by Elks, Carrie
“Have you had any contractions at all?” she asked, looking down at her own stomach. At almost twenty-three weeks she felt huge, but compared to Ember’s stomach her bump was tiny and compact. It was strange to think in a few months’ time she would be that big. How would it even be possible to walk or keep her balance? Or more importantly, fit in any of her clothes?
“I don’t know,” Ember admitted. “Everything aches constantly. I can’t sleep, I need to pee all the time, my pelvis feels like somebody is pulling it apart with the jaws of life.” She grimaced. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be telling you any of this. It really isn’t that bad.”
“Have you had any contractions while I’ve been making these?” Ally asked as she brought over their coffees, giving Harper a wink. “Should I go boil some water and fluff some towels?”
“Nothing. Nada. I’m never going to have this baby,” Ember told her, gritting her teeth. “I’ll be the only pregnant woman carrying around a teenager in her stomach. They’ll put me on TV shows as a medical miracle.”
“I should record this,” Ally said, unable to bite down a grin. “Then next time you think about getting pregnant I’ll bring it out and show you. It’ll be better than any contraceptive.”
“Don’t worry, I’m never having another baby again. I’ve been pregnant for five years.”
“Have you tried raspberry tea?” Ally asked.
“Yep. And spicy tacos, scary movies, and bouncing on a yoga ball chanting ‘out, out, out.’” Ember took a sip of her coffee. “I want to drink caffeinated coffee, eat blue cheese, drink more than a mouthful of wine. Why won’t this baby come out?”
“It’ll come when it’s ready,” Harper said, trying to reassure her. “He or she is just comfortable in there for now.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Ember muttered. “I think it’s painted the walls, set up a flat screen TV, and has decided to stay in there forev—”
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh.” She touched her stomach and sighed. “I thought that might have been a contraction, but I think the baby was just changing channels.”
Ally took their coffee cups, even though they were still half full. “You know what would do you good?” she said, though it sounded like a rhetorical question. “A long walk. I’ll make you both a coffee to go, and then you can head up the beach and enjoy the view. There’s no point sitting around here moping.”
“I don’t want to walk,” Ember told her. “It hurts.”
“It’s probably a good idea.” Harper smiled at her. “I’ll come with you. I need the exercise. I’ve been cooped up in the basement for too long.”
“Are you both trying to kill me? I’m carrying a teenager around in my belly,” Ember chastised, though there was humor in her eyes. She slowly stood, then leaned on the table. “Okay, I’ll try anything once. Don’t expect me to walk very far, though.”
“A marathon should do it.” Ally grinned.
Ember laughed, then her eyes widened. “Stop making jokes,” she whispered. “I just peed myself.”
“It wasn’t a joke…” Ally trailed off as Ember leaned against the back of the chair, her face filled with mortification. “Ember? Are you okay?”
“I’m so embarrassed,” Ember whispered. “The pee won’t stop. I need to go to the bathroom.”
Sure enough, a puddle appeared around her feet. Harper glanced at it, then up at Ally. “Um, I don’t think that’s pee.” She turned to Ember. “Your water’s broke.”
“What?” Ally’s face paled. “Oh shit. What do we do?”
“Sit down,” Harper said to Ember. “Let’s call Lucas and see if he can take you to the hospital.”
“He’s at work,” Ember said, her voice thin. “You should call the station.”
“I’ll go do that,” Ally said, her voice trembling. “Harper, you stay with Ember. If she starts to push, stop her.” She ran over to the counter. “Nate! Ember’s water has broken. We need a mop. And maybe some towels.”
Nate came running out of the kitchen, his eyes wide. “You okay?” he asked Ember.
“No. Not really.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t be scared,” he said softly. “It’s going to be okay. You’re about to experience the most amazing thing, seeing your baby come into the world.”
“Yep,” Ally said. “And that’s great. But unless you mop up that puddle, we’re all going to be in the hospital.”
Nate winked at them, then walked back to the kitchen, as Ally frantically pressed numbers on her phone.
Harper couldn’t help but laugh at the craziness of it all. But then she saw Ember’s expression and the laughter dissolved into the air. She reached out for her hand. “It’s okay,” she told her. “Nate’s right. It’s exciting; you’re going to see your baby soon.”
“I’d better get a year of free coffee for this,” Ember muttered. “Isn’t that what happens when your water breaks in a store?”
“Don’t you get free coffee anyway?” Harper asked her, glad of the distraction.
“Oh yeah, I do,” Ember admitted.
“Maybe they’ll give you a free muffin, too. They’re pretty good.”
Ally ran out of the kitchen and over to where they were sitting, being careful to avoid the puddle. “I spoke to Lucas, he’s on his way. He sounded as panicked as you are.”
“You told him to drive safely, right?” Ember asked.
“Of course.” Ally grinned. “And this is Lucas we’re talking about. Safety is his middle name.” Behind her, Nate put a big yellow sign on the floor and began to mop up the mess.
Ember sucked in a mouthful of air. “Distract me,” she pleaded. “Before I go crazy.”
“Um, did I tell you Nate bought a new car?” Ally asked her.
“Yeah, you did. Tell me something else.”
“Um…” Ally shook her head. “I’ve got nothing. I’m such a big mouth I always tell you everything when it happens.” She looked over at Harper with a pleading expression. “How about you, Harper? You got anything good? Some juicy gossip that will take Ember’s mind off things?”
Harper looked from Ally and back to Ember. They were both staring at her, their eyes wide with expectation. She frowned, wracking her brain for something about her work or the baby, but failed miserably.
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’ve got nothing either. Unless…”
“Unless what?” Ember said, leaning forward with a groan. “Please, Harper, I’ll take anything.”
“I’ve been sleeping with James Tanner for the past three weeks,” Harper blurted out. Her face heated up as she realized they were both staring at her with open mouths. Nate had stopped mopping, too. “Um… is that what you were looking for?”
For the first time since her water broke, Ember smiled. “Oh yeah, that’ll do it. Now tell us more.”
* * *
The following day Harper walked through the main entrance of the hospital carrying a gift bag in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other. She couldn’t stop grinning at the thought of seeing Ember and Lucas’s baby boy. It was strange how little attention she used to pay to new babies. But now that she was carrying a child of her own she couldn’t wait to see baby Arthur Russell.
When she reached the maternity ward she pressed on the buzzer, giving her name when the nurse answered. A second later, the door unlocked and she walked in, the nurse behind the desk directing her to the private room at the far end of the hallway.
“I guess we’ll be seeing you here soon, too,” the nurse said, smiling. “How long do you have to go?”
“Seventeen more weeks,” Harper told her. “It feels like forever.”
“You’ll be surprised how quickly it flies by,” the nurse said. “In no time at all you’ll be walking through that door to have your own little one.”
Harper tried to imagine how she would feel stepping inside the maternity ward knowing she was about to give birth. Afraid, of course, because she had n
o idea what she was getting herself into. Excited, too, because she was already imagining seeing this little baby, and holding her tightly. But it was so hard to picture what their baby was going to look like, and how it would really feel knowing she was responsible for such a tiny life. It was easy keeping her safe while she was curled up in the womb, but a whole other matter when it came to doing it in the outside world.
She swallowed, thinking of James and his loss. Automatically her hand went to her bump, caressing it. She felt the baby squirm and then a little jab to the side of her stomach, before a feeling of warmth washed over her.
It was going to be okay. She’d make sure it was.
A smile curled at her lips as she looked into the hospital room. Ember was laying in the bed, her dark hair pulled into a coil at the back of her neck, her face glowing as she looked at the chair next to her. Lucas was sitting there, their baby cradled in his muscled arms, his eyes warm with pride as he stared down at his son.
Harper stood in the doorway, watching their brand new family. It was almost magical, as though there was an invisible shield cocooning the three of them, protecting them with love. She put her hand to her chest, feeling her heart flutter against her ribcage. With Lucas’s rugged good looks and Ember’s glowing beauty the three of them looked as though they belonged in the pages of a catalogue, not the maternity ward.
“Harper! You made it,” Ember said with a smile when she rapped on the door. “Come in.”
“These are for you,” Harper said, passing the gift bag and the champagne to Ember.
Ember pulled the bag open and lifted out the gift wrapped in tissue paper. “You didn’t need to bring us anything. You already got us a gift at the shower.”
“I know.” Harper shrugged. “But this is more of a keepsake. I figure after pushing a baby out for hours on end you deserve something to commemorate it.”
Ember carefully unwrapped it, putting the thin paper to one side. The large ivory blanket was hand-embroidered with Arthur’s name and date of birth, along with his weight. Next to the details were intricately sewn animals. Elephants, giraffes, and monkeys hand stitched with precision.
“Did you make this?” Ember asked, looking at Harper with shining eyes. “Lucas, have you seen this?”
He looked up from the baby, his lips curling as Ember showed him the blanket. “That’s beautiful,” he said softly, his gaze moving to Harper. “Thank you.”
“It’s a pleasure.”
“How the heck did you make this so fast?” Ember asked her. “I only gave birth yesterday; it must have taken forever.”
“I had most of it done before you went into labor,” Harper admitted. “I just added the name and details after Lucas called Caitie.” She didn’t tell them she was up half the night making it look perfect, wanting to give them something they could keep forever. “I don’t think it will stand up to much laundering, though, so probably one for the keepsake box rather than playing with.”
“I’m going to hang it on the nursery wall,” Ember said, still staring at the blanket. “It’s so beautiful everybody should see it. You’re very talented.” She leaned forward, wincing at the sudden movement. “Thank you,” she whispered, hugging Harper tight. “I love it.”
“Would you like to hold him?” Lucas asked. He stood with Arthur snug in his arms. Harper nodded and he gestured at the chair. “Sit down and I’ll pass him to you.”
Harper slid into the seat he’d just vacated. “I promise not to baby hog.”
“Hog away. I’m hoping I can go grab a coffee while you’re here.” He grinned at her then leaned down, sliding Arthur into her waiting arms. The baby’s tiny head nestled into the crook of her elbow and he smacked his lips together, staring up at her with an interested gaze.
“Hey baby,” Harper said to him, a huge smile on her face. “You took your sweet time coming out. What do you think of this place? You enjoying the stay?”
He blinked, thick eyelashes sweeping down his cheeks. The scant hair that covered his scalp was as dark as Ember and Lucas’s. And just as James had explained, the baby’s eyes were bright blue. She wondered whether they’d change to Ember’s brown as he grew older.
“He’s beautiful,” she whispered. Lucas grinned and nodded, a look of pride on his face. “You guys must be so happy.”
“We are,” Ember said softly, her eyes meeting Lucas’s. Harper felt her heart melting all over again. They were such a striking couple. Then she felt a nudge right where Arthur was resting over her bump. It wasn’t gentle, either.
“Oh my,” she said, her eyes wide. “I think my baby just kicked your baby.”
“Sounds like a chip off the old block.”
Harper lifted her head to see who’d just spoken, spotting James in the doorway. He was dressed in green scrubs and black rubber shoes, his nametag clipped to his waist. “Hey,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t know you were coming. You didn’t say anything this morning.”
Just seeing him was enough to make her body heat up. In the three weeks since she’d first spent the night at his place her need for him hadn’t abated at all. If anything it had increased, stoked by the knowledge of how tender and gentle he could be. Every time she saw him she wanted him.
“I haven’t got long. Thought I’d say hi while you were here. I’m due in surgery in twenty minutes.” He smiled at Ember and Lucas. “Congratulations, guys.”
“Thanks.” Lucas strolled over and shook James’s hand. “I have a whole new appreciation for doctors after this. And pregnant women, too. They make firefighting look easy.” He turned back to look at his wife and Harper. “They’re pretty special, huh?”
“Yeah.” James’s voice was gruff. “They are.”
“You want to hold him?” Ember asked. “That’s if it’s okay with Harper.”
“Sure.” Harper tipped her head to the side and looked at him. “You ready for this?”
There was a ghost of a smile on James’s face as Harper slid baby Arthur into his arms. She watched as he cradled him, the baby’s head fitting easily into his crook. There was no awkwardness to his hold, no self-consciousness. Just an easy confidence that made her skin tingle.
Like Lucas, James’s body was huge next to Arthur’s tiny form. His bicep muscles knotted as he gently rocked him. Harper blew out a mouthful of air and pulled her lip between her teeth.
James looked up, his eyes catching hers and for a moment everything else disappeared. It was just the three of them, and the sound of rushing blood past her ears.
“I need to go scrub in,” he told her. “Can I just have a quick word first?”
“Sure.”
He passed the baby back to Lucas. “He’s beautiful, man. Congratulations again.” Then he leaned down to kiss Ember’s cheek. “You did a great job.”
“Thank you.”
He inclined his head to the door and Harper followed him out, wondering what was so urgent. As soon as he closed the door behind him, James slid his hand into hers and pulled her toward the end of the hallway. He looked around before pulling her toward him, cupping her jaw with his hand as he kissed her hard and fast.
“Christ you look hot,” he whispered against her lips. “You want to give a guy a warning before you wear a dress like that?”
She looked down at the white lace dress she’d made to accommodate her growing bump. It had a sweetheart neck, fitted over her breasts before coming in to a pinch, and then flow out over her stomach. It stopped mid thigh, revealing her long, tan legs.
“It’s just something I made yesterday since nothing fits anymore,” she told him, smiling as he kissed her again. God she loved the way his mouth claimed hers, as though she was the oxygen he needed to live. As his warm hand cupped her neck, pulling her closer, her toes curled at the pleasure he gave her.
When their kiss ended, they were both breathless. The desire in his fiery eyes matched her own.
“Will you wait for me tonight?” he asked her, his voice low. “I should be back by se
ven.”
She nodded with a smile. Staying over at his place was becoming a habit – one she wasn’t willing to break. Yeah, she still went home sometimes to endure Caitie’s smirk and Breck’s raised eyebrow, but James’s house was beginning to feel like home.
“I should go,” he said, not moving an inch. “I need to scrub in.”
“Then go.”
“I don’t want to.” The corner of his lip quirked up. “I want to take you home right now.”
“I’m not sure your patients would be impressed.” She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “And I have work to do. I’ve got a custom order to finish and I need to deliver some samples to the Angel Sands Boutique.”
He sighed. “Okay. Tonight then?”
She grinned, her heart still pounding. “Tonight.”
* * *
“Hey, you want to come out for a drink?” James asked Rich as they were leaving the hospital a week later. “My friend Lucas is celebrating the birth of his baby.
“You’re asking me to come for a drink?” Rich asked, feigning shock. “What’s happened to the recluse we know and love?”
James pulled his keys from his pocket as they walked into the parking lot. “Do you want to come or not?”
“I want. I definitely want.” Rich grinned. “As long as your friend doesn’t mind.”
“He won’t mind at all. I’m going to drop my car off and meet you there. Lafterty’s Bar on Main Street at eight.”
“And you’ll really be there?”
“Yep.”
Rich didn’t look as though he quite believed it. “Okay then, first drink is on you.”
* * *
“Okay, let’s all raise our bottles to Lucas,” Griff called out, his rough voice cutting across the chatter of the bar. “Intrepid firefighter, champion surfer, and now husband and daddy. Is there nothing this guy can’t do?”
“I can shut you up in one easy move,” Lucas told him, raising an eyebrow. “But thanks for the effusive toast.”