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It took Lindsey two weeks to find the courage to call Adam.
She sat at the newly installed kitchen island and tapped into her phone the number Owen had given her. She doubted Adam would even answer, so when he did pick up, saying, “Do I know you?” she dropped her phone on the speckled granite countertop.
She scrambled for the phone. “Umm, hi. Adam?”
“Yeah. Who’s this?”
“It’s Lindsey. The . . . uh . . . pregnant woman from Christmas Eve.”
“I know who Lindsey is. Why are you calling me?”
“I got the results of the paternity test.”
“I didn’t take the test.”
“I know, but Jacob did, and he was negative, so that means it’s yours.”
Dead silence greeted her ear for a long moment, and then he said, “What do you want from me?”
She licked her lips and swallowed. This wasn’t going well, but at least he hadn’t flat-out denied he was the father. “Me?” she said. “I don’t want anything.” Her heart was pounding so hard she thought she might faint. “I— Do you want to see Daisy?”
“Who’s Daisy?”
“My daughter.” She took a steadying breath. “Our. Our daughter.”
He was quiet for another long moment. And she’d thought Chad was a man of few words.
“I hadn’t realized she’d been born already,” he said.
“She hasn’t been. I just . . .” God, this was hard. “I named her already; I hope that’s okay.”
“Why wouldn’t that be okay? It’s your kid.”
Technically, it was their kid, but he wasn’t interested. A couple of months ago she’d have been devastated by that news, but now she knew Daisy would have a strong father-figure even if she wasn’t related to Chad by blood. And that was all she’d ever really wanted for Daisy. Not a famous father or a rich father, but a good father who loved her. That he was also supportive of Lindsey was a huge added benefit.
“Do you want to be part of her life?” Lindsey soldiered on. “I won’t try to stand in your way if you do. Or if you don’t.” She had to think life would be easier for them all if he didn’t want a part in Daisy’s life.
“Have your lawyer contact mine about child support,” he said.
“I don’t have a lawyer.”
“Then you should get one.” He hung up before she could utter another word.
She bellowed in frustration and chucked the phone across the counter. Why did everyone assume all she wanted from them was money? Yes, money made things easier, and it was nice to have, but love was more important. Love was always more important. Even if it couldn’t pay the bills.
The scrape of Hawn’s nails on the tile behind her alerted her to Chad’s presence. Talk about love—that dog followed him everywhere. He was already working with Hawn as his first companion dog, though he didn’t plan to give her up. She’s practice, he’d assured Lindsey when she’d gone all blubbery over the thought of saying goodbye to Hawn regardless of how much good she could do for someone who needed her. Chad had told Lindsey that she wasn’t allowed to get overly attached to the first official trainee, a dog that Chad planned to carefully select after the baby was born.
Chad wrapped his arms around her stomach as he stepped up behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder. She breathed in his calm and his scent, drew his warmth—both physical and emotional—deep inside her, and sighed.
“The sod’s down,” he said. “You’re allowed to go outside now.”
He truly got off on his big reveals, so he never let her see his partially finished projects. He was like a one-man home improvement reality show.
“I can’t wait to see it,” she said, though she didn’t move from her perch on one of the barstools she’d helped Chad pick out. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his and held on tight.
“Everything okay?” he asked, kissing her ear.
“I finally got up the nerve to call Adam.”
He stiffened. “What did he say?”
“That I should get a lawyer.”
“He’s contesting his paternity?”
She shook her head. “The lawyer is needed to work out child support arrangements.”
“And visitation?”
She swallowed. This situation could get incredibly complicated. “He didn’t mention that.”
Chad released a relieved-sounding sigh and relaxed against her back. “You should use Tina’s lawyer,” he said. “She got a huge settlement from Jacob in the divorce. Her lawyer must be excellent.”
“Daisy won’t need much.” Lindsey would honestly be okay with Adam signing over his rights as a father in lieu of paying child support. She needed to give the option some thought before she broached the possibility with Adam or even mentioned it to Chad. She knew Chad would be onboard with the idea. Daisy hadn’t even been born yet, but he was already attached to her and the idea of raising her. Sometimes Lindsey wondered if he was more interested in being Daisy’s dad than in being Lindsey’s boyfriend. He’d never told Lindsey that he loved her, but he’d said it to her belly and the baby growing inside her more than once.
“You have a couple more weeks to sort it out before the baby’s born,” Chad said.
Two weeks. Lindsey was more than ready to have her body to herself again. She hoped Daisy didn’t decide she wanted to stay inside past her due date.
“Adam hasn’t had much time to get used to the idea,” Lindsey said. “I’ve had almost nine months, and I still don’t feel prepared.”
“I’m more than ready,” Chad said, nuzzling her ear. “Can’t wait.”
She shifted off the stool. Her back was tender today. It had been aching all morning and sitting on a stool wasn’t helping. She turned to face Chad, rubbing the small of her back with one hand. “I’ll worry about Adam later. Let’s check out that yard.”
Chad beamed. “It looks amazing! Especially with all the flowers you planted in full bloom in the background.”
She’d worked hard to keep those flowers alive through the oppressive heat of late August, and they were now thriving. Maybe that was a sign that she wouldn’t be a terrible caregiver for Daisy.
Chad walked slowly, holding her hand as she waddled through the dining room on her way to the front door. Her hips ached almost as much as her back did. Hell, even her ribs hurt. She might not quite be ready for the responsibility of motherhood, but she was beyond ready to give birth just so she didn’t have to be pregnant any longer.
She continued to rub her back as she walked, until Chad noticed her discomfort and took over for her.
“Do you need a massage, angel?”
“That would be lovely.”
“After we admire the yard, I’ll take you upstairs and rub you down from head to toe.”
“Just my back will be fine,” she said. “And my boobs.” She grinned as her interest shifted away from relieving aches and toward igniting passion. “And my clit could use a good massage. With your tongue.”
“I’ve got you covered,” he said. He opened the front door.
Even from the porch, she could tell that the yard’s transformation was amazing. A neat carpet of green stretched from the sidewalk near the road to the flowerbed boarders. A newly poured cement pathway meandered from the driveway to the front steps Chad had replaced the week before, but the section of the path nearest the steps remained empty.
“Did you run out of cement?” she asked.
He grinned. “Not exactly. I thought we’d pour that section after Daisy is born.”
“Why?” The missing section would be an incredible tripping hazard, especially for her, but also for Chad. His prosthetic leg was already an extension of his body, but an uneven step could definitely trip him up.
“We’ll press our hands and Hawn’s paws into the cement and make our own walk of fame. But it wouldn’t be complete without Daisy’s little handprints, so I thought we’d wait.”
Lindsey suddenly felt warm all over, but mostly in her chest where her heart thudded in response to his sentimentality. “You’re such a sap, Mitchell.”
“It’s the other Mitchell son that’s the sap.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Except where you’re concerned.”
She stared into his eyes, only forcing her gaze to their surroundings when she realized he’d never take her back inside until she admired his hard work.
“The yard looks incredible! And I love it against the new brighter paint color.” The house was now a pale gray with blue accents instead of the dingy white with drab brown cross-timbers of before. “It looks like an entirely different house, Chad.” One she was proud to call their home.
“Now you’re glad you stuck it out with me through the ugly phase, aren’t you?”
She grinned and nodded, but she was glad she’d stuck it out with him for many reasons completely unrelated to having a nice place to live. “Now about that massage you promised me . . .”
“What about it?”
“My back is aching, and my feet are swollen.”
“Foot rub needed as well. Got it.”
“And my nipples hurt.”
“I’m sure they could use a gentle suck.”
“They definitely could,” she murmured.
He leaned close and whispered in her ear, “And how’s that sweet pussy of yours?”
“Empty,” she complained.
“I think I can take care of that for you too.”
“You take such good care of me.” Both in the bedroom and out. “What would I do without you?”
“That’s not something you ever need to worry about.”
He led her back into the house. The living room had once been a blank page; now it was comfortably decorated in soft taupe, with pops of color in the pillows and ornamental touches. She’d helped him pick out most of it. Even though she hadn’t been able to pay for anything, the place felt more like home than any place she’d ever lived.
She took the stairs slowly, her backache really slowing her down. She wasn’t sure if she could handle two more weeks of this. But when they reached Chad’s bedroom and he peeled her loose, flowing dress off over her head, she decided she could tolerate the discomfort a while longer if Chad continued to help ease her aches. He assisted her in settling comfortably onto her side and even remembered she liked a pillow between her knees. She moaned in encouragement as his hands began to massage her back, his thumbs rubbing deep circles into the tight muscles on either side of her spine.
“Tell me where, angel,” he said close to her ear.
“Everywhere.”
“If I touch you everywhere, you know where that will lead,” he said with a soft laugh.
“I’m counting on it.”
She turned her head to watch him over her shoulder as he removed his clothes and even released the valve that allowed him to take off his leg. She smiled. That meant he planned to stay in bed with her for a while. He usually left his prosthesis on until bedtime.
He shifted onto the bed with her and curled up against her back. He propped his head up on one hand and kissed her neck while the fingertips of his free hand traced gentle paths up and down her arm. His warmth further soothed her back, but his touch drew shivers from her awakening body.
“It’s been a while since we wasted a day in bed,” he murmured close to her ear.
“I wouldn’t call that a wasted day.” In fact, those were her favorite days, but Chad’s ever lengthening to-do list made them a rarity.
“Me neither.”
He palmed her breast and then turned his hand to graze her nipple with his knuckles. That such strong hands could be so gentle with her blew her mind, but even though he was the strongest man she’d ever known, there was a tenderness to him that couldn’t be denied.
She winced as her backache intensified and shifted her hip to try to ease the discomfort.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I can’t seem to get comfortable. I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. Is it your back?”
She nodded, her forehead aching from the scowl she couldn’t seem to shake from her face. He shifted away from her and massaged her lower back with his thumbs and the heels of his hands. After a moment the tension finally lessened, and she took a deep breath.
“That’s better,” she said. “Thank you.”
Chad arranged an elevated nest of pillows for her and eased her onto her back with her legs dangling over the edge of the mattress. She was grateful he remembered that lying on her back was uncomfortable for her and even more grateful when he dropped to the floor and knelt between her open legs. She couldn’t see his handsome face through her bulging belly as he lowered his head to kiss her inner thighs, so she closed her eyes and just let herself feel his lips and tongue and the graze of his teeth against her eager flesh. He took his time coaxing her desire into a frenzied peak—licking her opening, sucking her lips and clit, kissing and nibbling on her thighs.
She called out to him, begging for release, for him to fill her. When he finally stood and pressed his hardness inside her, she shattered around him. He gave her a moment to relish her release before he leaned over her—fists planted in the mattress on either side of her—and began to rock his hips. He was always so gentle when he made love to her, and she knew it was because of the baby. She wondered if he’d take her hard and fast once she had her body to herself again, or if he’d think she was dirty for craving a little cruelty in his thrusts. She watched his face, fingers itching to trace the scar above his ear, but he was too far away. Too far away to hold, to kiss. Her belly was always in the damned way.
Her breath caught as her back began to ache again. Apparently even her nest of pillows wasn’t enough to keep her comfortable when she was thirty-eight weeks pregnant.
Chad, who’d been watching her closely, stopped moving immediately. “Am I hurting you, angel?”
“No, it isn’t you. It’s my stupid back again.”
He pulled out—not what she wanted—and rearranged her pillows again so she could lie on her side. She curled inward, which helped ease the ache some, and Chad’s massaging hands helped more.
“I’m okay,” she told him, looking over her shoulder at him. “Except I really need you to finish what you started.”
“I can tug one out in the bathroom if—”
“I’d prefer if you’d curl up here behind me.”
She patted her butt in invitation, and he grinned before lying down behind her and pressing up against her back. He kissed her ear and massaged her breast, and she felt almost like herself without her belly between them. They’d tried just about every position imaginable over the past few weeks to find comfortable ways to fit together, and this way was the best they’d discovered.
He entered her again and snuggled close, seemingly content to be inside her, against her. She was far from content, however, and began to rock her hips forward and back.
“Angel, slow down.”
But she didn’t want to slow down. She wanted him to lose control. She found the faster she moved, the harder he thrust, until his fingers were digging into her hip and he was moaning into her ear. Heat and friction. Pleasure. Aching. Building. Her excitement intensified until she came undone, and his body shuddered behind her. He grasped her breast tightly when he buried himself deep and let go, and her pussy rippled around him with release.
Releasing a deep huff of air, Chad went limp, his forehead pressed against her shoulder. His rapid breaths warmed her back as her undeniable feelings for this man bubbled to the surface and brought tears to her eyes. She always tried to blame the moments of intense emotion on her pregnancy and out-of-whack hormones, but she knew that wasn’t the truth. She loved Chad, and had never told him, not once, because she was so afraid that he didn’t feel the same way about her.
“How’s your back?” he asked, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder.
She sniffed and dashed a stupid tear away with the palm of her hand.
“Angel? What do you need?”
“I need you to love me.” Her voice broke, and she hated that she sounded so needy. “Love me, Chad.”
“I do love you, angel.”
Her breath caught, and she twisted as best she could to see his face. “You do?”
“Lindsey . . .”
He never used her given name, so hearing it on his lips made her heart pang.
“Lindsey . . .” he repeated, stroking a stray lock of hair from her cheek and tucking it behind her ear. “I love you. I’ve loved you for weeks. For months.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Because . . .” He glanced down, breaking eye contact. “I didn’t want my love to be a burden on you.”
She shook her head and grabbed his hand, which was still cupping her breast. Her heart expanded, reaching out to him through her fingertips. “Your love could never be a burden, Chad. You could never be a burden. I cherish your love. I cherish you.”
“You love me?”
“Didn’t I just say that?”
He grinned. “No, angel. You alluded to it, but you never actually said it.”
He was right. She hadn’t said it directly, but she wouldn’t make that mistake again. “I love you, Chad Mitchell. More than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything. I love—” A searing pain cramped her midsection, and she cried out in anguish. “Owwww.”
“It hurts you to say that?”
“Uh, no. I think that incredible orgasm might have put me into labor.”
He backed out of her so fast, he fell to the floor. “Oh God,” he said. “Your daughter is going to be born with my cum all over her head.”
Lindsey laughed between Lamaze breaths. After a moment, the contraction ended and she said, “I think my water breaking will wash that away.”
“I’m not so sure.” He sat up and peered at her over the edge of the mattress. He was actually blushing. “It was a lot of cum, angel.”
“Enough to start labor.” Unless her aching back had actually been labor pains. That recurrent back pain sure felt different from the abdominal contraction she’d had a moment ago, so maybe they weren’t related.
Chad’s blush faded as he paled. “You’re in labor. Are you sure?”
She pushed her hair from her face, trying to think.
“I don’t know. I’m supposed to have two more weeks, but I should probably get dressed and wash up just in case. Can you hand me my clothes?”
He scrambled for her discarded dress, tossed it at her, and reached for his prosthesis. Even though he had a lot more steps to getting dressed than she did, he was fully clothed before she had even managed to turn her dress right-side out. He ran to the bedroom door and yanked it open. Hawn was immediately in the room, her tail wagging wildly as if she sensed the excitement.
“Where’s your bag?” Chad asked as he dashed into the hallway.
“At the end of my bed.” She had her own room and even her own bed, but she hadn’t slept in it even once.
She rocked back and forth to gain the momentum to get into a seated position and slipped her dress over her head. Lord, her panties were far away. Before she could get her feet under her, Hawn had retrieved her underwear and dropped them into her lap, tilting her furry head to one side as she waited for her praise.
“I’m not going to ask you how you know to retrieve a woman’s underwear after she’s had sex with your master,” Lindsey said.
Hawn barked, smiling her doggie smile.
“That much practice, huh?”
“Where’s the baby’s bag?” Chad called from down the hall.
“In the nursery. Sitting in the crib.” She bent to put her foot into her panties, but couldn’t reach. God, why was everything such a chore?
“Got it!”
She heard Chad race down the steps. The front door opened. Closed. A moment later an engine started, followed by the unmistakable whine of a car backing down the driveway. Tires squealed on the street in front of the house as he hit the gas.
“He forgot me, Hawn,” she said, finally getting one foot into her panties. Getting the second foot into the holes in the right sequence was even more of a challenge.
She heard the vroom of an engine coming up the street and more squealing tires as the car drew to a halt in front of the house. She finally had both feet in her panties and was sitting on the edge of the bed with them around her ankles when the front door banged open and footsteps dashed up the stairs.
“Sorry, sorry,” Chad said, cringing sheepishly as he raced into the room. “I got excited. I was two blocks away before I realized I’d forgotten my most important cargo.”
She laughed, snorting into her hand. “You were well on your way, and I can’t even get my underwear on.”
He rushed over to help her slide her drawers up her thighs. “How far apart are the contractions?”
“I don’t know. I’ve just had the wuh— Owwwwwww!” She clung to his shoulders as another pain caught her by surprise. Shouldn’t there be some sort of warning? Criminy and holy shit, that hurt.
“Another one?” he asked, rubbing her back. Like that helped.
“No, fuckhead, I thought I’d scream in pain for the hell of it.”
He pulled out his cellphone, attention glued to his screen, and she punched him in the shoulder. “Now is not the time for Candy Crush,” she yelled. “Get me to the goddamned hospital.”
“I was seeing what time it was so we can time the contractions. They seem pretty close together.”
Timing the contractions was probably a good idea, but the faster she got to the hospital, the faster she could get some strong drugs or an epidural or whatever it was she’d put in her stupid birth plan before she’d known how bad contractions hurt. What had she gotten herself into?
Once the contraction ended—about forty-five seconds of sheer hell—she started thinking clearly again. “I should go to the bathroom before we leave.” She had to pee—as per usual—and needed some post-coitus cleanup so she didn’t embarrass herself.
She suffered through another contraction on the toilet and was really starting to worry that something was wrong.
“Are you okay?” Chad called from outside the door. “Do you need help?”
“Give me a fucking minute!” she yelled as she curled around her belly and panted through the pain. Lamaze breaths didn’t do shit, she decided.
A few minutes later she emerged from the bathroom a bit cleaner but far surlier. “Are we going or what?” she snapped.
“Just remember,” Chad said as he helped her down the stairs, “that I didn’t do this to you.”
“No. Adam did. And I’m going to cut him if I ever see him again.”
“Should we call him?” Chad asked, leading her out onto the porch. His car was sitting in the driveway, still running and with the driver’s door wide open.
“Probably. Even though I know he won’t come.” He hadn’t seemed too keen on the idea when she’d dropped the news on him just an hour ago.
“If you’re wanting a larger audience, I know Mom and Owen would love to be there,” he said.
She’d thought having her newly acquired adoptive family present for the birth of her child would be wonderful before the fact, but now the thought of witnesses made her want to gouge someone’s eyes out.
“I just want you there,” she said as she took each porch step slowly. She was afraid too much jarring might result in a baby being born in the front yard. Yes, she’d read the books and online articles that assured her that she’d have plenty of time to make it to the hospital. The childbirth classes she’d taken with Chad all reiterated that labor was usually a prolonged process, that it wasn’t the emergency it seemed to be, and she’d only had three contractions so far, but—
As she took the final extra-long step where no sidewalk had been poured yet, a gush of warm water wet the inside of her legs and the ground between her feet.
Oh shit!
Chad’s eyes widened as he stared at the puddle. “Was that supposed to happen?”
“I think so.” She didn’t think it was supposed to happen that quickly after the start of labor, but she didn’t want to panic Chad. He might race off to the hospital without her again. She stood at the bottom of the steps, legs trembling and her mind completely blank. Even with all her planning, she didn’t know what to do. Not really. And she didn’t know how to be a mom. What if she was terrible at it? She could ruin Daisy’s entire life by being a crappy mother.
“Oh, angel,” Chad said, cupping her face gently. “Don’t cry. Everything’s fine.”
She sucked her lips into her mouth to still her blubbering, but she couldn’t keep her tears in check. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I’m okay. I just . . . just . . . need a towel to sit on in the car.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“But your seat!”
“Will wash off. Or I’ll replace it. Whatever. Let’s get you to the hospital.”
She nodded, but her feet had rooted themselves to the ground, while her knees were like soggy spaghetti. She tried focusing on taking one step toward the car. Just one. Take one step, Lindsey. You can do it. She’d managed to shuffle an inch or two forward when another pain gripped her midsection and doubled her over. Her contractions were definitely too close together.
“I think something’s wrong.” She gasped, clutching her belly between both hands. “I thought contractions were supposed to start an hour or thirty minutes apart. These are like . . .”
“Eight minutes.”
Feels like two.
“I’ll call an ambulance,” he said.
“Your car would be faster,” she said.
“Not if I can’t get you to the car.”
“I’m trying,” she said, gripping his arm to leverage her back straight so she could take another step.
“Sorry, angel, but I don’t have the patience for this.”
She sucked in a surprised breath when he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the car.
“I’ve been wanting to do this since the day I got my leg,” he said.
“Take me to the hospital?”
“Carry you in my arms. I was afraid you wouldn’t let me.”
“I wouldn’t,” she said. “I’d be afraid you’d hurt yourself. But I’m desperate.”
But now that she saw how easy he made it look, she’d let him carry her anywhere. His arms felt so solid and strong wrapped around her, his heart beat fiercely beneath her palm, and the skin of his throat was warm against her lips as she kissed him in gratitude. He set her down next to the passenger door and opened it before lifting her again and placing her gently in the seat.
“Next time I carry you, it will be over the threshold as my wife,” he said.
His wife? She sucked in another breath, but not due to pain this time. They’d just admitted to loving each other not many minutes ago. Marriage was quite a leap forward.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he said. “You had to know that’s where we were headed.”
She blinked, unable to process how she felt about marriage to anyone when she had progressed into hard labor so shockingly fast. “Actually, I was hoping we were headed for the hospital,” she said in a surprisingly even voice.
He grinned and kissed her forehead. “Right.” He shut her door and hurried over to his side of the car. She meant to ask him if he was truly serious about marriage, but another pain had her too busy swearing to form a coherent sentence.
Chad drove faster than he should, but Lindsey was too panicked to criticize his risky lane-changing maneuvers. Her contractions were only minutes apart, and if she gave birth in his car, he’d definitely have to replace the seat.
She was glad she’d taken him with her when she’d toured the birthing center of the hospital; he knew exactly where to go to get her admitted. He lifted her out of the car—leaving the sporty Acura in a drop-off-only zone—and carried her into the admitting area.
“I can walk,” she insisted, until another contraction gripped her and she changed her mind, clinging to him as if he could do something to make her hurt less.
A nurse who was unnervingly calm meandered in their direction with a wheelchair. “Looks like someone’s going to have a baby today,” she said. “I’ll get Mom admitted. Where did you park, Dad?”
Chad refused to put Lindsey down. “She needs to be checked out by a doctor immediately. Her contractions are only minutes apart, and her water broke, and she’s in a lot of pain. Do something!”
“Why did you wait so long to come in?” the nurse asked.
“We didn’t. Her contractions started less than an hour ago.”
The nurse scoffed. “Not possible.”
“I think . . .” Lindsey said, panting as she tried to catch her breath. “That my backache earlier, might have been— Ow! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Motherfucking son of a bitch!”
“I’ll tell my mom to bring the swear jar when she comes,” Chad said. “That’s like twelve bucks right there.”
Lindsey half-laughed, half-cried as he held her through the tail end of the contraction.
“Set her down in the chair,” the nurse said, still the epitome of calm. “I’ll take her to get admitted. You need to move your car before it gets towed.”
“Tow it,” Chad snapped. “I don’t give a fuck. I’m not leaving her alone.”
Now that Lindsey’s pain had diminished—at least for another eight minutes or so—Lindsey was thinking a bit more clearly.
“Let the lady do her job,” she said before kissing Chad. “Go park the car and call Owen. Tell him to call everyone else on our list, okay?”
“But—”
“Please hurry,” she said. “You need to get all that done before the baby is born. The longer you wait—”
He set her in the wheelchair and lifted her hands to his lips, kissing her knuckles. “I love you. I’ll be right back. Don’t have that baby without me.”
“I love you too!” she called after him as he raced away.
By the time Chad returned, she’d been checked by a midwife and found to be dilated to seven centimeters, admitted into her room, and dressed in a hospital gown. Now she was being hooked up to an IV.
He rushed to her side and stroked her hair from her face, kissing her lips. “Sorry I took so long. I couldn’t find a place to park, and I couldn’t get ahold of Owen, so I called Mom and she wanted to chat.”
“It didn’t take you long,” she assured him, fingering the scar over his ear.
“Did they say when she’ll be born?” He slid a hand over her belly.
“Anywhere from ten minutes to six hours from now.” She laughed at his incredulous expression. “But probably an hour or two.”
“Mom says not to have that baby until she gets here.”
“I’ll try not.”
“She also said you should have warned her that you were going to have the baby two weeks early. Your surprise baby shower is tomorrow, and you’ve ruined everything.”
Lindsey covered his hand with hers and squeezed. “A surprise shower. . . She did that? For me?”
“Are you surprised?”
Not really. Joan was good to her.
“It’s been hard keeping it a secret,” he added.
“You knew?”
“She only told me yesterday, but she’s been planning it for weeks.”
“I guess that’s why she was being so nosy about my past family and friends.”
“Nah,” he said with a laugh. “She’s always nosy.”
Now that Lindsey was no longer panicked that she’d end up giving birth outside the relative security of the hospital, she could relax and think and talk. Chad tried to make her as comfortable as possible by offering more back rubs, ice chips, and gentle words of reassurance even when she was cussing through her contractions. An anesthesiologist had been called to give her an epidural but had yet to arrive. She was starting to think she didn’t need one. Not because the contractions didn’t hurt, but because the pain seemed worth it. Soon she’d be able to hold Daisy and see her, smell her, kiss and cuddle her. Lindsey couldn’t wait to meet her daughter.
“Did you mean what you said about getting married?” Lindsey asked Chad between contractions.
Chad had been staring at a monitor but went completely still—as if he’d turned into a possum and thought she wouldn’t be able to see him if he didn’t move.
She plucked at the sheet covering her legs. That was fine. She didn’t need to be married, and she didn’t want to pressure Chad into doing something he wasn’t ready to do. She wasn’t sure that she was ready for marriage either. Being a new mom would be challenging enough without adding being a new wife to the mix.
“I meant it,” he said, still not looking at her. “I shouldn’t have blurted it out the way I did, though.”
“Why not?”
“I should have prepared what I’d say and done something special and gotten a ring. So pretend I didn’t mention it, and I’ll surprise you with a real proposal someday.”
“I don’t need all that,” she said. “And I already have your ring.”
He sat on the edge of her bed and took her hand. “What are you talking about?”
“The ring Josie returned to you. I still have it in my purse.”
He cringed. “You were supposed to pawn that. It’s cursed.”
“It’s pretty,” she said. “And I don’t care that it used to be Josie’s.” As soon as the words were out, she knew she was lying, because she was hit with a bout of extreme nausea.
“Well, I care,” he said. “It’s bad enough that you have to accept Josie’s used fiancé. There’s no way in hell you’re wearing her used engagement ring. Are you in that much of a rush to get a ring on your finger?”
She hadn’t been before, but now that he’d broached the subject, yes! But she said, “No. Take your time. I can—” Another contraction gripped her midsection, and she tried breathing through it to keep the swear words locked inside, but it was no use. “Son of a hell-born bitch. How do I keep forgetting how much these fucking hurt when there are only seven pain-free minutes between these rancid cunt-whores?”
“Six minutes between now,” Chad informed her. He gritted his teeth. “You’re breaking my fingers.”
“Would you rather I shove a cantaloupe up your ass and let you try to push it out?” she shouted at him.
“I’ll pass.”
“I might give it a try,” Owen said from the doorway. “Sounds kinky. Can I come in?”
“I’d wait thirty seconds if I were you,” Chad warned.
“Why thirty seconds?”
“She hasn’t gotten her epidural yet.”
She cursed the anesthesiologist, the inventor of IVs, and the taupe wall color before the pain finally lessened and she took a breath.
“Chad said he couldn’t reach you,” she said, panting in Owen’s direction. She released Chad’s hand, and he gave it a shake.
“I got his message,” Owen said. “Is it safe to enter now?”
“You’ve got six minutes before the scary returns,” Chad said, massaging his knuckles.
“I’m not scary!”
“Of course, you aren’t, angel. Ice chip?”
She was thirsty, so she opened her mouth, and he scooped in a few bits of unsatisfying ice. She’d save cursing out ice chips to accompany her next contraction.
“I’m surprised Mom isn’t here yet,” Owen said as he approached the bed.
“She’s picking up someone from the airport,” Chad said.
Owen frowned. “Who?”
Chad shook his head and glanced pointedly at Lindsey, who narrowed her eyes.
“Are you keeping something from me?” she asked.
Before he could answer, the anesthesiologist arrived with his scary arsenal of long-ass needles.
“I think we should grab a cup of coffee,” Owen said, looking a bit green as he eyed the doctor’s instrument tray.
“I’m not leaving her by herself,” Chad said.
“But you hate needles,” Owen said.
“Does anyone actually like needles?” Chad asked.
“I love them,” the doctor quipped. He held up a frighteningly thick one and cradled it in both palms as if it were a treasured newborn.
Lindsey whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut. Her hand searched blindly for something to cling to and found Chad’s hand again. Owen stepped out of the room when they positioned Lindsey on her side and had her round her back so the doctor could insert the catheter between her vertebrae. She was suddenly rethinking the epidural thing.
The doctor numbed her skin with a local and waited for her to suffer through another contraction before he got serious. The grinding sensation of the needle against bone was the worst of it. She experienced no discomfort when the needle was inserted or when the catheter was threaded into place. Anesthetic was administered through the catheter, and the numbing sensation spread outward far more quickly than she’d anticipated. Chad held her hands the entire time, but didn’t watch. His face was buried in the bed beside her.
Lindsey’s next contraction was only a minor discomfort. She could vaguely feel that it was happening, but it didn’t hurt.
“Oh my, that’s better,” she said, smiling at Chad, whose face was now inches from hers. Only six minutes before, that would have been a dangerous position to place himself. Her nurse checked her progress again—eight centimeters and progressing nicely—before stepping out of the room and promising to return soon. She made Chad promise to alert her immediately if Lindsey had an urge to push.
“I’m glad you’re not hurting anymore, angel,” Chad said, stroking her hair as he gazed lovingly into her eyes. “I feel better about wanting to make another one of these with you.”
Her jaw dropped. “Another baby?” Jeez, she hadn’t even gotten this one out yet, and he was talking about more.
“Not any time soon, but hopefully someday.”
She smiled. That actually sounded nice now that she didn’t feel compelled to rip the lips off every man on the planet for not having to experience the miracle of childbirth. “Someday.”
Someone near the door softly cleared her throat. “I hope I’m not interrupting something important,” Joan said.
“Just the planning of your future grandchildren,” Chad said.
“Well, let’s see how cute this one is first.” Joan winked at Lindsey. “I’ve got my money on absolutely adorable, and I’ll want dozens more.”
Dozens? Lindsey choked on her own saliva.
“Can I come in?” Joan asked.
“Of course,” Lindsey said, wincing as she tried to reposition herself without disturbing the epidural too much.
“You look beautiful,” Joan said when she reached the bed. She had tears in her eyes.
“I’ve never felt less beautiful,” Lindsey assured her.
“I don’t want you to be mad at me,” Joan said.
“For what?”
“Just promise you won’t be mad.”
Lindsey shook her head in confusion. “How can I promise if I don’t know what I’m promising?”
“Lindsey?” A familiar voice croaked out her name near the door.
Lindsey sucked in a breath and blinked back a flood of tears that blurred the woman’s face.
“Mom?”
