Patti felt like an intruder more than ever. She patted Jon’s hand and whispered, “I’m going to go find Poppy and give you two some time alone to talk.”

“Okay, babe. Hey,” Jon said, grasping her hand and pulling so that she had to lean down. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and gave her a bone melting kiss that had her instantly wet. “Don’t be gone long.”

Patti licked her lips and smiled. “Be back before you know it.”

She found Poppy in the ladies bathroom touching up her make-up in the mirror. “I’m sorry you had to be there for that,” she said, wiping a wadded up piece of toilet paper under her eyes.

“It’s no problem,” Patti assured her, coming over and turning on the water and washing her hands just to give herself something to do.

Poppy sighed deeply. “We just can’t seem to find a common ground lately. It’s probably my fault. Lately I just feel like we both want different things. I see everyone around me either getting married or having kids, plotting a future, you know?” She looked at her with pain in her eyes. “Some days I just look at myself in the mirror and I see a thirty year old unmarried, childless woman staring back at me. It’s as if I’m at a standstill. I’m in love with a wonderful man, and he loves me, but I have to wonder, is it going anywhere?”

Patti dried her hands and popped her butt up on the counter. She had a feeling this was going to take a while. “Have you told him how you feel?”

Poppy busied herself zipping up her make-up bag and stowing it away in her purse. “I shouldn’t have to spell it out for him. I mean, come on! All of our friends are moving forward with their lives, and what are we doing…We get up each morning, go to work, come home, walk the dog, spend a little time together watching a movie or something, and then bed. It’s Groundhog’s Day every day.”

Patti felt uncomfortable talking about all of this with Poppy, considering they hardly knew each other, but since she was willing to spill her guts so readily, she decided the best thing she could do was listen and offer advice the best she knew how. “I’ll tell you what my dad used to tell me. Don’t assume that because a guy’s mouth is moving that he heard anything you said. You might have to shake the shit out of him to get him to listen.” Patti shrugged. “I think because we’re women and we are inherently the smarter, more intuitive sex, we just assume that men will be the same, but they really do need things spelled out for them.”

Poppy blew out a breath and rubbed the spot between her eyes. “Yeah, I know. I just wish…” She laughed. “I don’t know what I wish. Thanks for listening, and for the pep talk,” she said, giving Patti a grateful smile.

“Anytime,” Patti said honestly, as she dropped her feet to the floor. “I’ll see you in the waiting room?”

“Right behind you.”

Together they made their way back to their men and settled in for a long, tension-filled wait.

Six hours, forty-three minutes, five cups of coffee and a dozen trips to the bathroom later, and they were all gathered into the cramped hospital room surrounding a worn out and exhausted Piper, who couldn’t stop smiling.

“She’s gorgeous,” Patricia said, gazing down in profound adoration at the little bundle nestled protectively in her arms.

Jon couldn’t stop staring at her. She looked absolutely beautiful like that, and he was suddenly struck with a vision of what Patti would look like, lying in a hospital bed, having just birthed their son or daughter. A wave of emotion slammed into him, nearly buckling his knees. He couldn’t wait for that day to come.

“You’re turn, Uncle Jon,” she said, turning to him and offering up the baby.

He held up his hands to ward it off. “No, I can’t. I’ll drop it,” he warned her, but she was already placing the baby in his arms.

“No, you won’t,” she said with so much confidence that he almost believed her. “See, you’ve got her.” She leaned in to stroke her finger across the baby’s chubby cheek. “Isn’t she the most precious thing you have ever seen?”

Jon took in the scrunched face, button nose, pursed lips, stubborn chin and tiny fingers grasping the edge of the soft pink blanket, and then he looked at Patricia. “Not even close.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Piper gushed. Jon looked up to realize that they had a ready audience. “Tate, did you hear what he said?”

Tate affected a stern look that wasn’t even close to passable as he left his wife’s side to retrieve his daughter. “Hell, yeah, I heard what the bastard said.” Gently, he dug the baby from the cradle of Jon’s arms and clutched her close to his heart. “How dare you call my daughter anything less than the most beautiful creature you have ever seen on this planet. Aside from this woman,” he amended, placing the sleeping baby on her mother’s chest and leaning down to place a tender kiss to her lips.

“Language,” Piper murmured, smiling softly up at Tate when he drew away.

“Shit, I forgot. I mean, damn.” He sucked in a breath and grimaced. “Sorry.”

Everyone laughed softly at his expense. They only stayed a short while longer before leaving to give the new parents some time to get to know their daughter and catch some much-needed rest.

“Well, I could use a drink,” Felix announced as they exited the lobby. “You guys want to hit up a sports bar or something, grab some lunch and a beer?”

“Yeah, man, sounds good,” Tom agreed.

Jon didn’t even have to look down to know that he and Patricia were on the same page. They loved their friends, but the last thing they wanted to do was go out when they could be in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms. “Maybe another time,” he told him, already guiding Patricia toward the truck.

“Are you sure?” Felix called after him. “My treat.”

Jon just held up his hand and continued walking.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather hang out for a while?” Patricia asked him once they were buckled into their seats.

He started the engine and waited until they cleared the parking lot before responding. Taking her hand, he brought it to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I have you all to myself for the next eight and a half months,” he said, glancing over at her, “and I don’t want to squander a single second of it. I hope you enjoy take-out.” The smile that spread across his face was nothing less than devilish.

The way Patricia looked at him, her blue eyes soft and full of love reserved only for him, filled him with more pleasure than he knew what to do with. Her hand fell to his thigh and she smoothed her palm from knee to hip, sending bolts of pulsing heat between his legs.

“Then you’d better step on it,” she purred, scooting closer. “Because I have a wicked craving for something hot.” She kissed the underside of his jaw. “And hard.” Then ran her tongue down the side of his neck. “And wet.” Her palm covered the hard ridge pressing against the fly of his pants, and pressed down.

Jon groaned and his foot pressed down on the gas pedal. “Did I ever tell you how dangerous you are?”

“Baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

“I am so happy that the two of you worked things out.” Jon’s mom was beside herself as she leaned across the table and enveloped her son in a warm, one-armed hug.

Jon chuckled. “It’s been over six months, Mom. You can stop saying it now. We know you’re happy.”

“What your mother is trying to say,” his father chimed in, “is that we are all very happy for the two of you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bradshaw.” Patti smiled demurely.

“How many times do I have to tell you, young lady,” his father said with a disapproving frown. “Call me Walter.”

“Or Dad,” his mother suggested with a toothy grin.

Jon chewed his food happily, glancing at Patti in time to catch the shy smile crossing her face as she tipped her head down and focused on her plate. After having lost her own father, he knew she would never claim his as her own, but he also knew his mother would never stop offering. She was simply too eager to have a daughter-in-law.