Wingmen Babypalooza

by Daisy Prescott

  For some reason, I focus on the Santa oven mitts Betty slips over the cold metal of the stirrups. They’re weirdly festive and out of place for the seriousness of the moment.

  Hailey’s parents arrive. I don’t remember calling them, but someone must’ve. I’m grateful they’re here as backup. Hailey cries when her mom hugs her. Her dad excuses himself shortly after they arrive.

  “He doesn’t do well with blood,” her mom explains.

  Mrs. King flanks Hailey on the other side of the bed when things get serious. I try to focus on Hailey and this moment, committing everything to memory as she pushes.

  The helpless feeling returns. I hold her hand, brace her back, murmur words of encouragement, but this is all her. Her strength, her ability to endure the pain amaze me. There’s no way I could do this.

  “Want to see the head crowning?” Dr. Price asks from where she’s sitting between my wife’s legs.

  I do and I don’t. The desire to witness the very second I become a dad wins out. I nod, unable to speak because a thousand emotions jam my throat.

  I blink and try to comprehend the impossibility of this moment. There’s blood and fluids and Hailey groaning, almost screaming. And the doctor speaking, encouraging me to hold Hailey’s thighs. I breathe and blink and try not to cry. Or pass out.

  “One more push,” Dr. Price commands. “Give me one good push.”

  Lifting my gaze to Hailey’s face, I feel tears streak down my face. We’re not alone, but when our eyes lock, the rest of the room disappears. I whisper, “I love you.”

  “I know.” She closes her eyes and her body clenches as she pushes.

  “Here we go,” someone says as I focus on Hailey. “The baby’s almost out.”

  And in that moment of love, in our bubble, our baby is born.

  “It’s a boy,” Dr. Price says.

  Gawking at the tiny, white-goo and blood covered, howling human she’s holding, I try to absorb her words.

  “A boy,” Mrs. King whispers, emotion thickening her voice. She’s holding up her phone, recording this moment. I’m grateful because it never occurred to me to pull out my phone.

  Tears run down my cheeks into my beard. “Shit, look how big his balls are.”

  Yes, these are the first words I say as a father.

  Hailey laughs, soft and exhausted, but it turns into a guffaw that ends in a snort.

  “They’re really huge.” I meet her eyes, moving closer so I can kiss her. “He’s definitely a Donnely.”

  “Want to cut the cord, Daddy?” Dr. Price asks as our baby squawks and squirms at the rudeness of being born.

  Awed, I nod and make the snip between the clamps.

  The nurse lays him on Hailey’s chest. “Meet your son.”

  And now we’re all crying. Well, not Betty, but she does crack a smile.

  A few moments later, she tells us she needs to measure and weigh him.

  My son continues to announce his arrival with impressive wails as he’s weighed, measured, foot and finger printed, and given his tiny baby ID bracelet matching Hailey’s.

  “Want to hold your son?” Betty asks, stepping to my side with a tiny burrito in her arms. At least he’s no longer screaming.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I imagine my arms losing their ability to follow my brain and the baby dropping to the ground or being flung across the room.

  “He’s sturdier than you think. Come sit down.” She gets me set up in the chair next to the bed and shows me how to position myself before placing him in my arms.

  “You’re a natural,” she encourages me.

  I feel wooden and anything but comfortable, but I put on a brave face.

  Once the rest of the delivery is over and all messy evidence is cleaned up, Mr. King returns, my parents following behind him.

  “Congrats, Dad,” my own father tells me as he peers down at my son.

  More tears fall and I don’t try to hide them. The moment is surreal.

  “Thanks.”

  The room turns into a lovefest with the “I love yous” bouncing from person to person. Hailey holds our son, looking more beautiful than ever.

  John shows up and we hug. Another first.

  “Congratulations,” he says. “Do you have a name picked out?”

  Hailey clears her throat. “Shaw Clifford Donnely.”

  The log jam of emotion bursts in my throat. This is real.

  Dad takes a shaky inhale. “Your grandfather would be proud of you.”

  Mom’s full out crying on Mrs. King’s shoulder. “This is the best first anniversary gift ever.”

  Oh shit. Amid all the baby prep, I completely forgot our first wedding anniversary. Sneaking a peek at Hailey, her surprised expression, all wide eyes and parted lips, tells me she forgot too.

  “Paper is the first year, right? Does a birth certificate count?” she gives me an apologetic smile.

  “Best gift ever. And we don’t need to build a new house to store it.” With a kiss to the crown of Hailey’s head, I say thank you.

  “Let’s give the new parents and baby some quiet time to rest. They’ve been up most of the night.” Betty herds our family out of the room.

  Hailey holds Shaw in her arms and I curl around her on the bed.

  “You amaze me. I thought I loved you with everything I could, but I was wrong.”

  Sighing, she twists her head so she can see my face.

  I place my hand on Shaw’s tiny back where he’s snuggled against her chest. “I love you more. You’ve never been more beautiful than in this moment, holding our son.”

  Her hair is a mess, her eyes are bloodshot with exhaustion, and dark circles hollow out her face above her cheekbones, but I speak the truth.

  “I love you, even when you lie.” She softly laughs, her focus on Shaw. “We have a baby.”

  I rest my hand over hers on his back. “I suppose it’s too soon to talk about having more.”

  Hailey blows out a breath through her mouth. “Way too soon.”

  Later in the morning, Hailey’s sitting up in bed, inhaling a piece of coffee cake and I’m drinking a quadruple latte from Whidbey Joe’s when Dan makes an appearance.

  “Hey, I hear congratulations are needed.” Shaking my hand, he grins at both Hailey and me.

  “This is Shaw.” Hailey proudly points at her exposed breast where our boy is nursing like a champ.

  Yep, he’s a Donnely.

  “He’s perfect,” Dan says, his voice full of awe. Not even commenting on seeing Hailey’s boob, Dan jabs his finger at my cup. “You have coffee?”

  He sounds jealous.

  “Erik brought a whole tray.” I point at the windowsill. “There’s a macchiato and another latte, if you want to claim them.”

  “How’s Roslyn?” Hailey asks, sprinkling crumbs on her robe.

  “She’s sleeping. False alarm last night, but with the weather, we stayed over. Room was already paid for.”

  Like money’s a concern for them.

  “I’m sorry,” I tell him because I am.

  “Thanks.” He sips from the large paper cup. “We’ll induce if nothing happens by Christmas.”

  “Is this where the party is?” Carter pokes his head through the door.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask, accepting his half body hug.

  “Right now, visiting all the babies.” Waving, he tries to peer at Shaw. Or check out Hailey’s boob.

  “Aren’t the roads a mess?” I ask, feeling like we’ve been here for weeks. So long that I’m sure we live here now.

  “Not too bad. Sun’s supposed to come out this afternoon and warm up the ice.”

  “You didn’t have to come all the way up here to see us. Baby’s not going anywhere.” I’m touched by the fact he showed up, but it’s unexpected. We’re not close.

  “Ashley woke up sick again, so I told her enough is enough. She’s waiting on some tests in the ER.” His brows pull together. “Might not be food poisoning.”

/>   His phone chirps with a text notification. Glancing at it, his brows relax. “Jonah’s on his way. Said he got stuck over in town last night but he’s driving around.”

  “Is it serious?” Hailey says, shifting the baby to her other breast.

  Hopping up, I cover her exposed nipple. I mean, this is a natural mothering moment, but I don’t need every guy I know getting a gander.

  She scoffs at me. “No one cares.”

  “I do.” I kiss her cheek and Shaw’s cap covered head.

  “Tests results are in,” Carter says. “I’ll be back as soon as we know something.”

  “Wear a hazmat suit. Don’t come back if you’re contagious,” I advise him. “Or at all.”

  I say that part after he’s left.

  Dan eyes Hailey’s coffee cake. “Are there more pastries? I’m starved.”

  “You should always travel with garlic knots. I’ve told you this more than once.” I hand him the bag of baked goods. “Bring some to Roslyn, too.”

  After he leaves, the morning is a revolving circus of family and friends visiting. The women sniff Shaw’s head like witches inhaling bits of his soul while the men stand around and feel awkward. At least I do.

  Roslyn and Dan stop by on their way out, but don’t linger. Not that I can blame them.

  Diane and Mack visit for a while with John hovering over both. Our babies don’t share a birthdate, but close enough. I imagine our sons growing up together, being best friends and wingmen.

  Jonah shows up after our families leave. He brings a fresh round of coffees and more food. His white shirt and black jeans are rumpled and overall, he looks worse for wear. His dark hair is a rat’s nest on top of his head and it looks like someone drew a lightning bolt on his forehead with a sharpie.

  “Rough night?” I point to my own forehead.

  Embarrassment colors his cheeks. “Uh, yeah. Mind if I use the bathroom?”

  “Not at all,” Hailey replies.

  “Any word about Ashley?” I ask him when he returns with a clean face.

  He rubs his lips together like he isn’t supposed to share.

  “Think we were right?” Hailey asks Diane.

  “Right about what?” My focus shifts between the two women.

  “Not food poisoning?” Diane’s eyes go wide and then she smiles. “I’d put money on it.”

  “Ugh, if I get the two exits, no waiting from them, I’m going to be pissed.” I glower and cross my arms. Damn Kelsos.

  “You can’t catch what she has,” Hailey says with a smile.

  “Huh?” I turn to John and Jonah. “I’m lost.”

  “No idea. Is it serious?” he asks Jonah.

  “Life changing,” Diane proclaims with a knowing nod of her head.

  “Sounds serious,” I say, worried.

  “She’s pregnant,” Hailey bursts out.

  “Act surprised when they tell you. I wasn’t supposed to say anything.” Jonah stares at us. “You guessed it, so I didn’t break my promise.”

  “Sheesh, what’s in the water around here?” John mumbles.

  “Stork better get his own wingmen.” I grin down at Hailey.

  “Still too soon,” she whispers before laughing.

  Epilogue

  The Night Before Christmas

  White lights on the Christmas tree illuminate our living room in a warm glow. It’s Christmas Eve and barely a creature is stirring. Even Nameless is snoring on his bed in front of the wood stove.

  Sitting in the most comfortable baby chair ever with a Boppy propped under my arms, I glance around the room, finally understanding the Grinch’s point-of-view. My heart must have grown in physical size to accommodate the emotion I feel for my wife and child.

  Hailey holds Shaw nestled against her chest, only the top of his head visible outside his baby burrito wrap. Next to her on the couch, Mack sleeps in Diane’s arms after nursing. In my old recliner, Alene snuggles on John’s lap, listening while he reads her The Night Before Christmas. Every now and then, her head dips forward and she jerks it back as her lids droop with sleep. I don’t know how she’s still awake.

  Ros and Dan are curled up together on the other couch. Their daughter was born three days after the babypalooza. Ginger haired Ione sleeps on Dan’s chest, swaddled and snug. I’m pretty sure Ros is asleep.

  I blink away the tired burn in my own eyes. Neither Hailey nor I have slept more than a few hours at a stretch the past ten days. I can’t imagine John and Diane have gotten much more than us, given they have a toddler and a newborn.

  The logs snap and pop, the room warm from the fire as snow lightly falls outside. White flakes cling to the boughs of the cedar trees and grass. Some random Christmas music softly plays through the speakers as people recover from the big feast.

  Shaw’s only nine days old, but whenever he sees Alene, he stops crying. And he cries a lot. But when she’s close by, he’s content. I’m not sure if he can even focus his eyes yet.

  Then again, he is a Donnely. With his pale blond fuzz and a single dimple, he already takes after his father. Handsomest baby around.

  John’s not amused and has declared more than once my son will never be allowed to date his daughter.

  We’ll see about that.

  That’s a long way off. We have years of these kids growing up together. Another generation of island boys chasing girls and making fools of themselves.

  I hope they end up even half as happy as I am now. A few years ago if you told me I’d be married and a dad, I would’ve laughed my ass off and then called you crazy.

  Stranger things have happened, but in my life, nothing has been better than falling in love with Hailey. Loving her has made me a better man, someone worthy of loving her and Shaw. The tomcat has been domesticated and I’ve never been happier. If I could, I’d probably purr with contentment.

  Yeah, I’m that much of a mush ball.

  It’s probably the lack of sleep.

  Let’s go with that.

  John reads the last line of the poem, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”

  “Peace on earth, goodwill to man,” I respond, the words holding more meaning now as we hold the future in our arms.

  Wouldn’t change a thing in my life.

  Except another little combo of Hailey and me. Or two. Twins.

  It’s always good to have goals for the new year.

  A Note from Daisy

  Thank you for reading Wingmen Babypalooza. I had the best time writing in Tom’s POV again. I don’t know what it says about me, but I have the easiest time getting into Tom’s head. He always makes me laugh, swoon, and inevitably cry with his antics and big heart.

  Since I have your attention, I want to share some Wingmen news. Jonah will be getting his own book in 2018 and the title is The Last Wingman. And his book will be the final full length novel in the series. I am a combo meal of mixed feelings about writing the last Wingmen book. These men and Whidbey have a big chunk of my heart. They always will.

  As always, I appreciate you taking the time to write an honest review and sharing it on Goodreads or your favorite retailer. Reviews and word of mouth are the best ways to spread the word about books we enjoy. Think of it as an early holiday gift from you to me. I promise I’ll never return or exchange it.

  To keep up with me, sign up for my mailing list. Lots of exciting news, a newsletter exclusive serial, and tons of new books coming your way in 2018. Let’s keep in touch!

  xo Daisy

  More Books by Daisy

  Wingmen:

  Ready to Fall

  Confessions of a Reformed Tom Cat

  Wingmen

  (a boxed set of Ready to Fall & Confessions of a Reformed Tom Cat)

  Anything but Love

  Better Love

  Small Town Scandal

  Wingmen Babypalooza: A Christmas Babies Novella

  The Last Wingman (Coming 2018)

  Love with Altitude:

  Next to You

/>   Crazy Over You

  Wild for You

  Up to You (Coming 2018)

  Modern Love Stories:

  We Were Here

  Geoducks Are for Lovers

  Wanderlust

  Love, Laughter and a Happily Ever After

  An Amazon Exclusive Short Story Collection

  Bewitched:

  Bewitched

  A magical novella set in Salem, Massachusetts

  Spellbound

  A magical sequel to Bewitched

  Enchanted

  A magical continuation of Bewitched

  Charmed

  A magical conclusion of Bewitched

  Acknowledgments

  My heart and first thanks belong to my husband. As long as we can still make each other laugh, we’ll be okay. Thank you for your help in making Tom funnier, kinder, and more swoony.

  To my fellow Christmas Babies authors, thanks for being a joy to work with as we plotted and planned these projects.

  Thank you to Renee Ericson for the perfect cover for this story. MJ, thanks for the early read and loving Tom as much as I do. I’m blessed to have an amazing team of editors and proofreaders: Melissa Ringsted at There for You Editing and Marla Esposito of Proofing with Style. Big thanks to the amazing Fiona Fischer for all you’ve done for me. We’ll always have Rome.

  Thank you to Jessica Estep and KP Simmon at Inkslinger PR and Jeananna and Kylie at Give Me Books for your support and insight in all things marketing and promotion. Meire Dias at Bookcase Literary Agency, thank you for never giving up on me. Can’t wait for 2018.

  To the members of Daisyland, thank you for being awesome and hanging out with me. I’m blessed to have amazing readers. To the RC ladies, you’re the wind beneath my wings. Thank you for being amazing cheerleaders.

  Thanks to my fellow authors who continue to inspire and encourage me. To the Indie book community, thank you for the years of support, friendship, wisdom, and generosity that goes beyond writing and publishing. To every blogger who shares, reads, reviews, and promotes the authors and books you love, thank you.