, I wasn’t surprised to find that my parents and all the brothers and their ol’ ladies were there waiting for us. My mother rushed over and collected Cat, but Thatch was such a wreck he didn’t even acknowledge her as he shuffled me over to the check-in counter.
It turned out to be a good thing that Thatch was in such a rush.
By the time I was admitted and brought back to a room, I was crowning, and just a few moments later, Jared Michael Davenport was born.
Thatch never took his eyes off him as the nurses cleaned him up and swaddled him in a blanket, and the man practically melted the moment they placed his son in his arms.
My heart swelled as I watched him look down and say, “He’s perfect, Bec. Absolutely perfect.”
“He has all his fingers and toes?”
He brought him over to me. “Yep, and a cute button nose just like yours and big feet like mine.”
“He’s beautiful.”
“Just like his momma.”
The words had barely left Thatch’s mouth when the door crept open, and one of the nurses said, “There’s someone here who’d like to meet their little brother.”
Seconds later, Cat came rushing over to the bedside. Thatch lifted her up so she could get a better look, and a bright smile swept over her face as she studied her brother. “He’s so tiny. His fingers are so small.”
“It wasn’t that long ago when you were this tiny.”
“No way,” she scoffed.
“Seems like only yesterday.” I gazed down at Jared as I told him, “This is your sister, Cat. She’s going to look out for you and help make sure you grow up to be big and strong like your daddy.”
Cat giggled as she told him, “And I’ll be here to make sure you don’t grow a big beard like our daddy used to have.”
“Yes, you will.”
After giving Cat a few minutes alone with us, my parents walked in to meet Jared, and they were followed by Axel and then Shotgun and Remington. One by one, all the brothers and their ol’ ladies came to see the baby and congratulate us until the nurses finally made everyone leave.
As soon as we were alone, Thatch picked up Jared and was staring at him with absolute wonder in his eyes. I smiled at him. “You’re a daddy, Thatch.”
“Yeah.” He never took his eyes off Jared. “I just hope I’ll be a good one.”
“You already are. You’re more a dad to Cat than her own father ever was, and she absolutely adores you. Jared will, too. They’re both very lucky to have you.”
“No, baby.” He brought Jared over to me and placed him into my arms, then kissed me softly on the lips. “I’m the lucky one.”
“I love you, Thatch.”
“Love you, too, babe. More than you could ever know.”
The End