Page 13 of SEAL's Patience
Felicity nodded. “In the suitcase. I have a couple I brought for the baby.”
“Good. Quinn will get those out. But I need you to let me move you to the backseat. We can’t do this where you’re wedged against the steering wheel. I’ll help you. It’ll be okay, I promise.”
A myriad of emotions cross the woman’s face before she nodded. As she gripped the steering wheel, she sucked in a breath and slowly eased her body toward the open door.
Another contraction made her grunt in pain and grab her stomach again. Patience couldn’t even imagine the inner strength this woman had to keep it together.
“Will you let me help you?” Quinn asked. His usual fierce expression eased as he spoke to Felicity.
“Yes, thank you,” Felicity said through a groan.
“Let me get the back door open first. Give me a minute.”
CHAPTER 7
PATIENCE
Patience shifted out of Quinn’s way as he moved toward the rear door. It didn’t look damaged by the accident, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t.
“I’m going to pull it open now. Brace yourself in case the car shifts. You too, Patience. If it rolls, back out of the way.” Quinn waited for their nods, then reached inside to unlock the door, then yanked on the handle. Relief filled Patience as it opened easily.
“Okay, Felicity. Put your hands on my shoulders,” Quinn said as he reached for her.
Patience clung to the open driver’s door as he mostly lifted Felicity in his arms. As he settled her into the backseat, Patience crawled into the front seat and pulled the suitcase from the floor on the passenger side.
“You shouldn’t have gotten in the car. I would have grabbed it,” Quinn growled. Taking it from her, he opened it to pull out the blankets. One was obviously handmade; the other was a baby-pink fleece.
Grabbing them from Quinn, she sighed. “It’s fine. Now, how about you give us some space? I need to check on our patient. In fact, why don’t you call about the status of the ambulance?”Damn.The man was more caveman than she thought, and she wouldn’t lie that it turned her on. But now wasn’t the time for any of his posturing. A baby was coming and nothing would stop her.
“Fine.” He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he just nodded and moved away as he pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket.
“Wow, you snared a grumbly one, too,” Felicity remarked.
Patience nodded, but didn’t correct her. Quinn wasn’t hers, not yet. Probably never, if he had anything to say about it.
“I need to check on the baby. Are you okay with me taking off your leggings?”
“Quinn said you’re a doctor?” Felicity asked after her next contraction eased.
“Not quite.”
Felicity’s brow wrinkled with concern or pain. Patience wasn’t sure which.
“I’m almost a doctor, one semester away from graduation. I have helped deliver over twenty babies, though. My parents are both doctors. I helped them for the last four years. Before you ask, no, not here. They work with Doctors without Borders.”
If Felicity didn’t want her to help, she’d understand, but it would be a problem. Nothing was going to stop this child from being born. Timing the contractions at just over a minute apart, Patience figured Felicity would probably be fully dilated.
“Okay. Not like I have much choice, but I trust you.” Felicity huffed through another contraction.
“Lean back and try to get comfortable, okay? Do you know the sex of the baby?” Patience waited for her to settle, then lifted her coat and sweater up to reach for the waistband of her leggings. Surprised to find them dry, Felicity must have changed after her water broke. As she dragged them down her legs, she felt Felicity tense with another contraction.
“Yes, a girl.”
Patience quickly pulled the leggings off and slid them under Felicity’s butt as she shifted her feet to rest on the car seat. She waited for the contraction to subside, then spread her legs.
After sucking in a breath at the sight, she schooled her expression and smiled as she met Felicity’s gaze.
“I hope you’re ready to meet your daughter.”
