An Unexpected Rescue (Oak Springs Series Book 1)

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An Unexpected Rescue (Oak Springs Series Book 1) Page 16

by Sherri McDuffie


  Derik fell back on the pillows and grinned at the ceiling.

  When Kelly came out of the bathroom, she laughed at him. “Wipe that silly smile off your face. You aren’t the first man to get his wife pregnant,” she said.

  They went downstairs and kissed the boys goodbye, watched them board the bus, then ran back to their room, and fell into bed, wrapped in each other’s arms.

  Chapter 29

  Kelly answered the phone and eased her swollen body into a kitchen chair.

  “Hi, Mikki. How are you?”

  “I’m good. How are you doing?”

  Kelly propped her feet on a barstool and caressed her protruding abdomen. “I look like a sumo wrestler, but I feel fine.”

  “Well, you don’t have much longer to go.”

  “I know. I can’t believe nine months have passed this fast. Just two more weeks. I’ve loved being pregnant, but I miss bladder control and thin ankles.”

  Mikki laughed. “How’s the family?”

  “Great. They’re spoiling me. Derik keeps telling me I’m beautiful and sexy. I know he’s just trying to make me feel good, but I still like to hear it. Every day he comes home at noon”—she laughed—“and some days we actually have lunch. And every night he rubs my feet before we go to bed.”

  “How are the kids?”

  “They’re amazing . . . and excited. D.C. asked me to have a boy and name him Jimmy, just like his best friend. Win has offered to share his room and all his toys, except for his Superman cape and t-shirt. They love to sit beside me and rest their hands on my stomach while I read to them.”

  Three days later Kelly paced the kitchen floor, rubbing her back with one hand and holding the phone with the other. Sheets of rain pelted the windows. Lightning flashed, followed by a clap of thunder that shook the house. The storm made it difficult to hear the voice when her call was answered.

  “Derik’s Towing and Repairs. Stewart here.”

  “Hi, Stewart. This is Kelly. I’ve been trying to reach Derik, but he isn’t answering. Can you get him for me, please?”

  “Sorry, Kelly. He’s on a run. We’ve had one call after another with all this rain. He must have left his phone in the truck. Do you want me to tell him to give you a shout if I hear from him?”

  “Actually, Stewart, I really need him now.” A contraction had her gripping the back of the dining chair and bending double. She began the rhythmic breathing she had learned in the birthing classes.

  “What’s wrong, Kelly? Are you okay? Oh no, are you in labor?”

  “Um hum,” she grunted.

  “Holy crap. I’ll try the truck radio. Hang on.” Her body had relaxed, and she was pacing again when Stewart returned to the phone. “Sorry, Kelly, he isn’t answering. I tell you what, I’ll come over and take you to the hospital. Or would you prefer to call an ambulance?”

  “No need for an ambulance, but if you don’t mind, I would appreciate a lift. Thanks.”

  “No problem. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Kelly was still pacing the kitchen when Stewart knocked once and rushed through the door.

  “How are you doing?” he said.

  “I’m fine. Don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen any time soon.”

  “Good. Do you have a suitcase or a pot of boiling water that we need to take with us?”

  “My bag’s beside the door. I’m sure the hospital will furnish the boiling water.”

  Stewart picked up the overnight case and took her elbow. “Then let’s go. It’s going to take a while in this storm.”

  They stepped outside, and Kelly laughed when she saw his rusted pickup. “Are you sure that’s going to get us there?”

  “Hey, don’t talk about Bessie like that. She’ll get us anywhere we need to go, I promise.” He helped her onto the threadbare seat and slammed the truck door, which immediately popped open again. After three more attempts, the door stayed closed. Stewart ran around the vehicle and climbed behind the wheel. He wiped the rain off his face and bald head and turned the key. Nothing. He tried again. Nothing.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, she just gets temperamental sometimes.” He patted the dashboard. “Isn’t that right, Bessie? Come on girl.” He tried the key again. The truck groaned. Stewart slapped the wheel, “Come on you little . . . witch.” He tried again, and the motor coughed and started. Stewart smiled. “See, I told you she was dependable.”

  “Do you know where Derik is right now?”

  “He was going to an accident on Highway 210.”

  “Do you think you could swing by there so we can tell him what’s going on?”

  “That’s not exactly on the way to the hospital. Are you sure you can wait that long?”

  “My book said the first one always takes a while, and the pains aren’t that close together. I think it’ll be fine.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure. When we get there, I’ll finish the run, and he can take you to the hospital.”

  Kelly leaned her head against the back of the seat and began a slow breathing technique.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Kelly saw his white knuckles and the way he chewed on his bottom lip. “Nothing’s wrong, just another contraction. Don’t worry. Just pay attention to the road.”

  “I think I’m going to take Crystal Hill. It comes out on 210. We might be able to catch Derik before he leaves.”

  They drove through the pouring rain for several miles with Stewart hunched over the wheel, his nose almost touching the windshield. The old vacuum wipers were useless in the deluge. The storm made the road almost invisible. Suddenly, he hit the brakes to avoid a fallen tree limb. The back of the truck began to slide as the shoulder of the road gave way, slamming them against a bridge rail. Kelly grabbed the dash with one hand and her stomach with the other.

  “Hang on,” Stewart said, just before the truck slid into the creek.

  Chapter 30

  Bessie landed in the water with her tailgate buried in the mud and her nose pointing up the eroded bank.

  Stewart was still squeezing the steering wheel when he looked at Kelly and asked, “Are you okay? Is the baby all right?”

  “Yeah, we’re fine, I think.” Another contraction seized her.

  Stewart dug his phone from his pocket and punched in Derik’s number. When his friend’s voice prompted him to leave a message, he said, “Derik, this is Stewart. Man, I need you to call me yesterday.” He dropped the phone back into his pocket and wiped a hand down his face.

  “Do you think he’s gone back to the shop?”

  “I doubt it. He hasn’t had time.”

  The truck shifted, sinking further in the mud. Kelly grabbed the back of the seat and the armrest. “We have to get out of here.” She tried to open the door, but it was wedged closed.

  Stewart’s phone rang. When he looked at the screen, he sighed. “Where the hell are you? My truck went off the road at Crystal Hill Bridge. It’s in the water, and sinking. You need to get here as soon as possible.” His voice lowered, and he added, “Derik, I’ve got Kelly with me. She’s in labor.” He listened then said, “You know I will.” He handed the phone to Kelly.

  “Derik, please hurry.” She paused. “I love you too.”

  She handed the phone back and began massaging her abdomen.

  Stewart put the phone back in his pocket. “He’s going to drop the car he just loaded, then he’ll be on his way. Everything’s going to be fine. We just need to stay calm.” The truck jerked and sank deeper. “And stay still.”

  “My feet are wet. There’s water in the truck, Stewart.”

  “Stay still, Kelly. He’ll be here, I promise.”

  There was a large clap of thunder, and the truck vibrated then sank deeper.
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  Kelly groaned and began taking slow, deep breaths.

  “Didn’t you just do that? Is that another contraction?” When she nodded, he said, “Is it my imagination or are those getting closer together?” She nodded again. “Damn.” He rubbed his hand over his bald head. “Damn.”

  She rested her head on the back of the seat and concentrated on her breathing while her feet were ankle deep in water.

  The sound of an auto horn filtered through the rain followed by Derik’s voice. Stewart rolled the window down.

  “Is Kelly okay?” Derik yelled.

  “Yeah, but we need to get her to the hospital. What does it look like? Can you hook on to the truck and pull us out?”

  “I can stabilize her, but we don’t have time to pull her out.”

  “We can’t get the doors open, and there’s water inside. You tie on, and I’ll kick the windshield out.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right back.” He maneuvered the tow truck around and lowered the stabilizer legs then slid down the bank and hooked onto the pickup. He waded through the creek and motioned for Kelly to lower her window. “How are you doing?” he asked as he removed his heavy yellow rain slicker and passed it to her.

  “I’m all right. Just get us out of here.”

  “I’m working on it. Cover yourself with this in case the windshield shatters.” He kissed his fingers and touched her lips then looked at Stewart and said, “I’m ready. Let’s do this.” Kelly rolled up the window and buried herself under the coat.

  Stewart eased to the center of the seat, took a deep breath, and kicked the windshield with both feet. He felt it budge and kicked again. The glass popped out, allowing the rain to pour in. “Let’s go, Kelly.”

  She slipped her arms into the coat and got on her knees. When she crawled over the dash, Derik stretched his hand out to help her. She reached the fender and stopped. “Oh no.”

  “Come on, you’re doing fine. I won’t let you fall,” he said.

  “My water just broke.”

  “I’m not delivering a kid in the middle of this mess. Let’s get out of here,” Stewart said as he began crawling out behind her.

  Kelly slid into Derik’s waiting arms. He gave her a quick kiss, stood her on her feet, and reached for Stewart.

  “I’m glad to see you, man, but don’t even think about kissing me.”

  Derik laughed and helped his friend down. Each man took Kelly by an arm and helped her up the slick embankment. While she climbed into the wrecker, the men released the stabilizers and removed the wench from Bessie.

  Stewart got behind the wheel, and Derik crawled in beside Kelly. Once they were on the highway, they headed toward the hospital as fast as the storm allowed. In spite of the weather, the streets were thick with traffic. Stewart drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while waiting for the light to turn green.

  Derik watched Kelly’s face scrunch in pain. “Breathe, honey, breathe.”

  Her head rested on the back of the seat, and she held her extended tummy. “Derik,” she said through gritted teeth, “I think this is it. I feel like I need to push.” She groaned, and her body bent double.

  Stewart looked at Derik. “Damn, man, what do you want me to do? I’m boxed in here.”

  Derik looked at the traffic and shrugged. “Hell, I don’t know.” Kelly moaned. “Don’t push. Honey, whatever you do, please don’t push. Hang on, we’re almost there. Breathe.” The light changed and traffic began to move.

  Stewart drove to the ER with the horn blaring. Derik had already jumped out of the vehicle when a nurse ran through the doors with a wheelchair. “She wants to push. I told her not to, but she really wants to.” He lifted Kelly in his arms and sat her in the chair. The woman took her to Labor and Delivery, with Derik right behind them.

  Twenty minutes later, the cry of Sydney Renée Stone filled the air. Derik took his daughter in his arms and wept. When her tiny hand grasped his calloused finger, his knees went weak. He kissed Kelly and whispered, “Thank you.”

  Once the baby was bathed and declared healthy, she was returned to their room. Derik held her while Kelly rested.

  There was a soft knock on the door, and Stewart stuck his head in. He held out a pair of dry overalls that matched the ones he now wore. “This was all I could find at the shop. I thought you might want to get out of those wet things.”

  Derik took the bundle. “Thanks. Jack is going to bring a change of clothes when the boys get home, but I sure wasn’t looking forward to waiting until then. Here, hold her while I change.” He placed the baby in Stewart’s arms and rushed into the bathroom.

  “Hey, wait. I don’t even like kids, especially babies,” Stewart said to the closed door. Sydney opened her eyes and blinked. He looked over his shoulder at Kelly sleeping in the bed then tickled the infant under the chin and smiled. “Hi, Pumpkin. One day, Uncle Stew will tell you all about the day you were born.”

  Derik returned, dressed in the dry clothes, and took Sydney. He shook Stewart’s hand. “I can’t thank you enough.”

  Stewart ran a finger down the sleeping baby’s cheek. He cleared his throat and said. “I guess I’ll go get that car we left on the road and see what I can do about Bessie.”

  Kelly woke when Derik sat on the bed beside her. They were still admiring their daughter an hour later when Jack and Mildred walked in with the boys. D.C. sat in a chair across the room while Win crawled on the bed beside Kelly and looked at his new sister.

  “She’s tiny.”

  “Yes, she is,” Kelly said.

  “Can I hold her?”

  “Sure,” Derik said. “Do you remember how we practiced?”

  Win nodded, and Derik placed Sydney in his arms, helping him support her back and head. They laughed when she yawned.

  “Do you want to hold her, D.C.?” Kelly said.

  The boy was kicking his feet and staring at the floor. He shook his head without looking up. Sydney began to cry, and he clamped his hands over his ears and hummed to himself.

  “He’s been quiet ever since they got home from school,” Mildred said before taking the baby in her arms for one last hug. “He’s probably tired. Maybe we should take them to the house.” She handed the child to Kelly, and they left.

  The next morning, the new parents bundled Sydney in her carrier and headed for home. Once she was settled in her crib, both adults collapsed in bed for a few minutes of sleep without a nurse’s visit or a beeping monitor in the background.

  Derik spent the next three weeks going in late and dropping by the house whenever things at the shop were slow. When he returned to his regular schedule, he still allowed himself a long lunch break in order to give Kelly a short nap every day.

  Everyone was adjusting to the new arrival. Almost everyone.

  Chapter 31

  At one month, Sydney was a short-tempered, hungry, time-consuming bundle of joy. Her parents doted on her every need. Win enjoyed being in the same room with his new sister and was eager to help any way he could. D.C. avoided her like the plague.

  One afternoon Derik was lying on the sofa, with Sydney sleeping on his chest. His eyes were closed as he relished the feel of his infant daughter against him. Win built a Lego fort on the coffee table. When the baby grunted, he watched his father pat the child’s back until she quieted.

  “Daddy, which half is mine?”

  “Half of what, son?”

  “Which half of Sydney is mine? Greg Baxter said only half of Sydney is my sister. Which part is it?”

  “I think what Greg was trying to say is that Sydney is your half-sister. That means you only share one biological parent. But—”

  “But I love all three of you just the same,” Kelly said, as she entered the room. “I don’t want you or D.C. to ever think that I love Sydney more than you.
I love you two with all my heart, and nothing can ever change that.”

  No one saw D.C. sitting on the top stair, his elbows on his knees and his face cupped in his hands, listening to the conversation between his family.

  When dinner was over, Derik and the boys cleaned the kitchen while Kelly tended to the baby.

  “Daddy, will you play catch with me?” D.C. asked.

  “I can’t tonight. I promised I’d run the vacuum.”

  “Win, do you want to play hide-and-seek?

  “No, I’m going to help feed Sydney.”

  “I’ll play a board game with you after she’s fed and asleep, if you would like,” Kelly said. When she started to put her arm around him, he walked away.

  “No, I’m going outside.” he said.

  D.C. left the house and walked across the yard, kicking a pinecone with each step until he reached the large tree in the corner. He climbed the ladder nailed to the trunk and sat in the treehouse. He picked up one of the action figures scattered around the floor. Tears burned his eyes. “I don’t believe Kelly,” he said to the toy. “I asked for a boy, and she made a girl. If she really loved me, she would’ve made a boy baby. But she made a girl, so that means she loves girls better. And that means she loves Sydney more than me, or Win. And that means she lied to me, and she’s lying to Win, too. They probably forgot I’m outside, because everyone’s playing with that cry-baby. I bet they wouldn’t care if I moved out here and never went back to the house again.” He threw the plastic man on the floor and cried.

  The following week, Kelly and Derik attended the first parent-teacher conference of the school year. They sat at the front of the classroom across the large wooden desk from D.C.’s teacher. Sydney slept in her carrier at Derik’s feet. Classes had just ended, and the room smelled of sweaty bodies and play dough.

 

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