Freed (Bound Duet Book 2)

by Stephie Walls

  “Looks like we’re going to have a baby today,” he announced.

  “But I still have two more weeks.” Lissa was adamant the doctor had to be wrong.

  “Two weeks or not, this little one is ready to meet the world.” He continued his exam, covered in what I now realized was amniotic fluid. “You’re four centimeters dilated.” He pulled off his rubber gloves, each one snapping at the end. “Are you guys still doing the home birth with Meegan?”

  Lissa had apparently gone mute, so I answered for her. “That’s the plan.”

  “I’ll have the nurse call her. Annie, you need to get Melissa home. Has Meegan given you instructions?”

  She had, but nothing I’d looked at all that closely. We still had two more weeks. First babies weren’t supposed to be early.

  He rattled off more information that I half heard before telling us he would be on-call if the situation changed, and we decided to come to the hospital. I helped Lissa get dressed and back to the car.

  My first call was to Dan because Lissa wasn’t talking—at all. I needed back up. Then I called Brett, who had Dan standing in his office door telling him the same thing I was on the phone sharing.

  “Brett, I need to call Meegan. Are you two on your way home?”

  “Of course. You guys be careful.”

  Driving toward the house, I called the midwife. She’d already heard from Dr. Matthews’s nurse and was getting her stuff together. When we turned the corner on our street, Dan and Brett were both already home. I didn’t know how that was even logistically possible, but both cars were in their respective driveways. The moment I pulled up to my house, our front door and our neighbors’ both opened simultaneously. And so, it began. I knew the next few hours were going to be life altering, so I just prepared myself for the journey.

  Dan took Lissa to their house, and Brett pulled me aside.

  “Please tell me you have the ring.” His paranoia was endearing. Sweet Brett.

  “I was afraid we’d forget it, so I grabbed it before I left. It’s in my pocket.”

  He visibly relaxed and pulled me into his arms. “Are you ready for this?”

  “Absolutely, but no way in hell.” With my chest still pressed to him, I pulled back far enough to look into his eyes. There were parts of me that couldn’t wait to meet our child, but I was terrified, too. I didn’t think any parent was ready when it happened, but hopefully, nature kicked in, and they figured it out. I was convinced the mistakes we would make would be covered over with love, and that was the best any parent could hope for.

  His smile was radiant. Brett was one of those men who was made to be a father. I’d known that for years. It was part of what fueled my sadness over not being able to provide him with a family of his own. There was no doubt he was ready.

  “Are you going to change now or take clothes with you?”

  “Just let me run inside. I’ll meet you over there. You need to go help Dan set up the pool.”

  I moved as quickly as I could, but at twenty-six weeks I wasn’t running any marathons. My shorts and swimsuit were already set out. It didn’t take long to change clothes and slide on flip flops. When I walked down the hall, I stopped at the nurseries. I worried my heart might burst through my chest. I couldn’t wait to fill these rooms, for our family to grow. Reluctant to pull myself away, I lingered for a moment longer before walking across the yard.

  Either I had been gone far longer than I thought, or Dan and Brett had worked quickly to get the pool inflated and water filling it. Lissa was pacing the living room floor, carefully stepping over the hose that led from the bathtub to the birthing pool. She’s changed into shorts and a sports bra giving us all a view of her very swollen belly. It had been hidden well under her clothes, but seeing it now just made me feel good all over again. Her commitment to this had been amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect person to carry our child. She’d done everything right, from the way she ate to regular exercise and doctor’s visits. There hadn’t been a single hiccup along the way.

  She stopped mid-pace, put her hands on her knees, and breathed through a contraction. I was impressed with her ability to maintain her composure. It was easy to see she was uncomfortable as the pain marred her face, but she didn’t cry out or complain.

  The knock on the door indicated Meegan had arrived.

  “I’ll get it,” I called out.

  She was a slight girl, very earthy. When we’d first met her, the smell of Patchouli had turned me off, but by the end of the conversation, I adored her. Her approach was obviously holistic, but she recognized there were things midwives weren’t trained to do, and for that reason, always worked in conjunction with an OBGYN. It was the first time I’d ever seen her mousy-brown hair pulled away from her face, tied in a long braid down her back. Everything about Meegan screamed granola, but she was perfect for us.

  “Hey there,” she greeted me with excitement.

  “Hi, come on in.”

  Meegan stepped inside, and the little whiff of a thing set in motion. She talked to Lissa as she unpacked her supplies. We all stopped to listen when she pressed the little device against Lissa’s tummy to hear the heartbeat. Her smile indicated all was well. Meegan was all business, issuing orders like a drill sergeant. Each of us had things to do to prepare for the delivery, but primarily, I think she gave us menial tasks to give Lissa breathing room and keep us occupied.

  Never having been through childbirth, I had no idea how long the process would take, but I assumed it would be lengthy. Meegan kept Lissa moving and comfortable. I laid on the floor next to Lissa while she rolled around on an exercise ball and tried to keep her entertained, but most importantly, keep her mind off the pain. If she so much as even whimpered, Dan was on her instantly trying to sooth her ache.

  She got frustrated and snapped at him. “Dan, it’s childbirth. It’s going to fucking hurt.”

  I tried like hell to conceal my amusement, but the coughing only called more attention to my shit-eating grin.

  “Just wait,” he barked out. “Your turn’s coming soon. We’ll see how calm you and Brett are.”

  I tried to roll up off the floor but got stuck, and the laughter I had been trying to cover up came spilling out. The harder I laughed the more I struggled to get up until Dan finally took pity on me and offered me his hand.

  I patted his chest and thanked him.

  “I’m feeling kind of pushy.” Lissa finally spoke out of nowhere.

  Thank the Lord, Meegan spoke whatever language Lissa was using. “Do you think you’re ready to get in the pool?”

  With a nod, she indicated her need to switch locations and positions. Dan pulled her up. I knew she had to be tired. I was tired, and my body wasn’t trying to expel a baby. He helped her take off her shorts and ease into the water and then knelt beside her on the outside. One thing Lissa had been insistent upon was the natural progression of the birthing process. She believed the body would take her through the process on its own as it had with women for centuries, so Meegan monitored the baby’s heartbeat regularly, but other than that, she didn’t interfere. She hadn’t checked Lissa to see how far along she was; the midwife agreed, Lissa would know when it was time. The warm water would help with the discomfort and make the actual birth less traumatic for the baby as well.

  I was in love with all of this for Lissa, but it was not what I wanted to do for me. It worked well for our situation, and Brett and I were grateful we could be an integral part of our child joining the world, but I wanted to be in a hospital with an epidural. But since this was what Lissa had wanted, and it allowed us to be involved, it was perfect.

  The pain etched in her forehead and around her eyes, broke my heart. There was nothing any of us could do to change that for her. We all just had to wait it out. My friend hovered on her knees and reached between her legs. I assumed she was trying to see if she could feel the baby, but I didn’t want to ask. She’d made virtually no noise through all of this, so I didn’t think s
he had progressed all that far, but apparently, I was wrong.

  She looked up to Meegan with a weary expression. “The head is about two knuckles deep.”

  I sat straight up and waited for Meegan to tell us what to do.

  “Annie, do you still want to catch the baby?” I nodded like an eager child and took my T-shirt off leaving me in my swimsuit and shorts.

  I climbed over the edge, mindful of my own belly and Lissa’s position. Dan and Brett clung to the sides waiting for what would happen. My friend reached out with opposite hands, one to the man she loved, and the other to the baby’s father, and gritted out the next contraction. I held onto to her legs, perched between her feet as she let out the first cry of pain I’d heard all afternoon. Her head fell back between her shoulders, just briefly. I glanced down and saw the dark hair on a baby’s head. My fingers touched the wet mop, and in slow motion, Lissa used Brett and Dan’s arms for leverage to eek out one final push.

  And my daughter was in my hands.

  Dan moved behind Lissa to allow her to sink into his arms from outside the water, and I handed my little girl to the woman who’d given her life. I sat in awestruck wonder while Brett cut the cord with Meegan’s help and watched Lissa coo with love at my precious little girl. The entire scene was surreal, but no one rushed us through it. Meegan helped rub the baby’s back to get her to cry, and her little bottom turned red bringing color to her skin.

  Brett leaned over the edge of the pool, drawing my attention, and whispered, “Is it a boy or a girl?”

  It hadn’t dawned on me none of them had seen her spread eagle as she came out. For just the briefest of moments, I’d held my daughter’s secret for just myself, and I got to be the one to share it with my husband. “A girl.” My breath hitched as a strained murmur escaped my lips. No longer able to contain my tears they streamed down my cheeks, and Brett kissed my smile.

  His forehead rested on mine and lingered. “We have a daughter.”

  I gave him a slight nod and another peck before returning my attention back to Lissa and Meegan. The midwife was taking our little girl to wrap her up and hand off to Brett so she could assist Lissa in the rest of the process. Watching him hold her for the first time kept the tears flowing. I didn’t think I’d ever been so incredibly fulfilled.

  An hour or so later, Meegan had gotten Lissa comfortable on the couch, the guys had cleaned up the birthing pool, and I sat with my little girl in the recliner and held my friend’s hand across the empty space between the furniture.

  With my head leaned back, I lazily turned my sappy grin toward Lissa and said, “I will never be able to tell you what this baby means to me. Thank you.”

  She blinked slowly and tried to pull the corners of her mouth into a smile but missed the mark. “I’m going to miss having her with me every day. I hope you’ll let me come love on her.”

  “Actually, Brett and I wanted to ask you and Dan a question.”

  She sat up a little higher on the cushions as if that would help her hear me better. I probably was supposed to ask them together, but I didn’t know the protocol and didn’t care. “We’d like for you to be her Godparents.”

  Her hand balled into a fist on top of her heart. “Of course. I’d be honored.” She leaned back down on the couch before calling over to me. “But you might want to name her first.”

  We had planned to discuss names after meeting the baby, but the instant I saw her, I was hoping Brett would let me have the honor. “I have a name in mind.”

  Before I could be coerced to share my secret, Dan and Brett joined us. They’d helped Meegan out, and the house was finally quiet. I got excited when Brett whispered in my ear to ask me where the ring was. I hadn’t thought we would get to be a part of this, but maybe by some slim chance, Dan was going to let our family watch.

  I gave Brett the information and watched him walk off, returning moments later to give Dan the little box. With Lissa still on the couch, Dan took a seat on the coffee table. Brett sat on the arm rest of the chair I was in and put his arm around the baby and me.

  Dan’s hands were so large they easily concealed the black box he had in them. I could tell he was nervous by the way his leg bounced, and he chewed on the inside of his cheek.

  I’d been all smiles and tears for hours, so my joy gave nothing away, and Lissa was completely clueless as to what was about to happen. Dan sat like every other guy, with his legs spread and his forearms propped on his thighs, and finally lifted his head to make eye contact with her before he spoke.

  “Penny.” His voice shook with uncertainty and fear. Not that he was unsure he wanted to marry her but concerned she might reject him.

  I’d never seen anyone propose before, but this was proving to be as emotional as the birth of my child.

  “From the moment I showed up on your porch, I was at the right house, just looking for the wrong woman. Thankfully, God saved me from myself when he led me to you.”

  He took a deep breath, and Lissa looked to me for some sort of help, but I shrugged and just kept watching.

  “There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by since our chance encounter that I could imagine spending the next without you. My sun rises and sets in you. I knew months ago that I wanted to propose but didn’t want you to feel pressured to do what you’ve spent the last nine months doing. But your selfless sacrifice only confirmed what I already knew—you are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

  He looked down and opened the little black box. With shaky hands, he took the ring from the velvet and set the container on the table by his side. He got down on one knee, looked my best friend in the eye, and said, “Will you marry me?”

  Lissa nodded eagerly and threw her arms around her fiancé’s neck just after he slid the ring on her finger. She cried tears of joy and hung on for dear life. It had been a terribly emotional day for everyone here, but I think it had to be the toughest on her. She deserved a man who adored her and would be good to her. Dan was that man.

  Brett wandered off into the kitchen, and I followed after him giving Dan and Lissa a few minutes alone. The baby was sleeping nestled in my arms, lightly resting her little bum on my swollen belly.

  I propped myself against the counter, and Brett dug around in their refrigerator. It had just dawned on me none of us had eaten all day, and my stomach growled at the thought of food. He pulled stuff out to make sandwiches and hollered into the other room to ask if they were hungry. While he laid out the makings for four sandwiches, I asked about names.

  “Do you have any names in mind?”

  He stopped and stared at the little bundle in my arms. She was so peaceful wrapped up in a soft green blanket. “I haven’t thought much about it. I was just so happy to get her here safely, I figured that part would come later.”

  “I’d like to name her Alissa Danielle since Lissa and Dan are the only reasons she’s here.”

  He set the knife down on the counter, and slid over to kiss my forehead, and then our daughter’s. “I think that’s perfect.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Annie

  Life changed overnight with the addition of Alissa to the household. I didn’t believe it would be possible for Brett to love another female more than he did me, but that little girl was his life. From the moment he got up, to the moment he went to bed, if he was home, he was with her and wanted me nearby. Being pregnant with an infant isn’t for the faint at heart, but if I was going to do it, Brett was the perfect partner to do it with.

  We were lying in bed, with me on his shoulder having just put Alissa in her crib. My belly rested on his side so he could rub it. I loved his hand caressing the child we couldn’t wait to meet. The bigger I got, the harder it was to get near him, the sheer size of my belly preventing it, and I felt like I was smothering him. But he continuously pulled me to him, just like this. My eyes found his when I gazed up to meet them. He hesitated to take my lips, but when he did, it ignited electricity, and desire pooled between my legs. It
had been far too long since we’d had sex, and with another baby looming, there would be at least six more weeks without that connection.

  Brett was afraid of hurting the baby, but I desperately wanted him, and secretly was ready to let go of the wide load status that needed to be strapped to my ass. I reached for the back of his neck and pulled him to me trying to deepen the kiss. But he pulled back, searching my eyes for confirmation as though my hands roaming his body weren’t enough. Finding whatever he was searching for, he slipped my shirt over my head, leaving me in my panties with a bulging belly exposed. He sat up and caressed my body with his hands. Kissing me as he made his way down, he lavished attention on my incredibly sensitive breasts—teasing my nipples with his teeth, and circling them with his tongue. My back arched into him, thrusting my engorged mounds in his direction. His hands pushed more of me into his mouth, and I nearly erupted in a cataclysmic orgasm from his touch alone. I couldn’t help but pant out a breathy moan as I tried to release some of the tension that had built between my legs.

  His hands continued their pursuit around my inflated belly, paying just as much attention to it as he had my breasts before he reached for my panties to pull them down my legs. Planting a kiss on each calf as he went, he made his way back to a prone position next to me. “You’re going to have to tell me how this works best for you, sweetheart.”

  “I don’t have a clue,” I replied sheepishly.

  The look on his face was priceless—as if he didn’t know we hadn’t had sex in God knew how long.

  I leaned up on my elbow and took in Brett as a whole. The way he laid there, his body—the sight of him in general. I had forgotten how beautiful he was when I stopped long enough to enjoy the view. He was truly breathtaking, and his green eyes shone with love. I trailed my vision down his lean torso, loving the hardness of his chest and the billowing rolls of his abdomen, and finally landed on the velvety ecstasy of his rock-hard dick, which was staring back at me, daring me to come play.