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The back of her head hit the door with a small thump, and she stared at the duct-taped roof lining. “Oh, God. I can’t believe I’m going to give up my underwear to a fast-talking guy with a pretty face. These kinds of decisions are what got me into this mess in the first place.”
Not exactly a heartfelt declaration of trust, especially combined with the lone tear slowly rolling down her flushed, sweat-streaked cheek. Still, he rewarded her reluctant capitulation with a smile. She was being awfully brave in the face of unbelievable stress.
“Would it help if I told you I’m gay?”
Beau returned, handed him a pair of gloves and an I-knew-it look.
“Maybe.” She wiped the tear, sniffled, and lifted her head. “Are you?”
Hunter gloved up and shot her a grin. “Me and this guy”—he cocked his head at Beau—“have been partners for a long time. Say hi, Beau.”
His “partner” leaned over his shoulder and waved. “Hi…?”
“Madisonnnnn. Holy shiiiit.”
Beau dug into the pack and tossed him a sterile drape. After the contraction passed, Hunter said, “Nice to meet you, Madison. I’m Hunter Knox.” He made a point of using her name and his. Things were about to get intimate. Calling her by name told her he saw her as a person—an individual—as well as an active participant in what came next. “I’m going to help you lift your hips so I can slide this little sheet under you. Then we’re going to see what’s going on with this baby. It is just one baby, right?”
“One,” she confirmed on a shaky exhale but cooperated reasonably well while he put the drape under her and whisked her underwear off.
“Done. Good job, Madison.”
She flopped back against the seat. He arranged another sterile drape over her lap to provide her with a small sense of privacy and security. Thankfully, she kept her vehicle clean. He didn’t have to push aside a bunch of “carbage” to get where he needed to be. He worked her dress up to her waist and then finally assessed the situation.
“Hunter, I really need something for the pain now.”
Fuck it, he bet she did. Too bad that time had come and gone. “I can’t, honey. You need to push.”
“No…no…no.” She reached for the tops of the seats and struggled to sit up. “I’m not due yet. I have another three weeks.”
He put his hands on her draped knees to hold her still, and in the most matter-of-fact voice he could muster, explained, “Babies don’t have calendars, Madison. I’ve done this more than once. Trust me, it’s time to push.”
“Do something to keep her in! It’s too soon. What if she can’t…?” The next contraction took hold and she started crying, making zero progress pushing.
Keep her in. What if she can’t? One more detail he filed away. Mom expected a girl—statistically significant information because newborn boys tended to be larger and also at higher risk for complications. But he could gather information and reassure at the same time. “Three weeks is nothing, sweetheart. Counts as full-term. Have you been seeing a doctor every now and then? Have your checkups been good?”
“Yes,” she replied between pants. “I saw my doctor right after Christmas. Everything’s on track. I’m due in three weeks,” she repeated, and her little chin took on a stubborn jut. It lasted until the next contraction set in, and then she moaned through clenched teeth.
Time to get tough with her. “Push, Madison. Right now. Pant and push, gently. Feel my hand? Push against my hand.”
She dropped that stubborn little chin to her chest and bore down. “That’s my girl,” Hunter encouraged as he watched the results. A thousand concerns and precautions ran through his head, but he kept his voice low and steady. “You’re doing great. You’re a natural.”
She clearly disagreed, because as soon as the contraction ended, she sagged back and shook her head. “I can’t. No more. I can’t do this.” Her legs started to tremble.
“Yes you can.” He said the words with an absolute certainty he was a long way from feeling. He had next to no information about the pregnancy, the state of the fetus, and he wasn’t likely to finesse much more from her at this point.
“You want me to get the cot?” Beau asked quietly from behind him.
“Uh-uh. Not yet. My girl Madison’s going to do this, right sweetheart? You’re ready to meet this baby you’ve been taking such good care of for the last nine months. Hold her in your arms and show her what a strong, brave, pretty mama she’s got.”
An exhausted sound halfway between a laugh and a sob met his pep talk. “Hunter, I don’t know if this is obvious, but doing things right isn’t my strong suit. I’ve managed to mess up pretty much…everything. Why would this be any different?”
“It is different.” He responded more sternly than he intended, but he wanted to shove the self-defeating thoughts right out of her head. The rest of her life might be a complete disaster, but she’d seen her doctor regularly, carried the baby to term, and she was doing everything he asked of her. Maybe she didn’t appreciate how often that wasn’t the case, but he did.
“You’re about to do one of the most important, miraculous things a human being can do, and we’re here to make sure everything goes right.” They had her back, and he wanted her to know that. Literally, if necessary. What they really needed right now was a labor coach. His partner was going to kill him, but… “Beau’s going to come around to your side and climb in. He’ll support you while you push, okay? He’s way more comfortable than a hard car door.”
Beau didn’t miss a beat, just hustled over to the other side of the car and got in. She immediately leaned against him.
“That’s right,” his partner spoke gently. “Let me take your weight.” Then, like a fucking mind reader, he shifted her hips forward. Hunter sent him a silent look of thanks. He expected the next contraction any second, and it was go time.
