“No,” she panted. “Just wish Brian was here.”
So do I…
Maybe Hunter was a mind-reader or perhaps he was just normally helpful in every situation, but he took over talking to Katie for the rest of the drive. And when they got to the hospital, he walked her in while Violet parked the car. By the time she walked into the hospital, she figured she was off the hook and her job was done. But just as she was about to breathe a big sigh of relief, Hunter came jogging toward her.
“Oh, good. There you are. They’re taking Katie up to labor and delivery and you need to go with them, so…”
She froze.
Well, her head was wildly shaking back and forth, but no words were coming out of her mouth.
“Vi,” he began calmly. “Katie’s having her baby. This is what you’re here for and she’s counting on you!”
It suddenly felt way too hot. Her throat was dry, and she felt like everything was starting to spin.
Hunter’s arms immediately went around her, and he led her over to the nearest set of chairs and sat her down. Crouching in front of her, she could see the concern on his face. “Okay, deep breaths,” he said softly. “Just focus on breathing and I’ll go get you some water. I’ll be right back.”
But Violet knew all the water in the world wasn’t going to help her.
Breathe. Just breathe…
Before she knew it, Hunter was back and handing her a cup of water. She drank it because she knew he wanted her to, but all it managed to do was kill three seconds.
When he sat down beside her, he took one of her hands in his. “What’s going on?”
Later, she knew she’d be mortified by the blathering she was about to do, but…she couldn’t seem to stop it.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen!” she cried. “I mean, I knew Katie was going to have the baby, but…we never talked about me being the one with her! I don’t know anything about birthing a baby! There were no classes or videos or anything!” Looking at him as the hysteria threatened to overwhelm her, she went on. “Shouldn’t she have someone who has a clue about childbirth be with her? Shouldn’t I have some sort of qualifications? You know what I’m qualified for? Booking the baby its first vacation! That’s it!” Groaning, she got to her feet.
“Violet, it’s not…”
But she wasn’t listening. “Not once did Katie say I was her labor coach! I just assumed there was going to be someone else with her! Why would she think I could do this?” By now, she was practically in his face as more insanity poured out. “I was here to be a distraction for her–someone to keep her company–not someone to remind her to breathe or push or…” She shuddered. “Or cut the cord!”
Slowly, Hunter came to his feet and gently grasped her by the shoulders. “Vi, stop. It’s okay. You’re spiraling.”
“You don’t understand! I…”
He gave her a gentle shake. “I do understand, okay? I get it. But you need to pull it together because Katie needs you. Now!”
Reaching up, she frantically cupped his face. “You have to come with me, Hunter! Please! I…I don’t want to mess this up!”
For a minute, she seriously thought he was going to tell her no, but with a curt nod, he stepped back and took one of her hands in his and led them across the lobby and back to the room where Katie was finishing getting checked in. When she spotted the two of them, she looked confused.
“If it’s okay with you, Kate,” he said carefully, “I’m coming up too. Violet’s a little nervous and…”
“It’s fine,” she replied around another contraction, and once she seemed to relax, their little group began making their way up to labor and delivery.
The nurse was talking to Katie, and Violet knew she had a death grip on Hunter’s hand. By the time they were in the elevator, she was beginning to resign herself to what was happening.
“You’re going to be fine,” he whispered in her ear. “You’ve got this. Just do what you’ve been doing since you came–distract Katie and encourage her through the contractions. That’s it.”
Turning her head and going up on her tiptoes, she whispered back, “I don’t want to…you know…see the baby being born. I can stay up near her head, right?”
“Oh, my God, I can totally hear you,” Katie whined. “Yes, you can stay up by my head, no, you don’t have to see anything.” Then she glanced at Hunter. “And you better not see anything!”
Violet breathed a sigh of relief even as Hunter promised to keep his eyes at the head of the bed.
And once they were all gowned up and in the delivery room, the smile Hunter gave her told her he believed in her and that he was there for her.
Other than Katie, no one else had ever made her feel that way.
This so wasn’t the way he envisioned his night going, but…here he was.
His father was picking up Eli and taking him home with him, and Hunter had no idea when he’d be leaving the hospital.
Although things seemed to be moving along rapidly. Katie had gone from no signs of labor just a few hours ago, to being at eight centimeters. Glancing over at Violet, he noted she still looked a little pale, but she was chatting away with Katie and doing a great job of keeping her calm.
So what am I doing here?
Then he remembered. He was here for Violet.
Technically, it should have been that he was here for Katie’s benefit, and he was. Just in a kind of roundabout way.
One hour turned into two without much happening, but then…shit got real.
“Okay, Katie. Here we go,” her OB said calmly. “Let’s get ready to meet your baby.”
Hunter had been there when Eli was born and had delivered three babies as part of the EMT squad, but this was the first time he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. Violet was standing at Katie’s right shoulder, so he opted to go to the left, and together they held her hands and helped her sit up and became a synchronized cheering squad while she pushed.
It took a little over an hour for little Benjamin Kristoff Holden to make his way into the world, and once Katie got to hold him, everyone relaxed.
Unable to help himself, he asked, “Kristoff?”
Smiling, Katie nodded. “We promised Kira she could help name the baby. She picked Elsa for a girl and Kristoff for a boy.” She looked up at him and winked. “We never said it would be the baby’s first name, so technically…”
“You’re not breaking any promises,” he finished for her.
“Exactly.” With a very contented sigh, she kissed her son’s tiny head.
Hunter looked over at Violet and saw tears streaming down her face as she looked down at Katie and the baby.
Without being too obvious, he walked around to her side of the bed and luckily the nurses were scurrying around to help mother and baby and it was the perfect time to step out into the hallway. As soon as the door was shut behind them, he pulled Violet into his arms and she sobbed for several minutes.
Tucking a finger under her chin, he smiled down at her. “You okay?”
“It was…it was amazing,” she said softly, wiping her eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. I wanted to scream at the doctor to help more and to take away Katie’s pain, but when he held Benjamin up, it was like…everything stopped.” Her eyes were wide with wonder as she looked up at him. “He was both gross and beautiful all at once, and it was crazy to believe I was standing there as he was making his entrance into the world.”
“It’s pretty incredible.”
“And I got to be there for it.” She started tearing up again. “Brian missed it, but I got to be there to see his son born. How unfair is that?”
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about myself.” He held her tighter, kissing the top of her head. “I’m proud of you.”
She pulled back slightly. “You…you are? Why? I was a blathering idiot earlier.”
“No, you weren’t. You were scared, and you were worried you weren’t going to be able to help you
r friend. Why? Because you’re a good person, Violet.” Another kiss. “You did an amazing job in there. Katie’s lucky to have you as a friend.”
When she started to cry again, he thought he’d said something wrong, but…
“She’s the only family I’ve got,” she said against his chest. “Now she has Brian and Rose and Kira and Benjamin and…she’s the luckiest person in the world.”
As much as his family made him crazy sometimes, Hunter knew how fortunate he was to have them. There was no way he could fully understand what Violet was feeling. It killed him to think of her being all alone in the world–even though she had Katie–and it just about gutted him to know she’d be going back out into that world in a matter of weeks.
And yeah, he was pretty sure he was close to crushing her because he was hugging her so hard, but he couldn’t seem to let go.
Luckily, she was holding him just as tight.
Behind them, someone cleared their throat and Hunter turned his head to see one of the delivery nurses standing there.
“Katie was asking for Violet,” she said hesitantly.
“Thank you.” Hunter kissed the top of Violet’s head one more time and reluctantly let her go. “Why don’t you go check on Katie and I’m going to call my dad and make sure he got Eli okay.”
She started to walk away but stopped before she went more than a few feet. “Hunter?”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you,” she said, and he could see her pulling herself together right before his eyes. “I don’t know what I would have done without you today.”
But before he could respond, she walked away.
It was probably for the best because he almost blurted out how he would always be there for her.
And that would have only complicated an already complicated situation.
Sighing, he raked his hand through his hair and pulled out his phone and immediately called his father. “Hey, Dad. How’s it going?”
“Hey! We’re good. Having fun with Kira and Rose,” Dominic replied. “So? Is there a baby?”
“Wait. Why are you still over at Katie’s?”
“Well, I got here, and the kids were playing so nicely, and Rose asked me if I wanted a cup of coffee, and I said yes. Then we got to talking and decided to order a pizza. We’re having a wonderful time. Can you believe we just met earlier today for the first time? Such a small world, right?” He laughed softly. “She’s so excited about the baby and was hoping to hear something soon. So? Are you calling with news?”
“News?” His head was spinning a bit. It seemed a little surreal that his father was willingly hanging out with someone he barely knew–and a woman no less!–and he was being downright chatty!
“About the baby?” Dominic prompted. “I thought that’s why you were calling.”
“Dad, I was calling you to make sure you and Eli were okay. I had no idea you would still be at Katie’s.”
“Okay, but now that you know it’s where I am, are you going to answer the question?” He paused. “Oh, wait…Rose’s phone is ringing. Maybe it’s Katie calling to give her an update.”
“Um…maybe…”
“It probably would be better to hear the news from Katie instead of you–not that it wouldn’t be appreciated–but it probably isn’t your place to be calling like this.”
“Dad!” he cried out with exasperation. “I just said…”
“It’s a boy!” he heard Rose cry out. “A beautiful baby boy!”
“Well alright,” Dominic said happily. “Did you hear that, Hunt? It’s a boy!”
“Dad, I’m here! I was in the room when he was born!”
“Then why didn’t you say that when I asked you?”
Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose and prayed for patience because this conversation was making him crazy. “Dad,” he began calmly, “Katie had a baby boy. It’s late–it’s past Eli’s bedtime–are you taking him home with you or to my place?”
“I’ll probably take him home with me. It’s been a long day and I’m pretty beat too and would like to sleep in my own bed. Are you gonna be okay?”
“Me? Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”
“Well, you worked all day and have been at the hospital for hours so…”
Now that he had a minute to relax, he realized he was kind of tired. “I’m a little tired myself, but I’m going to be here for a little while longer since I rode here with Violet, and then I’m going to grab something to eat since I missed dinner.”
“I’m sure Violet did too. Maybe the two of you should stop for something to eat on the way home.”
“Yeah, maybe…”
“Dean’s opening the shop tomorrow so I’ve got the morning off,” his father went on. “I know Katie had the baby sooner than everyone expected so I’m sure you have to work out options for Eli.”
“Oh, crap. I didn’t even think of that…”
His father chuckled again. “Now I know you’re tired. If you don’t have a plan of action ready, then I know something’s up.”
“Dad…”
“You go and do what you need to do and I’ve got Eli tomorrow–all day if you need me to–so don’t worry. Now go and let Katie get some rest and you and Violet grab some dinner.”
“Yes, sir.”
“We’ll talk in the morning.”
“Thanks, Dad. Kiss Eli for me.”
“I will. Goodnight.”
Hanging up, he slid the phone back in his pocket before he went back into Katie’s room. She was sitting up in the bed and looked a little better than she had a short while ago. When she spotted him, she smiled. “I was wondering if you were coming back or if I had scared you off.”
“I’m pretty tough,” he said, walking closer to the bed. “And I don’t scare easily.”
“Thank God.” She sighed happily. “They’re getting ready to move me to a real room in a few minutes, and I just got off the phone with Rose, so I know Kira’s good. The only thing left to do is try to get a message to Brian. I did what I could, but…”
A small cry came from the corner of the room and Hunter turned to see Violet sitting in a chair cradling Benjamin in her arms–and the sight hit him like a sucker punch to the gut.
She was gazing down at the baby and talking softly to him, and she looked more at peace than he’d ever seen her. When she looked up at him, she smiled, and he knew at that moment he was in deep trouble.
He was falling in love with her.
Before the thought could take hold, nurses came in, and it became mildly chaotic as they put Benjamin in the bassinet and secured Katie to move them to their private room.
“Do you want me to stay?” Violet asked before they moved the bed at all.
“No,” Katie said around a yawn. “It’s been a long day and I’m kind of looking forward to having some quality time with this little guy. But thank you.” She looked over at Hunter. “Both of you. You have no idea how much it means to me that you were here to help.”
After a round of goodbyes, Hunter and Violet were alone in the now-empty room.
“So,” he said after a minute. “Are you hungry? I thought we could grab something to eat on the way home.”
She studied him for a moment. “Um…yeah. Sure.” Then she nodded more enthusiastically. “Okay, yeah. Sorry. I’m definitely hungry. What were you thinking? Pizza? Burgers?”
“I guess we can grab a pizza and take it back to Katie’s. I’m sure you need to get back so Rose can go home, right? Or did Rose take Kira to her place? Plus, I need to get my truck.”
“She’s staying the night,” Violet told him as she picked up her purse. “But I’m sure you need to get home to Eli and relieve your dad, right?”
He smiled as they walked out of the room and toward the elevator. “He took Eli home with him so I’m in no rush either.” Violet came to a halt, and he was a few feet ahead of her before he realized it. “What? What’s the matter?”
Her smile was slow and a little sexy, and yet he had no
idea why.
“Well, I guess I was just wondering since Kira is taken care of and Eli is with your dad…it means we kind of have the night to ourselves.”
Ah, …he hadn’t thought about that.
But now that she brought it up…
Moving in close to her, he said, “Maybe we can pick up something on the way and take it back to my place.”
She nodded. “My thoughts exactly.”
“Do you need to let Rose know you won’t be home?”
Rather than answer, she started walking toward the elevator again.
“Violet?”
Glancing over her shoulder, she said, “Who do you think suggested I not come home tonight?”
Right then and there, he made a mental note to thank Rose the next time he saw her.
It would be wrong to run out of the hospital like a couple of kids leaving on the last day of school, so he did his best to keep things casual as they made their way out to her car. Once they were pulling out of the parking lot, he finally asked, “So what are we getting? I can call in and save us some time.”
She grinned at him. “Let’s go with a pizza–how about pepperoni and mushrooms?”
“Sounds good.” He made the call and when he was done, he mentioned how he didn’t have any beer.
“Oh, that is fine with me. At this point, water would be more than okay with me.”
“I do have some red wine if you’re interested.”
“Hunter?”
“Hmm?”
“It doesn’t matter to me what you have to drink.” She glanced at him. “I’m just looking forward to spending the night with you. As it is, the pizza will be cold before we finish it.”
“Violet, I really love the way you think.”
The ride to pick up the pizza seemed to take forever, but once they had it, in the blink of an eye, they were pulling into his driveway.
Unfortunately, his stomach growled–loudly–and he knew they were going to have to eat at least a little bit before they did anything else.
And the thought of waiting another moment to get Violet into his bed seemed like torture.
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