Devotion (Club Destiny #5)(39)
Author: Nicole Edwards

Another nurse was caring for Sierra, and Cole suddenly needed a little air. Moving back across the room, he kissed her on the forehead lightly before disappearing out the door, not looking back to see that Luke was following him. By the time he reached the main entrance to the hospital, he was pretty sure he was shaking and on the verge of hyperventilating.

Within a minute of being in the fresh early morning air, he was feeling only slightly better.

“You all right?” Luke asked, moving in close and not giving Cole the space he tried to convince himself he needed.

Looking at him, Cole tried to force a smile. He felt like an overemotional wreck. “I will be.”

To Cole’s complete amazement, Luke pulled him in close, palming the back of his head as he forced him to lean against him, chest to chest, forehead to forehead. God, the man’s simple touch was enough to ease the undercurrent of tension he’d had to endure thanks to his nerves.

He loved this man.

The sound of a throat clearing caught their attention, but Luke didn’t pull away abruptly. His voice came as a whisper between them, “she’s perfect. Everything’s perfect.”

Cole pulled back, looking directly into Luke’s eyes, and this time his smile wasn’t forced. She was perfect. For just that brief moment, everything was right in the world.

“I come bearing gifts,” Logan announced, moving closer to where Cole and Luke stood off to the side of the main entrance. Cole turned to face him at the same time as Luke, then they both were pulled into a hug, followed by solid thumps on the back as Logan congratulated them each in turn.

Seeing that Logan had brought cigars, Cole merely laughed. He was suddenly grateful for the distraction because the emotional whirlwind he’d just endured had been enough to put him on his ass and he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t be laid out right there on the ground if it hadn’t been for Luke. Glancing over at his lover, he managed to exhale, forcing himself to release all that he’d held in. He was right, everything was perfect.

Half an hour later, Cole was standing beside Luke as they peered through the glass window of the hospital nursery. They’d endured endless congratulations from Logan and Tag, and now they were showing off their daughter, letting their brothers see exactly how perfect their baby girl truly was.

“Damn, bro. It’s a good thing that little girl looks like her momma.” Logan’s laugh echoed through the hall, causing Cole to grin. He was right, she did look like her mother, a tiny little thing with a head full of black hair.

“I was thinkin’ the same thing,” Tag added, standing beside him, another thump on the back made Cole grin.

Ever since he’d managed to let go of the tension, he found he couldn’t stop smiling. The euphoric feeling had suddenly taken over, and he was more than happy to stand right there with Luke beside him, a grin much the same as his own on his handsome face.

“Shouldn’t you be taking care of your wife?” Luke asked, giving Logan a hard time.

“What do you mean by ‘take care of’?” Logan smirked. “We already had to find a way to pass the time for a few hours.”

“Nope. Don’t want to hear it,” Luke laughed and the rumble hit somewhere deep inside of Cole, making him relax even that much more.

They’d done well.

“You hanging in there?” Cole asked Luke when the silence descended around them, wondering if the same roller coaster of emotions was on a wild ride inside of him as well.

“Yeah. You?”

“Barely,” Cole whispered. “It’s still a little surreal.”

“Is she as perfect as she looks?” Luke asked, sounding as though he didn’t mean for the words to slip out.

“She is,” Cole reassured him and their hands touched, their fingers linking together between them again as they both stood in awe.

“Like I said, just like her momma.” Logan once again chimed in.

“So, what’s it feel like to be an uncle?” Luke asked, seemingly filling the time with idle chatter.

“It feels like I’m gonna get to give you a hard time about a lot more now. A girl, huh? I hope she gives you two a run for your money.”

The conversation continued around him, but Cole didn’t participate much. He smiled when it was expected, but he was more content to stare at their baby girl.

Hannah.

For the last six months or so, they’d tossed around so many names, Cole had a hard time keeping up, but the moment their daughter took her first breath, Cole knew she was their Hannah. Ever since they laid her precious body on Sierra’s chest, he had known his life would never be the same.