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his wife is having a baby. He is sooo fine, and his music...” She sighed dreamily.
Simona stared at the young nurse, whose name she couldn’t remember, and shook her head. She’d heard of the popular R & B singer and producer, and owned a few of his CDs, but had no idea he had a wife or that she was expecting a baby.
“We should go up and see if we can get his autograph. I have all his CDs.”
Simona glanced down at the woman’s badge. “No, we shouldn’t, Alyssa,” she said firmly. “What we should do is allow the man to have some privacy. This is a hospital, not a concert venue. How about displaying a little professionalism?” People not respecting other’s privacy topped the list of Simona’s pet peeves.
Alyssa had the decency to look embarrassed...for about five seconds. “It’s just a little autograph. Geez, lighten up.”
Simona was poised to give Alyssa a blistering retort, but the sound of sirens interrupted whatever she had planned to say. She and Phyllis shared a look and rushed off with Alyssa trailing them.
* * *
Donovan Wright pushed through the hospital doors and went to the front desk. “Can you tell me what floor maternity is on?”
“Fourth,” the older woman behind the desk answered with a smile. “Is this your first?”
His heart clenched. “It’s not mine. I’m here for a friend.”
“Oh. I just thought...well, a handsome guy like you should have no problem finding a wife.”
He smiled, thanked her, then sauntered off toward the elevators, his loafers echoing loudly on the highly polished floors.
As he waited for the elevator, he pondered the woman’s statement. No problem finding a wife? Yeah. Right. Donovan stepped in when the doors opened, pushed the button for the fourth floor and leaned his head back against the wall.
Closing his eyes, he exhaled deeply. He was exhausted. With Terrence out of the office for the past week, Donovan had been working sixteen-hour days at the record company just to keep up. As the executive vice president of RC Productions he oversaw most of the departments and had managed the music career of Terrence—who used the stage name Monte—for the past decade, along with one other group at the record label.
He’d been up to his eyeballs scheduling tour dates, negotiating fees, going over contracts and meeting with various entities. If not for his two assistants, he would more than likely still be sitting at his desk despite the fact that it was nine thirty.
Two years ago, both he and Terrence had worked long hours at the record company Terrence started. With Terrence taking on the role of CEO and producer and working on his own music, they’d had no choice. But since Terrence and Janae married, his friend made a point of not staying late as often as he used to. Now, with the new baby, Donovan wondered if Terrence would be working even less and if they would need to hire another executive just to keep up.
The elevator doors opened on the fourth floor, and he followed the signs to the nurses’ station. Before he could ask, Donovan spotted Terrence and met him halfway. He brought Terrence in for a one-armed hug.
“What’s up, man? The baby here yet?”
“Hey, D. Not yet,” Terrence answered.
“You look exhausted. How’s Janae holding up?”
“It’s been over eight hours, and I know she’s in a lot of pain, but she refuses to take anything. She wants to do this naturally.” He scrubbed a hand over his head. “I feel so helpless.”
Donovan clapped him on the shoulder. “Well, hopefully it won’t be much longer. What are the doctors saying?”
“They just checked her and said she’s eight centimeters dilated, so I’m praying it won’t be much longer. I was on my way to the waiting room to tell my grandparents before I go back in.”
“They’re here?” Donovan asked, following Terrence.
“You know they’ll be here all night, if necessary. They’re more excited than we are.”
Donovan laughed. “I can imagine.”
Terrence’s grandparents had been his only family until he married Janae. Both were in their seventies, but rose swiftly when the two men entered.
“Is my great-grandbaby here yet?” Terrence’s grandmother asked.
“Not yet, Grandma.” He told her the same thing he’d told Donovan.
“Hi, Donovan. I didn’t expect to see you here tonight. Terrence told me about all the late hours you’ve been working.”
“Hey, Grandma. You know I had to be here for the birth of my first godchild.” Donovan leaned down to kiss her cheek. He extended his hand to Terrence’s grandfather. “How’s it going, Mr. Campbell?”
“Can’t complain.”
“I need to get back,” Terrence said.
“I’ll wait here with your grandparents, T. Give Janae my best.”
“I will,” he called over his shoulder, hurrying off.
Donovan sprawled out on a loveseat, dangling his legs over the armrest. He spent a few minutes catching up with the grandparents, then asked, “How long have you two been here?”
“About four hours,” Mr. Campbell answered.
“Let’s hope it won’t be much longer,” Grandma said. “I’m so glad Terrence found someone to share his life with. You know, Donovan, if my stubborn, commitment-phobic grandson can find a wife, I’m certain you can, too,” she added casually.
Uh-oh. “I’ve been too busy to even think about a relationship.”
“Well, no time like the present to slow down and smell a few roses. Don’t you think? What happened to the young lady you were seeing a while back? She came with you to one or two of the barbecues. The two of you seemed quite serious, and I thought for sure there’d be wedding bells in your future.”
Donovan leaned back, closed his eyes and frowned at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. Rolanda Evans had committed what he considered an unpardonable sin—she’d betrayed his trust in so many ways. In his mind, no trust equaled no relationship. “We broke up a long time ago.”
“Hmm, so you haven’t found someone else?”
“No, ma’am.” And he hadn’t been looking. He sincerely prayed this birth wouldn’t take long. Miss Ellie was worse than his mother. Since his mother lived far from LA, he could dodge her easily. Not so much with Terrence’s grandmother. However, now that his small circle of friends had all married, lately he was starting to feel like a fifth wheel.
“Ellie, quit badgering the boy,” Mr. Campbell said with a chuckle.
She shrugged. “He calls me Grandma, and that gives me privileges.”
Had he known Eleanor Campbell’s sweet offer to call her Grandma came with privileges, he would have refused it in a heartbeat and run in the opposite direction. Maybe it wasn’t too late to go back to Mrs. Campbell or Miss Ellie.
“One of the ladies in my yoga class mentioned that her great-niece had just moved to the city. I saw a picture, and she’s absolutely gorgeous. I think she’s around thirty—”
Donovan sat up abruptly, swung his legs around and jumped up. “Um, Miss Ellie...”
She laughed. “So, we’re back to Miss Ellie, huh? All right. I’ll leave you alone for now.” Miss Ellie pointed a finger his way. “But you need a wife.”
Before he could form a response, Terrence burst through the door.
“We have a baby girl,” Terrence announced with tears in his eyes. “A beautiful