Just What I Need (The Bradfords) by Erin Nicholas Read Free Book Online Page B

here.”
    Dooley nodded. “Yeah.”
    Sam looked each of them in the eye. “Thanks.”
    “No place I’d rather be,” Kevin said, meaning it. These guys were part of his family and this is what family did. The only person he was missing was Eve. They’d agreed that she’d stay with Drew until it was time to settle him at Dooley’s sister’s house for the night, then she’d be over. That was also what family did sometimes—they split up to be there for all the people who needed them.
    “Honestly, I can think of at least twenty places I’d rather be,” Dooley said, pulling Sam in for a quick guy hug and lightening things up a little. “But I bet you can too.”
    Sam managed a full smile. “I was planning on having a really good time at your wedding reception.”
    Dooley laughed. “Well, I’m less broken up about it now that you said that. I think the bar tab is going to be about half of what it would have been if this whole thing hadn’t happened.”
    Sara came out of the room, yawning and blinking against the brighter lights of the hallway, with Mac right behind her. She was dressed in pink hospital scrubs, having changed out of her bridesmaid dress at some point, and had her hair pulled up in a ponytail. She looked ridiculously young.
    And she was pregnant.
    That was still hitting him strangely. Kevin had known Sara since she was a kid. He’d always felt like a big brother to her, as had all the guys. He’d taken her out for ice cream, he’d bought her purple ice skates, he’d stood in line with her for Britney Spears concert tickets. Sara had been nicknamed princess early on and it had fit.
    Kevin knew it was silly, but I can’t believe little Sara is pregnant kept going through his mind. Pregnant. That was big. He’d adjusted to her being married, to her being married to Mac, and that she was running her own business. But pregnant?
    Then she smiled at them all and held her hand out to Sam. The tension in her brother’s shoulders loosened as he reached for her.
    As she took her brother’s hand, Kevin flashed to the first time he’d seen Sara with Elijah. And the pregnant thing clicked into place. Sara loved with her whole heart, she made everyone around her happier, and she was a natural caregiver. She simply hadn’t had many chances to show it in the past with all the people always taking care of her.
    “Dani’s still out. I left her a note about where we are,” Sara told Sam.
    “I’ll go in and sit with Dani,” Kevin offered. He didn’t want her waking up to a note.
    Sam looked grateful. “Thanks.”
    “Of course.”
    “And I’ll…” Dooley looked around, “…sit here and wait for Morgan.”
    Kevin pulled out his phone as he turned toward Dani’s room, and Sara and Sam started for the elevator that was only a few feet away. He’d call and have someone from the reception bring Dooley and Morgan some of their cake and champagne at least.
    Mac grabbed Kevin’s arm as he was texting one of Dooley’s brothers-in-law. “Hey,” he said in a low voice, “we should have somebody bring some of the cake and champagne over from the reception for Dooley and Morgan.”
    Kevin held up his phone. “Way ahead of you.”
    Mac rolled his eyes. “Of course you are. And I was going to tell Sara it was my idea and get romantic brownie points.”
    “You don’t need romantic brownie points,” Kevin said. “She’s all yours.”
    Mac nodded. “Yeah.” His eyes were fixed on his wife.
    Kevin watched as Sam pulled Sara close, wrapping his arm around her and taking another, seemingly relieved, breath.
    It was hard to not be right by his friend’s side, but Sara was there and Jessica was waiting upstairs. As the oldest, and the one who’d raised Sam and Sara after their father’s murder, Jessica would make sure Sam had everything he needed—and things he didn’t know he needed. She would get the answers from the doctors and would think ahead to every possible contingency. Sara, the little