Page 37 of Brokered Betrayals

“He’s getting antsy,” Royce said with a chuckle. “He packed up everything we’re not using and took it down to the car to prepare for our discharge later today.”

Kelsey leaned forward and smiled at Darla. “Aww, look at her go. She’s doing so well now. Looks like the procedure was a triumph.”

“It was,” Royce said. “Thank you for stepping in.” Emotion welled up suddenly, and tears filled his eyes. “It’s not the first time you’ve stepped up when we’ve needed you most.”

“And it won’t be the last.” Kelsey’s gaze shimmered with unshed tears too, and she used the corner of her hot pink cardigan to dab at her eyes. “Dang you, Royce Locke.”

Sawyer entered the room with a smirk. “I say that a lot, but with more forceful language.” He looked at their daughter and added, “Well, at least I used to. It’ll be dang you from now on.” He leaned down and kissed the top of Kelsey’s head. “Are we crying happy tears, or has something happened?” Sawyer looked at Andrew. “Should we get emotional too?”

“I’m trying to thank Kelsey for our daughter, so yes.” Royce looked up at Andrew and grimaced. “And thank you for your sacrifice also.”

Andrew chuckled and waved him off. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Only some parts of me are off-limits,” Kelsey said with a wink. “And I won’t have late-night feedings and loss of sleep to contend with. My guy will be just fine.”

“Babe,” Andrew said with a grimace. Heat climbed his neck and turned his cheeks pink. “The guys don’t want to hear this.”

Royce bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing because he was pretty certain that Sawyer and Kelsey shared many things their spouses wouldn’t like. “Do you want to hold her before you leave?”

Kelsey’s expression grew wistful, but she shook her head. “Let her drink her bottle in peace.” She reached out and caressed Darla’s tiny fist. “I was hoping to catch Evangeline too. She stopped by with a lovely gift this morning, but I was napping. I’d hoped to thank her in person, but I will call her instead.”

“You just missed her,” Sawyer said. “She’s at our house making sure things are ready for Darla’s homecoming.”

Kelsey laughed and smiled at him. “They’ve been ready for a while.”

Sawyer shrugged. “You can see where I get some of my most neurotic tendencies. She’s also making sure we have something delicious to eat tonight, so I’m not going to be mad about her fussing.”

“When are the rest of your families coming to meet Darla?” Kelsey asked.

“Present company excluded, we’re implementing a ‘grandparents only’ rule for the first week,” Sawyer said. “And we’re even limiting those visits until we figure out a routine.”

“Uh-huh,” Kelsey said. “Which one of you is going to tell Evangeline that it isn’t a good time for her to see her granddaughter?”

Royce and Sawyer pointed at one another, and then they all laughed. Darla flinched slightly, cracked open one eye, but didn’t cry or stop drinking.

Holding her stomach, Kelsey looked over her shoulder at Andrew. “On that note, it’s time for us to leave.”

“We have to flag down a nurse because I can’t be trusted to wheel you out the doors,” Andrew said.

“It’s policy,” Kelsey replied. “Don’t get salty about it. You can bring the car around.”

Andrew grumbled something unintelligible about policies while Kelsey exchanged tearful goodbyes with Royce and Sawyer. They promised to send her pictures every day, and she vowed to get them hooked on reality television during their paternity leave.

“Not going to happen,” Royce called out.

Kelsey’s devilish cackle echoed in the hallway, and Darla wriggled in response.

“That’s a sound she’s used to hearing,” Royce said.

“Maybe we should get Kelsey to record herself reading books and play it for Darla if she gets fussy.”

Royce reached over and smoothed out the adorable furrow in Sawyer’s brow. “Don’t worry that we’re traumatizing our daughter by separating her from Kelsey, or fret that she doesn’t like the sound of our voices.”

“I wasn’t,” Sawyer protested weakly. But then he held up his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “Perhaps a little. It’s like I’m afraid to be happy.”

“You’re projecting the angst from issues you refuse to dwell on to the things you can fix. You’re a problem solver.”

Sawyer cringed, and his cheeks turned pink. “I sound fun.”