Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
She hands me her clean panties, and I help her put them on before I grab the dress she’s chosen to wear to the hospital.
Once we’re done, I pause to press a kiss to her lips, then I take in her flushed cheeks and a panicked look in her eyes.
“I’m going to be with you every step of the way. You can do this, baby,” I say to encourage her.
She nods, but a second later, her features tighten, and she lets out a gasp as her arm cradles her belly. “Oh God.”
I move to her side and rub her lower back and hips as I wait for the contraction to pass, keeping my mouth shut while she deals with the pain. The last thing I want today is to annoy or upset her.
“Okay.” She sucks in deep breaths of air as she begins to walk. “Let’s move.”
I shoot into the living room and grab my set of keys and Kelcie’s hospital bag.
As we step out onto the porch, I look at Lick and Rocket. “Stay.” I add a hand signal to make sure they understand, then I go to open the passenger door. I place the bag inside and turn to help my wife onto the seat.
“I’m just rinsing off the porch real fast,” I tell her before jogging to where the hose is. It takes me a minute, then I’m climbing in behind the steering wheel.
Stay calm. Panicking won’t help shit. Focus on the road and get your wife and unborn child safely to the hospital.
After giving myself a quick talking-to, I start the engine and steer the truck away from the house and in the direction of Madison.
During the thirty-minute drive, Kelcie’s contractions start coming faster, and each time she digs her nails into my thigh while doing her best to breathe through the pain.
Jesus, and this is only the beginning?
When I pull up to the hospital, there’s a fine layer of sweat on my forehead. I wipe it off on my sleeve while getting out, then run around the front to help Kelcie out of the truck.
Grabbing the bag, I keep an arm around her as we head inside. Seeing as we made all the arrangements ahead of time, we’re quickly shown to our private room. I made it clear to our doctor that I’m willing to pay whatever it takes to make sure Kelcie gets the best care.
They already gave us a tour of the room, so I know where everything is. I set the bag down on the table by the window that overlooks the gardens situated on the side of the hospital. There’s also a couch and a private restroom. Honestly, it’s like a hotel room.
Kelcie sits down on the side of the bed so Amanda, our nurse, can take her vitals. While they’re busy, I walk closer to the bedside stand and pour ice water into a glass so it’s ready for Kelcie should she get thirsty.
“You can take off your clothes and change into the hospital gown,” Amanda tells her. “I’m going to get you ice chips and make sure they’ve notified Dr. Carnick that you’re here.”
“Okay. Thank you,” Kelcie replies, and as Amanda leaves, my wife says, “Call Jordan.”
“Right!”
While she changes, I quickly dial Jordan’s number, and when he answers, I say, “Hey, it’s me. Kelcie’s in labor.”
“Man, you sound just as nervous as I was when we had Brady,” my brother-in-law chuckles. “Deep breaths, buddy. You can’t pass out on her. I did, and Natalie will never let me live it down.”
A smile curves my lips. “Yeah, there’s no way I’m passing out. Don’t worry about that.” I notice Kelcie is done and say, “I’m putting you on speaker. Talk to your sister.”
Kelcie places her hand on her side as pain tightens her features. “Hold on. Contraction.”
“You’ve got this, Kelcie,” Jordan’s voice comes over the line.
“Tell them to give you something for the pain,” Natalie joins in. “Trust me. It helps a lot.”
Standing beside my wife, I rub her lower back again until the contraction passes.
“I’m good,” Kelcie gasps. “I think.”
“We’re leaving as soon as we hang up,” Jordan says.
“Hang up already and get your butts over here,” Kelcie grumbles. “But drive safely.”
“Okay. See you soon,” Jordan replies. “Levi, keep me updated.”
“I will.”
I end the call and set my phone on the bedside stand, then pick up the glass and hand it to Kelcie. “You need to stay hydrated, my muse.”
She drinks some, then leans forward and presses her face against my shirt, whispering, “It’s really happening.”
I brush my palm over her hair, and the loose strands catch my attention. “Let me get your hair up.” I pull away and dig a hair tie out of her bag, and gathering all the strands, I secure them in a messy bun.
With her face sweaty and flushed, she glances up at me. “Do I look as pretty as when you fell in love with me?”