Page 94 of You're All I Need

“Well, then you better grab your coat and keys, because I probably need to be at the hospital soon.”

He runs over to the front entrance closet, shoving his arms into the sleeves of his coat quicker than I’ve ever seen someone try to do before. “How far apart are the contractions?” he asks, slipping his feet into his boots.

“Just under five minutes.”

He pauses and looks up at me with wide eyes. “Five minutes? That’s so…close!”

I give him a tight smile, feeling another contraction coming on. “I know, but they said not to come in until they were about five minutes apart. I didn’t want you to stress while we waited.”

“So you didn’t tell me at all?” he says in a panic. I reach for his hand and give it a squeeze, breathing through the contraction. When it’s finally passed, he adds, “You said you were reading.”

“I was,” I insist. “And don’t be mad, but I needed just a little time to be alone. I’m about to push a watermelon out of my vagina, and I wanted a few minutes just to be calm.”

His eyes are wild as he continues to try to tie his boots. If it weren’t so hard for me to get back up once I was down, I’d just do it for him. “And you’re saying I’m not calm?” he asks frantically, finally getting the second boot tied and standing up.

I reach over, running my hand down his cheek. “We’ve got this, cowboy.”

He holds my gaze and finally smiles. “I’m supposed to be the one who keepsyoucalm.”

“And you will. I’ve got the best coach and baby daddy in the world.”

“Damn right you do, sugar,” he says, slamming his lips against mine in a hard, fierce kiss. “Now get that sexy ass in the SUV so we can go have a baby.”

We leave the house, making sure the door is locked as we go. The April air is cool, but I don’t really pay much attention to it. Right now, my focus is getting to the hospital and settled before this baby is born in a vehicle.

“Caden,” I say gently, as we blow through a stop sign. When he doesn’t respond, I repeat, “Caden? Let’s not get into an accident, okay?”

That seems to catch his attention as he lets up on the gas pedal a little bit. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry. I’m just…excited. And nervous.”

I reach over and take his hand, entwining our fingers together. “Me too.”

We make it to the hospital safely, and when he stops in front of the main entrance, he jumps out. I have the door open, but he’s right there, taking my hand and helping me move toward the automatic doors.

“Yes, hello, I’m having a baby!” he blurts out, earning a chuckle from the woman at the front desk.

“You are?” she asks, glancing down at his stomach with humor-filled eyes.

“Well, no, not me, but my…my…”

“His girlfriend is having a baby,” I interject.

“Yes, her. My girlfriend,” Caden adds.

“Right this way, mama,” the woman says softly, walking over to grab a wheelchair. “Have a seat and I’ll take you.” Turning to Caden, she adds, “Go out and park your vehicle in the main lot. You can meet us in Labor and Delivery.”

He nods, turning and bolting away. Suddenly, he stops and runs back. He leans down and presses his mouth to mine. “I’ll be right back. I love you.” Then, he’s gone again, running off to move the vehicle.

“First time dad?” the woman asks, pushing me toward the hallway where I’ll be admitted.

“That obvious, huh?” I ask with a chuckle.

“The first timers always make me smile.” She pushes the call button to request admittance to the wing where I’ll be delivering our baby. “Good luck to you, dear.”

“Thank you,” I reply, as a nurse pushes me inside and to the counter.

By the time Caden joins me, I’m registered and getting settled in my room. He’s by my side immediately, encouraging me to breathe through the contractions and offering as much support as possible.

“I sent messages to the list,” he informs me. As part of our pre-baby planning, we made a list of the few people we wantedto inform when I went into labor. The only ones planning to come to the hospital now are Jack, Stevie, and Scarlet. My mom already has her boss on notice and will be heading to town soon, while my uncle Gary will wait until I’m back home to come meet his nephew. Scarlet is going to keep her and Caden’s parents informed, as well as Gram, who all agreed to wait until after the baby is born to come meet him, so they don’t overwhelm us and overcrowd the waiting room.

---