Gracie smiled as she took his hand in hers and pressed it against her body. The sigh that left her lips was one of total peace and contentment. She pulled her hand away from Deuce’s, allowing his hand to make contact with her skin.
Covering her belly with his large hand, he held still as the warmth he was feeling intensified. In that moment, he knew. A feeling of complete happiness filled him. He leaned forward and kissed Gracie’s temple lightly, whispering against her soft skin the ancient blessing he had been taught as a young man.
“Thank you, Gracie,” he told her softly.
The warmth he was feeling as his hand rested against her belly was new life. The new life that they had just created.
Chapter 13
Deuce leaned forward and kissed the mating mark on Gracie’s neck as she stood beside her horse. She turned around and smiled up at him, leaning into him and wrapping her arms around his waist as she laid her head on his chest.
“Happy?” she asked him softly, leaning back to look up at him.
“Baby, you have no idea,” he told her seriously, looking down at the woman he knew was now carrying his child. “Are you happy?”
The smile that lit Gracie’s face was stunning. “I can’t even begin to tell you how unhappy you make me,” she told him, stepping away from him and quickly mounting her mare.
Before he could react, she kicked at Misty’s flanks and raced away from him. The bark of laughter that escaped Deuce made Gracie laugh with total joy as she raced away from him.
Deuce grabbed the reins of his own mount, reached for the pommel, and heaved himself up into his saddle. He chased after his mate with a heart light with happiness and fun. He gained on her quickly, knowing Gracie wasn’t really trying to get very far ahead of him. Her horse could have easily made better distance from him before he was able to mount Daisy. He knew Gracie wanted him to ride beside her and continue to experience the special time they had shared.
He had a brief moment of worry that she was pregnant and riding her horse at a pretty fast clip. He would be sure to call Melanie’s doctor in the morning to make sure that it was safe for Gracie to ride. He was not about to chance any injury to her or their baby.
As he pulled up beside her, she turned to look at him, and he felt an intense rush of love filling him as he looked at her flushed face and bright smile. She had always been beautiful, but this new life growing inside of her had given her a spark of something that made his heart fill with miraculous joy that he never could have ever imagined as he accepted the truth of her pregnancy. She was absolutely stunning. And she was his.
“Getting a little slow, Deuce,” she teased him. “I could have easily made it home before you even mounted Daisy.”
Deuce nudged his mare closer to hers, reaching out to take her hand and squeezing it lightly. “Should I show you how fast I can take you off this horse and remove your clothes?” he asked her calmly. “I think you would look beautiful riding naked.”
Gracie laughed out loud and tugged at his hand. “I will if you will,” she told him quickly, letting go of him and motioning her hand toward him. “Let’s go, buddy. Take it off.”
Deuce smiled at her, loving her more with each moment he spent with her. He wanted to hold her in his arms and never let her go. Was he head over heels in love? Hell yeah! And proud of it, too.
“Gracie.” His voice was soft as he walked his horse slowly beside hers.
She looked over at him, her grin still wide. When she saw the way he had suddenly become so serious, she pulled Misty to a halt and edged her mount closer to Deuce so that her leg brushed his.
“Are you all right?” she asked him worriedly, reaching out to touch his arm.
He leaned toward her and kissed her so gently she nearly cried at his tenderness. When his hand reached up and wrapped around her neck to pull her closer into the kiss, she went willingly. There was nothing more wonderful than the feeling of Deuce’s lips against hers. His strong hand holding her neck sent a flutter through her stomach. Everything about him was powerful and sexy.
“Boy can you kiss,” she whispered against his lips when he pulled away slightly. Looking up at him, she saw how serious he was, and she reached up to touch his face gently. “What’s wrong, Deuce?”
“Not a damn thing,” he told her, looking at her with pure need. “For the first time in my life, Gracie Lee, everything is right.” He reached up and touched her face tenderly, cupping her cheek and smiling as she leaned into his hand and looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling with happiness.
The breath caught in her throat as she heard his words. Never in her wildest hopes had she ever thought this man would even want her despite the fact that she had wanted him forever.
Before she could even respond, Deuce’s phone rang. He pulled it from his belt and saw that it was Luke. He touched the screen to connect the call and brought the phone to his ear quickly. “Everything okay, Luke?” he answered abruptly, listening quietly while his brother spoke to him. He looked at Gracie worriedly and nodded. “We’re on our way,” he told him quickly. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. Tell Melanie we’ll be there as soon as we can.”
He disconnected the call and replaced the phone in the holder on his belt. He turned to face Gracie and reached out to touch her face gently. She was pale, and he knew she was just as worried as he was about Melanie.
“Is Melanie in labor?” she asked him quietly.
Deuce nodded. “They’re on their way to the hospital now. Robbie is already at the house. Claire and Jamie are with him. Luke said Melanie is really worked up. She’s demanding that he tell us to come to the hospital as soon as we can. She told him we have to be there before their daughter is born.”
Gracie nodded, kicking Misty’s flanks and leaning forward as she urged the mare into a gallop. She wasn’t going to waste any time getting to the ranch. She needed to get to Melanie.
She said a silent prayer that her sister would be okay. Melanie’s visions were never wrong, but she hoped that for once, in this instance, she would be mistaken. The fear she had of losing her sister was intense. She didn’t know if she could survive it.
Pushing aside the morbid thought, she pushed her mare to go faster, calming a little as she saw that Deuce was keeping pace with her. She knew she could depend on him to help calm her. She knew he would be there to take care of everything. She just hoped she would be equally capable. She had to get hold of her emotions. Melanie needed her, and she wasn’t about to let her sister down.
* * * *
Gracie pushed open the door to her sister’s hospital room and rushed inside. Deuce was close behind her but halted immediately as he saw Melanie in the middle of a contraction, pulling at Luke’s arms as he sat behind her in the bed and supported her within the cradle of his legs.
“I’ll wait outside,” he told them quietly, turning to leave.
“No.” Melanie’s voice was strained as she called out to him.
Deuce turned to face her, watching as she worked through the contraction. When she leaned back against Luke’s chest and took a cleansing breath, he felt his own breath exhaling and releasing some of his tension. Just watching the pain Melanie was experiencing made the reality of what his own mate was going to go through soon slam through him. He looked at Gracie with new eyes.
“Don’t leave, Deuce,” Melanie told him softly. “You have to be here with me. I saw it in my vision.”
Deuce nodded and walked toward the bed to stand beside Gracie. He placed his hand on the small of her back, needing to touch her to reassure himself that she was beside him and that she was okay.
“Is everything going okay, Mel?” Gracie asked, leaning forward and kissing her sister’s forehead lightly before pulling back and searching her hazel eyes for any worry or fear. When she saw how her sister was completely calm, she relaxed slightly.
“So far, so good,” Melanie answered, smiling up at Gracie. “The doctor certainly has me wired enough to keep track of bo
th the baby and me. We’re both strong and getting through this.”
Deuce looked at the way his brother held Melanie loosely within his embrace. When Luke looked up at him, he saw the worry in his younger brother’s eyes. Taking a step forward, he set his hand gently on Melanie’s shoulder before reaching up to touch his brother’s head lightly.
“We’re here for you,” he told them both. “We always will be.”
Luke nodded and reached up to grab his hand and squeeze it. Just feeling the intensity of his grip told Deuce just how worried his brother was.
Melanie’s moan of pain drew all of their attentions. Gracie’s focus was on her sister, but Deuce’s was on the equipment that displayed the strength of her contraction and the heartbeat of the baby. He saw the way the baby’s heartbeat slowed during the contraction and was immediately concerned.
Luke saw the same thing and reached out to push the call button. He wasn’t about to take any chances with his mate. He held her through the contraction, not breathing at all as she was consumed with pain.
“Gracie, I think you need to go and get the nurse,” Deuce told her softly, looking at her seriously and indicating the door.
“I’ll be right back, Mel,” Gracie told her sister as she rushed from the room. There was nothing and no one who was going to stop her from getting someone to help her sister.
Melanie moaned as another pain gripped her, pulling at Luke’s arms as the strength of the contraction intensified. Deuce stepped closer to the bed, watching as the cycle of pain ran its course. He found himself watching the intensity of the contraction rise until it peaked on the machine read-out that measured each contraction, only breathing easier when he saw the slope of the black line head downward until it flatlined, and Melanie sagged against Luke in relief.
His instincts yelled at him to help his family. It didn’t matter that Melanie wasn’t related by blood. She had been a part of their family from the time she was born, and that connection had only been solidified by her mating with Luke. He was determined that all the members of his family were taken care of to the best of his ability, every moment of every day.
The hospital room door opened, and Gracie walked in quickly to stand beside her sister and reached out to touch her shoulder lightly. She smiled down at her baby sister as Melanie’s tired gaze looked up at her.
“The doctor is on his way, Mel,” she told her softly. “Hang in there, honey.”
“I need to push,” Melanie told them suddenly, leaning forward and grabbing the back of her knees.
“Baby, wait for the doctor,” Luke told her desperately.
“Tell that to your daughter,” Melanie growled through gritted teeth.
There was nothing and no one who was going to stop her from pushing her baby from her body. A moan of agony was ripped from her as she tried with all her might to bear down to bring her baby into the world.
“Deuce! Help!” Luke’s frantic voice filled the room.
Without hesitation, Deuce rushed into the adjoining bathroom to quickly wash his hands then came back into the room, his hands still dripping as he crawled up onto the bottom of the bed. Gracie pulled the blankets from Melanie’s body. Reaching up, she gently touched Melanie’s knees and looked at her with complete calm. Her touch had the effect on her sister that she wanted. Melanie calmed immediately, and she took a deep breath to center herself.
Deuce smiled down at his brother’s mate, his blue eyes soft with caring. “Melanie, we can do this, honey,” he told her calmly. “This little baby isn’t going to wait for any of us to be ready. I can help you until the doctor comes to take over.”
Melanie nodded grabbing for her legs as another contraction gripped her. “Luke!” she screamed. “Push me up higher!”
Luke did as she asked immediately, ignoring the nurse who entered the room as Melanie bore down and pushed with all her might while Deuce held his hand firmly against her body to gently palm the head of his niece as it crowned.
There was a flurry of movement as more medical personnel filled the room, but Deuce concentrated on the new life that he was helping to guide into the world. His peripheral vision made him know that Melanie’s doctor was by his side, waiting to aid him.
“That’s it, keep your hand firmly against the baby’s head as it emerges,” Dr. Andrews encouraged him.
Deuce nodded, never taking his eyes from the baby’s head as it was slowly being pushed from Melanie’s body. “Maybe you should take over, Doc,” he told him calmly, determined not to scare Melanie or Luke.
“I think the baby has other ideas,” Dr. Andrews told him, standing close enough to take over if he needed to.
Melanie screamed as her daughter’s head was pushed free. She took a deep breath and pushed again, the baby’s shoulders slipping through with some difficulty. Deuce reached under the baby with his left hand and supported her tiny body as Melanie gave one final push and the bright pink little girl entered the world. Deuce took a careful grip on his niece and brought her up to settle her on Melanie’s belly, grateful when the nurse immediately covered the infant with a blanket and Dr. Andrews eased in to take over Melanie’s care.
Deuce accepted the sterile towel handed to him and wiped at his bloodied hands, watching as Dr. Andrews clamped off the umbilical cord in two places and offered the scissors to Luke to cut it. He smiled at his brother’s expression of complete joy as his daughter let out a loud bellow.
“She’s a beauty, Melanie,” Deuce told her quietly, watching as Luke cut the cord and leaned forward to kiss Melanie’s temple.
“You’re amazing, Mate,” Luke whispered against her ear. “Thank you for my daughter.”
Melanie was silent for the first time since Deuce had known her. He couldn’t blame her. The miracle of the birth was awe-inspiring. He stepped back and watched as Melanie’s doctor delivered the afterbirth and took care of her.
The pediatrician who had come in with the nurse took the baby and checked her over carefully. Not one of them moved for fear that something might be wrong. Melanie’s vision still hung heavily over their heads, and they all were concerned for both her and the baby. They waited nervously as the doctor examined the baby and the nurses cleaned her up, wrapped her in a warm blanket, and handed her back to her mother.
“Your little girl is doing just fine,” the pediatrician told them. “Her color and respiration are good. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
Melanie visibly relaxed as she pulled her daughter tightly against her chest. “She’s okay,” she whispered as she looked down at her baby.
Deuce smiled as he watched Melanie pull her hospital gown off her shoulder and offered her breast to her baby. His chest ached at the sight of the miracle before him. Happiness filled him. His niece was finally settling as she began to nurse at Melanie’s breast, and his mate was standing beside the bed, unaware of the miracle that he knew was growing inside of her. He had to hold himself back from going to her and wrapping her in his arms. He wanted to whisper the secret of her pregnancy to her and watch as she accepted the beauty of their future filled with a loving home that would be filled with their children.
“She is absolutely beautiful, Mel,” Gracie whispered, reaching out to touch her niece’s full head of black hair.
“She looks just like her daddy,” Melanie whispered, looking up at Luke with tears in her eyes. “Thank you for our baby.”
Luke leaned down and kissed Melanie’s lips tenderly before reaching forward to touch his daughter’s cheek and caress it gently. “I think she looks just like her momma,” he disagreed.
Gracie looked up at Deuce and smiled. “You did a great job, Deuce,” she whispered.
She walked over to him and encircled his waist with her arms, hugging him tightly and leaning forward to kiss the underside of his chin. She could hear his heart beating rapidly against her face as she rested her cheek against his chest.
The warmth that filled him at her words and the feel of her snuggled tightly
against him made him close his eyes in pure contentment. He could picture in his mind how Gracie would look pregnant, and although the thought of her going through labor and delivery scared him clear down to his toes, he was looking forward to being there when she brought their child into the world.
“Deuce,” Luke called to him, his gruff voice interrupting the silence of the room. He was suddenly silent, unable to say another word at that moment. He was filled with emotion by the birth of his daughter at the hands of his big brother.
Deuce nodded, smiling at the relief that covered his brother’s features. “You’re welcome, little brother.”
“Thank you, Deuce,” Melanie told him tiredly. “I knew you had to be here to help me.”
“I’m glad everything is good, darlin’,” he told her softly. He looked down at Gracie as he felt her kiss his neck. Leaning in to kiss her forehead, he breathed in her scent and felt the calmness that settled within him.
“I love you,” she whispered, tightening her arms around his waist.
“I love you, baby,” he answered, hugging her to him, determined that she would never be unsure about his feelings for her.
“Is Melanie okay, Doc?”
Luke’s voice brought them out of their intimate moment. Deuce could feel the way Gracie’s body tightened with tension as she moved out of his embrace and went to stand by her sister’s hospital bed.
“Everything looks good, Luke,” Dr. Andrews reassured him. “Her vital signs are strong. I would suggest you only have visitors for a little while longer, though, so she can get some rest.”
“We’ll head on home,” Deuce offered softly, looking down at his adorable niece. “You two need to bond with your little girl.”
Gracie leaned over and kissed Luke’s cheek. “Congratulations, Daddy.”
Luke’s blue eyes sparkled with tears of happiness. “Thanks, Gracie.”
She leaned down to kiss Melanie’s temple lightly before rubbing her cheek across the softness of her niece’s hair. Deuce’s heart pounded at the tenderness that filled him at the sight.
Touching Deuce [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 17
