Lainey smiled and allowed sleep to claim her. She was more than relaxed. She was completely satisfied with the men that she loved so completely.
* * * *
Lainey stood between her two men as they washed her hair in the huge shower. She stood there enjoying the pampering and taking a breath to calm herself so she wouldn’t panic her mates. She allowed them to rinse the conditioner from her hair then stood silently as they soaped up her body and cleansed her completely. When Tim bent down to place the washcloth on the ledge, Lainey kissed the crescent birthmark on his shoulder.
“Have I told you how much I love your birthmark, Timmy?” she asked him softly, kissing it once again.
Tim looked over his shoulder at her and winked. “Yes. You’ve told me a time or two,” he told her, smiling.
“Lainey?” Spence asked in concern as the muscles of her abdomen tightened beneath his hand.
“What’s wrong?” Tim asked, placing his hand on Lainey’s belly so he could feel whatever it was that concerned Spence. When he felt the way her belly tightened, his breath caught in his throat. He looked at Spence in a panic.
“Baby, are you having contractions?” Spence asked her gently.
“Yes,” Lainey told them, a moan escaping with the word. She leaned forward slightly, resting her head on Spence’s chest.
“Sweet hell,” Tim muttered as he held her carefully, rubbing her belly soothingly until he felt the muscles of her abdomen relaxing. “How far apart are they, honey?”
“I would say about five minutes,” Lainey told them, looking up at them and smiling gently. “Now don’t panic. Everything will be just fine.”
“We’re supposed to be telling you that,” Spence told her gently.
“I think we should get you to the hospital,” Tim whispered, kissing her forehead lightly.
Spence bent over and turned off the water of the shower, sliding open the etched glass door and helping Tim to ease Lainey out of the shower enclosure. He helped Tim wrap her in a towel and rub at her long hair with a second towel to get as much moisture out of the long tresses as possible.
Lainey reached for her hairbrush, but Tim took it from her and carefully pulled it through her hair until all the tangles were released. She allowed them to wipe her dry and help her pull on a loose maternity dress and panties. Spence held her gently against his chest, allowing her to rest her cheek against him as Tim took the hair dryer, turned it on at the lowest setting, and dried her hair. She was about to thank them for their kindness when another contraction took hold.
Bending over, she grabbed for her stomach and held it tightly as she panted through the contraction—aware of nothing except the pain that was gripping her. All she could do was breathe deeply and focus on the sound of her mates counting through the contraction. When it slowly eased, she stood and looked at them both, smiling weakly at them.
“Do you think we should go to the hospital?” she asked them softly.
“I think that would be a good call,” Spence said quickly, pressing her against Tim and waiting until he had a secure hold on their woman before releasing her. “I’ll get dressed then Tim can get dressed. We’ll grab your suitcase and get to the hospital. Okay, kitten?”
Lainey nodded and held onto Tim’s arms as another contraction took hold. She leaned against his chest and held his forearms to steady herself as she breathed through the pain. Tim held her securely, waiting for the pain to pass before tipping her chin up to face him.
“Would it help you if I rubbed your back or your belly?” he asked her gently.
“Either. Both.” Lainey looked up and knew she was becoming incoherent. “Sorry. I don’t really know what will make me feel better.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. You can be as confused as you want. What you want from us is going to change as your labor progresses. Just remember to tell us what you need,” Tim told her, his voice even and soothing.
Spence reached out and took her from Tim, rubbing her back in small circles starting from the middle of her back and caressing down the length to her lower back. “Go ahead and get dressed, Tim,” he told him, his voice controlled and gentle so he wouldn’t panic Lainey. “Lainey girl, if you need to yell at either Tim or me, feel free to let loose. We won’t take it personally”
“It’s a deal, cowboy,” Lainey told him, laughing softly.
* * * *
“Spence, I can’t do this,” Lainey told him, whimpering against his arm as the pain of the contraction sliced through her. “Timmy, help me, please.”
She reached out and squeezed her men’s shoulders as they stood on either side of her, holding her legs so she could push their babies from her body.
“Lainey, look at me, honey.”
Tim’s soft voice penetrated through her haze of panic and pain. She looked at him and was immediately pulled into the gentleness of his brown eyes.
“You are the bravest, strongest person I have ever known,” he told her softly. “You helped raise Becca and took care of all of the women who had no one to care for them. Gracie, Melanie, Amber, Madison, and Jesse depended on your strength to help them survive. The way you helped me and Spence since the time we were kids is something we will never forget. You’ve been able to persevere when the rest of us wanted to give up. You can do this, honey. Try, sweetheart. We need you to try. Our babies need you to try.”
Lainey screamed as another pain gripped her and she was pulled up by both her men to sit up in order for her to be in the position to push again. She felt as if she were being torn apart as she felt their baby’s head being pushed through the birth canal.
“Stop pushing, Lainey,” Dr. Andrews told her. “I have to move the umbilical cord. It’s wrapped around the baby’s neck.”
Lainey panted through the pain and tried her best to remain still. The fear for her baby nearly crippled her. “Is the baby okay?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“So far, the baby is fine. Just hang in there for a second.”
Lainey nodded and continued to pant, looking first at Tim and then at Spence as they lowered her back against the mattress of the birthing bed. She saw their worry, but she also saw their love.
“Lainey, you’re going to be a wonderful mother,” Spence told her, his beautiful blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears as he looked down at her. “I just hope Tim and I can equal you as parents.”
“You’re going to be wonderful fathers,” she told them, the last word ending on a long moan as another contraction took hold. “Can I push yet?”
“Yes, Lainey. Push as hard as you can,” Dr. Andrews encouraged her.
Her men raised her up again and she grabbed the back of her knees, pushing with all the strength she had in her until she ran out of breath. Taking another deep breath, she bore down once again and grunted with the effort as the baby entered the world in a rush of fluids.
She panted softly as her men helped her to lie back. She waited for another contraction so she could push to bring their second baby into the world. The sound of her baby’s cry made her smile and she looked up to see Dr. Andrews gently settling their baby on her stomach.
“Congratulations. You have a beautiful baby girl,” he said happily, waiting for the three of them to touch and kiss their baby before whisking her away and handing her to the waiting pediatrician. “Okay, Lainey. On the next contraction you need to bear down and push as hard as you can. Your other baby needs you.”
“Okay,” Lainey whispered weakly, groaning as the next contraction hit her.
Her men pulled her to sit up once again and held her as she bore down and pushed their second baby from her body. She screamed and fell back, glad that her men were there to catch her. She looked up at them and smiled weakly through her tears.
“Is the baby okay?” she asked, too weak to sit up and look.
She watched silently as both her mates turned to face the doctor, their expressions mirroring both their fear and their amazement. She reached up and touched their forearms t
enderly, trying to soothe them with her caring. Their second baby let out a howl of protest, making them all smile.
“Congratulations. You have another girl,” Dr. Andrews told them, placing the baby on Lainey’s belly and waiting for the three parents to greet their daughter before taking her and handing her to the second pediatrician.
“A few more pushes to expel the afterbirth and then you can rest, Lainey,” Dr. Andrew said softly.
Lainey did her best to do as she was instructed, grateful when she was finally able to complete the birthing ordeal. As she was cleaned up and washed carefully, she allowed the nurses to change her hospital gown and give her a quick sponge bath. It really didn’t take much time at all but the minutes seemed to blur together for Lainey.
It seemed like just seconds before her babies were settled within her arms. Their precious girls were wrapped tightly in their little blankets, and each baby was sporting a knitted pink hat to cover their heads and hold in their body heat. Lainey’s hospital gown was lowered from her shoulders and her babies were pressed against her bare breasts, making the needed connection between her and her daughters. When Spence and Tim placed their hands on their daughters’ faces, the connection was complete.
“They’re so beautiful,” Tim whispered. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
“They’re going to be as gorgeous as their mom,” Spence told her. “Thank you, kitten.”
Lainey smiled at her babies, her chest nearly bursting with the love that filled her. “Look what we did,” she whispered. She looked up at her men and winked. “You make beautiful babies, Mates.”
The wide grins on the faces made her smile just as big as they did. The happiness that she saw and felt was unbelievable. They were a family.
“I would comment that you’re going to be insufferable and arrogant at what we’ve accomplished, but I have to tell you, I’m right there with you,” she told them honestly, winking.
Her teasing mood left her immediately when her men leaned forward and kissed her tenderly before leaning back and then kissed each of their tiny baby’s cheeks. It was the singularly most amazing and tender moment she had ever experienced. Their daughters were incredibly lucky to have such wonderful fathers—just as she was lucky to have such loving and supportive mates.
* * * *
Lainey laughed as her daughters cooed and kicked happily in the little pool in their backyard. The fact that her two massive mates sat in the pool with them was hysterical to her. Each daughter sat between their fathers’ legs and splashed happily. Tim and Spence carefully brushed their daughters’ black hair from their faces, wiping away the water with their large hands so carefully, Lainey nearly burst with the love she felt for her beautiful family.
Her daughters turned toward her and laughed adorably, their beautiful blue eyes sparkling with happiness. They were absolutely stunning, and they filled her heart with such complete love.
“They definitely have the coloring of the McKade family,” she said softly, reaching out to touch Spence’s hand lightly. “You have strong genes, cowboy.”
“That I do,” Spence agreed, picking up their daughter Amy and kissing her sloppily. “Don’t I, Amy?”
Amy grabbed for her pa’s face and rubbed her cheek against his excitedly, giggling sweetly as he kissed her once again.
“Pa, Pa, Pa, Pa,” she called out over and over again, making Spence laugh.
Tim lifted their Diana and kissed her neck, making her giggle. “Da, Da, Da, Da,” she chanted, reaching for his nose and pulling on it.
Lainey moved to her knees and kissed the crescent birthmarks that graced each of their daughters’ left shoulders. “Have I told you how much I love these birthmarks, Timmy?” she asked him, winking at him and smiling when she saw the happiness that filled him at her words.
“I think you’ve told me that many times, Mate,” Tim answered quietly.
“When I look at them, I can’t believe what has happened. I am so thankful for the miracle that we’ve been blessed with,” she told her men softly.
“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing,” Spence admitted. “The Great Spirit has made us a family that truly belongs together and to each other.”
“I’ll never understand how this could be, but I’ll take it and hold it tightly,” Tim said honestly. “These babies belong to all three of us.”
“You know what I think?” Lainey asked, thinking very seriously.
“What, kitten?”
“I think I’ll always be thankful that the two of you decided to claim me as yours,” she said gently. “My life is wonderful because of you.”
Tim turned to Spence and smiled. “I told you it was a good idea to claim Lainey.”
“Hey, I said the same thing,” Spence protested, cupping his free hand and splashing water at his best friend. Amy giggled happily in his arms and tried to launch herself into the water to do her own splashing.
“I know you did,” Tim admitted, reaching out to help catch their daughter and settle her safely within the water. He settled Diana next to her sister and smiled as he saw the two precious girls reach for each other.
Lainey watched her men with an indulgent smile. She loved the way they teased each other. She loved the way they teased her. And she loved the way they loved and took care of their daughters.
“Hey!” she called out, stopping both men from actually starting a water war. “I think it was really my idea to claim the both of you.”
The soft laughter that left her mates made her smile. Their daughters picked up on their happiness, slapping their hands against the water and successfully splashing all of their parents as well as themselves. Rather than be upset, their two little princesses dissolved into the most adorable round of giggles that any of them had ever heard.
Lainey reached out and touched their heads tenderly, caressing their cheeks lightly with her fingertips and smiling widely as they both looked up at her and gave her their famous grins. Just as she was about to lean in and give them both kisses, they slapped at the water, drenching all of them once again.
Lainey reached out and grabbed for her babies, loving how they both curled into her arms and patted her shoulders as she held them. Goodness, but she loved them so much. She looked over the tops of their heads to face her mates, seeing the expressions of happiness and love that were so clearly evident.
She leaned down and kissed each of her daughter’s foreheads before blowing raspberries on their cheeks. Both girls squealed with delight and pushed out of Lainey’s arms to slap at the water once again. Spence and Tim grabbed for them immediately to hold them safely, getting drenched in the process and making Lainey laugh with complete joy as her men looked at her with water dripping down their faces.
Hearing the happiness that filled their yard and their hearts, Lainey thanked the Great Spirit for the miracle of their babies.
“They certainly are their fathers’ daughters,” Lainey said, looking at both of her men and smiling softly before leaning forward and taking a kiss from each of her loving mates.
THE END
WWW.LYNNETTEBERNARD.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynnette Bernard is a fan of Broadway, the ocean, science fiction, romance, music, movies, books, and babies. She has two babies of her own that were the perfect children, who have turned out to be outstanding adults. She is a staunch advocate of “happily ever after” and changes the endings of any movie that she sees or book that she reads that doesn’t follow that rule. She has the hots for cowboys, shifters, vampires, and really nice guys and lives her fantasies about them through her writings. The cowboys of Colorado will always hold a special place in her heart.
E-mail her at [email protected].
For all titles by Lynnette Bernard, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/lynnette-bernard
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Psychic Connections 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)
Claiming Lainey [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 40
