Instead, I usually drove one of the UTVs over to the property, where a fence used to separate the Ramsey farm from our own. We had the natural waterway on our side of the property, and Mom had set up a gazebo just under an old oak tree. When I was little, it was one of my favorite places to play, even though it would always scare her when she couldn’t find me.
I used to lie across the bench and watch Owen play baseball in his backyard. I envied how he could play sports and use his free time to be a kid. I rarely got the luxury. My sisters had all attended dance classes, or art, something to keep them busy, but my only hobby had been tending the garden.
Funny thinking back to how I coveted Owen’s freedom, when all along he’d been in a worse prison than me. Mine was of duty; his was his father.
I jumped as my phone rang, and I found myself giddy with anticipation, my hands shaking as I pulled it free of my jacket, only to sigh in disappointment when I saw it was my eldest sister calling.
“Hi, what’s up?”
“Well, I was kind of hoping you could run by the bed-and-breakfast and grab my hospital bags.”
“Why?” It felt like Autumn had been pregnant forever. Thankfully, she was due anytime now.
That’s when it all hit me.
“Oh my gosh, are you in labor?” I jumped from the gazebo and ran toward the UTV parked close by.
“I think so, but my doctor said it could take a while for the first baby. So, I’m in no rush to head to the hospital, but I’m over at Alex’s cake shop with the twins right now. You’re probably the closest.”
“Sure. Where can I bring them? Did you want me to drop them off at your house? Where’s Colton?” I asked frantically. As the father, shouldn’t he be the one running around in circles, getting everything together, and—like in all the funny movies—forgetting the most important part: his wife? Instead, I could barely get the keys to the UTV into the ignition, dropping them three times before I was successful.
“Colton is with Nate right now. They were practicing with the rec hockey team. He’s on his way, but he needs to shower and everything.”
“Why is he not panicking? Why aren’t you panicking? Why am I the only one panicking?” I questioned as I pressed my foot to the accelerator and flew across the field.
“No need to panic, Aspen. We have plenty of time. Mom labored for forty-three hours with Andrew. I’ll meet you at the B&B and take a nice relaxing bath until I think I need to go to the hospital.”
“All right. I’m on my way. Thirty minutes tops.”
Autumn chuckled as she ended the call, and I soared across the farm. To the workers, I probably appeared like a madwoman. My loose hair looked like a blonde cape as it flapped behind me in the wind. The UTV caught air as it hit a particularly high bump in the dirt path.
“Fuck,” I muttered as she landed back on the ground with a thunk. I was certain something broke underneath, but I didn’t have time to waste.
I got to the barn faster than ever before, dropped off the UTV, and ran to my house for my car keys. Before leaving, I glanced down and noticed I was still wearing my dingy jeans and jacket. Quickly, I stripped down to my bra and panties and grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a black long- sleeve shirt from my dryer. Tugging on my trusty boots, I was out the door in record time.
Moments like this, when my car started immediately, made me thankful Owen bought me the SUV. My old car would have sputtered for a solid fifteen minutes before she decided if she wanted to start or not. In that amount of time, I was already halfway to Colton and Autumn’s house.
I used my copy of their key and let myself inside the house, then headed toward the nursery. She’d sent me a text while I was driving, letting me know that room was where I’d find the two bags and a special pillow.
Moving at a speed to rival Marvel’s Quicksilver, I tossed the bags in the far back of the vehicle and headed toward the bed-and-breakfast. It was a twenty-minute drive on a normal occasion, but as I arrived, I felt oddly proud that I made it in thirteen.
Bags in hand and pillow tucked under my arm, I used the tips of my fingers to open the back door to the bed-and-breakfast, cutting through the side deck where I joined Owen and his mom for lunch what seemed so long ago.
“I’m here!”
Beverly came around the corner and greeted me first. “Oh, there you are, sweetie.” She kindly helped me set the bags down.
“Is Autumn here yet?”
“Yes, she just arrived.”
Weird, I hadn’t seen her car anywhere, although maybe she parked out front. I tended to use the staff parking area in the back.
“Okay, great. Is she feeling okay?” I asked as we walked toward the main living space. I wasn’t paying any attention as we turned the corner, until I came face-to-face with the majority of my family. The only people missing were Rory’s husband Talon and my twin nieces. Talon was down in Miami with his grandmother Gigi—arguably one of my favorite people on the planet.
They stood in a semicircle together like we were in a freaking intervention.
“What’s going on?” I asked the room collectively, then set my eyes on my eldest sister, who stood with a gentle hand on her belly as if she hadn’t told me she was in labor. “I’m sorry. Aren’t you supposed to be having contractions or something?”
With an air of confidence I’d never felt myself, she waved a hand in the air. “They’re bearable.”
“So, what’s everyone doing here? What in the hell is going on?” I felt like the kid in the school play who had suddenly been given a role they never prepared for. The spotlight was on me, and all I felt was stage fright.
From behind me, a gentle but familiar hand landed on my shoulder. “Why don’t you have a seat, and we can chat? Okay?”
Turning to face my father, my eyes narrowed. Though he’d been feeling better, it was clear he was still trying to keep from overdoing it.
“Okay.”
He gestured to the couch, and he and my mom followed me over to it. The rest of my siblings, their spouses, and Beverly found chairs of their own that seemed to be brought in from random rooms of the house. A couple of the rocking chairs from outside were parked beside a dining chair.
And everyone stared at me.
“I feel like I’m inside a fishbowl, and y’all are just waiting for your chance to tap the glass but haven’t decided who gets to go first.”
“Well, I’ll take that honor,” my dad said, much to the relief of my siblings, who all sighed and relaxed into their chairs.
My dad reached toward me and placed his hand gently on my knee. It was something he’d always done when he wanted to make sure he had my or my siblings’ full attention.
