“She wants to push.”
So much for transport. Leanne’s pulse rate increased. “Where is she?”
“Upstairs.”
Leanne entered the large bedroom. She recognized the woman in her early thirties laying on a queen-size bed and the man holding her hand. Both looked stressed and panicked.
“Hi, Brianna. Jeff. I’m Leanne Thomas. We’ve met before.” She wanted to put them at ease. “I’m a paramedic with Hood Hamlet Fire and Rescue. This is my partner, Derek Tucker. Looks like you’re getting an early Christmas gift.”
Brianna panted. Sweat beaded on her forehead. “I need to push.”
Leanne put on gloves. “Let me do a quick exam first, okay?”
Depending on what she saw would determine whether to go to the hospital or deliver here. Brianna wore a dress so that would make the exam easier.
Christian stood on the other side of Brianna. “You’re in good hands, sis.”
Brianna moaned.
Leanne saw the top of the baby crowning. Oh, boy. Her muscles tensed. This was something she’d done before, but nothing she did regularly. Her anxiety level rose, but she forced a smile. “Looks like we’re going to do this here, okay?”
Brianna nodded.
Tucker got everything out that they needed and prepared the bed for delivery.
“Give us a minute, Brianna.” Leanne draped the expectant mother’s lower half with sheets and put on the necessary gear herself—gown, new gloves and safety glasses.
Tucker readied the clips, scalpel and bulb syringe. A blanket and hat for the baby were within arms reach. He also had the emergency airway equipment available just in case.
“Okay, Brianna.” Leanne ignored everybody else in the room. Nothing else mattered but the mother and baby. “At the next contraction, I want you to push.”
Brianna screamed.
“Push.”
“Come on, Bri,” Jeff said.
The head moved more. So far so good. But until Leanne could see the cord wasn’t around the baby’s neck, her nerves weren’t going to settle down.
Another contraction hit. Brianna pushed. Jeff and Christian encouraged her through it.
The head came out. No cord.
Leanne breathed a sigh of relief. “The shoulders are next.”
The delivery went smoothly after that. Before she knew it she held on to a perfect little baby boy. Tears stung her eyes. “It’s a boy.”
She suctioned the baby’s mouth. She stimulated and dried the baby, who wailed at the top of his lungs. A good sign.
The cord was cut and clipped.
She placed the baby on top of Brianna’s chest, skin to skin for warmth, and covered him with a blanket. While everyone fussed over the new member of the family, Leanne doubled-checked to make sure Brianna wasn’t bleeding excessively. The placenta sill needed to come out.
“We’re going to prepare her for transport,” Leanne announced.
Christian’s eyes gleamed. “Thank you.”
She nodded, afraid of sounding too emotional after bringing a new life into the world.
“Yes, thank you.” Brianna stared at the baby with love. “I think Thomas sounds like a good name. Don’t you, Jeff?”
“A perfect name,” he agreed.
Emotion clogged Leanne’s throat. She blinked back tears. “Th-thanks.”
With help from the engine crew, they made fast work of getting baby and mother to the rig.
Christian followed her out. “Leanne. Wait.”
She didn’t have time for this. Him. “What?”
“You were amazing.”
“It was all Brianna.”
“When you get off work tomorrow, spend Christmas with me.”
Leanne drew back. “You’re spending it with your family.”
“I want to spend the day with you, too.”
“Yeah, right.” She couldn’t believe him. “You don’t owe me anything for delivering your nephew. It’s what I’m paid to do.”
“I’m not—”
“I do have to thank you, Welton.” She didn’t care what he had to say. “Because of you, I figured out I want what that older couple Mabel and Earl have. I thought for a brief second I could have it with you. But we both know I was fooling myself. Wishing for something that wasn’t there. The guy I want, the guy who wants to be with me not because he thinks he owes me but because he loves me, that guy is out there. Somewhere. And one of these days I’ll find him.”
Heart pounding in her chest, she climbed into the back of the rig with Brianna and the baby. Leanne’s hands shook as she closed the door. She looked at Christian’s sister. “We’re going to get you to the hospital as soon as we can.”
The rescue rig drove away with its lights flashing. The engine followed without any lights or siren. Christian was cold and covered in snow, but that didn’t bother him as much as the way Leanne had spoken.
He wanted to spend time with her, not pay her back. Watching her deliver his nephew had touched Christian’s heart. Leanne was so confident, even if he saw a hint of uncertainty in her eyes at the beginning. Brianna had been scared, but Leanne’s strength had given his sister courage. And when Thomas arrived…
Tears welled in Christian’s eyes. He brushed off the snow, stepped inside and removed his wet shoes. He wanted to share more moments like that with Leanne.
In the entryway, Owen leaned on his crutches. “What’s going on with you and Leanne?”
Christian cleared his throat. “Nothing.”
“I’m going to ask her out then,” Owen said.
“Over my dead body.”
Owen raised a brow. “Then why’d you say nothing?”
Christian was the one who’d drawn the line in the sand about no relationship. Leanne was merely reacting to it. “It doesn’t matter.”
But he couldn’t stop thinking about her, wanting to be with her. Maybe he’d been too rash. Maybe he needed to rethink things. No, she’d made it clear tonight.
He’d had his shot at being the guy she wanted, but he’d blown it. She was going to find someone else. “Leanne doesn’t want me.”
Owen raised a brow. “If you’re going to let her go that easily, you don’t deserve her.”
“Leanne’s not the kind of woman you can catch, unless she wants to be caught.”
Right now she didn’t. Unfortunately Christian only had himself to blame.
The smell of coffee filled the air. Leanne opened her eyes. Half the beds in the bunk room were occupied, the other half empty. Someone snored. And then she realized…
Christmas morning had arrived.
Leanne preferred the buildup to Christmas more than the day itself. She crawled out of bed.
Last night after the baby delivery, they’d only had one other call. A quiet night.
Downstairs, presents filled the stockings hanging on the wall. Everyone on duty got a little something to put in the stockings. This year, she’d put a mini flashlight—a practical gift—and yo-yo—a not so practical one—in each stocking.
Paulson stood with a cup of coffee in his hands. “Merry Christmas, Thomas.”
“Same to you.” She poured herself a cup of coffee. “Why are you here on your day off?”
“My mom made breakfast for you all.”
“That was sweet of her.”
He motioned to the window. “It’s dumping snow.”
Darn. She sipped her coffee. “That’ll make for great skiing tomorrow, but not so great snowshoeing today.”
“When has a little snow ever stopped us?”
“That was before Kendall, Austin and Wyatt joined the crew,” Leanne reminded.
“They’re tough kids.”
“True, but we still might want to shorten the distance.” She hated suggesting that. Snowshoeing with everyone was one of her favorite things about Christmas day. “We have to think about the kids.”
Bill thought for a moment. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
The tones sound
ed throughout the station.
“So much for an easy Christmas,” he said.
She placed her cup on the counter. “Christmas is never easy.”
Whether calls came in or not.
Wrapping paper and ribbons covered every inch of the floor of the rented lodge. Christian’s nieces and nephews, dressed in brand-new pajamas they’d received last night, tore through presents as if their lives depended on how fast they could open each gift. Even little Emma, with her parents at the hospital with her new brother, shred through presents.
One of the kids handed his grandfather a box. As Grandpa read the tag, Christian fought the urge to hold his breath. “It’s from Christian.” Slowly his grandfather unwrapped the paper. He lifted the lid off the box and raised the bottle of wine out of the box. Tears glistened in his eyes. “You’ve been making your own wine.”
Christian nodded. “I needed something to do in my time off, Grandpa.”
“Besides chasing hot women,” Owen said.
Christian ignored his cousin. “The flavor would have been a little deeper if I’d had better barrels.”
His grandfather stared at the label. “I’m sure it’s fine. We’ll try it as soon as we’re done here.”
“You’ll wait until a reasonable hour.” His grandmother patted his grandfather’s hand. “But I think it’s time for Christian’s present.”
His grandfather carefully placed the bottle back in the box. “I agree.”
Emma handed Christian a small box wrapped in holly-covered paper and tied with a red ribbon. “This is for you, Uncle Christian from Grandma and Grandpa.”
Based on the size, Christian guessed what might be inside—a key ring or money holder. Possibly a gift card. A practical gift everyone always said. He removed the ribbon.
“Rip it, Uncle Christian,” Emma urged.
“Rip it. Rip it,” another cheered.
He didn’t want to disappoint the kids, so he did as told. The little ones cheered.
“It’s a box,” Emma shouted.
Christian removed the lid. He opened the white tissue paper. A gold key.
“What is it?” Kaitlyn asked.
“A key.” He looked at his grandparents. “What does it open?”
“The future,” Grandpa said.
“Whose future?” Christian asked.
“Yours.”
The gold key gleamed as bright as a star. His gut clenched.
“I really should say ours. The key is to the empty shop on Main Street you showed me,” Grandpa continued. “It’ll make a perfect retail and tasting store for Welton Winery. We could even put in a winemaking section. I hadn’t realized you were still interested… Since this is your neck of the woods, I thought you might want to be a part of it.”
“You’re opening a branch of the winery here?”
Grandpa nodded. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to take the mountain or the firefighter out of you, so I figured I might as well bring the winery to you.”
“What do you want in return?” Christian asked.
“Nothing,” Grandpa said. “I butted heads with your father and forced his hand more times than I care to remember. I don’t want to do that anymore. I trust you, Christian. Whatever you want to do with the store, we’ll work it out. I don’t want a grandson who can’t bear to talk to me.”
Christian stared at the key. Emotion welled up inside him. His grandpa wasn’t pressuring him. His family loved him. He wanted to do this. He’d missed being part of the winery. That was why he made wine as a hobby. He’d missed being a part of the family.
“Thanks, Grandpa. It’s great.” And it was. Christian would be able to do things his way. He was still honoring what his dad told him about not being pressured. But he didn’t need to hold everyone at arm’s length. Not only his family, but Leanne. “I’ll do my best to make you proud.”
“You’ve already made me proud,” Grandpa said to Christian’s surprise. “I’m sure you’ll continue to do so.”
He couldn’t stop thinking about Leanne. “I will.”
As the present opening continued, Owen joined Christian on the couch. “Nice gift.”
He looked at the key. “Yeah.”
“Maybe you can carry some of my chocolates,” Owen said. “Grandpa told me I could make some for the winery.”
“Great.”
“You don’t sound all that excited about any of this.”
Christian didn’t want to appear ungrateful. “I have a lot on my mind.”
“It can’t be Brianna and the baby. All reports from the hospital have been good. That leaves…the pretty paramedic.”
Leanne was pretty, smart, sexy. “I messed up.”
“Apologize.”
“She wants a relationship. A commitment. I can’t—”
“Better rethink not wanting to make any commitments,” Owen said. “You just made a huge one with Grandpa and the wine store.”
Christian stared at the key. He had committed to something huge. Yet, it felt good. Right. The same way being with Leanne had felt. He’d worked things out with his family. Maybe he could do the same thing with her. “She still might not want me.”
“You’ll never know unless you try.”
What did Christian have to lose? His pride. His heart. Both, he realized, were worth risking for Leanne. She had told him to get over himself. He had. But he couldn’t get over her. She didn’t need him, but he needed her. Maybe, just maybe, that would be enough. The least he could do was apologize for being such a jerk to her.
He rose.
So did Owen.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Christian asked.
“If she says no to you, she might say yes to me.” Owen hobbled on his crutches. “Otherwise we can drown our sorrows together.”
Leanne walked out of the Christmas service at church. Singing carols and hearing the message about this special day should have made her feel better. But seeing all the families together, the loving couples and the excited children, only made her feel worse. She trudged through the snow in the parking lot.
A quick dash home to change her clothes then time for snowshoeing. Too bad Leanne didn’t feel like going. Unusual for her.
But the kids were counting on all of them being there. She couldn’t let them down even if she wanted to spend the rest of her Christmas by herself.
Christmas Day at the fire station was a happy time. Families showed up with presents and joined the crew for meals. Christian didn’t see Leanne’s car in the parking lot. Maybe she’d caught a ride with someone else. He left Owen in the car and went inside. Two of the B shift wives stood in the kitchen cooking lunch.
“What are you doing here, Welton?” the chief asked.
“Looking for Thomas.”
“She left for church a couple of hours ago.”
Damn. She might already be somewhere else. “I need to track her down.”
“Joining Thomas and Paulson on their annual Christmas snowshoeing trek?” the chief asked.
Leanne had invited Christian to go snowshoeing on Christmas Day. “I can’t remember where we’re supposed to meet.”
“She’s probably with Paulson, but Jake Porter, Sean Hughes or Hannah Willingham would know.”
“Thanks.” Christian headed out the door, ran to his car and slid inside. “She’s going snowshoeing.”
Owen sighed. “Do you know how many trails there are on this mountain?”
“A lot, but I know who to ask.”
Paulson didn’t answer his cell phone. Christian drove to Sean and Zoe Hughes’s house. No one, not even their Siberian husky, Denali, was home. Next stop was Jake and Carly Porter’s house. No one was there, either. Finally he pulled into Hannah and Garrett Willingham’s driveway.
Christian stared at the cabin. “I’ll be right back.”
He exited the car. A single candle burned in the window. Snow angels decorated the front yard, but were being covered by falling snow. He hurried up the snow-
covered path and rang the doorbell.
The door opened. Hannah wore the red-and-green apron Leanne had worn when they babysat. “Christian?”
“I need to know where everyone is going snowshoeing today.”
She wiped her hands on the apron. “Everyone or Leanne?”
“Please, Hannah,” he urged. “I need to talk with her.”
“You’ve already ruined her Christmas.”
“I need to apologize. See if she’ll give me another chance.”
Hannah straightened.
At least he had her attention now. “Please tell me where she is?”
“It’ll be easier if I show you.” She untied her apron. “Kendall and Austin are there with Jake and Carly. Garrett and I have Tyler and Nicole.”
Garrett came to the door. “What’s going on?”
Hannah handed him her apron. “I’m going with Christian. I’ll be back in a little while.”
Garrett looked stunned. “O-kay.”
Large snowflakes fell from the sky. Hannah headed to Christian’s truck. “We’d better hurry in case they cut their snowshoeing short due to the weather.”
She climbed into the truck’s backseat, introducing herself to his cousin. “I’m Hannah.”
“Owen Welton Slayter.”
“She knows where Leanne is,” Christian said.
Owen grinned. “I’m glad someone does.”
“Take 26 to the snow park,” Hannah directed. “The road before the parking lot leads to another small lot and the trail head.”
Christian shifted the car into gear. “Thanks, Hannah.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Concern filled her eyes. “Do you know what you’re going to say to Leanne?”
“I thought I’d start with I’m sorry.”
“After that?” Hannah asked.
“That I’m lower than pond scum.” Christian gripped the steering wheel. “I…I don’t know what to say after that.”
“You really shouldn’t wing this,” Owen said.
“Tell Leanne whatever’s in your heart of hearts,” Hannah suggested.
“This is never going to work,” Owen said. “My cousin doesn’t have a heart of hearts.”
“Well, he’d better find it quick,” Hannah said. “And hope a little Christmas magic helps him out.”
Firefighter Under the Mistletoe Page 17