Chapter 3
It’s been almost a week since I’ve been home last. We just pulled back in from a fire in Wyoming. Running a man short with King still out hasn’t been peaches, either, but I’d rather he be back here recovering properly than out with us.
The rigs are unpacked and cleaned, and most of the guys are headed down to Shifty’s for a celebratory beer or two. Cal checked on Teddy on our drive into town, and he gave me a thumbs up, the signal that she’s all good at home. Scrubbing one hand down my face, I grimace at the dust and grime caked on me. I’m desperate for a hot shower, and I could use the showers inside the base building, but I’d rather use my own.
And it gives me an excuse to check on Teddy, too.
The sun is hanging low in the sky, the horizon darkening when I pull into the driveway, and I’m happy to see her minivan parked across the lawn on her side. I can see the TV on in the living room and a light glows in the kitchen as I grab my pack from the passenger seat of my truck and climb out.
I can’t wait for a hot shower, food, and sleep.
Shower is first up, though, so I drop my pack in the center of my bed and disappear into the bathroom to turn the taps on. I strip out of my filthy nomex gear and shower quickly, scrubbing off the dirt and soot and grime of the last week until the water runs clear. Dunking my head under the spray of water, I freeze and pull back when a sound alarms me from next door. I strain my ears, but hear nothing. Must be imagining things.
Turning off the water, I step out and reach for a towel, scrubbing it over my body and hair haphazardly. Padding into the bedroom, I pull on a pair of underwear and jeans, then pull a t-shirt out of the drawer and slide it over my head.
Barefoot, I head out to the kitchen and snag a beer from the fridge, bringing it to my lips and taking a long pull.
A timid knock sounds on the front door and I lower the beer bottle away from my lips. A second knock follows, then the sound of a pained cry through the walls of the duplex has me moving on instinct, my heart in my throat.
Opening the door, I stop in my tracks, nearly bowling over Dalton in my rush. His face is pale, fear stamped across his young face, and tears track down his cheeks. Something wet and pink has stained the knees of his khaki pants. I drop to my knees in front of him, taking his shoulders in my hands.
“Hey, what’s going on? Are you hurt?”
He shakes his head and swallows, then points toward the other side of the townhouse. Another pain filled cry drifts to me through the darkness. I already know what he’s about to say. “Mom. She’s?—”
I stand, shoving my feet into sneakers. Taking him by the hand, together we rush around the partition toward their front door. Pushing the door open, I stop Dalton at the threshold and say softly, “I want you to take your sister into the bedroom and close the door, okay? Do you have a TV in there? A tablet to keep her busy?”
Dalton nods, his eyes flashing toward the back bedroom as another sob meets our ears. Timed apart, she doesn’t have long to go, I realize with a grimace .
“Okay, Champ, I’m going to help your mom. You can be brave for her, right?” I ask, and he nods. Penny is crying, so I scoop her up into my arms and stride down the hallway, following Dalton. I set her down at the bedroom door that he stops at and hunker down to ask her, “Where’s your teddy bear? Can you get it and hold onto it for me?” She sniffles and nods, taking hold of Dalton’s hand tightly. I stand and offer him my fist, which he fist bumps. “You got this, Champ.”
He closes the door and I continue down the hallway.
“Da-Dalton?” I hear Teddy call weakly, and my stomach clenches. “Buddy, did you find my phone?”
“Teddy?” I call softly. “Is it okay if I come in?”
“O-okay,” I hear the breathless reply, hear the briefest of hesitation in that voice, and I push the door open wider.
She’s standing in the doorway to the bathroom, a towel on the floor at her feet that she’s attempting to use to clean up the mess her water breaking had made on the tile floor. Her hand grips the door handle so tightly her knuckles turn white as she folds in on herself, and I can see the way her rounded stomach contracts and tightens beneath the material of her shirt. God that looks painful. She grits her teeth and pants as it eases.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbles, glancing over at me, “I didn’t know Dalton went to find you. I asked him to find my phone so I could call an ambulance.”
I step closer to her and smile gently. “He did exactly what he should have, Teddy. I’ll get an ambulance on the way, or I can drive you, or call Cal?—”
She starts to shake and tips her head back as another contraction takes over, and I don’t hesitate another second, stepping forward and easing myself around her so that I’m standing at her back. Her pained sob as it fades eats away at my armor. Her forehead is dotted with sweat, her t-shirt is loose but sweat makes it cling to her. The pair of leggings she has on are wet from her water breaking .
“May I?” I ask before touching her. She nods jerkily, her body sagging as the contraction fades. I slide my arms around her, under her arms, and slide my palms under the swell of her very pregnant belly. She leans back against my chest, her head falling against my shoulder as I gently lift, relieving some of the pressure and weight. “How long since your water broke?”
She breathes in and out through her mouth, slowly, methodically. “Maybe ten minutes ago? I was fine, and then it just came out of nowhere. I came back here to get my bag and that’s when my water broke. Dalton tried to help me clean up, but I told him to go find my phone?—”
With my hands supporting her stomach and her back leaning heavily into my chest, I can feel the contraction start beneath my palms. She grits her teeth again and another agonized cry escapes her. She’s trembling violently and tears track down her cheeks. I murmur soothingly into her ear. “That’s it, there’s another one. I’m going to let go for just a second so I can grab my phone out of my pocket.”
She nods again, and I pull my arm back, digging into my back pocket for my cell phone. I dial 911 and turn on the speaker feature, then set it down on the bathroom counter. Two rings, and a familiar voice answers. “911, what is your emergency?”
“Hey, Laurel, this is Xander Macomb. I have a woman who is in active labor, contractions seem to be timed less than a minute apart, and her water has broken. Can you send an ambulance our way, please?”
“Of course, what’s your location, superintendent?”
I wince at the title, something I’m still not entirely used to even six years later, but another contraction starts and I make sure I’m supporting Teddy fully again. Her shaking has intensified, remaining even when the contraction ends. I rattle off the address and Laurel assures us that she’ll get an ambulance headed our way immediately. I request that she stay on the line.
“Sweetheart, what’s your name?” Laurel asks .
“T-Teddy Hansen,” she manages to say before another pained cry escapes her lips. I hold on as tightly as I dare, fear that I might somehow hurt her tempering my hold slightly.
“Hansen?” Laurel asks, and I sense the surprise in her tone, and understand why. Logan might not have been a local EMT in this district, but word travels, especially in small, close knit towns like Sky Ridge and Cedar Valley.
I glance down at Teddy, watching a tear slip down her cheek as she squeezes her eyes shut. My eyes land on her left hand and the wedding ring set on her third finger that she hasn’t taken off yet. Not that I blame her.
“She has two other kids here in the residence,” I tell Laurel after the contraction subsides again, forcing my brain to focus. Then, speaking directly to her, I murmur, “Teddy, sweetheart, do you want me to call Cal?”
Tears track down her cheeks again and she shakes her head. “I didn’t even know you guys were back in town. Lo-Logan’s parents are in Cedar Valley.”
My chest constricts painfully, listening to the sadness in her voice, the despair and hopelessness in her tone. I hate that she’s here alone, having buried her husband six months ago. My gut clenches. Fucking hell. I hold onto her tighter, letting her lean her weight into me.
“I’m right here,” I whisper, my throat closing with emotion, knowing it means little to the woman I’m holding right now, but hoping it helps even just the slightest. “Lean into me, Teddy.”
A pitiful, keening sound escapes her through fiercely clenched teeth, her legs trembling, and then she sobs, “I can’t, can’t wait—I need?—”
She scrabbles weakly at the hem of her shirt, her fingers reaching for the waistline of her leggings. As gently as I can, I help her, peeling the leggings and her underwear down her legs. Her fingers tighten around my forearms where she’s clutching them. “Teddy, I’m going to lower you down to the floor, okay? ”
I get her lowered to the floor and stand, striding over to the bed. I grab every pillow off the bed and rush back to her, propping her up so that she’s not lying flat on the hard bathroom floor, then rush to the sink to wash my hands. “Laurel, ETA?” I ask toward the phone’s speaker.
“Looks like they’re about five minutes out,” Laurel’s voice comes through. I swear and glance over at Teddy, keeping my gaze on her face.
“They’re not going to make it in time,” I mutter, and then sink to my knees in front of Teddy. “Hey, you’re doing so great.” She shakes her head on a sob. “Look at me, Teddy. Sweetheart—” she raises her eyes that look like silver pools to mine as I position myself between her raised knees. I place a folded towel beneath her bottom and another one next to us, then smile at her. I can see the baby’s head already. “We’re going to deliver this baby, okay? I haven’t done this in a really long time, but I do have training, alright? Trust me?”
“I can’t do this—” she cries on a whisper, rolling her head on the pillows. Her eyes are squeezed tightly shut, though tears continue to track down her cheeks where they disappear into her dark blonde hair. “He was supposed to be here.”
I take her hand in mine and squeeze gently. “Teddy. Listen to me; you can do this. You’ve done so good. We’re going to get this baby here and then we’re going to get you into the hospital, okay? On the next contraction, I want you to push. Can you do that?”
She shakes her head no, but seconds later the next contraction is on her, and while I’m kneeling before her, she bears down on instinct. “There you go. Teddy, one more and this baby is here. One more. Here we go?—”
A hoarse cry rips from her lips, and then I’m catching the squirming, tiny baby in the towel I prepared. I swipe my finger into the baby’s mouth to clear the airways, then flip the baby over and thump her on the back. The longest heartbeat of my life passes and then a gusty wail erupts from the baby’s mouth. Teddy sobs out a laugh as I pass the baby over to her, setting the baby girl on her mother’s chest.
“You did it,” I praise quietly, leaning over to brush the hair away from Teddy’s face. She’s flushed and sweaty, and tears continue to track down her cheeks, though her eyes are luminous as she stares up at me. I’m lost in those eyes. Lost… and completely helpless to pull my way out of them. “You’re a badass.”
I watch as she swallows hard, her throat working with the motion, and she opens her mouth to speak?—
A knock on the front door pulls my eyes from hers to the bathroom door, where I can hear the front door opening before I hear a man’s voice call out, “Superintendent Macomb?”
“We’re in the back bathroom,” I call back, cautious not to shout too loudly in deference to the tiny babe in her mother’s arms. I listen to the telltale rattle of the stretcher as it’s guided through the living room and down the narrow hallway. “EMS is here, Teddy. We’re going to get you loaded up and take you two girls to the hospital.”
“What about my kids?” she whispers, her gray eyes wide and bouncing between mine. “I can’t leave them?—”
“We’ll be right behind you,” I assure her gently, clasping my hand over hers, where it’s curved around the baby’s towel covered back. I raise my eyes to the two uniformed EMTs that have just popped in through the bedroom door. I can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. I’m glad Prescott—Cal’s girlfriend, Scottie—is one of the first responders Laurel sent. I shift out of the way, just to Teddy’s side to allow Scottie room. Teddy’s fingers squeeze around mine, like she doesn’t want to let go of my hand, either.
“Hey there, sis,” Scottie murmurs as she kneels next to Teddy, who lets out a soft sob at seeing the familiar, friendly face. Tears sting my own nose. Beaming a smile down at Teddy, Scottie whispers reverently, “Look at what you did!”
“Can you call Cal? And Lo-Logan’s parents, so one of them can help with Dalton and Penny—" Teddy stammers, her words breaking through the tears, and I clasp her hand tight in my own. She swings her eyes from Scottie’s to mine.
“Hey, sweetheart, we’ve got this, okay? We will be right behind you,” I repeat quietly, my gaze firm on hers, stalling the rapid fire of words that are tumbling out of her mouth. I squeeze her hand again. “Teddy, I know this is all scary and you’ve had to do this all by yourself; but you’re not alone now, okay?” Tears shimmer in her eyes as she nods, just slightly. Her lips are pulled tight, and I can see the pain etched there, now that some of the adrenaline has started to wear off. I nod once to Scottie and her partner Matthew, then return my attention to Teddy. “You’re not alone, sweetheart. We’re right here.”
I want to comfort her in some way. Hold her. Make her realize she’s not alone. Because I’m right here. Fuck am I glad I came home instead of heading down to Shifty’s. I squeeze Teddy’s hand once more, and then lose the inner battle with myself and lean down to press a kiss to the top of her blonde hair. I squeeze my eyes shut tight for a second before opening them as I lean back.
“I’m so damn proud of you, Teddy,” I murmur gently. Smiling down at her, my fucking heart is thumping wildly in my chest for this incredible, brave woman. “You did so good, sweetheart. So damn good.”