Sliding into Home - The Bradford Series Book Two

Chapter 9

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Chapter 9

Colby

After that crazy start to our vacation, I'm thankful today is perfect. The sun is out and warming up my body, the breeze is light and just enough to keep me from sweating. Ash got the pool cleaned up yesterday so it's ready for use. I have a cold drink next to me, my family around me. Now if Maddie would just have the baby.

We've been waiting since yesterday morning for this baby to come. I feel so bad for her. She's been in labor for twenty five hours and counting. She's got to be exhausted. I don't know how she's doing it.

Ash has been checking in with us on the baby too. I think it's sweet that he wants to know. It's different from the other boys, they're family. I know when Maddie moved to New York she and Ash got to be good friends. Something changed between them in the last few months though. Maddie refuses to talk about him, and Ash seems so hurt.

I wonder if he fell for her and she didn't feel the same? I know what that's like. I have been in those shoes several times and it's not fun. Maddie must feel uncomfortable not feeling the same and felt she had to step back. Ash is such a good guy. I don't know why she wouldn't give it a shot. Unless the baby's father is back in the picture. I get the feeling that wouldn't be a good thing. Maddie didn't seem to want anything to do with him again. I don't know. She hasn't mentioned anything to me.

But then she did get pregnant right around the same time as she pushed Ash away.. Hmmm... I wonder if that's why things got dicy between them. Maybe because Ash's mom, Callie, was a single parent it made things uncomfortable between them. Ash doesn't hit me as the kind of guy who pushes his views on someone else.

"What's wrong, Colby? You're chewing off your nail again." Emery asked, getting my attention.

Looking down at my nail to see she's right, I tuck my hand under the towel I'm laying on and meet her eyes. "Do you know what happened between Ash and Maddie?"

"No. She hasn't talked about him. They used to hang out a lot right after the move, maybe they just went different ways." Emery suggests but I think it's more. Maddie doesn't walk away from friends. And Ash is almost family or as close as family gets with us. Especially given his mom's history with Derrick.

The boys decided to join us outside. Riley took the lounge next to me while Aiden and the boys got into the pool to play volleyball. We enjoyed the time watching the boys play and splash us as they dived for the ball. Laughing at Landon, who got dunked by Harper, I barely heard Emery's phone ring.

"Hi Daddy! How's Maddie?" Em answered the phone.

Instantly all of us stopped to listen. Emery's eyes got wide looking at all our faces as she shook her head. The tears filled her eyes and her bottom lip began to quiver.

Immediately the guy's jumped out of the pool and came to us. Aiden took the phone from Em as Harper wrapped his arms around her. Something has gone very wrong.

"Cade, it's Aiden. What happened?" The long silence hung between us as Cade explained it to Aiden.

He sat down on Riley's lounge hard and held his head. My stomach hurts and twists into knots as we wait for Aiden to fill us in. He doesn't talk but nods listening to Cade. When I see the tears in Aiden's eyes, I know it's bad.

It takes too long for him to fill us in. All of us hold on to each other knowing we have to brace for the news. We're family, if one hurts we all do. Aiden wrapped his arms around Riley and buried his face in her neck. This isn't good, Aiden doesn't cry.