by Maya Banks
“He’s great. He’s still way overprotective and he can get worked up when he thinks about something happening to me or the baby, but he’s really learned to let go and not dwell so much on the negative.”
Ashley reached for her hand and squeezed. “He loves you, Pip. You’ve been so good for him. You saved him.”
Another contraction tightened her belly, and she nearly groaned aloud. Kelly frowned and leaned forward in her seat.
“Pippa, what’s wrong?”
“Shhh!” Pippa hissed. “Don’t let Cam hear. He’ll freak.”
“Then tell us what’s wrong,” Ashley said in a quiet voice. “I saw that look, too. Are you having contractions?”
Pippa blew out her breath. “Yeah, for a while now.”
“What?” Bryony demanded. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I didn’t want Cam to freak out and be stressed for longer than necessary. I’m not supposed to go into the hospital until they’re two minutes apart, anyway.”
“Uh, Pip, I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to be there before they’re that close together,” Ashley said.
“My doctor told me that I should come in when my contractions were five minutes apart, regular and lasting at least a minute,” Kelly offered.
Bryony’s brow wrinkled in concentration. “I think mine told me five to seven minutes apart and regular.”
Pippa swallowed uncomfortably and then put a hand on her belly.
“Another one?” Ashley demanded. “Pippa, how far apart are they coming?”
“Closer than five to seven minutes,” she grumbled. “I know I read somewhere that I should wait to go in until they were two minutes apart.”
Ashley gave her a look of exasperation. “Where would you have read that? You refused to even look at the chapter in the childbirth book that dealt with the ninth month or any part of labor and delivery.”
Bryony was on her feet, pulling at Pippa’s arm. “Cam,” she called. “Pippa needs to go to the hospital.”
All four men whirled around and Cam’s brow immediately furrowed. Then when he seemed to realize the significance, he went pale and concern burned bright in his eyes.
He handed Emma back to Ryan and hurried over to Pippa.
“Honey, is it time?”
“Hell, it’s been time,” Ashley said in exasperation. “She should have gone hours ago.”
Cam’s gaze flicked from Ashley to Pippa. “What is she talking about?”
“I may have misunderstood when I was supposed to go to the hospital,” Pippa muttered.
She grimaced and closed her eyes as another contraction started low in her back. By the time she opened her eyes again, she was panting lightly and the entire room was looking worried.
Cam reached down, plucked her into his arms. “Let’s go,” he said as he strode across the room.
She laughed but settled against his chest as he made his way to the garage. Behind them there was chaos as everyone juggled babies and diaper bags and hurried to get to their vehicles.
Cam placed her in the passenger seat, then carefully put the seat belt around her and buckled her in. As he was about to pull away, she put her hand on his cheek and cupped it lovingly.
“Hey,” she said softly. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to be okay.”
He kissed her fiercely, then let his fingers linger on her face as she’d done to him. “I know. Now let’s get you to the hospital so we can meet our son.”
* * *
“Push, Pippa! That’s it. Now breathe. Okay, one more time, breathe in deep. Hold it! Now push and count to ten.”
Dear God but this baby delivery stuff was for the birds. Pippa puffed and strained and she really did try to hold her breath but it all came rushing out by the time she got to five.
If it wasn’t for epidurals, she would have given this up already and begged for someone to knock her out.
“You’re doing great, sweetheart.”
Cam’s voice, low and reassuring, gave her a much-needed jolt of energy. He had his arm behind her back, holding her tightly as he breathed through each contraction with her. His hand was tightly curled around hers and he murmured words of encouragement in her ear in between kisses.
“When is he going to be here?” Pippa wailed.
The nurse on her right smiled and then the doctor looked up from between her legs. “One more push and we’ll have the head. Concentrate hard and bear down with this next contraction.”
That sounded better. She was almost finished with this.
As the contraction began, she felt the mounting urgency to push, almost as if her body took control and she no longer had any say in the matter.
She sucked in her breath, closed her eyes and put her chin to her chest.
“Push, baby. Push,” Cam whispered over and over. “You can do this. We’re almost there.”
“The head’s out. Okay, Pippa, relax for a moment while I suction. We’ll get him all the way out on the next push but the hard part’s over.”
“So says you,” she grumbled.
The nurse laughed and the doctor just smiled.
A moment later, the doctor told her to push again and suddenly it was as if her belly caved in. The enormous pressure was gone as the baby slid from her body.
She gasped, overwhelmed by the sensation, and a baby’s cry echoed across the room.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered.
“Ready to meet your son, Pippa?” the doctor asked.
It took just a moment to finish suctioning and to wrap the baby in a blanket before the nurse laid him in Pippa’s arms. Tears burned her eyelids as she stared down at the red-faced squalling baby.
Then she looked up at Cam and slowly held the bundle out to him.
Cam took the baby gingerly, his expression one of complete and utter awe. He stared down in fascination and then he smiled.
It was the most beautiful, honest smile Pippa had ever seen. There was so much joy in his expression that it choked her up and she had to swallow away her tears.
“He’s beautiful,” Cam whispered.
And then to Pippa’s complete surprise, a tear slid down Cam’s cheek, followed by another and then another. His hands shook as he cradled the baby closer to his chest.
Then he leaned forward, touching his forehead to hers as he held the baby between them.
“I love you,” he choked out. “Thank you for this, Pippa. Thank you for my son. Dear God, he looks so much like you. He’s so perfect. Every part of him.”
Pippa closed her eyes as tears of her own trickled down her cheeks. There was never a more perfect moment than this. Never would she forget this time in their lives.
“What are we going to name him?” she whispered.
Cam carefully put his son back into Pippa’s arms but leaned forward on the bed so he could watch every movement.
“What about Maverick?” Cam suggested. “Maverick Hollingsworth.”
“Our little Mav,” Pippa said with a smile. “I like it.”
Cam found her lips again as the baby settled to sleep against his mother. As he drew away, he caressed her face with trembling hands.
“I’m going to love you and Maverick every single day, with every single breath I have, for the rest of my life. I’ll glory in every single memory we make.”
Despite her fatigue, Pippa’s smile was so big that her cheeks ached.
“I know you will, Cam. But you know what? I’m going to love you every single minute of every single day of my life and I plan to live a damn long time. When you’re eighty I’m going to be the biggest pain in your ass you ever had and I swear you’re going to love every single minute of it.”
Cam threw back his head and laughed. His eyes twinkled merrily. “I absolutely believe every bit of it. I have no doubt that when I’m old and gray you’ll still be telling me to straighten up and fly right.”
The nurse interrupted to give Pippa instructions and get her ready to move to a regular room.
“Why don’t you take Mav out to see his family?” Pippa suggested. By now the Copelands would be here and all of Cam’s friends had followed them to the hospital and had kept vigil the entire time Pippa was in labor.
Cam rose and once again took Maverick from Pippa’s arms. He stared down at his wife—he’d never grow tired of that word—and thought she’d never looked as beautiful as she did right now.
Tired, beautiful, so very courageous. He leaned down, kissed her brow and then stood to his full height again.
“We’ll be back before you know it.”
She smiled tiredly and gave him a look so full of love that it was like a fist to his stomach. She still did that to him. Every damn time.
He turned and walked to the door, his arms cradling his new son protectively. The knot grew in his throat as he walked down the corridor to where the others waited.
His son. His miracle. His second chance at life and happiness. At being a father.
His eyes burned and he blinked to keep his vision clear.
The others looked up and then surged to their feet when Cam entered the waiting room. Cam stopped and then smiled. Smiled so big that it was like stepping into the sun after living in the dark his entire life.
“I want you all to meet my son.”
* * * * *
ISBN: 9781459227255
Copyright © 2012 by Maya Banks
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