by Jill Shalvis
Chloe closed her eyes and sighed, suddenly far too exhausted to hold herself up.
“Help me get her back to her chair,” she heard a few moments later, feeling herself shift from Ford’s arms so that she was between two men.
“Here, babe.” It was Lance, her best friend and—up until getting pregnant—her cohort in crime. Sawyer had taken Lance aside and threatened bodily harm and dismemberment, promising to follow him all the way to hell if Lance got Chloe in trouble even once during her pregnancy. Lance, fighting a very losing battle against cystic fibrosis, hadn’t been in the least concerned, but out of respect for Chloe and her marriage, he’d done his best.
“Drink this,” Lance said, and Chloe opened her eyes.
She was back in her seat and Lance had brought her tea. “I’d rather a hot toddy,” she murmured, and sucked in a breath when the baby kicked her in the ribs again.
“Drink,” Lance said, not cracking his usual wiseass smile, which meant she’d worried him. A mean feat as nothing worried Lance, not even death.
“I’m okay,” she promised him. “We’re both okay.” And then she hoped that was true as another vicious cramp gripped her. She did her best to let herself fall into it, listening with half an ear as conversation went on around her.
“The snow’s coming down like mad,” she heard Maddie say in a soft, concerned whisper. “Soon as there’s a break, we’re taking her to the hospital.”
“Agreed,” Tara said.
“Not until I have cake,” Chloe managed. When the pain broke, Chloe looked up to tell them she was fine, but she stilled in shock. At first she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her so she rubbed them and focused again.
No trick. Her heart couldn’t be that cruel as it squeezed tight because Sawyer was there, right there, crouched in front of her.
He was in weather gear, dusted in snow. His expression was blank to anyone who didn’t know him. But she did know him and had no trouble catching the irritation in those brown eyes.
Before she could say a word, another pain gripped her.
His hands slid to her swollen belly, warm and sure. “The Bean,” he said. “Being rough on her mama.”
Robbed of breath, she could only nod.
“She’s just like you already,” he said. “Impatient to the end.”
Frustrated with her as he undoubtedly was and always would be, his voice remained calm and steady, and everything she’d ever needed.
Chapter 5
Sawyer could feel the tightness of Chloe’s body as the contraction gripped her, her belly rippling beneath his palms. She was panting through it, the strain of it tightening her mouth and shadowing her eyes.
He was as tough as they came, life had made sure of it. But watching the woman he loved more than life itself writhing in pain because of him made him feel as helpless as the newborn trying to make its way into the world. “Keep breathing, babe,” he murmured when Chloe caught her breath and held it. “In and out.”
She stared at him, eyes luminous and wide. Whether that was pain, fear, or just the sight of him, he had no idea. But God, she was a sight for sore eyes. He knew she didn’t consider herself classically beautiful, but to him, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Even eight and a half months pregnant, she had that special something that would have any man turning his head to watch her. It was a combination of looks and attitude and liveliness, and he’d thought about her 24/7 since he’d left.
“Slow,” he said when she tried to suck in too much air and he heard the telltale wheeze of her asthma. If she had an attack now, he’d have to get her to the hospital… “Slow,” he said again, and breathed with her.
She nodded gratefully and stared at his mouth, mimicking his breath.
“You’re back,” she finally managed when the contraction passed, and her voice sounded almost…surprised.
The surprise shocked Sawyer to the core. They’d never had it easy. In fact, their relationship was akin to a porcupine and a cactus trying to make a life together—prickly as hell.
And amazing.
She’d changed his life, for the better. She’d added color to his black-and-white world and was his heart and soul.
But being with Chloe was more like being on a roller coaster than a smooth highway. It was a fast, hard ride, and there were ups. There were downs.
And he wouldn’t change a second of it for the world.
But the pregnancy hormones hadn’t been easy for her. Or him. She’d been on edge nearly the entire time, and he had yet to figure out what to do or how to talk her down. Everything he’d done or said had only seemed to make it worse. So he’d thrown himself into work, thinking if he was out of her hair enough, she might not be tempted to kill him.
But that she’d actually be surprised to see him come for her? Damn. “Did you think I wouldn’t come back?”
She shrugged and tried to turn away. But hell no. He planted a hand on either side of her hips and leaned in close. “Chloe.” He waited until she looked at him. “I’ll always come for you.”
Something in his fierce tone seemed to get through, and she relaxed slightly. But not enough to suit him. He slid the palm of his hand to the back of her neck and stroked her soft, damp skin. “You’re in pain.”
“It’s better now that you’re here,” she said breathlessly. “How did you make it? I heard the roads were closed.”
He considered his response a moment, not sure she needed to hear the difficulties he’d had in breaking away to get here after Tanner had called him to say she’d come to the party. “Got stuck about a mile back,” he said. “Had to walk the rest of the way in.”
She put her hands over his and gasped. “You’re soaked, and your hands are freezing!” Her voice was tense. The pain was getting to her. “Oh, Sawyer. You shouldn’t have come—”
“Could say the same to you,” he said, and slid both Jax and Ford a long, hard stare. They both had the good grace to look a little apologetic.
Good. The fuckers. He’d tasked them with the most important thing in his life, and here she was, in labor, in a snowstorm…
“Don’t start in on them,” Chloe said. “They didn’t know. I sneaked out.”
There was something most definitely in her voice now, and he cupped her face.
Yep. She was ready for battle.
“I wanted to be here with my family and friends.”
He suspected she was going to need that energy for the night ahead. “Then let’s enjoy it,” he told her, and then headed off any reply with a soft hello kiss right on those lips that loved to talk back to him.
Never before had he had someone in his life continuously do that, and at first he hadn’t known what to do with her. It’d taken him a while to clue in, but in the end, he’d had no choice but to love her with his entire heart and soul.
Reaching into his bag, he came up with an inhaler and set it on the table in case she needed it.
She slapped her hand out for it and took a long hit. And then a second. Both a struggle that pinched at his heart. Her debilitating asthma was in better control these days, but stress brought it out. Labor was definitely going to be a trigger.
“You had one of my inhalers on you?” she asked when she could.
Always. “Just in case.”
A little more of the tension around her eyes eased, and seeing that did the same for him. He grabbed a chair and sat, and then shifted her so that she could lean back into him. Once she did, he slid his arms around her, gently kneading her belly, feeling better when she relaxed into him.
He ran a finger over the gold heart locket she wore nestled between her breasts. “You got it.”
“I knew it,” she muttered. “Who was your delivery boy? Not my sisters or Jax or Ford.”
“Are you kidding?” he asked. “None of them can keep a secret. Lance.”
She laughed a little breathlessly. “Makes sense. I especially loved the doughnuts.”
“Thought you might.”
Another cramp hit, and her sisters moved in, fussing over her. And it was a sign of just how much she hurt when she let them. Their conversation went on around him, but he let it, concentrating on the woman in his arms. She was drifting, he thought, resting. And then she sucked in her breath and sat straight up.
Another one. Three minutes apart. “You’ve got this,” he said, and held her through it.
When she relaxed back into him again he took his concentration off her long enough to meet her sisters’ worried gazes. He considered their surroundings and the conditions and what their next move should be.
The windows were lit by the strings of lights, and he could see the heavy snow still falling. Shit. The huge room was filled to the brim. Just about the whole town of Lucky Harbor was here tonight, and that was a good thing, considering people like Dr. Josh Scott were out there on the dance floor, Josh doing his white-boy thing. If the Bean was coming tonight, things could be worse.
One song ended and the next began. Chloe was quiet. While around them the place was loud and warm, they were cocooned from the outside world. Voices filtered to him, and his cop brain processed through the tidbits with one ear.
“Yeah, he’s still the hottest guy here,” came a woman’s voice.
“Damn her for finding him first.”
“Maybe it’s not too serious between them,” the first woman said.
The other one snorted. “Right. I mean, sure, they have a house and now a child together, and there was that whole wedding thing, but other than that…”
Tara snorted and Maddie shot the two other women a hard look.
Sawyer tuned them all out and once again turned to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the north wall.
Snow and more snow.
He and Ford exchanged long looks over Chloe’s head.
Nope, they weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Chapter 6
I’m fine,” Chloe told Sawyer after another gut-wrenching, heart-stopping contraction.
No, Sawyer thought. She was not. And it was his responsibility to make sure that was fixed ASAP. He pulled out his phone and sent a text. Two minutes later, Josh made his way out of the crowd toward them, with Mallory at his side. Mallory was married to Ty, another good friend of Sawyer’s, and she was a nurse.
“What’s going on, sweetness?” Josh asked Chloe, putting a hand to her wrist.
Taking her pulse.
Chloe opened her mouth, probably to say nothing was wrong, when another cramp hit.
“Two and a half minutes from the last one,” Sawyer told Josh. “Four in the past twenty minutes.”
Mallory crouched on Chloe’s other side in her full-length ball gown and put her hand on Chloe’s taut stomach, undoubtedly feeling the same clenched muscles that Sawyer did. Mallory’s gaze was on Chloe’s face as she panted through the pain.
“Probably false labor, right?” Chloe gasped.
Both Josh and Mallory shook their heads.
“Damn it,” Chloe said. “I’m not leaving this party—” She broke off as another cramp hit, and the breath seemed to get squeezed out of her. “Holy cow,” she said between clenched teeth. “The Bean’s determined to be as big a pain in the ass as her daddy.”
Everyone but Sawyer laughed. He couldn’t take his eyes off Chloe. She was suffering, and it was killing him.
“Where’s the pain?” Josh asked. “In your back?”
“All the way around.”
Josh nodded and straightened. “We need to get things ready.”
“For what?” Chloe asked with wary suspicion.
Josh smiled at her. “Your baby.” He turned to Mallory. “Can you find out what our options are?”
Mallory nodded and moved off.
Chloe turned to Sawyer in disbelief. “My due date is two weeks away.”
“It’s not a return-your-book-to-the-library-on-time kind of due date,” Josh said. “Babies come when they want. And a baby from you and Sawyer…” He shook his head, like there was no measuring the level of stubbornness their baby would have. “Anyway, think of it like this—you’re getting a really great Christmas present a little early.”
“I can hike out and get my truck,” Sawyer said. “Four-wheel over the sidewalks if I have to. I can get us to the hospital—” He broke off when Chloe cried out with the next contraction and leaned into him.
“With the snow and ice we might get stuck on the road and that’d be far worse,” Josh said quietly. “I’ll call for an ambulance, but I think we’ll have a baby before it even gets here.”
“Oh, my God,” Chloe said in a whimper.
Sawyer wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her hot and sweaty temple. “It’s going to be okay.”
“How?” she demanded. “I’m going to have a baby at Town Hall! In a ball gown that used to be Tara’s robe!”
“I knew it!” Tara exclaimed.
Sawyer turned Chloe to face him and made her look into his eyes. “We’re going to handle this. Together.”
“Really?” she asked. “Are you going to push a bowling ball out your—”
He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and a hug. “Chloe,” he murmured softly, “you can do this.”
“But I don’t want to!” she cried. “I don’t want to do it. Not here, not now—oh, God,” she moaned, clutching her belly. “Not another one so soon…”
When the pain passed, Chloe opened her eyes and found Sawyer watching. Calm. Steadying. Always there for her.
“Always will be,” he vowed, making her realize she’d spoken out loud.
“Then if you wouldn’t mind,” she managed, “maybe you could take over this labor gig for me…”
He didn’t laugh or even smile. Instead, he gripped her hand and pressed it to his heart. “If I could,” he said with quiet intensity.
She huffed out a barely there laugh. “Trust me, you wouldn’t like it. Men aren’t built for this sort of thing.”
“If I could,” he repeated, and she realized he meant it to the core.
He would do anything for her, absolutely anything. Including taking on the DEA jobs for the money they needed to build onto their house to make room for the baby. Including walking away from those very same DEA jobs—that he freaking loved, he couldn’t hide that much from her—because they upset her.
Lucille, the town busybody in charge of all things social media and also in charge of tonight’s event, came rushing up, moving with surprising speed and agility given that she was older than God himself.
“Exciting!” she chirped at Chloe.
Word had already gotten out. No big surprise. Lucky Harbor wasn’t the kind of place that kept secrets very well.
“Yeah, exciting,” Chloe said. “Or terrifying. Take your pick.”
Lucille patted her gently on the arm and turned to Sawyer. “The kitchen would normally be our best bet, but it’s a wreck and the caterers are still in there. I’ve got the controller’s office unlocked and ready for you instead.”
This wasn’t the way he thought the birth would go, but life with Chloe had rarely gone the way he’d planned. It’d gone better. Here was hoping that streak continued.
“It’s clean,” Lucille said. “And has good lighting. There’s a private bathroom in there with a working sink for everyone to wash in, and I just sent someone to hunt down towels and blankets. It’s the back office, private and quiet.”
It would have to do. Sawyer bent down and lifted Chloe in his
