face. Her adoring eyes study the baby in her arms. Seeing her again hurts worse than he expected.
“Hey, guys,” Birdy pipes up.
The three of them look up to see Cole and Birdy in the doorway. Jax and Cole make eye contact and don’t break it for several seconds. He offers her a weak smile and is shocked when she smiles back at him.
“I’ll let you happy parents finish packing. I just had to stop by and see baby Martha. She’s so beautiful.” Jax lays the little bundle of pink on Eli’s chest. “Congratulations, you two.”
Chloe bounces over to Jax and wraps her up in a huge hug. Birdy climbs onto the bed with Eli, peeking at the baby. When Chloe pulls away from Jax, tears stream down her face. Cole leans back on the wall and crosses his arms, trying to be a spectator.
“Cole told me it was you who fought to save me. There are no words to express my thanks.” Chloe pauses a second and covers her mouth. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
Chloe places a black box in Jax’s hand. “Just a small gift from us.”
Cole watches Jax as she fights to keep her emotion at bay, and he’d like to think him standing in small hospital room has something to do with it. She covers her mouth when the lid of the box is flipped up completely.
“You guys, thank you so much.” Jax pulls a silver chain with a heart locket from the box. All eyes watch her as she pops open the charm and the tears start.
Cole can no longer stand not touching her. In three long strides he’s by her side and plucks the locket from her trembling fingers. A picture of Martha is placed on the right side, and her full name on the other. “Martha Jax Sterling.” His eyes linger on his niece’s name and then re-reads Jax Sterling. He feels his throat begin to constrict. With steady fingers and a heavy heart, he unclasps the necklace, brushes her hair to the side, and then secures it around her neck.
Without thinking, he bends down and places a light kiss on the back of her neck before he drapes her hair back down.
“Sorry,” he whispers.
Jax steps forward, creating space between them. “Well, thank you. My shift is over and I’m heading home. I’ll cherish this necklace forever.”
Eli passes Martha to Birdy and makes his way to Jax. He’s not shy about wrapping her up in a hug and lifting her from the floor. “Thank you for never giving up hope.”
Chloe joins Eli, and the three of them hug and exchange thank-yous, and when Jax leaves the room, she doesn’t turn to say good-bye to Cole.
“Ready?” Eli places a tender kiss on Chloe’s forehead.
“Get my ass home. I hate this place.”
Chloe has lost most of her muscle definition, tan skin, and body weight, making her nearly unrecognizable. Between the vicious assault crime and giving birth, it’s nearly destroyed her.
“Yes, let’s get you home and fatten you up, momma.”
“Sounds perfect, Eli.” She pecks his cheek and then busies herself packing the remaining clothes.
“Birdy, want me to take her?”
Cole looks to Birdy, who’s seated Indian style on the bed, cradling Martha to her chest.
“Never. I love her so much.”
Cole leans back up against the wall as he watches his little brother fuck around with a car seat.
“Do you even know what you’re doing?”
“Shut up, fuckface.”
Chloe reaches out and slaps Eli in the back of the head. “Language, Eli. You’re a dad now.”
Cole chuckles at his brother’s scolding and knows it would be easy to taunt him into cussing again.
“Yes, I know how to use it. I had to take a class on how to properly strap her in.”
Chloe climbs up into the bed with Birdy and leans her head on her shoulder, staring down at Martha.
“I can’t wait until Dax sees her,” Birdy tells Chloe.
The two men stop and listen to the conversation.
“Yeah, you think he’ll like her?”
“He’ll love her, and can you imagine how tiny she’ll look in his arms?”
“How long until he gets out?”
“Four
“Hey, guys,” Birdy pipes up.
The three of them look up to see Cole and Birdy in the doorway. Jax and Cole make eye contact and don’t break it for several seconds. He offers her a weak smile and is shocked when she smiles back at him.
“I’ll let you happy parents finish packing. I just had to stop by and see baby Martha. She’s so beautiful.” Jax lays the little bundle of pink on Eli’s chest. “Congratulations, you two.”
Chloe bounces over to Jax and wraps her up in a huge hug. Birdy climbs onto the bed with Eli, peeking at the baby. When Chloe pulls away from Jax, tears stream down her face. Cole leans back on the wall and crosses his arms, trying to be a spectator.
“Cole told me it was you who fought to save me. There are no words to express my thanks.” Chloe pauses a second and covers her mouth. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
Chloe places a black box in Jax’s hand. “Just a small gift from us.”
Cole watches Jax as she fights to keep her emotion at bay, and he’d like to think him standing in small hospital room has something to do with it. She covers her mouth when the lid of the box is flipped up completely.
“You guys, thank you so much.” Jax pulls a silver chain with a heart locket from the box. All eyes watch her as she pops open the charm and the tears start.
Cole can no longer stand not touching her. In three long strides he’s by her side and plucks the locket from her trembling fingers. A picture of Martha is placed on the right side, and her full name on the other. “Martha Jax Sterling.” His eyes linger on his niece’s name and then re-reads Jax Sterling. He feels his throat begin to constrict. With steady fingers and a heavy heart, he unclasps the necklace, brushes her hair to the side, and then secures it around her neck.
Without thinking, he bends down and places a light kiss on the back of her neck before he drapes her hair back down.
“Sorry,” he whispers.
Jax steps forward, creating space between them. “Well, thank you. My shift is over and I’m heading home. I’ll cherish this necklace forever.”
Eli passes Martha to Birdy and makes his way to Jax. He’s not shy about wrapping her up in a hug and lifting her from the floor. “Thank you for never giving up hope.”
Chloe joins Eli, and the three of them hug and exchange thank-yous, and when Jax leaves the room, she doesn’t turn to say good-bye to Cole.
“Ready?” Eli places a tender kiss on Chloe’s forehead.
“Get my ass home. I hate this place.”
Chloe has lost most of her muscle definition, tan skin, and body weight, making her nearly unrecognizable. Between the vicious assault crime and giving birth, it’s nearly destroyed her.
“Yes, let’s get you home and fatten you up, momma.”
“Sounds perfect, Eli.” She pecks his cheek and then busies herself packing the remaining clothes.
“Birdy, want me to take her?”
Cole looks to Birdy, who’s seated Indian style on the bed, cradling Martha to her chest.
“Never. I love her so much.”
Cole leans back up against the wall as he watches his little brother fuck around with a car seat.
“Do you even know what you’re doing?”
“Shut up, fuckface.”
Chloe reaches out and slaps Eli in the back of the head. “Language, Eli. You’re a dad now.”
Cole chuckles at his brother’s scolding and knows it would be easy to taunt him into cussing again.
“Yes, I know how to use it. I had to take a class on how to properly strap her in.”
Chloe climbs up into the bed with Birdy and leans her head on her shoulder, staring down at Martha.
“I can’t wait until Dax sees her,” Birdy tells Chloe.
The two men stop and listen to the conversation.
“Yeah, you think he’ll like her?”
“He’ll love her, and can you imagine how tiny she’ll look in his arms?”
“How long until he gets out?”
“Four
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