by Beau Brown
“Yeah, I’ll call Tex.” He pulled his cell from his pocket with shaking hands and dialed his friend. He explained what was happening and when he hung up he looked pale. “He’ll be here in two minutes.”
I bit my lip as another contraction rolled through me. “How about I get in the car? Bring a towel for me to sit on so I don’t ruin your truck.”
“Like I give a damn about my truck right now,” he growled.
I moved slowly to the door and he held my arm on the way down the stairs. I had to stop every few minutes because of contractions, but eventually we made it to the truck. He opened the door and basically lifted me into the seat. Then he ran around and started the engine so I wouldn’t be cold.
Tex’s truck came tearing into the yard, causing a huge cloud of dust that was illuminated by the headlights of our car. He jumped out of his vehicle and ran up to my window. I rolled it down and gave him a weak smile.
“Sorry to bother you in the middle of the night.” My voice quivered.
“Are you crazy? Go to the hospital, now!” His eyes were dark with concern. “I’ve got Avery.”
“Thank you, Tex.” Jake’s voice was gruff as he released the brake.
“Anytime.” Tex slapped the side of the truck and trotted toward the dark house.
Jake headed down the bumpy dirt road, trying to go slowly so he didn’t jostle me around too much. I gripped the arm rest, digging my fingers into the vinyl and clenching my teeth against the pain.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said softly. “The doctors will know what to do.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It’ll be fine.” It was obvious from the thick tension in the cab that neither one of us felt certain anything would be fine. But we were both trying to be brave for the other one.
“Bleeding isn’t that uncommon.”
“Spotting isn’t.” I grimaced. “That was a lot of blood.”
His mouth was a grim line. “I’m not losing you.”
I touched his arm, squeezing my fingers. “We have to think positive. I know it’s hard right now, but we have to try to do that.”
He merely grunted.
We reached the main road and he picked up speed. The old truck rattled and creaked as we raced toward town. The contractions were getting stronger and coming faster now. I pressed my lips tight to keep from moaning from the pain. When we finally pulled up in front of the hospital, Jake stopped directly in front and raced around to help me out.
“You can’t park here. You’ll get a ticket,” I said, hissing as another pain hit me.
“You let me worry about that,” he muttered.
I leaned on him as we hurried toward the sliding doors of the ER. Once inside he wasted no time yelling for help. The receptionist looked startled but an older nurse came running over. She took one look at me, taking in the blood running down my legs, and immediately got on the phone.
The next half hour was a blur of medical types poking and prodding me. They informed me I was having an emergency C-section and the next thing I knew they whisked me away on a gurney toward the operating room. Jake was beside me, holding my hand and looking like he wanted to puke. I felt horrible for him. I could see the panic on his face, even though he tried hard to hide it.
Outside of the operating room, the nurse stopped him from following us through the swinging doors. “I’m sorry. You can’t come in.”
“But he’s my omega,” Jake growled.
She sighed, her gaze full of sympathy. “I know. If this was a normal C-section you would be allowed. But this is emergency surgery and no one but the medical team is in there under these circumstances.”
“But—”
“I’m so sorry.” She grimaced. “I’ll give you two a second together. But we need to get him in there STAT.”
His face was flushed with anger but he swallowed and turned to me. “You’re going to be fine.” His voice shook.
I grabbed his hand and he leaned down, pressing his lips to mine. There was a certain desperation to our kiss that broke my heart. I was terrified that I was going to die, but I didn’t want to show too much in case I made it harder on him. “No matter what happens you take care of this baby and Avery. Don’t you dare go back into your shell. Do you hear me?”
His eyes were red rimmed and his voice thick with emotion. “Nothing is going to happen to you or the baby.”
“Right,” I nodded, as a hot tear streaked down my cheek.
“Don’t you dare leave me, Hunter.” His voice broke and his bottom lip trembled.
“I don’t plan on it.” The lump in my throat was almost as painful as the contractions.
The nurse stepped back over and gave him an apologetic look. “We need to go, now.”
He clenched his jaw and we let go of each other. The last glimpse I had of Jake before the doors swung closed was heartbreaking. He looked pale and lost as tears ran down his pale cheeks.
Chapter Ten
Jake
When Tex strode down the dingy hospital corridor toward me, for a minute I thought I must be hallucinating. But when he sat beside me on the bench, throwing his arm around me, I knew he was real.
“My mom’s watching Avery. He’s perfectly safe. You need someone with you right now, so shut up and just accept that I’m here.” His voice was gruff.
My heart squeezed with emotion and I gave a stiff laugh. “I’m too damn exhausted to pretend I ain’t happy to see you.”
“Good.” He exhaled roughly. “Is he in surgery?”
“Yep.” I glanced at my watch. “It’s been two hours. They won’t tell me a damn thing.” My stomach clenched anytime I thought about how scared Hunter had looked.
“He should be fine.”
I dropped my head. “Felix should have been fine too.”
He grimaced. “Shit happens. I know. But there’s no way the universe would be so cruel that it only happens to you.”
“I hope to God you’re right.” I rubbed my face tiredly, dropping my hands to my lap.
“We have to think positive.”
“That’s what Hunter said too.”
“He’s right. Thinkin’ the worse ain’t gonna help anything.”
Nodding, I said, “I know.”
Another hour ticked slowly by. At one point a girl pushing a coffee cart passed us and Tex stood and stopped her. “I’m getting some coffee. You want a cup?” he asked me.
“Sure.”
He paid the girl and then he handed me the java. He sat down again and sipped the hot liquid. “Not bad for hospital coffee.”
I grunted my agreement.
He glanced over at me. “I’m glad you finally woke up and went after Hunter.”
“Are you?”
“Yep. I liked him a lot, but it was obvious he was falling for you. I didn’t have a chance with him. You two are perfect together. He balances out your ornery side.”
I laughed gruffly. “I agree.”
“I’ll admit, seeing you two makes me want that myself.” He squinted up at the flickering florescent light overhead. “Don’t know if I’ll ever find it though.”
“Well, you’ve bedded just about every omega in town. I’m not sure what it is you’re looking for.”
He sighed. “Me neither.”
“I think you need someone who challenges you. You’ve had it too easy with the omegas in Sweet Water.”
He scowled. “What does that mean?”
I chuffed. “Jesus, you crook your little finger, give them that ‘Aww shucks’ smile and they come running.”
He grinned. “Maybe that’s why I liked Hunter so much. He didn’t come running.”
My heart ached at the mention of Hunter. “He has to be okay. He just has to be.”
“He and the baby are going to be just fine.” He spoke firmly.
The double doors near us swung open, and a man in a teal medical uniform and mask came striding toward us. My heart jumped to my throat and I couldn’t make myself stand. Tex straightened and, g
lancing down at me, his expression softened. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.
“Jake Windmire?” The surgeon looked between me and Tex.
“I’m Jake.” My voice was hushed. I couldn’t tell from the doctor’s expression if he was about to give me bad news or good news.
He held out his hand. “I’m Dr. Zane.”
“Hi.” We shook.
“Hunter and the baby are resting comfortably.”
My legs gave out and if Tex hadn’t grabbed my elbow, I’d have slid to the ground. “Oh, thank God,” I whispered.
The doctor patted my shoulder, looking nonplussed by my reaction. “I’m sure this has been very stressful for you.”
“Stress isn’t a strong enough word.” Torture would be more accurate.
“Well, as I said they’re both doing great.” He cleared his throat. “The issue was placental abruption.”
I frowned. “I don’t know what that is.”
“It’s a fancy way of saying the placenta detached from the walls of the omega sac. It’s a dangerous condition. When the placenta separates from the wall lining before labor it can interrupt the transportation of oxygen and nutrients to your baby. It’s good you two came in quickly. It was a complete separation not a partial, and without an emergency C-section, both the father and the baby would have been at risk.”
“Jesus.” I stared at him in horror.
Tex rubbed my tense shoulders. “They’re both fine. It’s okay.”
I nodded. “Yeah.” I gave the doctor a grateful look. “Thank you so much.”
He smiled. “My pleasure.”
“Can I see them?”
“Hunter is just coming out of the anesthesia, we’ll give him another hour and then you can go see both of them.” He gave a nod as he began to walk away. “Good luck to you and your family.”
My family.
My eyes stung as I met Tex’s warm gaze. “I’ve got a real family.”
He grinned. “That you do. I’m happy for you, Jake.”
I rubbed my face, feeling as if a building had been lifted off my chest. “I can’t believe they’re safe.”
“But they are.”
“Thanks for keeping me company.”
He sighed. “I knew you needed someone with you. But I also knew you wouldn’t ask.”
“I’m grateful you know me so well.” I widened my eyes. “Hey, he didn’t tell us the sex of the baby.”
Tex laughed. “Damn. You’re right.”
“I didn’t even think to ask.” I looked around but the doctor was long gone. “I guess we’ll know soon enough.”
“That we will.”
****
I was so intent on making sure Hunter was okay, I went straight to him and kissed him deeply. He seemed a little groggy still, but he returned the kiss happily. Once I lifted my head, I touched his cheek. “You look pretty good considering all you’ve been through.”
His lips twitched. “You look like hell.”
I smiled. “I know.” A soft cooing in the little basket on the other side of his bed caught my attention. “Holy, shit. I forgot about the baby.” I moved around the bed and peered down into the bassinet. “That’s a pink blanket.”
“Yep.” Hunter grinned.
“It’s a girl?” I widened my eyes.
“Yep.”
“Avery’s going to bust a gut.”
“Nah. He’s gonna love her to death.”
I leaned closer to the infant. Her eyes were big and blue and she had blond fuzz on her mostly bald head. “She looks like you.”
“I think she looks like you.”
“She’s beautiful no matter who she looks like.” I touched her pink, chubby cheek. “You scared the heck out of me, little one.” My heart squeezed looking at her sweet face. “She looks like an angel.”
“Don’t let her innocent appearance fool you. She about took my nipple off earlier when I fed her for the first time.”
I winced. “Ouch.”
He grinned, rubbing his chest. “Tell me about it.”
There was a knock on the door jamb, and when I turned I found Tex hovering. “I tried to be patient, but I really, really want to meet the new addition.”
“Hey, Tex. Come on in.” Hunter smiled warmly. “I thought you were watching Avery?”
“I got my mom to take over.” He gestured toward me with his thumb. “Didn’t want to leave our boy here alone during the crisis.”
Hunter nodded. “Thank you for that.”
A nurse walked in with a clipboard. “Are we having a meeting that no one told me about?” She smirked as she stopped at the head of Hunter’s bed.
“I’m the other dad.” I held up my hand.
“And I’m the glue that keeps this family together.” Tex grinned.
The nurse nodded. “I’ll give you guys twenty minutes. Then we need to let Hunter and the baby rest.” She glanced at me. “Do you want to hold your baby girl?”
Anxiety rolled through me. “God, do I even remember what to do?”
“So long as you support her head and don’t drop her, you’ll be fine.” The nurse moved over and set her clipboard on the bed. Then she carefully lifted the baby from the bassinette and passed her to me.
I grabbed the wiggling bundle with my eyes wide, holding her close to my chest. “Hey, kid. Welcome to the world.” She stared at me and kicked her legs, making soft sounds. “You have a brother named Avery. He’s gonna be surprised to see you.”
“Avery will warm up to her.” Tex laughed.
I gave him a skeptical glance. “Have you forgotten how he was with Fuzzy?”
Tex winced. “That was a cat.”
“He used to pull her around by her tail.”
Hunter chuckled. “Luckily she doesn’t have a tail.”
“We’ll have to keep a close eye on both of them.” I smiled.
“You two discuss names yet?” Tex asked, tickling his fingers over her head.
I kissed the baby’s smooth forehead. “A few.”
“Yeah. We tossed around a couple of names.” Hunter nodded.
I met his warm gaze. “I was thinking…” I cleared my throat. “It would be fine with me if you wanted to name her after your mother. I like the name Charlotte.”
Hunter’s face tensed and he bit his bottom lip. “Really?”
“Sure. I mean, you were close to her. It’s only because of unforeseen circumstances… she isn’t able to be here. But I think it would be a nice gesture.”
His eyes teared up and he sniffed. “Wow, I didn’t see that coming.”
I shrugged and moved closer to him. “I finally get that no matter what, your family ain’t something to hide. It’s something to celebrate. We are who we are because of them. I think we both turned out pretty well, considering.”
His smile was warm and he grabbed my hand.
I bent over and placed her on his chest, smiling into his eyes. “What do you say? Shall we call her Charlotte?”
He nodded, his face flushed. “That would be great.”
I whispered to the baby, “Maybe you came a little early, Charlotte, but we’re awfully happy to meet you.”
Hunter squeezed my hand. “So happy I can’t even believe it.”
Epilogue
Six months later
Hunter
“Avery. Don’t let her drink out of the dog bowl.” I scolded, hurrying over to lift Charlotte away from the water. She squealed her disapproval, kicking her legs and arms.
Avery twisted his lips, looking mischievous. “She likes the water around here.”
“It’s not good for her.”
He sighed. “Okay.” He patted the dog that stood next to him. “Sorry. You got germs, Rusty.”
The last thing I’d needed with a five year old and a six month old was a dog, but we’d found Rusty hurt by the side of the road and hadn’t had the heart to leave him there. I kissed Charlotte’s cheek and slipped her into her highchair.
“Papa w
ill be here any minute for lunch. Why don’t you get in your seat, Avery?”
Charlotte banged her empty plastic cup on the tray of her chair.
Avery covered his ears and scowled. “She’s so noisy.”
“She’s a baby. She doesn’t know any better.”
Rusty stood up and barked as Jake opened the screen door.
“It’s just me, dog.” Jake sounded irritable as he pulled off his hat and moved to give me a distracted kiss.
I tugged him closer. “Hey, I want a real kiss.”
He grinned and the tension left his features. He planted his mouth on mine and I was breathless by the time he lifted it again. “Better?”
I licked my lips, my pulse skittering. “Much.”
He moved to kiss Charlotte on her head and he ruffled Avery’s hair. “How’s everybody doing this fine afternoon?”
“Chaos as usual,” I muttered, bringing a platter of sandwiches to the table. I also brought a bag of potato chips. “Sorry. I didn’t have time to make a side dish.”
“I like potato chips just fine.”
Rusty jumped up and put his front legs on the table and Avery giggled loudly. “He wants to have lunch with us!”
I snapped my fingers at the dog. “Down. What is wrong with you, you crazy mutt?” I laughed and met Jake’s confused gaze. “Sorry. He thinks he’s a person.”
Jake sighed. “Avery, maybe you can take Rusty outside later and play with him. You know, throw the ball for him and help him burn off some energy.”
Avery gave a sly smile. “Papa, life on a ranch isn’t just about fun and games.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing, and when I sneaked a glance at Jake he was doing the same. “We can definitely do that later, Papa.” I kept my voice even.
Jake helped himself to a couple of sandwiches as I poured him a glass of iced tea. He bit into the soft bread, studying Charlotte and Avery. When I sat across from him he winked at me.
“You look happy,” I said.
He swallowed. “I am. All the calves are fat and should bring a good price at market. I think things are finally looking up for this old ranch.”
Charlotte blew raspberries as she chased Cheerios around her tray with her little chubby fingers.