Page 86 of Penn

“Anything.”

“When the baby’s born, they’re going to have the paperwork for the birth certificate.”

He nods. “Yeah, that’s typically how it works. Or so I’m told.”

“Would you want to… sign it?”

Penn freezes, and for a second, I don’t think he breathes. His eyes search mine, and I worry I’ve asked too much. That I’ve finally found the line to cross.

“You really mean that, Dixie?” he asks, his voice cracking slightly. “You want me to sign his birth certificate?”

“I want you to be his dad, Penn. On paper. You’re already his dad in every way that matters.”

A smile spreads across his face, and he leans forward to kiss me. “I don’t know if I could want anything more, Dixie. I already told you that you both became mine our first night together.”

“And that’s why I know you’re his dad. I want him to be strong, loyal, and know how to build things better than he can break them. Just like you.”

“I love you so much,” he whispers and kisses me. “And I can’t wait to meet our son.”

“Soon,” I promise.

Or maybe it’s a prayer. Either way, I want to go home with both of my boys as soon as possible.

Chapter 33

Penn

Every muscle in my body is coiled tightly, buzzing with a useless energy that makes me want to rip the bedrail off the bed. Dixie’s face is pale and covered with sweat from hours of being in labor.

“Alright, Dixie,” Dr. Alvarez says, positioned at the bottom of the bed. “We’re ready to push. The next time we feel a contraction, I want you to take a deep breath and push.”

I’m not the biggest fan of having another man down between her bare legs like this, but it’s not something I can really control. She had Dr. Alvarez as her OB/GYN before I came into the picture as more than just her bodyguard.

Dixie pants, her chest heaving under the thin cotton gown, and her fingers dig into my palm. The girl has one hell of a grip. I was pretty sure she was going to break my hand when I first walked into the room. She both impressed and terrified me.

“Penn,” she gasps, and I know she’s scared.

The truth is, I am, too. I can only imagine what it must be like to push a child out of her body, but I can’t wait to meet this little boy. How can I love someone I haven’t met so much yet?

“I got you,” I promise. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Reaching down, I cup the back of her left thigh when she groans as the contraction hits, and I lift to give her better leverage. Her skin is beyond hot, and her body vibrates with the strain of what she’s demanding her body do. Brenda grabs her right leg, giving us both nods of encouragement.

“Deep breath, Dixie,” Brenda says. “Inhale, hold it, and push down like you’re breaking through a wall.”

Dixie lets out a low, ragged groan that turns into a guttural scream as she curls herself forward. The tendons in her neck stand out, and her face flushes a deep crimson. She pushes with everything she has, and I wish I could take some of this off her plate. Take some of the pain and strain to give her a break.

“Keep going,” the doctor says, his hands at her opening. “Push, push, push. Ten seconds. You’re doing great.”

I watch the sheer agony and determination on Dixie’s face, and I honestly have no idea how women do this. As many fights as I’ve been in, I’ve never seen anyone fight this hard before.

The contraction breaks, and she falls back against the pillows, gasping. Her hair is damp and tangled, but she looks absolutely gorgeous.

“That’s it, baby,” I whisper, leaning over to kiss her sweaty forehead. I grab a cup of water with a straw and hold it out for her to take a drink. “You’re doing so good.”

“It’s so much,” she says. “I think he’s stuck.”

“He’s not stuck,” I say, setting the water glass back down. “He’s coming. He wants to meet his mom just as badly as she wants to meet him. Just a little longer, Dixie. We’re doing this together.”