Chapter Four
Sawyer’s breath caught in his throat, and his brain screamed, “She’s coming!” And judging by the shocked expressions around the room, he might’ve spoken the words out loud.
Kelsey’s mouth curved into a grin before it contorted into a grimace. “I meant push the call button, not shout down the hallway.”
Andrew ducked his head, but Sawyer didn’t need to see his face to know he was laughing. The big guy’s shoulders shook as he reached over the bed railing and pressed the call button.
Sawyer chuckled nervously. “I didn’t mean to say that part out loud.”
“She’s coming?” Kelsey asked. “I could make so many jokes about that, but—” Her voice cut off suddenly, and she gritted out a guttural groan. “Fuck, that hurts.”
Megan entered the room with a smile on her face. She cleared the call alert from a cell phone and tucked it into her pocket. “Everything okay in here?”
“I felt the baby drop into position, and there’s a ton of pressure,” Kelsey replied. “My body is telling me it’s time to push.”
“Okay,” Megan said. “You breathe through the urge while I check things out.” Megan pulled one corner of the blanket aside to give Kelsey privacy as she examined her. “Yep. You’re fully dilated and ready to push.” Megan looked at Sawyer and Royce. “Your little girl is eager to meet her dads.”
“Holy shit. This is really happening,” Royce whispered.
“Uh-huh,” Sawyer replied.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Megan said. “I’m going to call Dr. Yang and let her know you’re ready for her. Then I’m going to get the bed ready for the next stage. I need you to keep breathing through the contractions and resist the urge to push, okay?”
Kelsey nodded vigorously. “Yes.”
“Help her stay calm and focused,” Megan instructed the men.
“Here comes another contraction, baby,” Andrew said.
“Really?” Kelsey asked dryly as her stomach tensed.
“Slow, deep breaths, Kels,” Sawyer said. “You’ve got this.”
Megan spoke calmly but urgently into the phone as she removed the lower half of the bed. She pulled the stirrups into position and locked them into place. Megan tucked her phone back into her pocket and said, “I’ll stand right here in case of an emergency. Everything is going to be just fine.”
“Have you ever delivered a baby before?” Royce asked.
“Once at a shopping mall,” Megan replied. “I’d much rather be in this situation than that one.”
“I bet.”
Emotions surged inside Sawyer like a tidal wave, and he wasn’t sure what to do with them. He threaded his fingers through Kelsey’s and then kissed the back of her hand. “What can I do to help?”
“Just stay right there. I have my best guys by my side, and I can do anything.”
Royce sucked in air between his teeth and shook his head sadly at Andrew. “Such a tough way to find out you share the top spot with two others. Ouch.”
“With a woman like Kelsey, I’ll take anything she gives me and be damn grateful for it,” Andrew said.
Sawyer admired Royce’s ability to ease the rising tension in the room with jokes.
Kelsey must’ve appreciated it, too, because she kissed Andrew between contractions, cupped his cheek, and said, “You’d get so lucky tonight if I weren’t about to split my vagina in half.”
Andrew grimaced, Royce sucked in a sharp breath, and Sawyer cast a wary glance at the end of the bed to where Megan stood with a smile on her face. At least she was enjoying their friendly banter.
Royce crossed his legs and leaned forward a little. “Split in half?”
“Sure feels that way,” Kelsey said.
Sawyer was overcome with remorse. “I’m so sorry. I knew pregnancy came with a host of uncomfortable side effects and that delivery would be painful, but it sounds like medieval torture.”
“It’s okay.” Kelsey inhaled deeply as the next contraction built, and the breath exhaled shakily.
“I’m tough, and I knew what I was volunteering for.
” She squeezed his hand and tugged him down closer.
“I fucking love you, and this has been an absolute—” She sucked in air into her lungs.
“Holy shit, this little girl wants out now.”
“Do you hear that?” Royce asked proudly. “Our Darla Grace is raising hell already.”
Dr. Yang came in at that exact moment. “Sounds like I got here just in time.”
“Yes!” Kelsey exclaimed. “I’m going to evacuate their little angel, and my man is going to get me something delicious to eat.”
“Nah, your first meal is on us,” Royce said. “You tell us what you want, and we’ll make sure it arrives.”
“Pancakes,” Kelsey said as Dr. Yang donned her protective gear. “No, make that french toast. Or maybe sausage gravy and biscuits.” Her body tensed with another contraction. “I don’t think I can hold this one off.”
“Let’s just breathe through this last one,” Dr. Yang said as she stood at the foot of the bed and positioned Kelsey’s legs in the stirrups. “On your next contraction—”
“Big breath, chin to chest, and bear down for ten seconds,” Kelsey replied.
“That’s right.”
“Dads, do you want to hide at the top of the bed with Kelsey or stand down here to see your little girl enter the world?” Dr. Yang asked.
“Umm,” they both replied. Sawyer and Royce had prepared for everything but where to position themselves during delivery.
“It’s okay with me if you stand down there,” Kelsey said. “I’d invite anyone to the show at this point.”
Royce snickered and positioned himself by Kelsey’s knees, but Sawyer stayed in place to hold her hand while she pushed their baby girl into the world. “You’ve got a cute vagina, Kels.”
Andrew snorted and shook his head. “You’re such an idiot, but I love you.”
Sawyer aimed a disbelieving glare at Royce, who merely shrugged.
“Aww, shucks,” Kelsey said. “Thank you. I’m quite fond of her too.”
“I’m also a big fan,” Andrew told her.
“You’ll have six weeks to write her poems,” Kelsey teased.
“Here comes your next contraction,” Dr. Yang said. “Ready.”
Kelsey inhaled a deep breath and nodded.
“Push,” Dr. Yang said.
Sawyer immediately started counting down from ten as Kelsey bore down and pushed.
“You’ve got this, baby,” Andrew said as he placed a hand on her back.
“You’re doing great, Kelsey,” Dr. Yang said. She reached for an instrument, and Royce scurried back up the bed, looking wild-eyed, pale, and wobbly. “I’ll only need to make a slight cut to ease her way.”
“Okay,” Kelsey said meekly.
Royce made scissors with his two fingers and mimed cutting. He shivered hard and nearly went down. Sawyer grabbed his arm with his free hand and held on until Royce’s legs steadied.
“One more push and she’ll be here,” Dr. Yang told them. “She has tons of dark hair.”
Sawyer’s heart had never pounded so hard, and he feared he would pass out if he didn’t calm down. He took a steadying breath because he would not miss this moment. Sawyer glanced over at the monitor as another contraction started. “Here we go, Kels. One more big push.”
Kelsey took a big breath and bore down one last time.
“Here comes her head,” Dr. Yang said.
Royce moved back to Kelsey’s knees and watched, his hand covering his mouth. Tears rolled down his face, and he turned and met Sawyer’s gaze. “She has so much hair.”
“Her head is clear. Just a little more effort and her shoulders will be free,” Dr. Yang encouraged.
Kelsey released a feral growl, pushing with everything she had.
“And here she is,” Dr. Yang said.
Sawyer looked at the foot of the bed in time to see the doctor holding Darla. Her arms waved angrily in the air, and her tiny cries filled the room. Their baby girl was a gooey mess but still the most beautiful sight Sawyer had ever seen.
Kelsey relaxed back against the bed and released a choked sob. “We did it.”
Sawyer leaned forward and kissed her temple. “No, you did it.”
“Would you like to cut the cord?” Dr. Yang asked Royce.
“Yes, please.”
They’d planned this moment. Royce would cut the cord, and Sawyer would do the first round of skin-to-skin bonding.
Sawyer watched as his husband accepted the scissors from the doctor and cut Darla’s umbilical cord as instructed.
The nursing team took Darla from Dr. Yang to clean and assess her, and Royce followed closely on their heels.
They didn’t go far, just to the infant warmer at the opposite corner of the room.
Royce looked over his shoulder and called out, “Ten fingers. Ten toes. Enough hair for five baby girls. Evangeline will buy every baby hair accessory under the sun.”
Kelsey giggled, pulling Sawyer’s attention to her.
She watched the activity with a look of absolute pride on her face.
There were so many things he wanted to say, but nothing came out when he opened his mouth to speak.
Sawyer lifted Kelsey’s hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it instead as tears streamed down his face.
Joy and gratitude bubbled to the surface like the finest champagne and burst from him in a broken sob.
Kelsey turned to look at him, her eyes filling with tears when their gazes collided.
“I…” Sawyer shook his head. Christ, he’d considered himself an eloquent person up to that point, but he couldn’t get a single word past the lump of emotions in his throat.
Kelsey freed her other hand from Andrew’s and cupped Sawyer’s face. “I know.”
Royce and the nurses laughed across the room, and Sawyer wondered what adorable moment he’d just missed. But he was torn between his little miracle and the woman who made her existence a reality. Royce looked over his shoulder again, and their eyes connected.
“She just pooped and peed on the nurses,” Royce announced proudly. “Her waste disposal systems are a go.”
Sawyer pulled himself together and looked into Kelsey’s soulful brown eyes again. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ll never be able to express my thanks enough.”
“A shiny new Range Rover would be a nice token of appreciation,” Andrew teased.