“You woke me up and made me go out and buy Slim Jim’s, and you didn’t even eat them?”
“Focus! I’m in labor!” I motion toward my stomach.
“Okay, well, the doctor said not to go to the hospital until your contractions are five minutes apart. So, do you want to try a warm bath first?”
I nod as I push the blankets away. He rushes around the bed to help me stand. He walks me to the bathroom and sits me down on the edge while he fills the tub. Another contraction hits me, and I double over, crying out in pain.
He rubs my back, but it’s clear that he’s freaked out. A sound fills my ears that sounds like a water balloon hit the floor.
“What’s that?” he asks with a confused look on his face.
“I think my water broke. We have to go now. No bath.” I stand, and he turns off the water. “Help me get dressed.”
He helps me into a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. I slide my feet into a pair of flip flops and he quickly pulls on clothes and grabs my bag. We’re halfway down the stairs when another contraction hits me and causes me to sit down.
I hang onto the railing of the stairs and he rubs my back, waiting it out with me. When the pain ends, he helps me stand and get to the car.
I sit in the front seat and he jumps behind the wheel. He drives like a crazy person to the hospital, calling everyone on the way.
“We’re on our way to the hospital,” he tells Bennet over the phone.
“Okay, we’re on our way,” Bennet mumbles, clearly still mostly asleep.
“Slow down!” I yell when he has to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of us.
“These slow-ass people need to move!” he yells back, laying on the horn.
“We have time. It’s our first baby. First-time labor typically takes longer. Calm down. It’ll be fine,” I tell him.
He laughs. “I think we have the roles reversed here.”
“Oh, really? You want to have this baby?” I ask, pointing at my stomach.
He doesn’t reply. Instead, he checks his mirrors and steers us off the interstate.
We make it to the hospital twenty minutes after we left the house and we’re immediately given a room and a gown to change into. Callan helps me get changed and laid down in bed. Moments later, a nurse is at my side, hooking me up to machines and pulling on gloves to see how dilated I am.
“How far apart are your contractions?”
I look at Callan because I’m in too much pain to talk.
“Ugh, I guess about five to seven minutes apart. Her water broke. I do know that,” he says matter of factly.
“Okay, wow. Let’s see how dilated you are.” She slides her hand under the blanket. “It looks like you’re fully dilated. We’re going to move you into a birthing room.” She pulls off her glove and leaves us alone.
Callan bends forward, running his hands through his hair and breathing hard. “This is it. This is when I become a daddy. Oh my God. I’m going to have a child!” He jumps up from his chair and starts to pace back and forth.
I’d laugh if I weren’t in so much pain.
He’s walking back and forth, mumbling something that sounds like a pep talk—all the while, he’s breathing so hard it sounds as if he’s panting. He stops walking, and his facial expressions change from one of panic to one of confusion. Suddenly, he goes down.
“Oh my God! Callan!” I yell, trying to sit up.
A nurse comes running back into the room, and she drops to her knees at his side. She checks his pulse, then shines a light into his eyes. Finally, he comes to.
“Are you okay?” she asks, looking down at him.
He nods. “What happened?”
“You passed out. Stay where you are until you no longer feel dizzy,” she says when he starts trying to sit up.
“I’m fine,” he tells her, pushing himself to his feet. He reaches out and holds my hand.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
He nods. “I’m sorry. I’m fine,” he assures me, but he looks like he has a headache or something maybe. His forehead is wrinkled, and his eyes are bloodshot.
Callan sits on the edge of the bed until a group of nurses come to wheel me into delivery.
It doesn’t seem to take long before I’m in a crowded room with my legs pulled up. I’m being told to push over and over. I’m drenched in sweat. I’m tired and in pain. Every part of my body feels weak and drained.
“Okay, let’s rest for a minute,” the doctor says, and I relax into the bed to catch my breath.
“Put the oxygen mask on her,” he orders. “You have to remember to breathe,” he says, leaning over me while two nurses pull a mask onto my face.
“Doctor, her blood pressure is going up, and her oxygen is low. If she doesn’t deliver this baby soon…”
“How’s the baby looking?” he asks, wiping the sweat off her brow with his arm.
“The baby’s heart rate is starting to fall.”
Their words only make my heart race harder.
He looks at his watch. “We’ve been at this for hours. Let’s move her into a surgery suite and perform a C-section.”
“What?” I yell, grabbing ahold of Callan.
Callan leaps up. “What? Why? What’s going on?”
“The long labor is wearing out both Valerie and the baby. It’s too strenuous. The best option is to get the baby out now before she goes into cardiac arrest. Everything will be fine. A nurse will bring you into the room after you scrub down and change.”
Without another word, I’m being wheeled away from Callan.
Something gets shoved into my IV, and before I know it, I’m relaxed and calm. I’m in no pain as I stare up at the ceiling. Callan comes into view, and he holds my hand. Even though his face is covered with a mask, I can tell he’s smiling from the lines around his eyes. “Hey, how are you feeling?”
I smile. “I’m fine. How’s it going down there?” I ask, eyes flashing down to the sheet I can’t see past.
He leans back, gets a clear shot, and comes back. “Ugh, good?”
I want to laugh, but then I hear the baby cry.
“Congratulations, you have a baby girl,” the nurse says, peeking around the sheet.
“She’s here?” I ask Callan.
His smile is back in place, and he can’t take his eyes off her. “She’s beautiful, Val. She looks just like you,” he whispers, tears filling his eyes.
Moments later, they’re lying the baby on my chest. I can’t tear my eyes away from her dark head of hair, her sparkling blue eyes, her chubby cheeks, and pink skin. She has the sweetest cry and the softest skin.
“Do you have a name yet?” a nurse asks.
I look at Callan, and he looks at me. “Hannah Rose Gregory,” we both whisper with smiles.
On one hand, it seems to take forever to get cleaned up and get to our room, but on the other, it goes by in a flash. I’m lying in bed, holding baby Hannah on my chest when Maddie, Bennet, and my mom walk in.
Mom immediately comes over to steal her. She holds her close to her chest and sits down, counting her fingers and toes.
“She’s so beautiful,” Mom says.
“She really is perfect,” Maddie replies.
I’m so tired, it’s hard to hold my eyes open, but I offer a little smile. “When are you two having kids?” I ask, looking between Maddie and Bennet.
Maddie scrunches her nose. “Actually, we were just talking about taking another cruise for a couple of months.”
I laugh. “How does that have anything to do with having kids?”
She shrugs her shoulder. “Every time someone has a baby, we like to celebrate not having one,” she jokes.
I shake my head and look up at Callan. He leans down and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Get some rest, baby. You need it.”
Before he even gets his sentence out, my eyes are fluttering closed.
Because of the C-section, I’m stuck in the hospital for the next few days. But finally,
we’re able to go home. Callan opens the door and helps me out before crawling into the backseat to get Hannah. He fights with the car seat for a good five minutes, but finally, she’s free.
“Got her?” I ask, walking toward the door.
“Yeah, this little latch thing got stuck,” he replies, following me into the house.
I sit on the couch, and he places the car seat on the coffee table in front of me. She’s sound asleep when he sits down. I lean my head against his shoulder, and he rests his head against mine. Neither of us can do anything but look at her, watch her sleep.
He chuckles. “She sleeps the same way you do.”
“How’s that?” I ask.
“You pooch your lips out like that too.”
I smack his chest. “What are we going to do with this little baby?” I ask. I still find myself scared when she cries.
He shrugs. “I have no idea. I have a feeling we’ll learn as she does. I mean, do any parents know what they’re doing? It’s all guesswork, trial and error.”
I smile. “I guess you’re right.”
I lean forward, wanting to take her out of the car seat to hold her, but he pulls my hands back. “You get some sleep for a little while. I’ll watch Hannah.”
“I’m not tired,” I argue.
“Then go take a shower and put on some clean clothes. Get something to eat. Let me bond with my little girl.”
I smile but stand and leave them alone. I walk into the kitchen and make a pot of regular coffee. Just the thought of caffeine gets me excited. The coffee pot quickly brews it, and I pour a cup, topping it off with cream and sugar. I exit the kitchen with my cup in hand, intending on going up to the bedroom to shower and change, but pause when I hear him talking to Hannah.
“You’re not going to be too tough on your dear old dad, are ya?” he asks her softly.
“You know, one of these days, Mommy’s last name is going to be the same as ours. What do you think about that?”
I smile as I lean against the wall and listen in.
“As soon as we can get grandma to babysit, I’m going to steal Mommy away for a couple hours and marry her. Is that okay with you? I promise I’ll bring her back. I love you and Mommy so much, Hannah.”
I make my way up the stairs with my smile still in place.
Epilogue
Callan-Two Months Later
“I don’t know if I can leave her, Callan,” Val whines as she places Hannah in her car seat.
“She’ll be fine. It’s only for a couple of hours so we can get dinner.” I pick up the diaper bag and the car seat holding the baby.
Valerie pulls on her jacket and follows me to the door.
I place the car seat into the car and toss the diaper bag into the floorboard before climbing behind the wheel.
The drive to her mom’s house doesn’t take long but getting Val out of there without Hannah is another story. A good hour later, I pull her from the house and get her in the car. I climb behind the wheel and twist the key.
“You think she’ll be okay?” she asks.
“She’ll be fine, Valerie. Just relax. Breathe. Look around. It’s just you and me again. Remember this?” I joke, driving to the airport.
She doesn’t catch on until I’m parking the car. She looks around in a panic. “I thought we were going to dinner. What are we doing here?”
“I didn’t say where we were going for dinner,” I reply, stepping out of the car.
She jumps out and chases after me. “Callan, I have to be home tonight!”
“We will be. Will you just chill? Come on.” I take her hand and pull her to the small private plane I rented for the day.
I greet the pilot and pay him for his services before we’re shown inside the plane.
“Take off is in five. Better buckle up,” he says, making his way to the cockpit.
I take the seat next to Val, and we both pull on our seatbelts. “Did you tell Mom about this?” she asks.
“Of course. And Bennet and Maddie are going to your mom’s to help with Hannah. Everything is fine,” I assure her.
We’re given two glasses of champagne before the plane takes off.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asks, tossing the champagne back.
I laugh. “We’re going to Vegas. Today is the day, Val. I can’t wait another moment to make you my wife.”
She smiles. “We’re getting married?” she asks, tears filling her eyes.
I nod once. “That’s right. Today is the day you become Valerie Gregory. Has quite the rings to it, doesn’t it?”
She laughs. “Sounds a little silly. I might have to hyphenate.”
I lean forward and give her a kiss.
“Why’d you wait so long?”
“I wanted to make sure you were cleared by the doctor, and that you had plenty of time with Hannah before asking you to leave her. I know leaving her alone for an hour is stressful on you. I figured leaving her to go to another state would be worse.”
She reaches over and places her hand in mine. “I love you, Callan.”
I lift her hand and press a kiss to it. “I love you more than you’ll ever know, Valerie.”
A few hours later, we’re walking into the casino that also holds the chapel. I filed for our marriage license a week ago, so everything is ready to go. She’s given a cheap bouquet of flowers, and I opt out of renting a tux. I’m wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt while Val is dressed in jeans and a flannel. I want to laugh at our appearance, but I know when I look back on this day, I’ll think it’s perfect. We aren’t exactly a traditional couple, so why would we settle for a traditional wedding?
When the music starts and the doors open, I can’t do anything but watch her walk toward me. She’s beautiful, with her long, dark curls flowing down around her. She’s wearing a wide smile, and her eyes are shining bright. The moment she stops next to me, I can’t control myself. I have to lean in and kiss her. She laughs against my lips, but that doesn’t stop her from kissing me back.
We go through the whole process of repeating our vows, and finally, I get to the slide the gold band onto her finger next to her engagement ring.
“You may now kiss your bride,” the minister says, and he doesn’t have to tell me twice. I pull her against me and kiss her hard and passionately.
The music starts up again, and we walk down the aisle. She turns over the bouquet, and we’re handed our marriage certificate. I lead her from the chapel into the elevator.
“Where are we going? When is our flight home?”
“Not for a couple more hours. I got us a room,” I say, turning to face her as I walk her backward. When her back hits the wall and she can no longer escape me, I pull her against me and kiss her like I haven’t kissed her in years. Her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me closer as her thighs wrap around my waist. Keeping one hand on her ass to support her weight, I turn and walk us off the elevator when the doors open. We don’t separate as I walk us down the hall and to our room.
I slide the key into the door, and it beeps, allowing me to twist the handle and walk in. I toss the plastic key card onto a nearby table, and she does the same with our certificate, then we fall into bed, wrapped in each other.
We haven’t had sex since before Hannah was born. We had to wait for her to heal, and then we were both just so tired from taking care of a newborn baby, but tonight is the night. We lose our clothes at lightning speed, and before I can even think about what I’m doing, I’m sliding deep inside of her. I see fireworks behind my eyelids. Her heat and pressure are enough to have me ripping at the seams. There’s no way I can leave her any time soon.
She rolls us over and gets herself on top. My hands fall on her hips, begging her to ride me faster, harder, and when I feel her muscles begin to tighten around me, I thrust up into her harder while she rocks against me. Watching her come is life-changing. She’s beautiful. Her plump lips part with her heavy breathing and her loud moans. Her big chest pushes o
utward, making me want to suck a nipple into my mouth, and her nails dig into my chest, treading a line between pain and pleasure.
When her whimpers have quieted, I roll us back over so I can give to her some more. No way am I ready to be done. I need to be in her, feel her, taste her. I rock my hips against her body, and she can’t do anything but call out my name. When my release begins to rise, I try pushing it back, but she feels too good. I have to let it go, or I know it will control me anyway. Finally, every muscle tenses and tingles take over my body. My thrusts become rushed and hard, and I let my release go, filling her as I moan against her lips.
We both freeze to allow our bodies to come back down from the high we were riding. When I roll to her side, her body curves against mine. Her hand lands on my chest, and her cheek presses against my shoulder.
“This is perfect, Callan. Thank you,” she whispers.
“Thank you,” I reply.
“For what?” she asks, confused.
“For everything, Val. For giving me a chance, for running to me instead of away from me back then. For giving me a beautiful daughter. For marrying me. For making me the luckiest man alive. Thank you.”
She offers up a small smile. “You’re welcome.” She leans in and kisses me soft and slow.
“I love you,” I whisper against her lips.
“I love you,” she whispers as she climbs back on top of me, rolling her hips until she’s sliding down my length once again with a loud moan.
We spend the rest of our Vegas time in our room. We make love over and over, then take a shower before getting dressed and going back to the airport. I can’t help but watch her on the flight home. She does nothing but sleep, but it’s something I’ve always been fascinated by. The way she breathes, the way she whimpers, the way she looks completely relaxed and happy. I know we have it all, and I could never ask for more.
The plane lands hours later, and I carry Val from the plane to the car. To my surprise, she doesn’t wake when I pull up to her mom’s house either. I leave the car running and lock the doors while I run in and get Hannah. I load the car seat and get behind the wheel to drive home. The entire time, both girls are sound asleep.
His Every Desire (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 37
