Naughty & Nice

by J. S. Scott

  "Okay, well, this isn't bad weather for me, so why don't we put her in my car and I'll drive her to the hospital?" Kenna asked as she looked around for her purse.

  "I'm afraid that that is no longer an option. Paige, how long have you been having contractions?" Emma asked her.

  "I didn't know they were contractions. I had Braxton Hicks contractions for so long that I just ignored them. Then when I got sore and achy I thought it was from doing some things I guess I shouldn't have yesterday." Paige shrugged, "so I guess about 8 hours or so."

  "That's what I thought. We won't have time to take you to the hospital. What's upstairs?"

  "My old apartment. Bed, couch, kitchen, ahhh!" Paige trailed off as another contraction washed over her.

  "Let's go boys." Emma ordered.

  They looked back at her with blank faces. Men.

  "Someone needs to help her up those stairs."

  "We got this!" Dani said as she and Kenna came to their friend's side and pushed Cole and Cy out of the way. "Come on Paige. Let's get you upstairs. We'll cover as much as we can in between contractions. Move!"

  As Kenna wrapped her arm around her friend, the front door banged open. An out-of-breath John Wolfe lumbered through the door dressed as Santa Claus. Unlike Cy, his large round stomach and bushy eyebrows were the real deal.

  "I heard Paige was in labor and got here as soon as I could," he panted. John looked up at Cy. "I thought I was supposed to be Santa Claus?"

  Kenna felt her mouth start to open, but she decided to close it. There were no words to describe John's innate ability to know everything in town. Wire taps or alien mindreading were the only things she could think of to describe it. Although, Kenna couldn't decide what she was more surprised about—the fact that John didn't know Cy was going to be here or that John didn't show up five minutes ago to inform Paige she was about to go into labor.

  Paige grunted and Kenna turned her attention back to her. Kenna and Dani had their arms around Paige as they made it up three stairs before the next contraction stopped her. By the time they got upstairs, Annie and the Roses had found her room and laid towels down on her old bed.

  "Thank you. Will someone whip my husband into shape? Give him the bourbon Cade got for Christmas, whatever it takes to get that stupid look off his face," Paige managed to say after the next contraction.

  "You got it." Miss Daisy hurried out the room.

  Chapter Ten

  Dani was so worried she thought she'd lose her lunch, but she just helped her friend onto the bed and held Paige's hand with Annie and Kenna as Dr. Francis examined her. Envy, joy, sadness, and elation rolled over her. She and Kenna made sure Paige was all set and then quietly snuck out as the room filled with people. If Paige needed them, they would just be downstairs. She figured the Roses and Paige's family had everything under control and Annie was there to keep order. Besides, she just didn't think she could take watching a baby being born knowing she might not have one of her own. The pressure was just too much on her right now. With one last look she closed the door and headed downstairs.

  "The head's down. You're going to have a baby by Christmas." Emma announced.

  "Cole was turning in circles saying something about a bag and a focal point. Then he walked out the door. I sent Cy after him, but I brought reinforcements." Miss Daisy said as Marcy, Cade, and Ahmed hurried in.

  Annie watched as Marcy rushed to her daughter's side and in smooth, quiet words started Lamaze with her. After six kids, it came as second nature to her. She sure hoped Marcy was there when she went into labor. Cade came and stood next to her.

  "How are you doing?" he whispered to her.

  "Good," she replied. "Poor Paige. I want to be heavily medicated when my time comes."

  "You on drugs? That could be fun."

  "I need to go to the bathroom. The kid's on my bladder again. I'll get a cool cloth for Paige and be right back."

  "You're a brother and to-be-uncle, get up there and support your sister." Emma barked pointing to where she wanted Cade to stand. "You? What are you doing here?" she asked Ahmed.

  "I have years of field experience, I thought I could assist if you need." Ahmed answered in a cool professional voice.

  "You've delivered a baby before?" Emma looked over the man standing before her. He looked very strong. His muscles pulled tightly against the sleeves of his dress shirt and he carried himself as if he knew the world would part for him if he told it to. Ahmed had applied some gel to control the slight wave in his neatly trimmed black hair. But it was his cold, serious, almost black eyes that sent a shiver through Emma. She thought a baby might jump back inside out of fear at this dangerous looking man if he delivered a baby.

  "No, but I've set broken bones, amputated limbs, and done other surgeries with little more than a knife."

  "Let's see what you're made of then, hot shot." Emma smiled. This was going to be fun. She thrived on chaos and this was chaos in its purest form. She looked up from where she was spreading out the tools Noodle had brought in before sneaking out again to see Annie come out of the bathroom. "Annie? What's the matter? You don't look good."

  Ahmed ran to her side along with Cade to steady her as she swayed. "I don't know. The baby is just on my bladder and the pressure is really bothering me."

  "Well, let's take a quick look. Just sit there on the chair. When are you due?"

  "Not for another week," she told Dr. Francis.

  "Ahmed, bring me the flashlight." Ahmed opened a drawer and pulled one out. He brought it over and tried to hand it to her. "I need you to hold it right here so I can take a quick peek. Let me just do a fast exam and make sure everything is okay."

  "Sure." Annie turned to Ahmed, "You say one thing, Ahmed, and I don't care what kind of mysterious badass you are. I will kill you."

  Ahmed just grinned and bent down to hold the flashlight for Dr. Francis. Annie felt as Dr. Francis started the exam and then with a whoosh her water broke. Dr. Francis just grinned as she pulled off her gloves. Ahmed's eyes fluttered and then rolled back into his head. With a crash he fainted to the ground, the flashlight falling from his hand.

  "It's always the toughest men that fall first. Wimps," Dr. Francis said nonchalantly. "I passed a spare room, someone go make it up. We’ve got two at once here."

  Cade helped Annie to her feet and she stepped over Ahmed's unconscious form to follow Miss Lily into the guest room.

  "Go get Katelyn. She has medical training." Marcy suggested.

  "She'll do better than Soldier Boy over there and I'll need the help." Emma said as she ripped off her wet top and pulled on one of Paige's old t-shirts.

  Katelyn stood with the rest of the now excited group anxiously waiting to hear if Paige had her baby. Miss Lily opened the door and smiled as she hurried down the stairs. She just bet Miss Lily and her sisters loved this. They'd retell the story at least a thousand times before the New Year.

  "Katelyn, dear. Do you have your veterinary bag with you?" Miss Lily asked as she quickly walked toward her.

  "Yes. Is Emma out of gauze or something?"

  "No. We need another doctor. Annie's gone in labor too!"

  "I don't think I can be much help. My patients all have four legs."

  "A baby is a baby. Come on, let's go." Miss Lily pulled her arm as Marshall ran to the car for her bag.

  Katelyn hurried up the stairs as the gossip below grew to deafening levels. She had no idea what to do. She guessed it was somewhat similar to the dogs and the one or two horses she had delivered, but there was no way that qualified her to deliver Annie's baby. It wasn't until she was halfway upstairs that she even realized Chrystal had followed. Good. Annie would need family support to get through this.

  When she got to the room, Dr. Francis had everything spread out. The second Emma saw her she started a straightforward diagnostic. She was fully dilated and ready to push. The baby's head was close to crowning.

  "What do I do?" Katelyn asked as she took note of the equipment on ha
nd and added her own to it when Marshall shoved her medical bag in her hand.

  "Catch." And with that Dr. Francis left the room.

  Emma pulled on a new set of gloves and sat at the foot of the bed. "Come on Paige, push."

  "It hurts!" she screamed.

  "Of course it does, that's why it's a woman's job," Marcy joked quietly.

  "Here's the dad!" Cy pushed Cole into the room.

  Cole raced to his wife's side and picked up her hand. "I'm so sorry I panicked. I just went blank. I couldn't remember a single thing they told us in the birthing classes." He placed a kiss on her forehead and didn't even scream when Paige squeezed his hand so hard it nearly broke a bone during the next contraction.

  "Push! Hold it, hold it." Emma looked up at the sexy, rippled six-pack of Cy. "Oh for the love of god, put on a shirt. I can't concentrate with all that right here. Okay, good Paige, one last push."

  Katelyn scrubbed her hands and arms in the bathroom down the hall from the guest bedroom. If only Annie could hold off until after Paige had her baby so that Dr. Francis could handle the delivery. By the screaming going on in the room, she didn't think that was going to be the case.

  "Okay Katelyn. You got this. Just catch. That's easy enough, right?" She looked into the mirror and saw the doubt on her face.

  "Doc, you better hurry!" she heard Cade call from the room.

  She didn't have time to be insecure. Annie must be terrified and she had to at least appear like she knew what she was doing. Miss Lily and Miss Violet were in the room with her. Miss Violet, with her grandmotherly appearance, worked hard along with Chrystal to sooth Annie. Cade was doing everything he could to not get yelled at. He was facing his wife's head and coaching her to breathe. At the end of every contraction he'd pump her up, telling her how great she was doing and that she was almost there. It was the sweetest thing Katelyn had ever seen.

  "You ready to meet your baby, Annie?" Katelyn asked as she pulled on her gloves.

  "You. Bet. Your. Ass." Annie panted.

  "Then let's do this. Push hard for me with the next contraction."

  Jake Davies stood at the bottom of the stairs with two of his five sons, Pierce and Marshall. Miles, his oldest, was going to be so upset he missed this. But Miles had something he needed to do and Jake just hoped it helped his son find the peace he deserved. Jake took a sip of his drink and looked at his sons. They were all grown up and now he was about to become a grandfather. He didn't feel like a grandfather. When he looked at his wife, Marcy, he still felt like the teenager he was when they met.

  Now his wife, ever so strong, quiet, and secure, was upstairs helping his daughter have a baby. She was so amazing. He knew the second he saw her holding his grandchildren he'd cry. He'd have to make sure he stood behind everyone, but he knew Marcy would see. She saw everything.

  He took a seat at the bottom of the stairs and waited. After six times, this waiting felt like an old hat. Pierce and Marshall paced back and forth and he smiled to himself. He did that too when Miles and then Marshall were born. For Cade and the rest, he was in the room with Marcy from start to finish. Before he had been kicked out during the hard labor and only brought back in for the birth. His sweet girl had a mouth on her and used it to full force during the first two births and had kicked him out of the room for 'doing this' to her. When Cade came it was so fast she didn't have time to get mad at him or kick him out.

  His son-in-law, Cole had fallen apart there for a minute, but he stepped back up. He was a good husband to his little girl and Jake knew he'd be a good father. What else could he ask for? Thank goodness Cy was here though to maneuver him back upstairs, after giving him three fingers of bourbon.

  Marcy had thought she was so clever. That she was the only one who knew Cy was Santa. Did she not expect a father to know his own son? But he let her have her enjoyment of relishing that she thought she was the only one to know who it was. More importantly, he was glad Cy was here for Paige. They were the closest of siblings and maybe being part of something like this would finally bring him home to them. He missed his son fiercely, but all boys needed their own time to become men. It was just hard to watch them go and hang on to the hope that they'd come back.

  Jake stood up when he heard Paige's scream. Everyone downstairs went quiet. There it was. It was faint, but he heard it nonetheless. His first grandchild was crying. He looked down at his watch, it was 12:01 am. It was the best Christmas gift he'd ever received. The town erupted in cheers, but was cut short by Annie's shout. Again, the town went quiet, inching their way closer to the stairs. He strained his ears but didn't hear anything.

  He looked down at his watch. It had been thirty seconds. He should've heard crying. He placed his foot on the stair, the feeling that he had to save his grandchild so strong it was pulling him up the stairs until he heard it. It started off as a whisper but within seconds his grandchild's wails could be heard throughout town. He or she must take after Annie. He felt the first tear slide down his face.

  Chapter Eleven

  Cole stared at the round face snuggled against his wife's chest and feelings of love and happiness overtook him. He reached out and slowly ran one finger over his son's soft cheek. He had a head full of black hair and hazel eyes.

  Paige was soaked with sweat, but still managed to pull off a look of pure serenity. It was amazing how fast it had come. The second their son was placed in her arms she transformed. She was glowing. She was beautiful and he couldn't be any prouder of her.

  "Do you want to hold him?" she asked quietly as she stroked his hair.

  "Can I?"

  "Of course, Daddy." Paige held up their son and placed him in his arms. "Cole, meet your son, Ryan Parker."

  "Hi, Ryan. I'm so glad to finally meet you." His son reached out and touched his nose and he felt a joy he never knew was possible.

  "What happened?" a voice from across the room asked.

  "You fainted like a girl, hot shot." Dr. Francis answered as she took off her gloves.

  "I don't faint," Ahmed said with a chill to his voice, challenging anyone to say otherwise.

  "Oh yes you did. Don't worry, I have video on my phone to prove it," Miss Daisy laughed.

  "We'll discuss that later."

  Annie bit her lip and watched as Katelyn cleaned off her baby. She was exhausted, but now the fear set in. Would she drop the baby? Annie had no clue what she'd do with it. Katelyn wrapped a towel around the red-haired bundle and handed her to Annie.

  Annie looked down into her daughter’s eyes and felt peace. Her fear went away as her daughter screamed like a banshee only to stop when she grabbed her mother's finger and stuck it in her mouth.

  "You were amazing sweetheart," Cade whispered as he sat next to her in bed.

  "I couldn't have done it without you. I didn't even have to shoot you."

  She placed their daughter in his arms and saw the love in his eyes. Cade was going to be the best father. She looked up when she heard a quiet knock on the door and then saw Marcy and Dr. Francis walk in. Marcy already had tears in her eyes as she saw her son holding her granddaughter.

  "Mom, meet Sophie Davies. Sophie, meet your grandma." Cade placed Sophie in his mother's arms and pulled Annie against his chest. "How's Paige?"

  "I'm pleased to tell you that you're a proud aunt and uncle to a beautiful baby boy named Ryan," Marcy told them as she kissed her granddaughter on the forehead.

  Dani, Mo, Kenna and Will were talking to Katelyn's father and grandparents when the door at the top of the stairs opened. Miss Lily hurried to the top of the stairs along with a still shirtless Cy wearing nothing but Santa pants and hat.

  "Honey, you're staring," Mo whispered to her. "Do I need to take you home and remind you who you're married to?"

  "Hmmm. Yes, please." She blushed when she felt his hand slide down her back and squeeze her ass all while his face betrayed nothing.

  Kenna elbowed her and leaned toward her. Dani lowered her head and waited for Kenna to say something,
but her friend just kept staring at Cy. She knew the feeling.

  "I mean, come on. That is just not fair to the other Santa Clauses around the world," Kenna whispered.

  "Why doesn't he have a shirt on? I could at least lend him my pullover," Will Ashton, Kenna’s husband, responded while the girls giggled. He and Mo shared an eye roll at their wives drooling over Cy Davies.

  Miss Lily clapped her hands and the crowd went silent with anticipation. Of course, most of the crowd had quieted when the naughty Santa made an appearance. "I am pleased to say that Keeneston has two more residents tonight. What a perfect Christmas miracle! I'll let Uncle Cy here tell you about it, but just know that babies, mothers, and fathers are all doing well. Also, sorry to those of you who bet that Annie would shoot, stab, or otherwise injure Cade during labor. Come to the café on the 27th to collect any winnings." Miss Lily stepped back to the groans of the losers and the cheers of the few victors. Apparently most people bet in favor of maiming or other violence.

  "Merry Christmas everyone! I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to speak to each of you before the action started. I love being back in Keeneston and am so thrilled that for the short time I'm back I got to see all of you," Cy began. "More importantly, I couldn't be happier to be here for the birth of Paige's son, Ryan, and Cade's daughter, Sophie. It was the best Christmas present this Santa could ever have."

  Cheer erupted. Toasts were made. Betting lines at the café were being discussed all around them. Dani hugged Kenna and then she and Mo quietly excused themselves when Ahmed made his way downstairs.

  "It's okay sweetheart, our time will come," Mo whispered into Dani's ear. He kept her pulled tight against him as they made their way to their car.