Bennett (On the Line Book 2) (28 page)

But all in all, he was more supportive than I’d ever hoped a boyfriend would be. He rubbed my back every night he was home and cooked and cleaned so I could rest after work. When he was going out of town, he’d leave small presents hidden in the kitchen and bathroom cabinets for me to find. I’d gotten lots of peanut M&M’s, perfume, fuzzy socks I couldn’t reach my feet to put on, and a kick-ass vibrator. He’d left that one in the fridge inside a bag of cucumbers.

“Miss Holloway,” the judge said from his bench. “Still haven’t delivered that baby, I see.”

“Not yet, Judge.”

“Try for next Tuesday if you can.”

Nice. Even the judges were in on the pool.

We were between calls and some attorneys were talking while the judge finished signing orders. A bailiff came and got my briefcase and carried it to the table for me.

“Thanks, Wayne,” I said, resting a hand on my belly. I was having a strong, persistent cramp.

“You okay, Miss Holloway?” Wayne asked, his white brows drawn together with concern.

“I think . . .
ah
.” He reached out an arm and I took it.

“I think we need to call an ambulance.”

“That’s oka—
holy shit
, that hurts.” I managed to whisper the last part when another pain hit.

Wayne smiled. “I’m a father of five and a grandpa of nine. It’s time to get to a hospital.”

“Really?” My heart raced with anticipation.

“Really.”

I nodded and took a deep breath.

“Is it time?” the judge asked. All eyes in the room turned my way.

“I think?” I said uncertainly. “It’s my first, so . . . does anyone know where Wren is?”

We’d talked about her driving me to the hospital if needed.

“She’s in court,” Riley said from across the room. “I’ll take you.”

I wanted to argue, but I wanted to get to the hospital more.

Riley looked at the judge, who nodded and said, “I’ll continue your hearing.”

“Bennett,” I said to no one in particular. “I need my phone so I can reach Bennett.”

“I’ll get it for you,” Riley said. “Wayne can get you to the elevator and I’ll meet you there.”

“Thanks.” I took a step before stopping for another pain. “
Ohhhh,
my God, this hurts.”

“Just breathe,” Wayne said, wrapping an arm around my back to help me walk. “You’ll be meeting that sweet baby before you know it.”

I followed his advice, focusing on inhaling and exhaling while we walked to the elevator and waited. Riley jogged up to us shortly, my purse in one of his hands and my phone in the other.

On the elevator ride down, I texted Bennett.

Me: It’s time!! On my way to the hospital!!!

He was at practice and I hoped he’d see the message soon. I didn’t want to do any part of this without him.

Riley offered me his arm for support as we stepped off the elevator. I took it, huffing and puffing my way through a deep-breathing exercise to keep myself from swearing. When the contractions hit, they hit
hard
.

“I hoped I’d be the one in his shoes,” Riley said. “Waiting for you to deliver
our
baby.”

“
Don’t
,” I cautioned, cringing. “I am in no mood.”

“I’m just saying.”

“You stole the job I wanted.”

He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t steal anything.”

“No more,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’ll punch you if you say another word about it.”

“Like your roughneck boyfriend?”

“Fuck you,” I said in a low tone. “I’ll drive myself to the hospital.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Like hell, I can’t.”

His eyes met mine for a second. “I won’t say another word. Let’s get you to the hospital safely, okay?”

I nodded, relieved. I hadn’t wanted to drive myself anywhere in this state.

Riley left me outside the courthouse doors with a sheriff’s deputy while he went to get the car. They both helped me inside the car as I gritted my teeth through a contraction.

“I’ll give you an escort,” the deputy said to Riley.

I was going to protest, but I decided against it. The sooner I got to the hospital, the better.

Riley followed the deputy, who led the way with lights flashing and sirens blaring.

I checked my phone and saw a message from Bennett.

Bennett: On my way! I love you.

Even through the pain, I smiled. I couldn’t wait to see him holding our baby son in his arms. I wanted to name him Christopher, Bennett’s middle name.

I groaned as another contraction hit. It fucking
hurt
. I’d expected the pain to be more gradual than this.

“Hurry,” I cried.

“You want me to pass the cop?”

“I kind of don’t care how you do it, just get me there fast.”

“We’re two minutes out. Hang in there.” After a pause, he looked over and asked, “Does any part of you still love me?”

“
No.
I’m about to have another man’s child. It’s been over between us for a long time. Accept it, Riley.”

He sighed softly. “Okay.”

I closed my eyes and did the breathing exercises we’d learned in our birthing classes. This was it. All the waiting and wondering about our son would be over soon.

The few people outside the ER entrance turned to look at us as the deputy led the way to the door. I scanned the faces and sighed with relief when I saw one of them rushing toward the car. It was Bennett.

Bennett

Charlotte leaned against me, a sheen of sweat on her forehead making me wonder how much pain she was in.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Yeah.” She clutched my shirt. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Anything else I can do?” a lean, blond guy asked. I looked closer and saw that it was Riley, her douche ex.

“What are you doing here?”

“I brought her.”

I scowled at him. “Get the fuck out of here.”

A nurse rolled out a wheelchair for Charlotte and I helped her into it.

“She’s two days from her due date,” I said as we went through the ER’s double doors. “Her OB is Dr. Chung. And she’s having pain. Can she get something for that?”

“We’ll have to take a look at her first.”

Charlotte cringed and groaned.

“Breathe, babe. Hee, hee, hee, hoo, ha, ha.” I simulated the breathing from our birthing class and she cracked a smile.

“I’m not trying to be funny.”

“I know,” she said. “You’re just so damn cute.”

“Liam’s in the waiting room. He called your mom and she’s on her way. My mom is, too.”

It was a two and a half hour trip for my mom, and I hoped she’d make it before the baby came. But Charlotte’s mom was coming from New York, so I doubted she would.

We rode the elevator up to the OB floor and the nurse brought us into a room. She looked at me and then at the door.

“I’ll help her get changed into a gown,” she said. “Won’t take but a minute.”

I paced the hallway up and down twice before the door to the room opened again and I rushed back in. Charlotte was in a bed now, dressed in a big, pink gown. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a bun and she was smiling with excitement. I’d never seen a more beautiful sight.

“Can I get you something?” I asked, wanting to be useful. “Food? A drink? A pillow?”

“She can’t have anything but ice chips,” the nurse said.

Charlotte cringed and moaned with pain. I went to her side and took her hand.

“Squeeze,” I said. “As hard as you can.”

“Keep breathing,” the nurse said. “Dr. Chung is on her way.”

Charlotte gripped my hand and panted while I stood helplessly next to her. I hadn’t considered how hard it would be to see her in pain.

“See the line going down?” The nurse pointed to a machine that was making a graph. “That means the contraction is going down. You can watch that to help her through them.”

“Okay.”

Dr. Chung was all smiles when she arrived. She examined Charlotte and said she was dilated to three, whatever that meant. Then she left again and we started the cycle of breathing through contractions again. After more than an hour of it, Charlotte started resting her eyes between contractions.

“They’re coming closer together,” she said softly. “I hardly have any time to rest.”

“That means you’re progressing,” the nurse said.

I kissed the back of Charlotte’s hand, then the inside of her wrist and the inside of her palm. The taste of peanut M&M’s on her hand was so familiarly Charlotte that it made my heart ache with tenderness for her. God, I loved this woman. She was my everything.

“Marry me, Char,” I whispered. “Please.”

“What?” Her lips parted with surprise. “When?”

“The first moment you’ll have me. I’ll go find a hospital chaplain if I can.”

Her eyes widened with panic. “Don’t leave me, Bennett. I can’t . . .
ooooh, shit
.”

I looked over at the paper printout on the machine and saw her contraction was hitting a new peak. She cried out and buried her face against my chest as she breathed and moaned through the pain.

“Okay, maybe not now,” I said when she collapsed back against the bed. “But soon, baby. Will you marry me even if I’m just a guy who works at a lumberyard?”

“What are you talking about?” she asked in a tired voice. “You’re a hockey player. Are you trying to distract me from the pain with nonsense?”

“No. I’m just thinking out loud.”

“I love you for your heart,” she said softly. “Not your job.”

I kissed her on the forehead and she murmured, “I may love you just a little bit for your dick, too. But mostly your heart.”

I couldn’t wait until I could make love to her again without our kid in between us. We’d had some amazing sex in creative positions up until this past month. It was awkward as hell and wasn’t comfortable for her anymore, so we were down to just oral. Not that I was complaining, but I missed being inside her and seeing the look in her eyes every time I found the spot that drove her wild.

“Let’s check you again,” Dr. Chung said from the doorway.

Charlotte squeezed my hand as another contraction set in. The doctor helped talk her through it, and by the time she sank back against the pillows, her face was covered with a layer of sweat. The nurse wiped it away and Charlotte caught her breath.

“Just about there,” the doctor said as she pulled her gloved hand out from beneath the sheet covering Charlotte’s legs. “Are you ready to push?”

“Yes.” Charlotte reached for me. “I want you closer. Will you hold on to my shoulders?”

“Of course, babe.” I leaned closer and held on to her, whispering encouraging words in her ear as she cried out with every push.

Every time she sank back against me in between pushing, I wished I could infuse her with strength. Seeing her pushed to the brink of pain and exhaustion delivering our baby was emotional for me. Even after several hours, she was giving it her all.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” I said softly in her ear.

She didn’t respond, probably because she couldn’t. I could feel her body growing limper with every push. After a while, I was holding her up while she pushed.

Dr. Chung’s brow was furrowed.

“Come on, Charlotte,” she said. “One more time.”

“One more,” I said in Charlotte’s ear. “Come on, baby. You’re so close.”

Dr. Chung’s eyes locked with mine for just a second. After Charlotte mustered a push and panted with exertion, she spoke to both of us.

“Not close enough. It’s been so long that your body is too exhausted to continue.”

Charlotte gave a mournful cry and a tear ran out the corner of one eye. “No, I’ll . . . try harder. I can do it.”

“It’s not your fault. You did great. But it’s time for a C-section.”

My heart pounded hard and fast. Charlotte was too weak to even protest, though I knew she’d had her heart set on delivering the baby with no surgical intervention.

“It’s definitely necessary?” I asked Dr. Chung.

“Definitely. We’re taking her in now.”

“Can I come with her?” My voice broke as a nurse eased me off the bed so she could move the bed rail up.

“Yes. Give us a couple minutes to prep her and a nurse will come out and get you.”

I rubbed a hand over my face, feeling sick as they rolled her bed out of the room. My vibrant Charlotte was worn down to nearly nothing.

“Fuck,” I whispered, staring up at the ceiling. Tears burned my eyes.

I went to the waiting room and saw my mom in a chair across from Liam. The hopeful look on her face fell away when she took a look at me.

“What is it?” she asked.

“C-section. She’s too exhausted to push anymore.”

Liam stood, his eyes locking with mine.

“What’s that mean?” he asked frantically. “They’re cutting the baby out of her?”

“It’s a very safe, routine procedure,” my mom said to both of us. “It’ll be okay.”

“I have to wait for them to come get me,” I said, the helplessness choking me. “I haven’t even pissed this whole time because she didn’t want me to leave her.”

Mom put her arm around my back. “Honey, listen to me. This will be over in a matter of minutes. It’s what’s safest for her and the baby. Trust that the doctor will take care of them, okay?”