Spring in the Border Lands [Men of the Border Lands 16] (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting)

by Marla Monroe

  “It’s all part of being pregnant. I’ll be fine. Once the baby arrives, I’ll get more sleep with both you and Travis there to help take care of him.”

  “We’ll take care of him so you can rest. There’s three of us to take turns. You can rest in between feedings.”

  Benton kissed the top of her nose then turned to leave. He stopped and turned to smile over his shoulder.

  “Remember to call down if you need anything. I’ll be in the living room getting the steaks ready.”

  She nodded then waved him off. Gail opened one of the plastic bins and started going through the cute baby clothes. She’d already put away the supplies like baby powder and baby lotion. She’d had the guys put all the larger-size disposable diapers in the closet in there and in one of the other bedrooms.

  Now she sifted through the infant and baby clothes to put them away in the chest of drawers. She enjoyed playing with them as she held each one up before folding it and setting it in the drawer. There were so many. She’d never have to worry about running out for this baby and maybe one more. After that, they’d get threadbare.

  Once again, she worried about what they’d do for supplies if they kept having children. With no birth control she could conceivably have upwards of eight or so babies. That worried her. Not only because they’d have to enlarge the garden to feed all of them, but also because they wouldn’t have enough room for them or clothes to fit all of them by that time.

  Gail struggled to banish the worry. They couldn’t worry about the future right then. She had one baby to worry about, and that’s all she needed to think about for now. She’d breastfeed the baby as long as she could, which would keep her from getting pregnant according to the baby books. At least for five or six months.

  “How are you doing?” Benton asked as she held up yet another cute outfit.

  “Great. These are all so cute. What are you doing? Checking up on me again?”

  “I just wanted to be sure you didn’t need anything. I’m about to cook the steaks. Travis will be home soon.”

  “I’m fine, Benton. Go cook. Tell Travis to come get me when he gets back. I’m already hungry,” she said.

  “Call if you need anything, or if you want to come downstairs. It’s too dangerous for you to go down them by yourself.”

  “I know, I know. I’ll call.” Gail waved him away and pulled out a pair of socks that looked entirely too small to fit anyone, even an infant.

  Benton walked out of the room. She heard his heavy tread down the stairs, then the room grew silent. Gail finished unloading the bin and covered it with the lid before standing and pushing it across the floor next to the other empty bins. The men planned to store them in the cellar.

  Sasha and Max were upstairs with her. They followed her out of the nursery into the master bedroom. They weren’t allowed in there at night, but followed her like faithful companions as she laid a folded baby blanket at the foot of the baby bed. Inside were two that she’d made as well as a rabbit fur just to lay over the baby’s feet for warmth. They’d decided that the fur might not be safe too close to the baby’s face.

  “What do you think, Sasha? Are we ready for the baby now?”

  “If Sasha answers you, I’m hightailing it out of here.” Travis smiled when she turned and hurried across the floor to wrap her arms around him.

  “You’re back! What did you get?” she asked.

  “Two rabbits. We’ll have it for lunch and supper tomorrow. Benton has the steaks done if you’re ready to go down now,” he said.

  “I’m starving. Let’s go.”

  Gail looked back at the baby bed one last time then allowed Travis to lead her toward the stairs with the wolves following behind them.

  Chapter Seven

  May rolled in with comfortable temperatures and growing plants in the garden. They’d managed to get the seeds planted before the April showers had begun. Both men worried they’d planted too soon, but there’d been no more freezing nights to worry about. Now the plants, along with some stubborn weeds, were growing strong and tall. The men spent most of each day working among the plants in an effort to keep the weeds down.

  Gail tried to help, but they flat refused to allow her to step foot off the back porch. She spent the mornings doing some light cleaning while they worked outside. Then she sat on the back porch watching them and mending their clothes. She’d found an old-fashioned round lightbulb to use to fill out the toes of the socks so she could mend them. The holes in the men’s jeans took making patches, but she managed just fine.

  “How are you doing, babe?” Travis asked when he’d reached the door of the porch.

  “I’m good. Just doing some sewing. How are y’all doing out there? Ready for something to drink?” she asked.

  “That would be great. I’ll wait here to take Benton’s out to him.”

  “Come on inside and sit down. You’re bound to be tired.”

  “Too dirty to track dirt in. We’ll need to take our boots off out here. There’s still some muddy places in the lower part of the garden.”

  “I’ll have your drinks ready in a jiffy.”

  Gail waddled into the kitchen and got down two plastic cups for them to take outside. She poured the cold tea into the cups then carried them out to Travis.

  “Thanks, babe. Go on inside and rest. It’s too warm out here for you.”

  “It feels better out here than in the house. I have the windows up to let in some fresh air. I’m fine, Travis. Go give Benton his tea. If I get tired, I’ll go lie down on the couch for a little while.”

  “Holding you to it, Gail.”

  While she maneuvered her way back onto the chair, Travis carried the other cup over to where Benton was whacking at a stubborn stalk of some sort of weed. It was probably a dandelion, but they didn’t need them in their garden. There were plenty of them around to dry later for the tea.

  Gail smiled at the pair of them. Her men were strong, hardworking, and loving toward her. They had never gotten angry with her, only upset or worried when they thought she wasn’t taking care of herself. She looked down at her rounded belly that had taught her the meaning of waddle like a duck and reaching for things she could no longer grab with her swollen baby bump.

  It’s not a bump anymore. It’s more like a bowling ball or a watermelon. I can’t believe I’m going to have a baby soon.

  She couldn’t help but worry a little about what kind of mother she’d be, but the guys always put her mind at ease when she worried out loud. They promised she’d be wonderful. They’d reminded her of how well she’d taken care of the wolf pups and how great they’d turned out. She reached down and petted Gigi. The female wolf had become her constant companion if any of the other wolves were outside with the men.

  She was tired, and her back had been hurting almost nonstop for the last few days. She levered herself to the edge of the chair and slowly pushed up before standing for a few seconds to be sure she had her balance. That was another thing about being pregnant she hadn’t expected. Her center of gravity had changed.

  I wish my back would stop hurting. I can’t get comfortable with it aching like it is.

  Gail wobbled inside then poured herself a glass of tea. She carried it into the living room where she lowered herself to the couch and swung her legs up so she could rest on the pillow against the arm of the couch. The tea went down good, but she didn’t drink much since it would mean she’d have to go to the bathroom before she’d even relaxed.

  Gigi followed her in and circled twice before stretching out on the floor near her head. She seemed to know better than to get close to where Gail’s feet would need to be when she got up.

  “You’re such a good girl, Gigi. You and the others watch out for all of us. I can’t believe how much you’ve grown. I guess you’re pretty much full grown now.”

  Gail closed her eyes and tried to rest. The aching in her back circled around to her belly, making her arch her back in protest. That one had hurt.

&nbs
p; She tried to turn to one side and take the pressure off her aching muscles, but nothing seemed to help. She’d just get settled when ten or fifteen minutes later the terrible cramping to her back then her stomach grabbed her once more.

  After nearly thirty minutes of tossing around as much as she could with her heavy body, Gail sat up and groaned. Gigi stood and rubbed her nose against Gail’s belly, seeming to try to ease her discomfort. When Gail felt the pain grab at her again, Gigi whined and nudged her belly.

  “What is it, girl? What’s got you so upset?”

  Then it hit her. Gail felt herself go numb with fear. She was in labor. Was it too soon? She had no way of knowing since she wasn’t completely sure of her due date. May or June was as close as she’d been able to figure out. She needed to get the guys.

  No. I’ll wait until the contractions are a little closer together. First babies always take longer to birth. There’s no reason to upset them until I’m closer to having the baby. I sure hope my labor isn’t nearly as long as they caution it can be in the baby books. The guys will have their own babies if it is.

  Gail smiled. The thought of them going through the labor she would be going through amused her. Then another pain hit, and all she could think about was breathing and moving any way that would help it fade away. Once it was gone, she shoved her way up and headed for the bathroom. The baby was once again sitting on her bladder.

  Two hours later Gail had had enough. She needed her men there to help her. While Gigi had been wonderful walking the floor with her, she wanted them by her side. The wolf whined and nudged her whenever she stopped to sit for a while as if telling her she needed to get someone to help her.

  “Don’t worry, girl. I’m ready for them now. I better stand back from the door when I call them, or they’ll knock me down trying to get inside.” She chuckled at the thought.

  The short shuffle to the back door seemed to take forever. She stopped by the kitchen table to grasp one of the chair backs when a pain hit again, twisting at her stomach like a giant hand gripping her there. She panted through it, though it didn’t seem to help much as she stood there. Then she drew in a calming deep breath and let it out slowly before waddling out of the kitchen to open the screen door of the porch.

  “Travis! Benton! Can you come here?” she called out.

  Gail couldn’t see them, so they had to be at the very back of the garden where the corn was growing or inside the shed for some reason. She called out again before Benton came running from the far back of the yard.

  “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he yelled as he neared the back porch. All three of the other wolves followed in his wake.

  “I’m okay, but I think I’m in labor.”

  “You’re in labor? Why aren’t you lying down? Go on. I’m right behind you, honey.”

  Benton called out for Travis then followed Gail into the house with a soothing hand against her lower back.

  “Come on now. Let’s get you comfortable in one of the recliners. You’ll feel better with your legs up and the support of the chair back. The arm of the couch can’t be very comfortable,” he said.

  “What’s wrong with Gail?” Travis skidded to a stop when he saw Gail in the recliner.

  “She thinks she’s in labor. We need to stick close to her now,” Benton said.

  “I’ll go put up all the tools then be right back.” He walked over to where Gail lay back and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be right back, babe.”

  “I’m fine. You know this is probably going to take a while. There’s no hurry so be careful,” she told him.

  Travis nodded then ran out of the room. She heard the back door slam behind him then the louder bang of the screen door on the porch. She sighed. She’d known they would go crazy once she told them.

  “How long have you been having contractions, honey?” Benton asked.

  “About an hour or so. I think I’ve been in labor all day, though. My back’s been aching in cycles, but it just started about an hour ago circling around to my stomach.”

  “Why didn’t call for us sooner? You shouldn’t have had to go through that alone.”

  “You can’t do anything, and we both know from the baby books that this is going to take a while. I just wish I’d been around one of the other women who were pregnant when they had their babies so I’d know what to expect. This is kind of scary, Benton.”

  He cupped her cheek in his hand. “Don’t worry. We’re going to be right here and help you through it. We might not have gone through one of those classes the books talked about, but we know what we’re supposed to do to help you.”

  A pain gripped Gail so that she grasped the arms of the chair as she tried to breathe through it. Benton rubbed her belly and murmured in her ear to pant as he tried to soothe her. Once it had passed, Gail closed her eyes and tried to relax. Benton continued to rub light circles around her abdomen.

  After what seemed like an hour, Travis returned with a warm, wet cloth. He wiped her face and neck then kissed her before tossing the wet cloth over the arm of the other recliner.

  “How’s she doing?” he asked Benton.

  “Pains are about every twenty minutes right now. Next time one comes, reach behind her and rub her lower back while I rub her belly. We’ll switch places each time,” Benton told him.

  Gail smiled at their sharing of duties in an effort to help her through the labor. With the way it had moved from her back to her belly, she was sure now that this was it. Sometime, in the not so distant future, she hoped, she was going to have a baby to love and care for.

  She opened her eyes when the next pain tightened her back and belly. The wolves were circling the chair with Sasha leaning against the foot part of the recliner with her head resting next to Gail’s swollen ankles. She couldn’t help but smile through the pain at the fact that the wolves were right there with her, just like her men.

  “Easy, babe. Try to pant like we practiced with the book. Blow out the air to help relax those muscles. There we go.” Travis soothed her with his voice as he rubbed her lower back.

  Hours seemed to pass when she felt the need to go to the bathroom once more. The men helped her up, steadying her when she first stood. They walked her there then paced with her while she walked through the next pain.

  “You need to get back in the recliner, honey. I don’t want you to fall while you’re having a pain like that.” Benton’s hovering hands spoke to his nervousness.

  “I need to walk some. Remember, the book said walking would help progress the labor and make it less stressful.” Gail knew her voice sharpened with him, but couldn’t help it.

  The pains were every ten minutes now. They’d remained at twelve for a long time, but now that they were ten, she knew she needed to move around for a while. It would help the baby to move into position and help her cervix to dilate. The sooner the better. Much more of the gripping pain and Gail was sure she was going to hurt someone.

  “Walk slow, babe. We don’t want you to fall. Just take it easy.”

  Gail bit her tongue before she told him to take it easy with an explicative at the end. They were just trying to help her, and they were just as nervous about all of it as she was, but their hovering was making her crazy. She felt like slapping both of them over the head in frustration. The assholes. They were the reason she was in this mess.

  “I can feel it starting again,” Benton said as he held one hand against her low back.

  “Pant, babe. I’ve got you.” Travis rubbed light circles around her distended belly, pushing out his breath in an attempt to encourage her.

  He was doing a pretty crappy job of helping the way he breathed in and out with pursed lips.

  “You’re not doing it right,” Benton said as she panted through the pain.

  “Don’t fucking tell me I’m not doing it right. I’m the one needing to do it,” she yelled.

  “Easy, babe. Just purse your lips and push the air out. Breathe in then push it out.” Travis rubbed her arms even tho
ugh she narrowed her eyes at him.

  Gail tried to calm down so that she didn’t say something she’d regret. A little cursing was to be expected, but she honestly didn’t want to be mean to them. Still, when the next pain grabbed her, she was hard-pressed to keep her mouth shut when they rubbed and whispered how good she was doing.

  “Time to sit down for a little while, babe. You’re wearing yourself out. Just for a little while to get your feet up.” Travis steered her toward the recliner and helped her to sit while Benton manned the handle to raise her legs.

  Gail moaned when her back sank into the now soft cushion. Not much later, the soft cushion became a concrete board to her tight back as another contraction tightened every muscle in the middle of her body. She felt as if her belly would burst open at any minute. She couldn’t stop the tears that slid down her face until it passed. Both men were solid rocks as they helped her through the pain, but once it was over they wrung their hands and tried to figure out how to make the next one easier on her.

  “Stop worrying. It’s going to hurt. That’s all there is to it. Just don’t expect there to be another baby in the future. This sucks,” she told them.

  Nearly an hour later Gail demanded to get back up and walk. She needed to go to the bathroom again anyway. The pressure on her bladder had increased to the point she was afraid she’d lose control of it if she didn’t hurry.

  “Careful, honey. Let us help you,” Benton cooed.

  “I can go to the freaking bathroom in my sleep. I don’t need your help.”

  She could hear them murmuring through the door as she stood in front of the sink and washed her face. They were worried, she knew, but she couldn’t help but snap at them when the pains got too hard. They’d forgive her once the baby came. She’d forgive them, as well.

  Might be a few days or even weeks before I forget how this feels though.

  She finally opened the door and let them take her arms to lead her back and forth across the living room floor. She’d made about five trips when water gushed from between her legs. Both men panicked as she sighed. Her water had finally broken.