Forever Ventured

by Kathleen Brooks

  “Is wonderful. Just overprotective. Get kidnapped one time . . .” Sophie froze and looked down at her belly. “Uh-oh.”

  Camila and Ava were at her side in a split second. “What is it?” Ava asked, her hand going to Sophie’s swollen belly.

  Sophie’s hand clamped down on Camila’s and Camila’s eyes watered in pain. “How long have you been having contractions?” Ava asked as Sophie let out a slow breath.

  “Since last night, but they were just little Braxton Hicks contractions.”

  “They weren’t Braxton Hicks. Not days from your due date. You’re in full-blown labor.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Luke asked Ava.

  “Go get Nash. And hurry. Take the epinephrine from my bag in the car. If he’s not responsive, give him one shot and stand back. Then tell him he’s having a baby.”

  “Call my mom,” Sophie said between pants. “My phone is in my purse.”

  Camila grabbed the phone and scrolled until she found “Mom” listed. The phone rang and rang until she heard, “Good morning, sweetie.”

  “Hi, Mrs. Davies. My name is Camila.”

  “The horse trainer who may or may not be dating Wyatt. Why are you calling from my daughter’s phone?”

  “Mom!” Sophie yelled as another contraction hit.

  “Your daughter is in labor and she tasered her husband. Luke is going to get him. We’re at the café and Ava is with us. We need to get to the hospital.”

  “I’m on my way. Cade!”

  The phone hung up and Camila put it back in the purse. “Shhh now. Focus on me. Breathe in: one, two, three. Breathe out: one, two three.”

  “You have experience delivering babies?” Ava asked as she texted the hospital to get a bed ready for Sophie.

  “Horses.”

  “I feel like a horse,” Sophie said between gritted teeth.

  “Should I call that hot firefighter guy?” Camila asked.

  “Eww, that’s my cousin.”

  “Is there anyone not your cousin?”

  Sophie laughed and then clamped down on her hand again. “How long do I have?” Sophie asked.

  “Hours. Your water hasn’t broken yet.” Ava said with a confident smile.

  “Good. Camila, can you hand me a bite of my breakfast. I’m starving.”

  The sound of tires screeching had them all looking up. “Is your mum a wild-looking redhead?” Camila asked.

  “That sums her up pretty well,” Sophie said with a smile.

  “Then your parents are here,” Camila said, releasing her hold on Sophie’s hand and stepping back as her parents rushed to her side.

  “Camila,” Sophie said after taking some deep breaths. “This is my mom and dad, Annie and Cade Davies. Mom, Dad, this is—.”

  “Camila Callahan, Wyatt’s new trainer. Yes, we know,” Annie said patting her daughter’s hand and giving Camila a quick smile. “Lovely to meet you, Camila. Thank you for the call.” Annie turned back to her daughter and shook her head. “Where is your husband?” she asked.

  “I stunned his ass for telling me I shouldn’t have any more chocolate,” Sophie said around a mouthful of chocolate.

  “Honey,” her father started to say gently, “you really need to stop stunning your husband.”

  Her mother shrugged. “I’d have stunned you for it.”

  Camila bit her lip to stop from laughing out loud. Then she heard sirens and looked up to see a police car slam on the brakes right outside the café. A dark and dangerous man shot out of the car and ran into the café, all the while looking at the floor. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

  “I’m fine. Just grabbing breakfast on the way to the hospital.”

  “Son,” Mr. Davies said to his son-in-law, who must be Nash Dagher. “Why are you looking at the floor?”

  “Ahmed told me under no circumstances should I look up. Childbirth is the scariest thing he’s ever seen and my mentor has seen a lot of very scary things. He once had to take a pocket knife . . .”

  “Yes, I know the story,” Annie said dryly.

  Nash took Sophie’s hand in his and knelt down in front of her right when there was the sound of a small splash. Nash scrambled to his feet, but his foot slipped in the water and down he went.

  “Oh good. Your water broke,” Ava said cheerfully as if Nash weren’t lying on the floor in the water with a look of horror on his face.

  “Come on, son. I have an extra shirt in the car you can borrow. We’ll drive y’all to the hospital,” Mr. Davies said, helping Nash up from the ground as Ava and Annie helped Sophie out of the chair.

  Nash took his father-in-law’s hand, then immediately went to Sophie’s side and put his arm around her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Pissed that I didn’t get to finish my breakfast.”

  Nash smiled and kissed his wife’s cheek. “You are so beautiful. What is the first thing my bride would like to eat after becoming a mother?”

  As they made their way outside, Sophie beamed at him and listed off everything from bourbon to white chocolate bread pudding.

  * * *

  Wyatt finished with a client at ten and headed home. He usually didn’t sleep more than three or four hours, but he was exhausted from celebrating the night before. He wanted to get home, take a nap, check on the farm, then meet his afternoon clients.

  He pulled into the garage and closed his eyes. The screened patio called his name. It was the perfect place for a nap. Wyatt slogged his way up the stairs and collapsed on the sofa right when his phone buzzed with a text message. It buzzed again and again.

  Wyatt dug his phone from his pocket and smiled. Sophie and Nash were the proud parents of a perfect little baby girl named Emersyn. Attached was a picture of the Dagher family smiling as they held the little girl with a completely bald head and big hazel eyes with long dark lashes. Wyatt zoomed in the photo and laughed out loud. On the nightstand at the hospital were five pieces of either cake or pie lined up in front of it.

  After texting his congratulations, Wyatt closed his eyes. He was just falling asleep when his phone rang. “Dr. Davies,” he said, answering his work phone. “Yes, I’ll be right there.”

  With a long sigh, Wyatt sat back up. Someday he’d be able to enjoy his life again. Today wasn’t it, though.

  7

  Camila’s breathing became shallow as Wyatt stepped closer to her in the barn. She knew what was coming next, but it didn’t stop the nervous excitement that fluttered like butterflies, causing her body to shiver in anticipation.

  “I can’t stop myself,” Wyatt said, his voice low and rough as it rumbled across her skin.

  Her body heightened in sensitivity. Camila could feel every hot breath on her neck as Wyatt lowered his head to hers. She moaned when his lips brushed against her neck. His tongue was as hot as the Kentucky summer as he nibbled, kissed, and caressed his way up her neck, across her jaw, and finally captured her lips with his. This just got better each time.

  Wyatt backed her against the wall and deepened the kiss as his hands shoved her tank top up and over her breasts—breasts that tingled with anticipation of his touch. And Wyatt never let her down. He knew exactly where to touch her that caused her body to scream out in pleasure.

  “I need you so badly, Camila,” he said, his voice heavy with desire.

  “Then take me. I’m yours, Wyatt.”

  And boy, did he. All through the night . . . right until her alarm went off.

  * * *

  Camila’s eyes shot open. Her body was flushed and she was tangled in her sheets. She let out a deep breath and threw her arms over her eyes. For two months she’d been having these very detailed dreams of Wyatt. And for two months she’d woken up alone in bed.

  Camila groaned and turned off her alarm. It was still dark out but if she knew Wyatt—and after two months of living with him she knew him incredibly well—he was already up, too.

  Thirty minutes later, she was down at the barn with apple slices in hand for her horse
s. She’d also started working with some very promising four-year-olds that had never raced before because of lack of funds. Come next month, she was going to have a whole stable full of horses to race at Capitol Park.

  Camila laughed as Wyatt walked down the row first and kissed all the horses with his great-grandma’s lipstick. She followed with apples. Wyatt was right. The horses had never been so happy.

  “Why don’t you let me wear the lipstick?” Camila laughed as Wyatt reapplied. He didn’t even need a mirror like she did.

  “My nana gave me instructions. The lipstick is for my wife.” Wyatt said the word wife so softly Camila almost missed it.

  “No wonder you don’t want to give it me,” she laughed. They’d become best friends over the last two months. She wasn’t afraid to admit it. She’d never had super-close friends because she’d grown up at tracks all over Europe. But setting aside her more sexual feelings for Wyatt, Camila knew he was the best friend she could ever have. A best friend she’d just happened to want to have sex with. Like, all the time. That’s when the dream came slamming back at her. The barn, the kiss, the sex against the wall.

  “Why would you say that?” Wyatt asked, cutting off her hot flash of a memory.

  “Say what?” Camila winced as her voice cracked and her face heated.

  “That it’s no wonder I don’t give you the lipstick.” Wyatt had his hands on his hips and was staring at her. She thought the answer was pretty obvious.

  “Because you don’t think of me as a wife. No one does. I’m the buddy at the track. One of the guys,” she said with a shrug. It was true. She had thought it was pretty awesome until she’d fallen for Dr. Sexy. Seriously, Wyatt looked as if he were one of those polo models for expensive cologne and she was, well, a horse trainer used to being covered in dirt instead of expensive perfume. She wasn’t tall. She wasn’t overly curvy. She was the girl in the barn.

  “Don’t tell me you haven’t had boyfriends. I’m sure the guys at the track are all over you.”

  Camila shook her head. “Not really. They like the women in the clubhouse who are betting hundreds or thousands on the races. You know, tall, blonde, and with big cíochas.”

  “Kee-khas?” Wyatt asked in his Southern accent.

  “Tits,” Camila said with a laugh at his confusion.

  “You have great breasts,” Wyatt instantly defended.

  “Thank you for being gallant, but I know what I have.” Her breasts were medium-sized. Not small. Not large. She’d had her fair share of short romances along the racing circuit, but only a handful of serious relationships that usually lasted around four months. None of them had ever said anything about her cíochas except that they were perky. Apparently breasts have personalities.

  “I’m serious. You’re so sexy that . . .” Wyatt paused and Camila didn’t breathe. Was he serious? Did he really think she was sexy? Wyatt reached into his phone. “Oh my gosh. We have to go.”

  “Go?” Wait! She wanted to scream at him to finish what he was saying. What about her being sexy?

  “That was Zain. Mila’s in labor.”

  “Oh my gosh!” Over the past two months, Camila had become a part of Keeneston and had gained girlfriends—something she had never had before. And Mila was one of them. Sophie was the other. And she also felt as if she’d gained a sister in Sydney and a brother in Sydney’s husband, Deacon.

  “Did Zain remember her focus object?” Camila asked as she practically ran through the barn tossing the horses their apples.

  “He forgot it.”

  “Of course he did.” Camila smiled as she shook her head. “Is he a complete mess?”

  “Yup. They’re trying to have the baby without telling anyone. They don’t want the whole town showing up like they did when Sophie and Nash had Emersyn. He texted and asked if we could sneak into their house and get the focus object and also her hospital bag.”

  This time Camila laughed out loud. “He forgot the bag?”

  “He had it in the SUV ready to go but when Mila gasped in pain, all thoughts fled and he went for speed instead of roominess and took the sports car. On the plus side, he thinks he might have set a record for the fastest drive to Lexington.”

  “What are we waiting for?” Camila grabbed Wyatt’s hand and ran as she laughed at the idea of anyone sneaking around on Desert Sun Farm. She’d never seen security like that before.

  * * *

  “He left the door to his house open,” Wyatt said in wonder. He couldn’t imagine being that out of it, but then again, he was delivering horses and not human babies.

  “You get her focus object. I’ll get the bag from the garage,” Camila said as she opened her door and walked quickly to the house.

  Thank goodness for Zain and his absolute terror about childbirth or Camila might have realized what he’d said or what he was about to say. For two months, he’d kept his hands off her. For two months, he’d kept it strictly friends. And he did cherish her friendship. But having Camila as a friend only made him want her more because of it. They were the perfect couple. He didn’t know if she’d noticed it or not, but everyone treated them as a couple. They were jointly invited to Zain and Mila’s and every other couple’s house and even to family dinners. Luckily no one said anything about them being anything other than friends.

  Two weeks. That was all he needed to survive. In two weeks, Camila would pack up the barn and head to Capitol Park in Frankfort. He’d make it up to Frankfort some but Camila would be living up there for the month before the races to get in practice and then the three weeks of races. It had maxed out every credit card he had, but he had the horses entered in the first couple of races and he’d rented stable space. Too bad he’d only had enough for the first week. He hoped he’d win enough to pay for the remainder of the meet.

  “What are you two doing?”

  Wyatt looked up as he walked out of the house to find Camila standing awkwardly holding the hospital bag and Ariana staring at them with hands on her hips.

  “Where’s my brother? I’ve tried calling him, but he wasn’t answering. And why do you have a bag and a . . . Oh my gosh! Mila’s in labor!”

  “Shh!” both he and Camila hissed.

  “They don’t want a big fuss. They just want it to be the two of them,” Wyatt explained to Zain’s younger sister, who really didn’t like to listen to anyone and loved getting her brothers in trouble.

  “Fine. I won’t tell a soul. As long as I’m allowed to come to the hospital.”

  “Deal. Meet us there. Eighth floor,” Camila said as she grabbed Wyatt’s hand and dragged him to the car.

  Wyatt sped off as he saw Ariana running for her car. “Mila’s on the second floor.”

  “It’ll slow her down some,” Camila said with a smile. “I love Ariana, but every once in a while she needs to remember to respect her brothers’ wishes.”

  Wyatt wanted to tell her she was perfect in every way. It was exactly how he felt. He wanted to tell her she was brilliant. That when she was mischievous, her eyes glowed and her smile made his legs go weak. But he didn’t. Instead he drove to the hospital. Upon arrival, they both ran to the bank of elevators and waited.

  “Wyatt?”

  Wyatt turned around to see a white-faced Deacon and a panting Sydney.

  “Syd? Are you okay?”

  “How did you know I was in labor? I didn’t tell anyone,” his sister said before grimacing. Deacon instantly bent down and rubbed her shoulders as she concentrated on breathing.

  “You’re in labor?” Wyatt asked stupidly.

  “Duh.” Camila rolled her eyes at him. “We didn’t know. We had to, um, drop something off.”

  “Mila’s in labor, too!” Sydney smiled widely. “That’s great. Everyone will be here for her. We’ll slip in the back and no one will know we’re here. I have to admit I didn’t want anyone here, but I’m glad you are, brother.”

  Wyatt reached for Sydney’s hand and squeezed it. He wanted to do more, but knew Deacon would move
heaven and earth to take care of her. They’d had years of trying to get pregnant and now that she was, he knew his sister feared the delivery. She wouldn’t breathe easily until her baby was in her arms, alive and well.

  “Luckily for both of you, no one knows about Mila yet. Unless Ariana says something,” Camila told her with reassurance. Wyatt was a goner. His family loved Camila. Didn’t Camila see how well they fit together?

  “I didn’t tell a single person. I wouldn’t do that to Zain.” Wyatt spun to see Ariana standing with her hands on her hips. She’s arrived quicker than they thought she could. Maybe she took a helicopter? Ariana paused in thought and then gave a little eye roll. “Okay, I wouldn’t do that to Mila. But Wyatt told his sister.”

  Another contraction hit Sydney and Ariana’s eyes went wide. “Oh wow. Let’s get you upstairs.”

  The elevator doors opened and as they rode up to the next floor, Wyatt held onto Sydney’s hand. “You tell me when you want me to call . . . Mom?”

  The doors had opened and there stood Aniyah, the Rose sisters, his grandparents, and his parents.

  “Mom? Dad?” Sydney said again as Katelyn and Marshall rushed forward with Grandma Marcy close behind them.

  “Oh, baby! We got a room all ready for you,” her mother said, hugging Sydney.

  “I’ll take that.” Wyatt’s dad reached for the bag Wyatt was carrying. “Did you really need two bags?”

  “No! This is my gym bag.”

  Miss Lily shook her head and looked in amusement at her sisters. “He always was a bad fibber, bless his heart.”

  “That’s right.” Aniyah placed her hands on her amply curved hips and stared him down. Today her black hair was natural. No straighteners, no red dye, just natural. She was growing it out for her wedding to Kentucky State Trooper DeAndre Drews in the spring. “Even I know you’re fibbing. My sugarbear told me your sister was in labor but that bag isn’t hers and isn’t yours. And there’s no reason Ariana would be here unless . . .”

  “Mila’s in labor, too!” they all gasped.