and followed Lila out the door.
Emma sat in a seat next to Wes. “Do you think everything is okay?”
“Of course. If it wasn’t Lila wouldn’t have allowed Tori to go back with her.”
“I suppose so.” Emma bit her lip. “I can’t help but worry.”
“Why don’t we focus on something else,” Wes suggested.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know.” Wes snapped his fingers. “I know, let’s play a game.”
“A game?” Emma waved her hand around the room. “I’m open to suggestions. Show me a game, and I’ll play it with you.”
“We don’t need an actual game to play one.” Wes rolled his eyes.
“Oh,” Emma raised an eyebrow, “do explain.”
“I know, let’s play twenty questions.”
Emma didn’t think that was such a good idea. There were some questions she didn’t want to answer. Especially when they might make her admit some things she wasn’t ready to face.
“I don’t know about that.” Emma frowned. “I’d hate to get into an argument with you when we’re about to welcome a new addition to the family.”
“You’re afraid I’ll ask you about Colt.”
Of course she was. She knew Wes. He’d latch onto the one subject she kept trying to avoid. Colt was off limits. Emma couldn’t—wouldn’t discuss him. The problem was she couldn’t very well admit that much to her brother. He’d take it as a hint to prod into her and dig deep into the sinkhole she was trying to avoid.
“I was thinking more along the lines that you wouldn’t want me to ask you what Lila actually meant to you,” Emma covered. “Seems like you two had more of a history than kindergarten cooties.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Gotcha. “Really? I’ll have to ask her when she comes out again.”
“Lila and I are only friends.”
“Now, you mean,” Emma probed.
“Always.” Wes crossed his chest. “Scouts honor.”
Emma snorted. “You were never a scout.”
“Oh yeah.” He grinned. “I guess you have a point. Doesn’t mean I didn’t learn from one. Just happened to be a girl scout.”
Emma was amused. Her brother was entertaining as hell. They sat back and bickered back and forth for what seemed like forever. He’d lop something off, and she’d toss it aside as nothing. It gave them something to keep their mind from what was going on behind closed doors. Soon, very soon, they’d know if they had a new niece or a nephew. No matter what, Emma wanted everything to go well.
Tori rushed into the waiting room, her face filled with excitement. “It’s a girl,” she exclaimed.
Emma looked up into Tori’s excited face. “It is?”
“Oh yeah, and boy can that girl scream. She has a good set of lungs on her.”
“Like her mama I imagine,” Wes drawled.
Tori glared. “That’s my best friend and your sister-in-law you’re besmirching with your devil’s tongue.”
Wes laughed. “Easy princess. I’ll back off.”
“Can we see her?” Emma asked. “How are her mama and daddy doing?”
“Probably in a little while. Ginnifer is doing great. Dallas was touch and go for a little while there. That man’s a mess for his two girls. They made me leave.” Tori scrunched up her nose. “Here, I snapped a quick picture of her with my phone before they kicked me out.”
They crowded around Tori and stared at the scrunched up red face of their new niece. Emma thought she was absolutely wonderful and couldn’t wait to hold her in her arms. She loved babies and couldn’t wait to have some of her own—if she was ever lucky enough to find love again with a good man. Babies were so precious, and she wanted one.
“Have they named her yet?” Emma asked. “I don’t recall them mentioning any names.”
“They have,” Tori said. “This bundle of preciousness is Montana Noelle Novak.”
“Oh how perfect,” Emma said.
“I agree,” Tori replied. “Though it’s a mouthful. I told them I’m going to call her Ana.”
“That’s perfect for a nickname.
Emma sat in a seat next to Wes. “Do you think everything is okay?”
“Of course. If it wasn’t Lila wouldn’t have allowed Tori to go back with her.”
“I suppose so.” Emma bit her lip. “I can’t help but worry.”
“Why don’t we focus on something else,” Wes suggested.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know.” Wes snapped his fingers. “I know, let’s play a game.”
“A game?” Emma waved her hand around the room. “I’m open to suggestions. Show me a game, and I’ll play it with you.”
“We don’t need an actual game to play one.” Wes rolled his eyes.
“Oh,” Emma raised an eyebrow, “do explain.”
“I know, let’s play twenty questions.”
Emma didn’t think that was such a good idea. There were some questions she didn’t want to answer. Especially when they might make her admit some things she wasn’t ready to face.
“I don’t know about that.” Emma frowned. “I’d hate to get into an argument with you when we’re about to welcome a new addition to the family.”
“You’re afraid I’ll ask you about Colt.”
Of course she was. She knew Wes. He’d latch onto the one subject she kept trying to avoid. Colt was off limits. Emma couldn’t—wouldn’t discuss him. The problem was she couldn’t very well admit that much to her brother. He’d take it as a hint to prod into her and dig deep into the sinkhole she was trying to avoid.
“I was thinking more along the lines that you wouldn’t want me to ask you what Lila actually meant to you,” Emma covered. “Seems like you two had more of a history than kindergarten cooties.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Gotcha. “Really? I’ll have to ask her when she comes out again.”
“Lila and I are only friends.”
“Now, you mean,” Emma probed.
“Always.” Wes crossed his chest. “Scouts honor.”
Emma snorted. “You were never a scout.”
“Oh yeah.” He grinned. “I guess you have a point. Doesn’t mean I didn’t learn from one. Just happened to be a girl scout.”
Emma was amused. Her brother was entertaining as hell. They sat back and bickered back and forth for what seemed like forever. He’d lop something off, and she’d toss it aside as nothing. It gave them something to keep their mind from what was going on behind closed doors. Soon, very soon, they’d know if they had a new niece or a nephew. No matter what, Emma wanted everything to go well.
Tori rushed into the waiting room, her face filled with excitement. “It’s a girl,” she exclaimed.
Emma looked up into Tori’s excited face. “It is?”
“Oh yeah, and boy can that girl scream. She has a good set of lungs on her.”
“Like her mama I imagine,” Wes drawled.
Tori glared. “That’s my best friend and your sister-in-law you’re besmirching with your devil’s tongue.”
Wes laughed. “Easy princess. I’ll back off.”
“Can we see her?” Emma asked. “How are her mama and daddy doing?”
“Probably in a little while. Ginnifer is doing great. Dallas was touch and go for a little while there. That man’s a mess for his two girls. They made me leave.” Tori scrunched up her nose. “Here, I snapped a quick picture of her with my phone before they kicked me out.”
They crowded around Tori and stared at the scrunched up red face of their new niece. Emma thought she was absolutely wonderful and couldn’t wait to hold her in her arms. She loved babies and couldn’t wait to have some of her own—if she was ever lucky enough to find love again with a good man. Babies were so precious, and she wanted one.
“Have they named her yet?” Emma asked. “I don’t recall them mentioning any names.”
“They have,” Tori said. “This bundle of preciousness is Montana Noelle Novak.”
“Oh how perfect,” Emma said.
“I agree,” Tori replied. “Though it’s a mouthful. I told them I’m going to call her Ana.”
“That’s perfect for a nickname.