Page 32 of Charm (Billionaire Buck Boys #7)
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Holden
I sprint into the hospital, sweat peppering my brow. Tugging on the knot in my tie, I’m able to loosen it just as I call out for the three people on the elevator to hold it.
One of them, a man dressed in scrubs, nods in acknowledgement.
As soon as I’ve boarded, I reach in front of him to press the button to head up to the sixth floor.
No one says a word to each other, as the elevator stops twice. More people stream on, buttons are pressed on the control panel, and when we finally make it to my floor, I’m out in a flash.
I was here the day Morgan was born, so I know my way around.
“Holden!” I hear my name coming at me from the right, so I glance in that direction.
Rook is there, dressed like he just rolled out of bed.
There’s a strong possibility that’s the case because it’s nearing two in the morning.
I was at the office, mulling over some potential acquisitions that Jameson put in front of me before he called it a night hours ago.
I also needed to carve out some time to update our shipping procedures, so tonight was the ideal night to focus on that.
It’s been almost a week since Greer and I spoke inside her store. I anticipated hearing back from her by now regarding the new offer we presented, but her silence has been deafening.
James had suggested calling Krista on his own, but I told him to hold off. If this crawls into next week, I’ll let him make that call.
I know how badly he wants to buy out Sweet Indulgence. I’ve done more research on the company, and I’m on the same page as him. It would be a solid investment for us and take us into a new space if we decide to continue with the candy buffet aspect of Greer and Krista’s business model.
“Is he here yet?” I ask Rook. “Is Gilbert here?”
He slaps the center of my back while shoving a can of soda at me. “Not yet. Carrie is in with them now. Abby wanted a few minutes with her sister.”
Leave it to my two best friends to fall in love with sisters. Declan’s wife Abby and Rook’s fiancée, Carrie, are as close as can be. The foursome has never made me feel like an outsider when I’ve hung out with them. They all treat me like family. It makes sense since that’s how I view them.
“Did Declan wake you up?” I glance at Rook’s messy hair. “You look exhausted.”
“I’m a lawyer,” he reminds me the way he always does. “Being exhausted all the fucking time is part of the job description.”
“Who’s watching Kirby?” I ask, although I think I already know the answer to that question.
“She’s spending the night with Chesca and Brian,” he confirms my assumption.
Chesca is Kirby’s mom, and she’s found the love of her life in a guy named Brian. Chesca and Rook’s determination to put their daughter’s needs first has paid off for them. The four adults in the equation all get along and even go so far as to have one meal together each month for Kirby.
I’m proud of Rook. He’s always been a good man, but he’s proving to be the kind of father I hope to be one day.
“Why are you dressed like it’s two in the afternoon?” he questions as he pops the tab on his soda can. “You do realize no one gives a shit if you show up looking like a regular Joe.”
That sets my head back in laughter, but not for the reason he thinks.
I’m reminded of the fake name I used with Greer when we met. For those three days, I was indeed a regular Joe, and not a guy trying to buy her company.
“It wasn’t that funny.” He takes a sip of soda. “I thought I grabbed a sugar free one for myself.”
I glance down at the can in my hand and pass it off to him, taking his away. “I’ll drink this. You take mine.”
“That works because you’re not as sweet as me.”
I crack a smile. “You got that from Kirbs, didn’t you?”
“It’s part of a joke she made up,” he says as we walk toward the waiting area in the maternity ward. “I’m too damn tired to remember the entire thing, but the punch line was something about her being sweeter than me.”
“That’s a truth, not a punch line.” I sip from the soda, cringing at the sweet note of it. “Is this cherry flavored?”
He tilts his head to get a better look at the can. “So it is. It’ll get you through the night. First babies are notoriously slow to arrive.”
We round the corner of the waiting area to find Declan’s brother, Sean, his wife, Callie, and four very eager grandparents sitting in chairs.
“Uncle Holden has arrived,” Rook tells the room. “Ignore the fact that he looks like he just stepped out of a boardroom. The bastard is always trying to one-up me.”
I greet everyone present with hugs and fist bumps before I take a seat next to Rook.
I dig my phone out of the inner pocket of my suit jacket and check it again even though I glanced at it in the rideshare on my way here.
Unsurprisingly, there’s nothing from Greer.
Why would there be? It’s the middle of the night and she’s likely tucked in a comfortable bed somewhere in this city. Hopefully she’s alone.