Living in Your Hell

by Barb Shuler

  “Shit!” He hisses as he chucked the utility belt around his waist up into the washer and grabbed a towel. He looked at me from where he knelt on the floor.

  “I- I love you,” I gritted my teeth to keep from screaming as the next contraction hit.

  “I love you… oh God, I see a head! That's it, baby, push, you can do it.” He encouraged me as I strained.

  A few deep breaths and hard pushes had me collapsing back into the floor when I felt the release of my child from my body.

  “It's a boy! Holy shit, it's a boy!” Charlie said as he laid a bundle on my chest. I was in tears as the sounds of footfalls hit my ears.

  “Charlie! Shelby!”

  It was Riley. Help had arrived. Charlie called out to them and within moments the cord was cut, the baby had been checked over, as had I and I was exhausted.

  “I don't see anything of concern, Sweet Pea,” Papa said. He’d come in right after the EMTs, as had Dani Lynn and Jayna. I was now cleaned up and sitting in bed holding my son. I looked down at little Henry Charles McKenna as I was trying to figure out what had everyone else here preoccupied.

  “Papa, what's going on?” I whispered. “Is the baby- Is Henry really okay? Am I?” I asked him as I watched Dani Lynn and Charlie talking in the corner. Both looked angry.

  “You and my great grandson are perfectly fine, Sweet Pea, don't fret.”

  “Okay.”

  “Charles,” Papa said. “Come talk to your wife, and Dani Lynn you get back to what you were doing. We have things to sort before Walker gets here.”

  Walker? Why was Walker coming in? He only came to town when something bad was happening. I met Charlie’s gaze.

  “We think something's happened at the cabin. Gabe sent a distress call out but Derek only caught half of it before it went out….”

  “What?”

  “We’ll sort it out, baby. I hate to do this, but I have to get back to the station. Doc’s gonna stay with you and Jayna is downstairs getting you something to eat. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise,” he said, looking so defeated.

  I took his hand and pulled him to me, kissing him softly. “I love you,” I said against his lips. “Go make sure our dads are okay.”

  “I love you. Listen to your Papa and Jayna. I'll call back or come by soon. I promise.”

  With a quick goodbye Dani Lynn was out the door after him. I sighed and squeezed Papa’s hand. If it wasn't one thing… it was ten others. For such a small town, there was never a dull moment.

  Living In Your Hell Playlist

  All Around Me - Flyleaf

  Animal I've Become - Three Days Grace

  Another Hole in the Head - Nickelback

  Apocalypse Please - Muse

  Bleeding Me - Metallica

  Brave Enough - Lindsay Stirling (ft Christina Perri)

  Darkside - Kelly Clarkson

  Hate Me - Blue October

  House Party - Sam hunt

  Kiss You in the Morning - Michael Ray

  Left Out - Shinedown

  Living In Your Hell - 3 Doors Down

  Southern Girl - Chris Cagle

  The Broken - 3 Doors Down

  Undisclosed Desires - Muse

  Without A Fight - Brad Paisley & Demi Lovato

  About the Author

  I’m a Carolina Girl by right and a Texan by birth... so I have a Texas-sized temper. Living and working in both states I’ve learned a lot about hard work, adapting to your surroundings and making the best of the path that you have been led down. My grandma Dollie once told me I would know what I was meant to do when it happened. She was right, as always.

  As with most book lovers, I am an avid reader. Reading has always been a hobby - a passion, really. Reading helps to expand the perimeters of one's mind. That is what got me to start writing as a kid. If I had paper...or a wall... I was writing. Words are a part of us all. Why not use them, right?

  During the day I work as a ‘desk jockey’ and help the residents of my county navigate themselves around our little, but not too little country town. By night I am either blogging, doing PA work for some of my favorite authors or I am fighting with the voices in my head. (They can be stubborn at times.) It’s a way to cope and make the troubles of the day disappear, if only for a few hours. It’s a blessing and I am cherishing every moment. For that which is my creation, may become someone else's treasure.

  Tomorrow is never guaranteed so I want to make sure I live the day as fully as possible.

  CONNECT WITH BARB

  www.authorbarbshuler.com

  Email: info@authorbarbshuler.com

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  Blog: http://authorbarbshuler.blogspot.com

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