Chapter 34

34

" O h, God! I'm sorry," Honor panted.

"What's wrong?" Ethan was by her side in a flash.

"I tried to wait." She was still panting and was in obvious pain. "I tried to hold off. But…"

"But what? What's happening?"

"Daddy? Mom peed herself," Carson whispered, but as usual my niece's whisper was more like a conversational tone.

"Shit."

Jackson rushed through the crush of people and took over.

"How far apart are your contractions?"

"About three minutes, I think."

"Three minutes?" Ethan shouted.

"When did they start?" Jackson continued.

"About five this morning. They were every fifteen minutes and not painful. But they're…oh, sweet Jesus H." Honor doubled over holding her stomach. "Painful," she grunted. And finally through gritted teeth. "Painful now."

"Ethan, call 911. Aunt Reagan, lots of blankets and towels. Bring them to the kitchen."

My aunt Reagan took off running across her yard, Ethan looked like he was going to throw up any second, and the rest of my family looked concerned.

"Haven't delivered a baby in a while, don't break my streak," Jackson joked and Honor scowled.

"Jack," Honor growled. "That's not—"

"Come on, let's get you to the house," Jackson cut her off.

"ETA is fifteen minutes on the ambulance," Ethan announced.

Jackson scowled and remained quiet, helping my brother walk a very unhappy Honor toward the house.

"What's that look?"

"Pal, I don't think you have fifteen minutes."

"Jesus Christ," Ethan muttered.

"Daddy!"

"Ethan!"

His glower at my mom said it all, he was in no mood to be scolded.

"Is this really happening?" Laney whispered as we followed behind my brother.

The rest of the family had taken off either to help my aunt gather what she needed or to go wait in the front to gratuitously flag down the ambulance.

"Just to say, baby, you wait too long and pull that shit, I will not be happy."

"It's my fault. She knew, I told her last night that I was surprising you. She didn't wanna miss us getting married."

"I don't care if the Pope was in town passin' out golden tickets to the pearly gates. The second you feel a twinge we're at the hospital and you're getting an epidural."

Just then Honor let out a bloodcurdling scream that had my ears ringing.

"But I don't want an epidural."

"Baby, there is no way I can handle seeing you like that."

And for emphasis I threw my arm out and pointed at Honor bent over and crying.

"But, honey, that's beautiful. Her body's doing what it's supposed to do. That's part of having a baby."

"Beautiful or not, I will lose my ever-loving mind to watch you in that much pain."

"We'll see." Laney smiled. "You'll be so happy that your son's almost here you'll be fine."

Was she crazy? I'd never be so excited about anything not to care that Laney looked and sounded like she'd been possessed by the devil.

"Right. Look at Ethan, Delaney. He look all fired up about Honor getting ready to give birth on his aunt's kitchen floor?"

"Well, no, not about that part. But you'll see. When Hudson's here he'll forget all about this part."

I highly doubted she was right. I knew I'd be having nightmares about this for the rest of my life.

Jackson and Ethan had gotten Honor in the house when I heard her cry out again. What I did not hear was sirens.

Good Christ, she was gonna have my nephew in the kitchen and I couldn't help it, I busted out laughing. Of course this was how it was going to happen. It was fitting, today on Ethan's birthday, the day I married Laney, the place we'd spent so much of our childhood.

How many times had Nick, Jackson, Ethan, and I raced into that very kitchen to get a drink or something to eat before we went back outside? Bet my brother would've never guessed that all these years later his wife would give birth on the very floor he'd spilt his chocolate milk.

By the time we'd gotten into the house Ethan had Honor on the floor, a thick mat of blankets under her and thankfully her legs were pointed in the opposite direction and we were looking at Honor upside down.

Jackson was at her side, Ethan on the business end of the baby stuff, and Laney went to her other side. Everyone else but my mom was out of the house.

"What do you need, brother?" I asked.

"A goddamn ambo," he growled.

"Other than that?"

"She said she's hot, can you wet these with cold water?" He held out a stack of washcloths.

I took them without looking and had just turned on the water when Honor cried out.

"That was under a minute," Jackson announced.

"Honor, Sweetness, do not push. Breathe through the contraction," my brother coaxed.

"Don't push," she grunted. "Have you lost your goddamned mind? I have to push, Ethan. I can feel it."

"I know you do. Just please try."

I handed the wet cloths to Laney and hurried to move, wanting no part of watching my sister-in-law. I made my way to my mom and pulled her into my arms.

"She's having my grandson on Reagan's kitchen floor," my mom muttered.

"Yeah, she is."

"Figures."

I chuckled again and kissed my mom's head. "I was thinking the same thing," I admitted.

"That one lasted seventy-two seconds," Jackson told Ethan. "What's it look like down there?"

Down there?

Holy shit.

"Baby's crowning," Ethan answered.

My mom sucked in a breath and I watched Jackson—if it was possible he seemed to relax even more.

"All right, Honor, listen to me, you have to breathe. Laney, help her. Not fast and shallow, deep breaths, yeah. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Take over, Delaney, I'm gonna help Ethan."

"Got it. Honor, honey, I'll do it with it you." Delaney had a wet rag on Honor's forehead and I could see her grimacing in pain from Honor's death grip on her hand. "He's gonna be here any minute, breathe with me."

Laney was taking care of Honor and Jackson was talking my brother off the ledge he was currently teetering on.

"Here's another one," Jackson announced as Honor started to scream. "You're gonna have to do it, Ethan. You remember how?"

Do what? What was my brother gonna have to do?

"Laney, grab her under her leg and pull it wide," Ethan said. "Jack, you got the other one. Sweetness, you're gonna push through this contraction. You're doing good, Honor. Take a deep breath and push."

Push? What the fuck happened to not pushing and waiting for the ambulance? That sounded like a better idea.

I would swear it on a stack of bibles, that Honor's shout shook the house. I didn't know if she was pushing or auditioning for Fright Fest but good God it didn't sound good.

"Good job, Sweetness. Just relax until the next one. Carter," my brother snapped.

"What do you need?"

"Sit behind Honor. Her next contraction you're gonna pick up her shoulders and let her rest against you so she can push."

"Copy that."

I did as he asked and Laney and Jackson shifted so my legs had room on either side of Honor, and not even a minute later Honor was crying out. I lifted her, slid in behind her, and had her back to my chest. She was almost fully sitting and Ethan was praising her, Jackson was holding her leg, and Laney was still holding a washcloth to her forehead.

"Give me a big push, Honor. Breathe and push as hard as you can," Ethan demanded.

Every muscle in Honor's body coiled tight and she bared down and this time with no sound she pushed.

"Head's out," Ethan announced but did not look up from what he was doing. "You're doing great."

"Let him ease out, E," Jackson reminded Ethan.

"There you go, Honor. He's coming, Sweetness. One shoulder's out. Almost…little push."

Suddenly the wailing cry of my nephew filled the room and Honor's body sagged against mine. Laney and Jackson eased her feet to the floor, and even though my brother hadn't looked up from his son yet, I could see tears dripping off his chin.

He glanced up, locked eyes with me just long enough to show his gratitude before his gaze went to his wife. He lifted a tiny bundle wrapped in my aunt Reagan's frilly guest bathroom towel and placed him into Honor's outstretched arms. Laney helped her bring the baby to her chest and I got my first look.

Beautiful.

Purple. Covered in white muck. Screaming his little lungs out.

I stopped looking at my nephew and looked at my wife and I realized she'd been right. Even though Honor's painful screams had only ended seconds before, I couldn't remember what they sounded like. My sister-in-law was now cooing at her newborn son and she looked the picture of serenity.

And that was how Carter Hudson Lenox came into the world. It was loud, it happened on a kitchen floor, and it was the perfect way to end a perfect day.

"I still can't believe that happened," Delaney said as I helped her into my truck.

"It was pretty amazing."

"He's so little."

"Laney baby, he was almost nine damn pounds, and did you see that kid's head? Christ, that was intense and I knew Honor was in some serious pain, but holy fuck. You sure you don't want pain meds?"

"Nope."

There was nothing to say, she was crazy. So I said nothing and simply smiled at my wife.

"Love you, Delaney."

"Love you, Carter."

I let her sweet voice wash over me and I smiled.

Finally everything was the way it was supposed to be.

Delaney and Carter.

I helped her with her seat belt and when she was done buckling, I placed my hand on her belly.

"I love you, too, Little Man."