He pulled the long, skinny bottle of Galliano liqueur from the box and said, “You don’t strike me as the ‘liquor cabinet’ type.”
“I’m not. I wound up with it in a white elephant gift exchange one year while I was in medical school.”
Duke grinned when he saw the liqueur bottle and said, “I can make you a mean Harvey Wallbanger with that.” Duke winked at her as Gage pulled her bottle of Southern Comfort from the box.
“Or I could make her a Sloe Comfortable Screw with this.”
Emma slammed her mouth closed on the response right before it popped from her lips. How about we do both? Instead, she pointed at the Southern Comfort and said, “I have that for medicinal purposes.”
They kidded with her a bit over that response and had the kitchen unpacked and put away in no time at all. They teased her with perverted, alternative uses for her kitchen gadgetry, and she’d felt heat steal into her cheeks a number of times. The wine relaxed her and sang a sweet, sensual song in her blood as they moved to the living room, taking their refilled glasses of Barbera d’Alba with them.
She tore open the first box and breathed a sigh of relief that she’d found this box of books first so she could get them stuck on their shelf and out of sight as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Duke and Gage must have picked up on her facial expression, because they both peered into the box as she turned to put the books on a low shelf.
“The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by A. N. Roquelaure. Hot damn,” Gage said as he lifted it and the other two titles in the trilogy from the box. He glanced knowingly at her, and the naughty little grin she now recognized as his trademark stole across his lips.
Emma simply said, “I like to read all kinds of books.” She wanted to go splash cold water on her cheeks, grateful at least that she’d gotten her copy of The Story of O put away before they’d seen it. It was a little early for them to learn of her interest in BDSM in erotic fiction.
They must have noted her flustered state and said no more as they removed her erotic romance collection from the box and stacked them for her to place wherever she wanted them. She turned from the bookshelf in time to catch Duke as he held up a hardback copy of The Kama Sutra for Gage to see.
She gulped when she noticed the thickening ridges at their groins as she lifted a stack of books from the table. She bit her lip and busied herself with the books as she grouped them with care based on size. It might just have been the wine, but the tension sizzled in the air.
Duke brought an opened box and squatted beside her as he placed books on her shelves. He glanced at one and read the cover. “The Boy Scout Handbook. Handy for camping?”
“Oh, very,” she said with a smile and a nod, grateful they’d moved on from the erotica. She had a feeling that there were more of them in another box somewhere in that stack, though. “My dad gave me his copy. I used to take it with me when I went camping. Great reading, too.”
“Is there a chapter on arrow removal in there?” Gage asked with a chuckle as he brought a box and knelt carefully on her other side, still favoring his injury. She unpacked the medical textbooks she’d held on to after she’d graduated and her other medical references.
“Bartending 101: The Basics of Mixology?” Duke said as he held it up.
Emma chuckled and replied, “It came with the bottle of Galliano.”
“You also have the biographies of Golda Meir and Winston Churchill. This is quite a varied library you have here, Doctor Guthrie. What’s this—hey! Tom Clancy’s Net Force!”
“Seriously?” Gage asked in surprise. Duke held up the copy of one of her Tom Clancy novels.
Gage nudged Emma’s arm and said, “I knew there was a reason I liked you, Doc.”
Duke laughed out loud as he held up her copy of 101 Aggie Jokes and Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible. “Your tastes are certainly eclectic, Emma.”
Gage opened the lid on a box filled with compact discs. “Florence + the Machine, Three Doors Down, and Elton John.”
Duke sat back on his heels and said, “You are a mystery, Emma.”
Emma lifted the CDs from Gage’s gentle hands and placed them on a shelf as they pulled more from the box.
“The soundtrack from Rocky Horror Picture Show, Taylor Swift, and Mediaeval Baebes. Wow. Wait a minute—no Gaga?”
Emma nearly choked, she laughed so suddenly. “No. Sorry. Although that one song is kinda catchy.”
During the course of the evening they helped her organize her book, music, and DVD collections. When she found out that they were both fans of it, she put on Shaun of the Dead. While they watched the movie, Emma discovered that Gage was every bit the neat freak that she was, as he organized her movies alphabetically and by genre. She laughed as Duke and Gage debated whether Caddy Shack and 10 Things I Hate About You deserved to be on the same shelf as Firefly, Farscape, and the first three seasons of Fringe.
It was past her bedtime when Gage finally said, “I suppose we should leave you to get some rest, huh, Emma?”
Honestly, Emma was tired, but she could have talked with them for several more hours. Even though they’d mostly just talked about her collection of books and entertainment, they’d learned a lot about each other. The other box of erotica and erotic romances had finally been discovered, but they’d said hardly anything about it as they helped her put them on the shelf space she’d reserved with the others.
Duke got up and sat on the sturdy coffee table so that he faced her with Gage sitting beside her. He leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs and caressed her knees with both hands. He glanced at Gage and then said, “Emma, we’d like to invite you out on a date tomorrow night. The three of us.”
“Re—Really?” she asked, clearing the frog from her throat. “You both…”
Duke and Gage nodded together. Duke’s thumbs stroking her knees were hypnotic as little tingling rivulets of heat travelled up her thighs to her center. “We’d like to take you to supper, then…maybe…I don’t know—for a drive or a movie?” His uncharacteristic uncertainty somehow made her feel more at home with him. More comfortable. She understood how he felt and didn’t hesitate.
“I’d love to, Duke, Gage. I have a wedding to attend in the afternoon, but I’ll be free after that. I’d like it very much. Of course, that’s provided I don’t get called in, since this is my on-call weekend.” She hadn’t planned to stay for very much of the reception since she was going alone and didn’t dance.
“Fair enough. We know how that goes,” Gage said as he rose from the couch. She walked them to the door and came to a sudden stop when they both turned to her and, one at a time, leaned toward her for a soft, sweet smooch. No tongues, no arms flung around each other, or bodies pressed tightly together. Just simple, affectionate gestures that inexplicably shot her libido through the roof as though they had done all those things to her.
“We’ll talk to you tomorrow?” Duke opened the door, and the humid evening air surrounded them. The scent of someone grilling steaks for a late supper nearby lingered in the air.
Emma nodded, and they turned to go. Moths fluttered around the porch light as she watched them climb the stairs. They waved one last time before they disappeared from sight. She quietly closed her door and turned out the lights. Her heart was fluttering wildly in her chest at the memory of their kisses.
After a warm shower, she climbed into bed completely nude. It took an hour of tossing and turning before she finally fell asleep. Even asleep, she dreamed of what it would be like if they did more than just kiss her chastely on the lips.
Chapter Three
Saturday afternoon, Emma removed her phone from her scrubs pocket and pulled up Duke’s phone number. She waited as the call connected, looking over at Grace Warner who sat beside her, breathing deep with her eyes closed. Ethan sat on Grace’s other side, holding her hand and speaking in soothing tones to her. His voice seemed to calm her considerably as Adam watched with loving concern on his face from the front passenger seat.
With her eyes still closed, Grace leaned her head back and let out a long, slow breath that ended with a shaky note.
Emma patted Grace’s hand and said, “You’re doing great, Grace.”
Grace kept her eyes closed and replied, “That was a long one.”
On the fourth ring, Duke picked up. “Hello?” Even under these circumstances, his voice sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine.
“Duke? Hi, it’s Emma. I’m sorry to do this but I’m going to have to reschedule our date. I’m on my way to the hospital with a patient.”
His voice held a trace of disappointment. “It’s okay. I understand. I just got off the phone with Ace. He told me that you’d just taken off with Grace. I hope she’s okay.”
“Everything is fine, but I’m really sorry about our date. I was looking forward to it.” Emma glanced at her watch when Grace signaled the beginning of another contraction.
She heard his sexy chuckle on the line, and he replied, “Me too. But we’ll make plans to go out soon. We’re not letting you off the hook.”
She could hardly contain the giddy feeling inside at the thought that they’d both asked her out for that Saturday night. But babies came when they wanted to, so here she was on her way to the hospital. “I’ll look forward to it. Talk to you soon.”
They ended the call, and she checked her watch. Grace had been having mild contractions all morning. When Emma had arrived for the wedding, Grace had reassured her that the baby was just being very active. As the wedding ceremony had drawn to its conclusion, Emma’s suspicions had been confirmed as she’d observed Grace breathing through an active labor contraction. They’d left the gathering a few minutes later.
“Jack, when you arrive at the hospital, pull around to the ER doors. I’ll let the emergency room know we’re coming so they can be ready for us.”
Jack nodded and turned on his flashers. Emma was impressed with the calm that had descended over the occupants of the vehicle. They were well prepared for this event. Emma knew this because Grace had told her at her last prenatal appointment. She’d asked Emma to sign off on all three men being present for the birth of their daughter. Unlike many fathers who were present but not necessarily all that helpful to the laboring mother in the delivery room, these men had taken extensive classes in the natural birth method Grace had chosen and knew their roles.
“Grace, let me know if you get the urge to push, okay?”
Grace hummed her assent as she breathed deep through another contraction.
“That’s good, Gracie. You’re doing great,” Ethan whispered soothingly. Emma observed the way Grace focused on his voice and managed to stay relaxed.
Less than five minutes later they were at the hospital. Because the paperwork was already filed with the hospital, the check-in process took place quickly, and Grace somehow managed to keep her calm despite the flurry of activity around her. She’d already worked into a deep state of relaxation and concentration, and her men fielded all questions so she didn’t become distracted by the commotion.
Proving once again that babies came in their own sweet time, Grace’s contractions slowed down. By the time she was in a hospital gown and in bed in the delivery room, her contractions were back to seven to ten minutes apart.
Pulling Jack and Adam into the hallway so Grace wouldn’t be distracted, Emma instructed them to grab a bite to eat and get something for Ethan. She explained what was happening, reassured them, and told them to rest while they waited. She excused herself to get something to eat and check her messages. She smiled when she got to the message from Rachel. They were bringing her vehicle up to the hospital after the wedding reception.
Emma decided to hang out at the hospital so she could be there to deliver Rose Marie when the time came. She’d thought about continuing on with that evening’s plans but knew there was the distinct possibility she’d be called back to the hospital halfway through their meal. Duke had sounded very understanding, so she’d let the notion go.
She ate supper at the sandwich shop next to the hospital, keeping her phone handy just in case, and then returned to check on Grace. She seemed to be handling labor well, and Emma was glad she was able to relax as the night progressed. The men took turns sitting with Grace, and Emma appreciated that they let her focus and didn’t distract her with small talk.
During the night, Grace became more uncomfortable, and Emma suggested she take a warm shower after checking her dilation. Proving what a trooper he was, Ethan helped her, getting soaked in the process. Emma smiled when she heard Grace tell Ethan with absolute certainty, “Baby, I am ready to push, like right now.”
Wishing in retrospect she’d suggested the shower sooner, Emma said, “Blow through this contraction, Grace. Ethan, let’s get her dried off and in bed first.”
Less than a minute later, Grace was dried off, in bed, and ready to get the show on the road. Grace focused on the men surrounding her bed and said, “Guys, this is it. Ready?”
Emma had seen numerous fathers-to-be balk when the moment of truth came, and many of those had been with mothers who were given some form of pain relief or anesthesia. Grace was giving birth completely drug-free. Though obviously concerned for her and the pain she was in, the men never hesitated. They nodded and kissed her.
While the nurses quickly set everything up and checked Grace’s vitals, Emma checked her dilation. “Ready to start pushing?” Grace looked her way and nodded as she took another slow, deep breath. “Keep doing your breathing and start when you’re ready, Grace. There is no rush.”
Grace nodded and laid her head back on the pillow, seeming to prepare for what came next. She pulled the men close until they were stooped over her, whispering, and Emma thought they might be praying. Emma silently motioned the nurse to dim the overhead lights.
The collapsible end of the bed was lowered so Emma could deliver the baby, and Emma’s nurse nudged another stool close to Emma. The event had been textbook perfect, and Grace had asked if it might be possible for Jack to catch the baby. She looked up and saw the determination in Grace’s eyes and smiled.
“Ready to meet your daughter?”
“Yup,” Grace said with a grimace.
The rest of the birth happened without incident, Grace’s men coaching and encouraging Grace quietly. Little Rose Marie Warner made her entry into the world as the sun rose on another day.
Jack was awestruck as he held out his hands to gently receive his daughter, with just a little help from Emma, as the baby was born. Tears streamed from his eyes as he gazed on her cherubic little face for the first time. Rose Marie’s tiny chin quivered as she struggled to form her first howling cry.
Emma was warmed by a sensation that never got old, watching this baby girl be welcomed by her parents. It didn’t matter how many babies she’d delivered. This was one of the best parts of her job.
The love in the room was palpable as Jack rose from the stool and showed Grace, Ethan, and Adam their red, squalling newborn daughter. All four cried tears of joy, and Emma felt tears spring into her own eyes. She efficiently moved the drape aside and directed Jack to nestle the baby on Grace’s chest, skin on skin, where she settled quietly. Emma went back to work, finishing the job, but glanced up from time to time as the four of them bonded with their new baby girl.
Ethan reached out a tender hand and stroked Rose Marie’s downy little head as tears sparkled in his bright, blue eyes and got caught in his lashes. His lower lip trembled almost imperceptibly as he whispered, “Well, you’re just as beautiful as your mama, aren’t you, honey?” He turned to Grace and pressed his lips to her forehead and said, “Th
ank you, Gracie.”
Grace bore the ecstatic look many new mothers had as the euphoria of the moment washed over her. Her cheeks were flushed from her exertions, which made her eyes seem an even brighter blue. She smiled up at him, and tears trickled from the outer corners of her eyes.
Adam Davis was a very tall man and could easily have held Rose Marie in one of his large hands. This gentle giant placed a hand on the baby’s back and in a shaky voice said, “Look at those little rosebud lips. She’s the image of her mama.” Tears streamed from his eyes as well.
Grace gave a watery chuckle and said, “Not entirely. Look closer, Adam. That’s your nose.”
Grace had refused DNA testing, telling Emma that it didn’t matter which of her husbands had provided the sperm to fertilize her egg. As far as Grace was concerned, they were all the fathers equally.
The tiny infant looked up at Adam and started squalling again. The little family all softly chuckled as Rose Marie began rooting around.
Emma chortled as she worked and directed the nurse over to help Grace. “Looks like she’s a hungry girl, Mom.”
The men moved over while the nurse bundled Rose Marie into a receiving blanket and topped her little head with a stocking cap, then helped Grace with positioning the baby to breastfeed her.
Emma smiled as she watched the family observing Rose Marie take her first meal and felt such a yearning course through her that it stole her breath away. She was blindsided by it because she’d delivered so many babies and it had never happened before.
These four individuals were now five. Emma had agreed with Grace when she’d said she was the luckiest woman in the world to have those three men in her life. They would be there for her and for each other and form a secure home in which Rose Marie would thrive. Her heart yearned for what they had. Hell, she yearned for a life that included something other than her job and the hollow existence she led.
Grace caught her eye and smiled at her then whispered, “Thank you.”
The Divine Creek Ranch Collection Volume 4 Page 4