Chapter Four

“M eet me?” Was Bernie the no-show birth mom? This was a potential meet-cute on steroids.

“It’s starting again!” The fear in Bernie’s eyes punched him in the chest. “Stay with me.”

Sandwiching Bernie’s hands between his own, he swallowed his concerns. “Bernie, we’re here for you. You’re in good hands with Susan.”

“I sure hope so, because it’s gonna get real personal.”

“You’re fully dilated, plus one, head presentation.” Susan pulled off her gloves before donning a new pair.

“What does that even mean?” Ben craned his neck.

“The baby is starting down the birth canal just like it’s supposed to. Bernie, you’re on your side. Is this the position you want to stay in?”

“I think so.” She gritted her teeth.

Respectfully moving Bernie’s skirt up to her belly button, Susan explained, “You can lie on your side, on your back, be on all fours, child’s pose, whatever you’re the most comfortable being. You deliver in any position. Change as needed.”

The thick smells of sweat, labor, coffee, and whatever was in that machine behind the counter with dancing pepper on the side mixed in the air around them, but Reynolds held on to the memory of Susan’s sweet-scented shampoo.

“Doesn’t she have to lie on her back?” Ben watched from across the room, intermittently pausing to check a still-unconscious Carl.

“We do what’s comfortable for the mother.” Susan readied for Bernie’s next contraction. “You’re almost there.”

Bernie wearily pushed herself up on her elbow. “It’s almost over?”

Joyful anticipation filled Reynolds’s chest at the child’s arrival, especially hearing it wasn’t a breach or face-first presentation. “This is one of my favorite things.”

Bernie frowned at him. “Glad you’re having fun, Fr?ulein Maria, but having my crazy-haired hooch out for the world to see on the cold, hard floor of this pit isn’t gonna make me sing happy, annoying-as-shit tunes.”

“I’m sorry. What can I do to help?”

“Go away.” She held his hand tighter, and he stayed put.

“Whatever you need.”

“I don’t want to do this alone.”

“You won’t.”

Without warning, she grabbed Susan’s hand and placed it with hers and Reynolds’s. “I don’t want my baby to be alone.”

The pain in the girl’s voice pierced his resolve. “We won’t let that happen.”

“You won’t?” Bernie whimpered as another wave of winds rattled the front doors.

What are you doing? You can’t promise her anything.

Yet, before he could correct himself, Susan gave their hand pile a gentle squeeze. “We won’t.”

Again, Reynolds took the brunette in. A confident calm emulated from her, a necessary quality for a midwife. Yet, when she looked at him, her eyes swam with… hope.

Guess my adoption plan didn’t scare her away. “Susan’s right. We won’t.”

Through tears, Bernie pounded her fist on the floor. “Now that stupid fucking song’s stuck in my head. ‘My Favorite Things’ are hard, heavy-beat, powerful Broadway songs.”

“Think of ‘Defying Gravity’ or ‘All That Jazz.’ Anything from Kinky Boots or Six ?” Ben interjected, which only made Bernie growl at him. “What about Hamilton ?”

“Bernie. I know you’re scared, but I’m here. Reynolds is here. Ben is here. For you and your baby.” Susan’s gentle words radiated from her like the noonday sun, bringing down the entire stress level of the room.

As her bottom lip quivered, the mum-to-be’s eyes darted back and forth between Reynolds and Susan. “You’re going to be amazing parents. A perfect family.”

The kind comment pinched his ego to the point of pain. Reynolds forced a smile because it wasn’t her fault the foster adoption system made the process so damned difficult for a single man who wanted to adopt. “That’s a nice thing to say, Bernie.”

“It’s true. I can see it.”

“Hopefully, one day.” But if it stayed up to the state, he had little faith.

“I hope the best thing possible happens for you, Reynolds.” Susan sucked on her bottom lip. “I truly do.”

Bernie’s forehead furrowed. “Wait. Is your name Dr. Reynolds Reynolds?”

He chuckled when he realized what she asked. “No, my first name is Thomas, but there are a lot of Thomases, so people call me by my last name. Avoids confusion.”

“Got it.” When the next contraction kicked in, Bernie squeezed the hell out of his hand.

A line of sweat ran down Susan’s cheek as she enthusiastically coached, “That’s it, Bernie. Bear down. Doing great.”

The smell of caffeine and old fast-food snacks drifted around him as Bernie attempted to break his fingers. “Holy crap, kid. You’re strong.”

“She is. Glad you’re here, Reynolds. Much safer with both of us attending.”

As Bernie momentarily drained the blood from his bones, it hit him. Susan planned to handle a gunman, deliver this baby, and care for the mom, all on her own.

She is Wonder Woman.

Susan wiped the sweat from her lip with the shoulder of her shirt. “Strong work, Bernie. The baby is moving like it should.”

“It is?” Ben craned his neck.

As her body tensed, Bernie requested, “Wet towel. Please.”

“Of course.” Reynolds dabbed her forehead.

During her next contraction, Bernie grabbed a handful of Reynolds’s hoodie, yanking him forward. She rested her head against his knee and curled up in a sideways crunch, holding her upper leg out of the way and screaming many, many four-letter words, specifically about the absent bio dad.

“That’s it, Bernie. You’ve got it. Great job.” Susan guided Bernie through each moment of her pain.

As soon as it was done, Bernie collapsed. “I can’t. I can’t. No more.”

“I’ve got ya, kiddo. You’re almost there.” Reynolds cautiously slid his hands under her shoulders. “Lean on me.”

With an appreciative nod, Susan patted Bernie’s knee. “A few more pushes, okay? Reynolds, that’s good. Let her brace against you. Can you hold her leg up?”

“I can do it.” Before the contraction began, Ben stepped in. “I want to.”

“Um, Bernie?”

Bernie frantically nodded, and quickly, Ben took Reynolds’s place behind his friend. As the young man supported her both physically and emotionally, the girl burst into tears, grabbed Ben’s hand, and held it to her chest. “Thank you. Thank you.”

Reynolds moved next to Susan to assist while Bernie asked Ben to pick up her phone and start recording.

Between contractions, Susan expertly explained each next step while working her midwife magic. “Push, Bernie! Push!”

At the end of the contraction, Bernie collapsed against Ben. “I’m done. I can’t.”

“Bernie. You’ve been perfect!” Susan’s calm, but badass instructions helped coach a terrified woman in incredible pain.

Susan’s siblings spoke volumes of their fierce sister who ran on routine and predictability. After the devastating accident that killed their father, and disabled their mom, Susan saved them all from falling into a sea of despair.

The woman did everything with purpose, practicality, and passion, and Reynolds was in awe of her.

A few moments later, Susan coached Bernie to effectively push the baby’s head out.

A wild-eyed fear replaced Bernie’s exhaustion. “This next one’s gonna hurt like a bitch. Like I’m shitting a watermelon.”

“Get past the shoulders, and you’re home free,” Susan’s easy instructions were like audible Xanax. “I promise.”

As he nervously opened and closed his fists, Reynolds’s heart sat in his throat like he needed to swallow an orange.

“Take a moment, Bernie.” Susan’s steely composure rivaled that of a Super Bowl quarterback about to be hiked a ball for the last play of a tie game. “Ready?”

Donning a pair of gloves to decrease infection risk, Reynolds exhaled, “Ready.”

After placing an extra pad under Bernie’s bottom, Susan’s eyes went wide. “Wait.”

“What? What do you need?”

“I don’t have anything to wrap the baby in.”

Despite having only a Henley underneath, Reynolds shed his Captain America hoodie and laid it flat. “I’ve got you covered.”

“Thank you for being here.” Her appreciation shot into his heart like an arrow.

“You’re welcome.”

“Dammit! Get a room! It’s happening!” With a guttural growl, the mother-to-be’s cheeks turned to beet red.

“The next contraction you bear down. Hard.” Susan blew a piece of wayward hair out of her face.

“You fucking keep saying that!”

“Give me one hard, strong push and your baby will be out.”

A constant stream of tears flowed down Bernie’s cheeks as the blue and red lights flashed across the front windows. “Now? Those assholes get here now?”

Ben didn’t flinch, but his blanched fingers indicated they were void of blood. “Push! Get it out! My hand!”

The newborn slid into Susan’s awaiting hands, and she quickly cleared its airway. “Baby’s out. You did it, Bernie!”

Oxygen painfully lodged in Reynolds’s chest at the perfect, pink newborn. “Boy or girl?”

“Ten fingers, ten toes. It’s a girl!” Susan clamped and cut the cord, before tapping the bottom of the baby’s foot. “Wake up, sweet baby.”

The child remained motionless. No. No. Don’t do this.

Before concern took hold, the stomping of heavy boots preceded a hard blast of frigid air whipping through the store.

“What the fuck?” Carl groggily yelled as he gazed up in the faces of the local authorities.

Leaning into Susan, Reynolds placed his body between the chill and the child, but the quick temperature drop slammed into everyone.

Suddenly, the newborn opened her eyes and wailed.

The gloomy daylight highlighted the storm’s strength, but everyone momentarily forgot the weather as the first lusty cries of a new life came into the world like a lighthouse in the darkness.

When the sound hit his ears, Reynolds’s vision momentarily blurred as Susan placed the precious package on his hoodie.

With tender strength, he swaddled the infant in the thickness of his clothes as tears fell freely. “I am an expert baby wrapper, Bernie. Don’t worry.”

“If she’s with you two, I’ll never worry again, Dr. June.” Bernie smiled through sobs.

“Neither will I.” Ben continued to hold up the phone and shook out his other hand.

She faced Ben and whispered, “Did you get all that?”

He nodded as paramedics approached and aided Susan as she coached Bernie through her final part of childbirth.

“Is that the placenta?” Cheery Ben immediately turned a light shade of green and put the phone down.

Afterward, Bernie rolled to her side and buried her face in Ben’s lap. “Thank you for being here for me, Ben. You really are my best friend.”

“I got you, Bernie.” He rocked her and kissed the top of her head. “You’re safe now.”

Giving the paramedics a place next to Susan, Reynolds held the baby against the warmth of his chest and moved to the farthest corner of the store.

“She’s beautiful, Bernie.” The child gazed into his eyes with innocent wonder. Her hand reached up and he instinctively leaned in as she touched his nose. Reynolds didn’t hide the chest-crushing happiness. He shouldn’t be this euphoric for a baby that would never be his, but for a moment, he basked in the beauty of her safe arrival.

Susan wrapped her arm around his waist. “She’s perfect.”

“She is.” When he turned, Susan grabbed his shirt and pressed her lips to his.

He froze until the soft coaxing of her lips triggered him to return to the same intensity, and for a blissful second, his world fell perfectly into place.

When Susan pulled back, she released her hold. “I’m… I’m… I’m so sorry.”

Her subtle berry scent drifted around him as she stuttered through her apology. “It’s okay. I’m okay. You okay?”

A sweet pink stained her cheeks. “Such an emotional morning. I’m so sorry to complicate things. No idea what I was thinking.”

“I’m not sorry.” Was this the practical, rational sister the Davidson siblings spoke volumes about? The one who never allowed emotions to get out of hand? Who always kept a level head?

Swallowing hard, she waved off her actions. “That was… I’m… just… th-thank you.”

“For what?”

“Standing by me… while I delivered the baby.” With trembling fingers, she touched her lips as if he’d branded her.

And she liked it.

Her flustered state amused him, but her comment didn’t. “Who didn’t stand by you?”

“No one of consequence.”

Did she just quote Princess Bride ? “I must know.”

A slow, sexy smirk spread across her face. A smirk that spoke louder than any sext. “I’m going to like officially getting to know you, Dr. Reynolds.”

As much as he appreciated the rational Susan, this impulsive, movie-quoting, superhero-loving one always piqued his interest far more. And she was finally here in Montana. “As you wish.”

“You are an adorable couple. The baby’s perfect adoptive parents.” Bernie pulled the EMS blanket up to her chin.

“You’re adopting her? How cool! I’m adopted.” One of the paramedics gave a thumbs-up as the police pulled Carl to his feet and out the door.

“Parents?” Susan’s pretty forehead furrowed. “Wait. What?”

Reynolds shook his head. “Adoption?”

“I’ve already texted Lori. Sent her the videos. I’ll sign the papers when I get to the hospital.” When the girl nodded, Reynolds’s breath caught in his chest.

After being passed over by multiple birth mothers, he had to be sure he understood her correctly. “Bernie, what are you saying?”

“Susan wants to be a mom. You want to be a dad. You two are the perfect power couple, so it seems obvious what I need to do.”

“Wait, wait. I never said—” Panic swam in Susan’s eyes.

“But you did, Susan. Remember when you said you couldn’t—”

“Yes, of course, I do,” Susan snapped, then exhaled before gaining his gaze. “Do you? With me?”

“He does.” Snuggling into the heavy blanket provided by the paramedics, Bernie beamed in the post-partum hormone glow.

Before they wheeled her away, Reynolds asked again, “To be clear, Bernie. You want Susan and me to raise your baby?”

“I told you. She’s your meet-cute.” Bernie waved without looking back. “Now, go be a rom-com, book-loving, superhero, happily-ever-after kind of family.”