Page 18 of Blizzard Babies
“What time is it?” I ask. “What time was she born?”
“Three seventeen,” one of the firemen calls out.
“Darn. I lost my own damn birth pool.”
Gage laughs. “I don’t think anyone picked a date this early.”
“She’s really early, isn’t she?” I look around, suddenly worried again. “Is she okay?”
“We’ll be at the hospital soon, but she’s a big girl for thirty-six weeks,” someone says. “She looks fine to me. Her lungs are definitely healthy.”
My sweet baby hasn’t stopped crying.
“We never finalized a name,” Gage says. “But I think I have an idea now.”
I meet his gaze knowingly. “Charlotte?”
He smiles. “If she hadn’t gotten to that house with WiFi so she could call me, I don’t know how long it would’ve been until I found you.”
“Charlotte is pretty,” I say softly. “We can call her Lotty, or Char when she gets older.”
He nods. “Yes.” He bends his head and softly kisses me. “You scared the crap out of me, woman.”
“I scared the crap out of myself.”
“I love you, Laurel.”
“Love you too.” I close my eyes, eternally grateful for this man who’ll move heaven and earth for me. To find us in time. He and Charli are both heroes in my book. I might even give her husband an extra day off when he gets back to Anchorage.
Nah.
That might make me look soft to the other guys.
“What are you smiling about?” Gage asks.
I chuckle. “Whether or not I’m going to give Miikka any extra time off.”
He bursts out laughing.
“Only you would be thinking about work at a time like this.”
Chapter 10
Charli
I’m in bed, half-asleep, when I hear the garage door open.
Despite the late hour and how miserable I am, I jump out of bed and hurry downstairs.
“Charli!” Miikka opens his arms, and I practically fly into them.
It feels like an eternity since he left on the road trip, and I’m so glad he’s home.
“My love.” He brushes kisses along my temple, holding me tightly. “I’ve missed you so.”
“I missed you too,” I murmur against his chest. I breathe in the faint scent of his aftershave and bask in his warmth. It’s been a very long two weeks since he left, and I don’t think I’ll be able to let go.
“Let’s go to bed, okay?” He sweeps me up in his arms and carries me.
