Mastering Macie [The Men of Treasure Cove 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Rebecca Joyce

  Turning to Matthew, he said, “Matty, go grab some towels and see if Macie has any rubbing alcohol somewhere. If not, throw a couple of pots on the stove and boil some water. Also, call Braxton and have him call in an ambulance. Tell him it is an emergency. Macie is going to need medical attention after all this is over, and so is the baby.”

  With Matthew and Vanessa scattered, running to do his bidding, Andrew walked Macie to her bedroom and helped her remove her clothing. Pulling back her bed sheets, he walked into the bathroom and ripped the shower curtain from the rod and placed it on her bed.

  “Are you crazy? That cost me forty-five dollars!” she shouted at him, furiously.

  “Seriously? You paid that much for a piece of plastic that you could have gotten at the Buy-N-Go for five bucks?” he asked, shaking his head. He ignored her rants and placed the plastic on the bed. “Well, sweetheart, it’s either you ruin the plastic or your mattress, which is it?”

  “I hate you!” she screamed as her body seized with another contraction.

  “I know, love, I know. Curse me all you want. I can take it.” He smiled as he helped her onto the bed, trying to make her comfortable. Just as he had her situated, Matthew walked into the room carrying towels and a small bottle of whiskey.

  “Couldn’t find the rubbing alcohol. Use this instead,” he said handing it to him. “Water is on. What can I do?”

  “Go sit next to her, and try to keep her calm. These contractions are coming every minute. It won’t be much longer,” Andrew said, moving her legs apart. After a quick examination, he smiled and looked up. “You’re fully dilated, Macie. On your next contraction, I want you to bear down, like you have to go to the bathroom, and push.”

  Matthew sat next to Macie for the next fifteen minutes helping and breathing with her as she tried desperately to push his child from her body. In awe of her, he was amazed at her sheer determination and resolve to complete this task. He still couldn’t believe he was in this position. At forty-eight years of age, it was something he thought he would never have the privilege to experience. However, thanks to the beautiful woman in his arms, she was about to gift him and his brother with the most precious gift of all.

  He never faltered with her. When her brow beaded, he was there with a cool rag to wash away her sweat. In between contractions, she lay exhausted within his arms, and he held her, soothing her, whispering words of love and admiration.

  She was everything to him.

  “All right, Macie, one more big push!” Andrew shouted, and Matthew took a hold of her shoulders, holding her up as she bore down. Her loud scream pierced his ears, but he didn’t care. She could scream at the devil himself if she wanted to. He wanted so much to help ease her pain, but he knew there was nothing he could do but try to comfort her as best he could. When Andy shouted, “Stop,” she did so, but Matthew could tell her contraction was still raging something fierce. Looking at his brother, he watched as he reached for a pair of scissors that Vanessa handed him. It was then that Matthew realized he never saw the woman return.

  After a few quiet seconds, a loud piercing cry filled the room and he didn’t have to have someone tell him. He knew he was grinning like an idiot as tears of joy ran down his face.

  He was a father again.

  Chapter Ten

  Wiping the baby off, Andrew cleaned and suctioned out the airway. He couldn’t believe how tiny the little bugger was. Ten fingers and ten toes.

  Perfect.

  After cutting the umbilical cord, he wrapped up the baby and handed it to its mother. “Congratulations, Momma. You have a son.”

  Macie took the baby in her tired arms and grinned. Andrew knew she was exhausted, and he was, too, but he couldn’t rest. There were still too many things to do, but first he began to clean her up. He had just grabbed a wet soapy rag when the apartment door burst open.

  “Where is she? Is she okay?” the sheriff of Treasure Cove shouted, coming to a complete halt when he entered the bedroom. Backpedaling, blushing, and looking at the ceiling, Braxton stammered. “Um, wow, okay. I’ll just wait outside, then.”

  “Thank you, Braxton, any word on the ambulance?” Andrew asked as he continued to clean her up.

  “E.T.A in five. Kelly called. She’s parking her car. She swung by the clinic and grabbed some warming blankets amongst other items.”

  “And it’s a good thing I did, too.” She smiled, entering the bedroom. “Well, Macie, I must say, you have managed to do the impossible. You made Braxton blush.”

  The sweet psychologist smiled, handing Andrew gauze, a sterile pad, and ointment. She walked over and sat down on the other side of Macie. She proceeded to take her pulse and listen to her heart. “Heart and lungs sound good, Doc. Blood pressure is a little high, but I figure we know why.” Looking at the little bundle in Macie’s arms, Kelly cooed. “Did you cause your momma’s blood pressure to rise already?”

  Before Macie could respond, Andrew watched as her stomach contracted again.

  “Oh God! Not again!” Macie screamed as Matthew quickly took his son from her. Kelly jumped from the bed and hurried to help Andrew, who was already placing another sterile lap pad underneath Macie.

  “Shit. Matty, give the baby to Braxton. Macie is about to have another one!” Andrew shouted, quickly putting on a pair of sterile gloves.

  “The hell you say! I forbid it,” Macie shouted.

  Smiling, Andrew winked at Matthew, who handed their son to Braxton, who looked confused. “Are you crazy? I can’t hold a baby.”

  “Get used to it. Charlotte is going to have one of them soon. Consider this your learning curve.” Matthew smiled, hurrying back to Macie, who had already started to push again.

  Andrew talked soothingly to Macie, coaxing her along. He knew she was tired and wanted to sleep. He had delivered many children over the years and watched as mother after mother did the impossible. It always amazed him that a woman, thought to be feminine and fragile, could be stronger than any man could. To deliver another human being, naturally, while others chose a more medicated childbirth, always astonished him.

  However, he knew Macie. He knew she would have chosen every drug the pharmaceutical companies ever created. She was a strong woman, he had no doubt about that, but for something like this, he just knew she would have picked drugs, lots and lots of drugs.

  After a couple of pushes, the second baby was born.

  The room was quiet as they all waited patiently to hear the familiar cries of the newborn infant. Matthew kissed Macie’s forehead as she collapsed against him. Andrew could hear Braxton behind him talking nonsense to the baby in his arms. However, none of that mattered at this moment as he and Kelly tried desperately to remove the umbilical cord that wrapped itself around the infant’s neck three times. Finally removed, Kelly cleaned the airways.

  Still nothing.

  The room was eerily silent.

  “Andy?” Matthew whispered, breaking the silence.

  Andrew ignored his brother as he worked furiously to get the baby breathing. His little lips were turning blue. Kelly immediately began CPR, and within seconds, the baby was breathing. Andrew grabbed his stethoscope, listened to his little heart that beat extremely too fast. His breathing labored as if he was gasping for air.

  “Braxton, is Brannon waiting downstairs?”

  “Yeah, Doc, why?”

  “I need him now. And get another E.T.A on that ambulance. It should have been here by now!” Andrew shouted as he picked up his cell phone. Quickly dialing a number, he waited less than two seconds before someone answered the call. “This is Doctor Jenkins. I need Life Flight for a newborn infant in respiratory distress. Have a neonatal unit waiting upon my arrival. Delivery of two male infants seven minutes apart. Infant number one, healthy, with an ap-gar of ten. Infant number two, in respiratory failure, rapid heart rate, and heart murmur detected. Have oxygen and pediatric cardiologist standing by.”

  Hanging up the phone, Andrew didn’t stop to explain. He cou
ldn’t. His mind was racing with things he needed to do. His own heart felt as if it were about to beat right out of his chest. His second son was sick. There was only so much he could do for him. Without the correct equipment, the second baby wasn’t going to make it. He needed to get his little man to the hospital and quick. Gathering his infant son in his arms, he waited long enough for Kelly to grab his bag. “I will meet you both at Silver Springs Memorial hospital. Matty, take care of them. I have to go. I’ll update you when we get to the hospital.”

  “Andy!” he heard his brother shout as he and Kelly raced for the door. He couldn’t stay there and explain what was going on. All Andrew Jenkins knew was that there was something wrong with the baby’s heart, and time was of the essence.

  * * * *

  Matthew didn’t know what to say, let alone think. Everything was happening to fast. He couldn’t compartmentalize the events quick enough. His mind was a jumbled mess, and now fear had seeped into his body. He knew his brother would not act on impulse. If Andy said there was something wrong with the baby, then there was. He trusted his brother. He only wished he had some inkling as to what was going on. He hated not knowing.

  Getting up from the bed, he gave Macie some room so she could lie back down without him hindering her. Walking over to Braxton, he took his son from him, holding him close as he prayed for the other.

  Over the last half hour, he had been through an emotional roller coaster, and something deep inside him was telling him that this ride was just getting started. He didn’t know what he was going to do with one baby, let alone two, but add in their stubborn, independent mother, and, well, the outcome was anyone’s guess.

  Holding his infant son close to his heart, he looked over at the beautiful woman who had just blessed him with a second chance at fatherhood. Resting peacefully, he watched as Vanessa hovered over her, wrapping blankets around her to keep her warm. Macie didn’t know it, but Matthew was utterly in love with her. He had planned on telling her tonight and then asking her to marry him.

  The day before, he had driven into Silver Springs to visit the local jewelers. The owner was expecting him, since he has already placed the order for the custom ring over a month ago. The only addition was the engraving that Andrew insisted on. Of course, Matthew only heard about it when the owner handed him the ring. He never did look to see what Andrew had put on the ring. His only concern was the ring itself. He wanted something unique for his Macie. When he held the platinum one-carat ring between his fingers, everything felt as if it was finally falling in place.

  He remembered the ride home and how nervous he was, embarking on a new journey of life. Never once in his adult life did he figure he’d have the opportunity to find love again. Returning to Treasure Cove after being away for so many years, he never expected to find Macie, still smiling and laughing.

  That warm day, over a year ago changed everything for him. When he saw her, she was no longer the little girl with braided pigtails, but a vibrant, exquisite woman, full of life and attitude, and he fell hard. He remembered that day as if it were yesterday.

  That day his whole world change.

  It didn’t take him long to pack up his office in Los Angeles, and open a new one, right across the street from the diner, infuriating her even more.

  A lot had happened between them over the last year. Determined to win her affections, he enlisted his brother Andrew in conquering the unattainable. He wanted Macie and refused to take no, or in her case, “Go to hell, asshole,” for an answer, and within a matter of one hour, it seemed he had finally gotten everything he ever wanted and more.

  “Matthew, the paramedics are here,” a soft voice said, interrupting his thoughts. Looking up, he smiled at Vanessa and said, “Thank you.”

  “He’s beautiful, Matthew, and I just know his little brother will be just fine. I’ll be praying for him.”

  “Thank you, Vanessa, for everything.”

  “It was my pleasure.”

  Matthew stepped aside and watched as two paramedics assessed Macie and then loaded her onto a gurney. It didn’t take them long before all three of them were loaded into the ambulance and headed to Silver Springs Memorial Hospital.

  * * * *

  Andrew held the gurney tight as he and the flight crew ran for the elevators on the roof of the hospital. As the doors opened, Doctor Gavin Rayburn, the chief pediatric cardiologist for the neonatal unit, a friend and colleague, greeted him. “Andy?”

  “Sorry to have you come in this late, but I wanted the best for my son.”

  “Your son?”

  “Yeah, he was a surprise to me, too. His older brother is traveling with Matthew and their mother by ambulance. However, this little man needs your help. Born thirty-five minutes ago, umbilical cord wrapped three times. We had to administer CPR. He became lethargic and started turning blue around the mouth. Heart rate is rapid, with labored breathing. In flight, we had to give him CPR once more.”

  Within seconds, Andrew listened as his friend starting shouting out orders as they raced his tiny son toward the neonatal intensive care unit.

  The N.I.C.U. instantly became a flurry of activity. Nurses ran around taking vitals, while others hooked every wire Andrew could see up to his son. He knew once his son was in a bed, the doctors and nurses would bring the equipment to him, and they did. He watched as X-rays and ultrasounds were wheeled over to him. He walked closer when a specialized pediatric phlebotomist inserted a butterfly needle into his sons’ tiny foot, amazed that he didn’t even cry out. He wanted so much to help, but he knew the rules.

  It was his son. He was too close to the patient.

  Forbidden to help.

  He didn’t know how long he stood there and watched as the doctors and nurses administered test after test. On more than one occasion, a nurse would ask him if he wanted to sit for a while, but he always shook his head no. He wasn’t leaving his son.

  “How is he?” the familiar voice asked. Turning around, he saw the grief stricken look upon his brother’s face. Relieved that he was there, he watched as another nurse rolled in another incubator with his oldest son sleeping peacefully in it.

  “They are still running tests. Where’s Macie?” he asked, looking past his brother, unable to find her.

  “The obstetrician is checking her out. When she is finished, they said Macie would be up in labor and delivery. They are going to find her a quiet room, so she can sleep. She is exhausted.”

  “I still can’t wrap my head around all of this. I feel like I am dreaming it,” he admitted.

  “I know what you mean. I just wanted a nice home-cooked meal with a feisty woman. Instead of dinner, she gave us two sons and more,” Matthew said, looking at the sleeping babies.

  “She gave us a second chance.”

  “Yeah, she did at that, little brother. She sure did.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Macie woke slowly, her body heavy and lethargic. The sounds of a beating heart filled the room. All she saw were stark white walls and smells of bleach. She knew she was in a hospital. The last few hours were fuzzy, but she remembered giving birth to two babies. She could recall Vanessa trying to zip up her dress. The casserole she had put in the oven. The pain, she definitely remembered the pain. Nevertheless, she also remembered Matthew holding her hand and Andrew telling her to push. Then that is where everything seemed to fade a bit.

  Looking around the room, she grinned. She saw Matthew sleeping in a chair near a window. He looked as bad as she felt. Coughing lightly, she smiled when he shot straight up from his chair. Always immaculate and perfectly dressed, Matthew looked disheveled and in desperate need of a comb, his graying hair flying everywhere. The beginnings of a thick beard covered his chiseled face, but it was his blue eyes that held her attention.

  For as long as she could remember, she loved his eyes. The windows to his soul, she found herself falling into them often. His warm hand covered hers as he gently sat next to her on the bed, trying not to jar her, and she w
as grateful. “You look like shit, Matty.”

  “Back at ya, babe.” He grinned.

  “Sorry about dinner, but I figure birthing two babies allows me a reprieve.”

  “Think again, woman.” He smirked. “I’ll have you know, when my mother gave birth to Andy, she showered, cleaned the house, and then proceeded to cook the dads dinner. You are slacking, woman.”

  “How about you kiss my ass?”

  “I’d rather spank it.”

  “In your dreams, Bucko. You and Andy are to keep your cocks covered from now on. You both are too virile for my taste.”

  “You love our taste.”

  “I love puppies. I love daisies and chocolate.” She smiled and then sobered quickly. She knew she was putting off the inevitable. She had too much on her plate right now, and adding the chaos of two babies, she just wasn’t ready or prepared for that outcome. She was thirty-seven years old for crying aloud.

  Women her age didn’t get pregnant!

  Well, she knew that was a lie, but she wasn’t one of them. She refused to believe that God would do this to her. She had been so careful her whole life. She never wanted children. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids, she did, but they were not for her.

  Not her bottle of milk so to speak.

  Oh, she loved pampering them, sugaring them up, and then sending them home with their parents. She always made sure the kids in town had fresh cookies and milk anytime they asked for them, and she always was there when one of her friends needed a babysitter.

  That was the extent of her mothering! Spend just a couple of hours with the critters and skedaddle before anyone got attached. She worked hard at keeping herself busy with her work, and she enjoyed her private life. That was something she absolutely refused to give up.

  She was finally in a relationship where she could be herself and enjoy the sexual gratification that came with being with two strong virile men. Virile men! Ha! I should cut their balls off with my spatula! She turned and looked at the door. It was hard wrapping her mind around the fact that at thirty-seven she was a first-time mother.