Chapter 19
Tyler loved watching Reed interact with the people he’d known most of his life.
Hell, who was he kidding? He liked watching Reed do anything. In this case, they were in Denver for the company Halloween party and trunk-or-treat, and Reed wore a wizard hat and a sweatshirt with a crystal ball printed right over his pregnant belly.
He was waving a magic wand over a bag of treats, making the kids squeal as they all prepared to reach in and grab something.
“He’s an absolute natural, brother. He’s amazing.” Justin clapped him on the back, the bear dressed like a giant egg. “Everyone adores him.”
“Good, he’s mine.”
“I know that! I need someone to butt heads with me. You know that. But he’s amazing.” Justin grinned. “I think he’s such a good family liaison.”
Pop and Dad came over—Pop dressed like Zorro, Dad in his official coffee bean costume. “Are you boys having fun? Tyler! I love your dragon mask!”
“Thanks. I was worried it would give Reed PTSD, but he thought it was hilarious.” He’d been away from Valleywood long enough, Tyler thought.
Pop nodded. “He’s got a lovely sense of humor. Is he having fun?”
“He loves this sort of thing, and he’s adoring the little ones in their costumes.”
“Good, good.”
They all watched Reed stretch, hand going to the small of his back for about the tenth time in as many minutes. “I’ll be back, guys,” Tyler said. Something told him to check on his mate.
Reed waved his wand for the next set of children, but there was a frown line between his eyes.
“Love?” He put his hand on that aching back, and he could feel through the bond how Reed felt something was off. “Do you need to sit?”
“I’m—” Reed frowned again, but then his eyes went wide. My water just broke. It’s too early. The baby isn’t due for two weeks. It’s too early!
Okay. We can do this. He caught Pop’s eye, and he must have looked panicked, because Pop, Dad, and Just loped over.
“My turn!” Justin said, grabbing the wand. “Come on, kids. Let’s march this way.” Justin had a military thing on, so it worked as he led the kids away.
“My water broke,” Reed whispered, and Pop kissed his cheek.
“Two weeks early isn’t bad, sweetie. Let’s get you to the hospital here. Did you bring your delivery bag, by any chance?” Pop said, just as calm as anything.
“The midwife said to keep it in the car, so yes.” Pop’s calm was helping him keep it together.
“You go with the boys, sweetheart,” Dad said. “I’ll take care of things here, and Justin and I will meet you at the hospital.”
“I need to call my mom.” Reed was pale as milk.
“In the car, hon.” Pop steered them out into the cold night air after collecting their jackets. “We’ll let her know everything. Tyler, get the truck going.”
He trotted ahead to do just that, his pop following much slower with Reed.
Reed was on the phone when they got to the car. “Okay. Please. Yes, you can stay with the Ronsons. They already said so. I will. I love you. See you in a few hours.”
“You can all stay at the house here if you want,” Tyler told Pop. “I can call Angela to go open it up.” He and Reed just never stayed there. They would probably put some work into it once the baby was old enough, but the A-frame was home.
“We’ll work that out later. There’s plenty of room. We’re going to be grandparents!” Pop put an emergency blanket on the seat and they loaded Reed up.
As soon as Tyler buckled up, Reed grabbed his hand and squeezed tight.
He squeezed back, and he drove carefully as fast as he could. Tyler needed to know Reed and little Candace were both healthy and safe.
It didn’t take any time to get to the hospital, and they pulled up to the emergency room, where Pop got Reed moving so he could park and grab their phone chargers and bag.
Before he headed in, he texted his brother. Here. Come when you can. Love you.
See you soon.
He took a deep breath, put on his alpha face, and made his way into the hospital to catch up to his mate. He had this. No passing out. No freaking out. Just support and love.
He had this.
He had to have this.
By the time Mom and Dad showed up, Reed was getting grumpy. The contractions were coming hard and fast, and he felt like he’d been running a marathon. People kept swinging in and out like his room had a revolving door.
The one constant was Tyler.
Tyler was right there, cheering him on, rubbing his back, getting him sips of water.
That low, rumbly voice made him calmer, relaxed him. Tyler’s touch let him know he wasn’t alone. And the presence of Tyler in his mind… It was a balm.
“How’s it going?” Mom asked, and Tyler smiled.
“We should have a baby before dawn. She’s in position, and she’s ready.”
“We better have one before then,” Reed growled.
“First one is the hardest.” That was Pop.
“Well, I’m glad we made it.” She came over and kissed his cheek, looking into his eyes, and whispered, “I love you. Let me help.”
Then Mom stood and smiled over. “Guys, let’s all go get a bite to eat? I’m famished!”
Oh, she was good to him.
“Oh, but?—”
Pop smiled, elbowing Tyler’s Dad. “Good idea.” They all trooped out, and it was just him and Tyler.
Reed looked at his mate with a sigh. “Hey, bear.”
“Hey, love.” Tyler grinned at him. “We’re going to have a baby.”
“We?”
“Yep. You and me are in this, together. All the way. I love you.”
The only reason he could chuckle was because he wasn’t currently having a contraction.
Tyler winked at him. “Hey, I can feel some of it, even though you’re trying to keep it from me.” When he squeezed through the contraction, Tyler held on, letting him grunt and groan and moan.
At least now he wasn’t worried about upsetting the folks.
“Tell me what she’s going to look like. Tell me that she’s going to be the smartest bear ever.”
“She’s going to have your eyes and my hair. She’s going to be strong, no matter what, and be a bear all the way. And she’s going to make us crazy with how smart she is.” Tyler was the best at that, telling amazing truths, he hoped.
“Yes. She’s going to make us laugh and cry, and no one will love her more.” The pain grew and grew, and he twisted on the sheets. “Mate!”
“Breathe, sweet. In and out. Do I need to get the nurse?”
“Don’t leave me!” He roared out with the sudden, tearing pain, and suddenly the nurses were running in.
“Help him! He’s hurting so bad.” Tyler sounded panicked.
“It’s time to push, Reed.” Their midwife was there, and she put a hand on his belly. “Remember what we learned.”
Tyler hooked one arm behind his back, and Reed stared into his mate’s golden eyes. My love. My love. My love.
Getting into position helped, and he panted as the pain eased off. The next one came on its heels, though, and the midwife said, “Push!”
The world tightened to a pinpoint of light, and he set his jaw. Time to get to work.
Tyler held Reed and urged him on and tried not to freak out. He held Reed with one arm, stroking his sweaty hair with the other hand, and he watched the midwife to see if she looked stressed.
She didn’t. In fact, she kept telling Reed he was doing well.
Reed was fighting hard, determined and working, sweat pouring off his little bear, teeth bared.
“She’s coming, Reed. She’s coming!”
Tyler wanted to go look, but he wasn’t dropping Reed and running. He took a deep breath. “Almost there, love. Almost there.”
Three more pushes and a wild scream, and Jen held a wailing, bright red baby in her hands.
“Is she okay? Tyler? She’s okay?”
“She’s perfect.” Tears filled his eyes. “Listen to her voice. Her lungs are strong.”
“She’s lovely,” Jen said. “Let us get you and her cleaned up. Two shakes.”
“She’s here.” Reed blinked up at him, his tears falling freely.
“She is.” Jen placed Candace on Reed’s chest. “She’s right here.”
“Oh.” Reed sobbed, and Tyler held on, the miracle of their baby almost more than he could take.
“Let us take her and get her vitals, Reed, get you cleaned up, and then Tyler and everyone can come back in here for some family time. Okay?”
Tyler appreciated that she asked Reed, let him have some agency here, enough though he knew they had to do their thing.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll just nip out and tell everyone,” Tyler said. “I’ll be back so fast you won’t know I’m gone.”
“Okay. Can I have some apple juice? Please?”
“Sure. I’ll bring some.”
“Thank you.”
“You know it, love.” Tyler headed out, repeating apple juice, apple juice, under his breath. Their families stood when they saw him, and he beamed. “She’s here. They’re taking her vitals, but she and Reed are both good.”
There was a cheer, and it was Justin that got to him first, swinging him around, clapping him on the back.
Tyler staggered, and Dad caught him, Pop hugging him too. Then Reed’s parents enveloped him.
“You both did so well! We’re so proud. How is he? He did all right?” Mom asked him, and he nodded.
“Reed was perfect.” He knew his mate was exhausted, but he could also feel Reed’s relief and joy. “You guys will all be allowed in soon. They’re weighing her and everything. Reed wants apple juice.”
“Then go get my son some damn apple juice, man.” Reed’s father made him chuckle. “And let us know when we can meet our granddaughter.”
“Yessir!” He got Reed an apple juice from the nutrition fridge, eager to get back and put his eyes on his family. His.
He slipped in, finding Reed in his pajamas, the sweat washed away. “Hey, bear.”
“Hey, I brought your juice.” He put the straw in and let Reed drink deep.
“Mmmm. Thanks. I just wanted that so bad.”
“You did it, love. You’re magnificent.”
“I want her back in here. I want to see her.”
“Soon.” He kissed Reed’s cheek. Goddess, he was on top of the world. “Right now, let me tell you how perfect you are, how happy I am, how I need you.”
“I love you, too, bear.”
Then they were all coming in—Candace and grandparents and Justin—all celebrating and admiring and falling in love as they should, because their little girl was absolutely perfect.
Reed dozed off in the middle of the celebration, and everyone left them again, vowing to be back late in the morning. So Tyler loved on Reed and Candace until the nurses came to take their girl for a bit, and then he curled up in the chair, head on the bed next to Reed.
He wasn’t going to have to dream. His dream had come true.