Chapter 13
Josiah stood beside the Silver Stone arena where Dustin led a new filly through training circles. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the tumbling thoughts that kept distracting him. “Sorry. Can you say that again?”
At his side, Caleb wore a far too amused expression.
“I didn't hear you,” Josiah complained.
“No, you didn't. And Tucker didn't hear the last three things I said. And Luke?” Caleb’s lips twitched.
“Hell, I don't think he's heard anything you've said for the past two days,” Walker offered dryly.
Another sign of how befuddled Josiah’s thoughts were, it took a moment for him to clue in to what they were talking about. He glanced around at the gathering of Stone brothers then examined Tucker and Luke a little more closely.
They both wore the same expression he’d caught on his own face. Distraction, yes, along with a whole ton of worry and even outright fear—that one weighed heaviest on Luke.
“Yeah. That makes sense.” Josiah offered his friend a wry smile.
The fact Lisa had brought the kids with her and was visiting with Tamara made things easier.
His extremely pregnant wife wasn’t somewhere far, far away.
“I know we've done this before, and I know I can't possibly be more ready for this to be over than Lisa, but damn it. Could this be over already?”
“Hopefully soon,” Walker offered. “In the meantime, Caleb, I think we need to not ask the doctor here to do anything too mentally challenging.”
“Or give me something extremely mentally challenging, to get my mind off the things I’m worried about,” Josiah suggested. “You want me to look through gene charts and long-term dynasty planning?”
“How about I give you calculus problems and you can distract yourself with those?” Caleb looked far too amused.
One foot propped up on the arena fence, Tucker jumped as his phone went off.
Josiah would have sworn that everyone including the horses froze.
It took only seconds for Tucker to haul out his phone and press it to his ear. “You okay?”
His eyes widened, but before he could speak a loud burst of music rose from Luke’s pocket.
“Shit.” Luke snatched out his phone, moving so fast that he fumbled and sent it flying through the air. It landed on the other side of the fence, three feet into the arena.
Luke was up and over the railing before the thing could ring a second time.
To Josiah’s right, Tucker was nodding and speaking calmly to Ginny, “I'm on my way. Don’t move. Stay there.”
“I don't think she's going anywhere without you,” Walker assured him, smirking slightly.
The guys without pregnant wives were all far too amused, Josiah decided, patting Tucker on the back as he hurried past. “Everything okay?”
“Ginny’s water broke. We’re headed to the hospital.”
“Kelli? You OK?” Luke's face turned white. “I'm coming.” He damn near levitated over the railing, landing with a grunt before focusing on Caleb. “Kelli says she’s been having contractions all morning and they’re getting more intense. Doc said she should come in. I gotta go.”
Caleb laid his hands on Luke's shoulders and stopped him from dashing off. “You guys have to bring Kyle over to our house for us to watch, remember?”
“Right. Right.” Luke's chin jerked up and down like a bobblehead. He glanced around and frowned. “Where’s Tucker gone?”
They were both really in a bad way. Josiah glanced toward the houses on the ridge. Tucker was nearly at his back door. He had to have sprinted the entire way. “He's getting ready to meet you guys at the hospital after they drop off Demi.”
“Cool.” Then Luke was gone, arms pumping as he raced away.
If there hadn’t been a spot of panic in his own belly, Josiah would have found the entire thing as entertaining as the rest of them.
Caleb laid a hand on Josiah’s shoulders and turned him toward the house. “Come on. You need to see Lisa to be sure she’s okay. And Tamara will want a hand getting Demi and Kyle settled in.”
A chance to check Lisa was good. “Brilliant.”
They said their farewells to Walker, Dustin, and the rest of the hands, then paced slowly across the yard toward the house.
Very slowly. Josiah eyed Caleb with suspicion. “You getting too old to walk properly?”
“Don’t see the need to run,” Caleb returned. He pointed up the hill to where Ginny and Kelli were walking down the hill, holding their toddler’s hands. “They’re in no rush.”
Tucker and Luke both looked pissed as they crawled into their respective trucks and inched down the driveway after their wives.
Josiah re-routed, meeting Kelli and swooping in on little Kyle. “Hey buckaroo. Hey, Kel. How’s it going?”
She pressed a hand to her belly. “It’s going, so that’s good.”
“You know you’re driving your guys insane right now,” Caleb muttered. “Go easy on them.”
“Chances are I’m going to be walking the halls at the hospital for hours,” Ginny pointed out as she caught up with them. “I’m only going in now since my water broke. One more walk outside is nice.”
“Agreed.” Kelli took a deep breath. “How’s the new ride? She looks as if she’ll be fast.”
Josiah left Caleb chatting horses with Kelli, hurrying ahead to the house because, screw it—he wanted to see Lisa and his own kids.
He pushed open the screen door and came face-to-face with his beautiful wife.
“Oh. You’re here.” She blinked in surprise then took in Kyle in his arms. “Put him down. We need to go. Now.”
He took a quick glance around the room. Tamara had little Nathan in her arms. Mason was asleep in the playpen in the corner, and Zoe was doing a craft at the island with Emma. “Place looks quiet, but get ready for chaos. Kelli and Ginny are headed to the hospital.”
Tamara snorted as she expertly took Kyle as well. “Of course they are. Go on. I got this,” she assured Lisa, tilting her head toward the door. “You need to hurry.”
An instant later, Josiah was being pulled past Caleb and the ladies up to his truck.
Lisa planted her fists on her hips and swore in annoyance. “Of course they would stop right there.”
She put her fingers to her lips and blew, an ear busting screech that got both Tucker and Luke’s attention from where they’d pulled to a stop outside the house.
“Move so we can get out,” she shouted.
“Kelli’s in labour,” Luke complained, dropping from the cab ready to run to the house and probably swoop his wife up.
“I’m in labour, too, you turkey,” Lisa growled. “Move. Kelli will be back in a minute.”
Josiah nearly tripped over his own feet. “You are?” he demanded.
She turned a much happier expression on him than the one she’d offered Luke. “I am, and I don’t think it’s going to be too long this go-round. So…can you speed?”
“You sure we have time to make it to the hospital?” He helped her into the cab even as he asked, while ahead of them, Luke moved his truck out of the way.
“Nope, but we’re going to try.” She waited until he was seated to continue. “I’m going mostly on instinct here, but if I’m wrong, we’ll be okay. I’ll either pace the halls with my friends, or you’ll get to catch this one like you did Zoe.”
He drove fast.
They made it in time for Lisa to be admitted then shown to one of the pretty and comfortable birthing rooms. There wasn’t time for the doctor to arrive, but the nurses who took charge were more than competent.
When the room quieted down, Lisa held little Silas, and Josiah held them both, and his heart could finally calm down enough to enjoy the moment.
He pressed a kiss to Lisa’s temple. “You were incredible.”
“Thanks.” She stared at their baby. “We make cute kids.”
“He’s a little squishy to know how cute,” Josiah pointed out, “but yeah, we do.”
She grinned up at him as the door opened and Ginny and Tucker poked their heads in.
“Can we come say hi?” Ginny asked.
“Of course.” Lisa wiggled upright a little as Josiah took Tucker’s firm handshake. “How are you doing?” she asked Ginny as the woman settled on the edge of the bed to admire Silas.
“Slow going, but okay. It appears I’m nowhere near in as much of a rush as you were.” Ginny stroked a finger down the baby’s cheek. “What a sweetie.”
“Ginny, Tucker. Meet Silas.”
“Hey, big boy.” Tucker leaned over the bed and gave Lisa a kiss on the cheek. “He’s a fine one. And so are you, Mama.”
“Go on, you charmer,” Lisa said with a wink. “How’s Kelli? Have you seen her?”
“She’s on the speedway between the two of us,” Ginny informed her. “She and Luke hightailed it to their room right about when we found out Silas had arrived.”
“Hope things are going well,” Josiah said earnestly.
Ginny made a pregnant woman noise. Sort of a grunt with meaning. “Okay, I’m off to do more funny breathing until it’s our turn to show off our kiddo.”
“Your fourth time will be easier,” Lisa offered with a very twisted grin.
Her friend flashed a middle finger as they headed out the door. But she also laughed, and Lisa’s laughter mixed with it.
All of a sudden, Josiah’s brain was a whole lot clearer. This was what he’d signed up for. Absolutely and without a single doubt. “I love you.”
Lisa turned her face to him, delight shining in her eyes. “I love you, too.”
He kissed her, soft and sweet. Put everything he could into it with all the emotions inside him that needed to be affirmed. They were a family, one more now, but they were first and foremost a couple in love.
That was pretty damn cool.
Finn and Karen Marlette had stopped at the hospital the previous day to meet Silas and congratulate Karen’s sister and her husband, but today was a full-on visit in celebration of three brand-new babies. A chance for Anton to meet his cousin and future friends.
Finn unlatched Anton from his car seat then waited for Karen to grab the flowers they’d brought for each couple. She’d dressed their little tyke in jeans, a jean vest, and mini cowboy boots that looked far too real.
“All you need is a hat, little cowboy,” he said.
Anton slapped a hand to his head. “Hat?”
Finn laughed. “You’re good for now. We’ll put your hat on when we get home. Now we go see your new cousin.”
“Baby.” Anton patted Finn’s chest.