Page 38 of The Norcross Rescue

“Vander—”

He squeezed her hand. “Right here, Detective. Right where I’m supposed to be.”

When her muscles squeezed again, Brynn bore down. She almost broke Vander’s fingers, pushed back into Rhys, and made a low, animalistic sound.

“That’s it, Brynn,” her husband murmured. “You’re doing it.”

Pain flared, bright and hot, then a gush. Vander let go of her hand to reach between her legs.

“One more push,” he said.

She squeezed with everything she had.

Then, the man who owned her heart, cradled their newborn baby to his chest.

There was awe and wonder on his handsome face. Blood and amniotic fluid smeared his already ruined shirt as he stared down at their child.

Siv jogged up the stairs, her arms filled with stuff, and stumbled to a halt. “Oh, my God. Brynn, you did it.”

Vander looked at Brynn over their baby’s head. “She sure did. She was magnificent.”

Tiredly, she leaned into Rhys, who was laughing, and smiled at her husband.

A moment later, Saxon arrived with the paramedics.

A burly, tattooed male paramedic smiled. “Well, looks like you all took care of the hard part for us. How about we get mom and baby sorted out and cleaned up?”

“Wait,” Brynn said. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

Vander blinked. “I don’t know.”

The paramedic reached out. “Why don’t⁠—?”

Vander’s arms tightened and he glared at the man.

The paramedic held his gloved hands up, his ruddy face filled with amusement. “How about you keep holding the baby?”

Vander looked at the baby, then looked back at Brynn. “We have a daughter.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

All the panic, fear, and adrenaline of the night had finally faded away.

Vander stayed right beside Brynn, holding onto their daughter, as the paramedics cut the umbilical cord, then checked Brynn over.

Brynn’s hair was a tangled mess, but he thought she’d never looked more beautiful. Siv handed him a blanket and he wrapped the baby in it. Then once Brynn was settled, he carefully placed their baby girl on her mother’s chest.

“Look what we made, Vander,” she breathed, stroking the little girl’s shock of black hair.

Yeah, he still couldn’t believe it. The tiny girl was gorgeous.

“We have a gurney down one level,” the paramedic said. “We’ll bring a stretcher up.” He watched them and smiled. “In a moment.”

Vander slid his arm around his wife and she leaned into him. The baby seemed content, making a few little noises. God, he thought he’d understood love when Brynn had exploded into his carefully ordered world, but seeing this tiny life, their tiny life, he felt something so big and profound.

“Thank you.” He kissed the side of Brynn’s head.

“You’re welcome.” Her lips quirked. “You’ve been worth all the trouble.”