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Chapter One
“Whatever you do, don’t uncross your legs.”
The woman glared at him, the expression on her reddened face fierce, her lips screwed up in a grimace just before she spoke. “You have got to be kidding me. You’ve got a lot of nerve, ya know? Trying to tell me what to do during the most painful moment of my—” She shrieked, her words lost as she clutched her belly.
Panic filled Wes, and he breathed deep. Okay, maybe the humorous approach wasn’t the right way to handle a woman in full-blown labor, but hell. He didn’t want to admit he was just as freaked as she was. Yeah, he’d been a paramedic for six years and he’d assisted with a couple of deliveries during his training days, but that had been a long time ago and he’d only dealt with the occasional laboring woman.
He definitely hadn’t dealt with one this far in labor—and she was pretty damn far.
Really damn far, as in dilated to nearly ten centimeters and clutching his hand so hard he was afraid she’d squeeze his fingers off. Sweat dampened her brow. Hell, it poured down her face, and she let loose another wail just before she started that panting deal all laboring women did.
She squeezed his hand again hard and acted like she was going to…push.
“No, no, no, don’t do that yet.”
He smiled. He laughed. He cajoled and tried to get her mind off the matter at hand.
She wouldn’t be deterred. She was a woman on a mission to have a baby.
Now.
“First child?” Making idle conversation was best. Her belly rippled. She gnashed her teeth, and—thank Christ the ambulance pulled into the drive that led to the emergency room drop off.
He could hand her off to labor and delivery and all would be well.
“No, dumbass, it’s my third. My husband is out of town with our other two children, visiting his parents.” She bit down on her lower lip, gave a little whimper. “I’m three weeks early. I’m never early. Every one of my babies has been late.”
“This one is just anxious I guess.” He chuckled, and she glared.
Seeing her flushed face, her behavior completely out of control reiterated a recent thought. No babies for him. Ever.
“I’m pushing.” She made the announcement just as the truck screeched to a jolting halt. “I don’t care what you say. I can feel this baby hanging between my legs. I’m pushing.”
He winced. Not the image he wanted in his mind but too late. Not that she cared, and not that he blamed her. “Ma’am, please. We’re at the hospital. We’re here. We can take you up to labor and delivery, and a doctor can guide you through the rest…”
“I don’t need any guidance, I need to get this baby out of me. Now. Oh my God.” The words rushed out of her and she levered herself up on her elbows, practically bending in half. She started grunting, and he knew she was pushing.
That baby was probably going to tumble out and over the stretcher in about two minutes if he didn’t do something about it.
“Shit.” She must have heard his mutter because she started laughing, the crazy woman.
The doors swung open and his partner Evan stood there, his eyes widening when he saw the scene before him. “Holy crap, Wes. Why didn’t you tell me she was this close?”
“She decided on her own she was this close. Get someone and hurry up.” The words hissed out of Wes as he crouched over the woman and made sure she was comfortable. “We’re going to move you out of the ambulance.” She grabbed his hand, which she’d let escape only a moment before, and squeezed it again. Damn, she was strong. “Don’t you dare take me from this ambulance.
The baby is coming. Coming. ”
He looked about the interior of the ambulance wildly, for what he wasn’t sure.
Yeah, he was in full on panic mode. Hustling out of the back of the ambulance, Wes jumped to the ground, glancing around for a sign of someone. Anyone who could come and help him assist this poor, laboring woman who was about to deliver a baby into the world.
Evan had disappeared, the emergency room doors sliding shut with a quiet swoosh, swallowing him whole. He better be on the lookout and bring someone back pronto.
Wes didn’t want to do this alone.
The woman screamed, the sound ripping through the air. Wes turned and saw that her legs were spread. She’d somehow torn off her underwear and, Lord help him, his gaze went unerringly to her crotch.
Saw the dark head peeking out between her legs.
His skin went ice cold, and his head swam. He felt dizzy. Dizzy. What the hell was wrong with him?
Gentle fingers touched his forearm and a sweet-as-honey voice asked, “Do you need help?”
He glanced down, and the world seemed to stop. All he saw was her—pretty and petite and with the smile of an angel, an angel clad in pale blue scrubs.
Half tempted to bow before her and kiss her feet, he nodded instead. “She’s about to give birth.”
“Haven’t you ever assisted a woman in labor before?” Her voice was calm as she climbed into the back of the ambulance and checked between the woman’s legs. “Oh, dear. He’s coming right now, isn’t he?”
“How’d you know it’s a boy?” The woman stopped her huffing and puffing and grunting and groaning to stare at the angel nurse in awe.
“Oh, I know these things.” His newfound angel gently pushed the hem of the woman’s dress up to her hips and then rested her hands on the inside of the woman’s knees. “I deliver babies all the time. I think with a couple of pushes, you’ll have that boy in your arms, no problem.”
Relief flooded Wes and he leaned against the edge of the truck, watching the nurse work with quiet, calm efficiency. It was as if she’d fallen into his lap. A labor and delivery nurse—he couldn’t have asked for anyone better.
“Okay, I don’t want you to push. I want you to wait until you feel the next contraction, all right?” Her measured tone calmed even him down. She turned, her pale blue gaze meeting his and it was as if he’d been zapped by a bolt of lightning. “D
o you have any gloves?”
“Of course.” He scrambled back into the ambulance and assisted her, giving her what she needed as she asked for it. Watched with silent awe when she snapped on the gloves and checked the baby, then skimmed her fingers over the woman’s massive belly.
“I can feel the contraction,” she murmured, her fingers at the bottom slope of the woman’s protruding stomach. “Now push. Work with the contraction, don’t fight it.” The woman closed her eyes and pushed with all her might, no more grunting, hardly any sound coming from her whatsoever. The complete calm that had come over the ambulance and everyone inside it signaled an almost majestic event.
The baby spilled out and into the hands of his angelic nurse. She cleaned the little red bundle’s mouth and nose, her movements efficient and quick. The baby let forth a rusty squall, and she set him on his mother’s chest.
“We were right. It’s a boy.”
The new mother touched the baby’s head with wonder, tears springing into her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered to the nurse, her voice raw. The baby stopped squirming, and she cradled her newborn son in her arms.
“You’re welcome.” The nurse smiled, dimples appearing in each cheek, and Wes couldn’t help but feel moved by the entire situation.
The nurse acted as if she witnessed miracles like this for a living—which she did.
“You were amazing,” he murmured, not wanting to disturb the mother as they started cleaning as best they could. He wondered where the hell Evan had taken off to and where was the help that was supposed to be arriving?
