Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

P resent day, Keeneston, Kale and Delaney's wedding reception...

Cady Woodson twirled on the dance floor in the arms of a professional football player. Who would have thought this was her life now? Her father would never have believed it, but she'd done it all on her own. She'd started her own distillery. Last year, the first batches of bourbon she'd made with her father had matured. She'd taken a risk, and every year she barreled more and more bourbon in between making gin, which could be sold immediately. Now her bourbon was being drunk by royalty, professional football players, and served in the best restaurants around Kentucky. This was a dream come true.

Cady was laughing as the football player walked her off the floor when a large shadow crossed her path. Cady looked up and into the famous Davies hazel eyes of Colton Davies. Her crush. Her ideal man. Her friend . She'd been friend-zoned the second she'd met him. He was the chief of the fire department in Keeneston. In fact, he'd started the department several years ago. He was tall, built, gorgeous, fun, and totally uninterested in someone who was more interested in bourbon and hard work than batting her eyelashes and fawning over him. They'd become friends and that was it. No matter how often she dreamed of running her tongue over all those abs.

"Hey, Cady. Your new batch is great," Colton said with this strange look on his face as if he wasn't quite sure if it was great or not.

"Miss Woodson?" Cady turned to see Adam, the state trooper from Maine the town had kind of adopted, bowing in front of her as if she were at a Regency ball. "Would you do me the honor of this dance?"

Cady smiled and was about to say yes when Colton cut her off. "She's already promised this dance to me."

Colton set down his bourbon and looked rather put out about it. His jaw was tight, his hand grabbed hers, and he stiffly walked her out on the dance floor. Colton pulled her into his arms and Cady gave an involuntary sigh as she took a step closer. Cady's head fit perfectly against his shoulder, plus he smelled so freaking good she was back to wanting to lick him. Or, well, do other things to him with her mouth.

Stop it, Cady! He was her friend. That's all he saw her as. He'd worked his way through the Keeneston Belles, the charity group of single women in Keeneston who really were more like husband hunters. He went clubbing in Lexington and Louisville. What he didn't do was show any interest in her at all besides being a friend and telling her more than she wanted to know about said clubbing experiences.

Cady's breath caught when Colton's large, rough hand slid down the back of the floor-length green dress she was wearing and settled on her lower back right above the curve of her ass. Why was he holding her so close? Why was his hand so low? Holy smokes, her heart felt as if it was about to beat right out of her chest when his thumb brushed along her waist, dipping even lower.

Cady was going to ask him what was going on because this was not normal Colton and Cady behavior. She leaned back and looked up at him. The look he was giving her needed the fire department because it was scorching hot, which was very confusing. The music stopped and Cady opened her mouth to say his name when Colton dropped his arms from around her and stormed off the dance floor. Cady turned to follow him, but Colton went straight to the bar and grabbed a drink.

"Would you be free for a dance now, Miss Woodson?"

"Sure, Adam. And please, call me Cady."

Colton had never wanted to murder a man more than that golden retriever disguised as a state trooper.

"What are you glaring at?" His brother, Landon, asked him as he joined Colton at the bar. Landon followed Colton's gaze. "Cady and Adam?"

"He's holding her too close," Colton said between clenched teeth.

Landon shrugged. "Who cares? Cady has worked so hard for so long. She deserves someone to spoil her and take care of her for once." Landon and Colton looked back at the couple. Adam seemed so excited by the way Cady was talking to him that he looked about to piddle on the floor when Cady smiled at him.

"You're friends with her," Colton said to his brother.

"So are you," Landon pointed out. "What's this about?"

Colton released the death grip on the glass and looked back at the woman he'd honestly felt he'd never really seen before. She was radiant tonight. The green dress hugged curves normally hidden under puffer vests or flannel shirts. He'd seen her dancing with other men tonight and it seemed wrong. Painfully wrong. It punched him in the gut and sent his heart tumbling. That smile, that laugh, that should be for him .

"You spend so much time with her since she supplies your restaurant's liquor, and I know you two go to the farmers market together," Colton said, almost accusatorily.

Landon was looking at him as if he were speaking another language. "What's your point?" Landon asked, clearly not understanding where Colton was going with this.

"Has she, like, ever said anything about me?" Colton closed his eyes. Damn. That sounded so lame. "Or any other guy?"

Landon was trying not to smile. "This is interesting."

Colton saw him pull out his phone and Colton grabbed it. "Do not place a freaking bet on the town's betting app. I was only curious since she seems very in-demand tonight. She's my friend. I don't want to see her hurt."

"Oh, is that all she is? A friend?"

"Yeah. You know she's not my type."

Landon actually rolled his eyes. "Because she's smart, driven, and naturally beautiful. Yes, I can see the problem. She's smart enough not to be a badge bunny and therefore won't do whatever you want." Landon stared at him and Colton couldn't correct him. That was the type of women he'd gone for in the past. The past, as in prior to holding Cady in his arms five minutes ago. "But no, there's been no one serious. She's put her heart, soul, body, and sweat into her distillery. I think there was someone in the past, but I don't think it ended well. That's all I know. Willa or Tilly would probably know more. They're super close," Landon said of their twin cousins, Porter's and Parker's wives.

Suddenly Aniyah burst into the reception and ran, well, waddled, really, since she was pregnant and due soon, onto the dance floor. Her warm brown skin glowed with pregnancy and excitement. Her black hair was slicked back into an updo and she was yelling for the band to stop the music.

"Someone's pregnant!" Aniyah yelled, waiving something in the air.

"Yeah, we know. You're kinda showing." Colton heard someone call out from the crowd.

"No, sugar. Not me. Well, yes me. I am pregnant. But this here is a positive pregnancy test I found outside by the main house. Someone here, other than me, is pregnant!"

"Man, tonight just got more interesting," Landon muttered to Colton.

Their small town loved gossip and loved babies. The betting app would be lighting up tonight. The reception went wild. People rushed to Aniyah to look over the test as if they could tell who it belonged to.

People were surrounding Aniyah when suddenly they jumped back.

"Baby!" her husband, DeAndre Drews, called out, rushing forward.

"Oh, sugar bear, I think we're going to meet our sugar cub," Aniyah said into the hushed reception a moment before Colton saw a visible contraction ripple across her stomach.

EMT training kicked in and Colton rushed toward Aniyah. He met his cousin, Dr. Jace Davies, in the middle of the dance floor. "Aniyah," Jace said calmly as Colton ordered Conley, one of his firefighters, to get the emergency medical kit he had in his truck. "How long have you been having contractions?"

"I guess six or seven hours. I thought my sugar cub was only excited for the wedding and was dancing around."

"Baby doesn't want to miss the party, that's for sure," Jace said with his unflappable calm.

"I reckon your sugar cub will want a spin around the dance floor when they're born," Conley said with his Eastern Kentucky accent as he handed the medical kit to Colton.

Colton took her vitals as Cady rushed over with a chair for Aniyah to sit on. "Should we get her to the clinic?" Cady asked Jace.

Aniyah screamed again and DeAndre looked so lost that Colton felt sorry for him. "There's something coming out, Dr. Jace!" Aniyah yelled with a gasp.

Colton handed a pair of medical gloves to his cousin and slipped on his own pair.

"That's a no," Colton said calmly to Cady. "Can you please take Conley and get us some clean towels, hot water, and see if anyone has some smaller blankets for the sugar cub?"

Cady nodded and rushed off to do what Colton had asked as Flint, Nolan, and Jack—the rest of his fire department—hurried forward, carrying a heavy iron outdoor chaise lounge with a thick cushion on it.

"We thought this might be more comfortable," Nolan said, setting it down before they all helped Aniyah lie on it.

They adjusted the back so she was leaning back enough to get a good push going. DeAndre took the chair next to the lounger and held his wife's hand. "That's it, baby. Do that breathing you learned."

"Screw the breathing. Someone get me drugs. Like the good ones. The ones where I don't feel what I'm feeling right now because this hurts!"

"It's a little too late for that, Aniyah. Sugar cub will be here very soon," Jace said calmly.

Flint, the fire department's ambulance driver, came to kneel by Colton. "What do you need, boss?"

"Get the delivery kit laid out as soon as they bring back the towels."

Stella, Jace's wife, hurried forward with Jace's medical bag. "I got this from the car. You're doing great, Aniyah."

"How do you know?" Aniyah asked. "Have you shoved a watermelon out of your hoo-ha?"

Stella visibly paled as her eyes widened. "I'm starting to rethink the appeal of children."

Jace turned and smiled up at his wife. "Just remember how much fun practicing to make one is."

Her face flushed as she took a giant step back when Aniyah screamed as another contraction hit. Jace opened his bag as Cady and Conley came running back with the supplies.

Towels were put under Aniyah as Colton and Jace laid out their supplies. Aniyah began to cry and DeAndre was doing everything he could to keep her calm.

"Ahmed, no!" Bridget hollered as Ahmed Mueez, badass super soldier, and one of Colton's father's best friends, marched forward. The trouble? It was well known that Ahmed fainted at the slightest sign of birth.

"Aniyah needs me. I have operated on myself with a pen knife. I was there when my granddaughter was born. I can handle this."

Everyone laughed. Ahmed glared. DeAndre looked relieved to have reinforcements. Ahmed knelt on her other side and took her hand, making sure to keep his back to Jace and Colton.

"Do not cry, Aniyah. I am here now. You are the woman who shot many toes off many bad men. You can do this. Just squeeze my hand and give a mighty roar."

"We'll do it together, baby," DeAndre said, moving into the same position as Ahmed opposite of him.

"I don't want my hoo-ha flopping out in the wind for everybody to see," Aniyah whispered.

Colton turned around, put his fingers into his mouth, and let out a sharp whistle. "Everyone to the head. Move!"

The entire reception shuffled to the side of the tent behind Aniyah's head.

"Thank you," Aniyah said, still looking fearful. Then her eyes went wide and she squeezed DeAndre and Ahmed's hands so hard that DeAndre looked as if he would pass out. Ahmed didn't blink.

"Get the towel and clamp ready," Jace ordered.

Colton had the towel at the ready and Flint moved to grab both the suction and the clamp. A firefighter was always prepared.

"Head is out," Jace said with a smile. "Give me one more push to get the shoulders out. This one is built like DeAndre. I think you'll have a boxer here."

"You can do it, baby. Let's meet our cub. I love you so much," DeAndre told her full of love.

"You are a beautiful warrior and you will push and push now. Deep breath," Ahmed ordered as if he were a drill sergeant. "And push with all you have as you exhale. Now! Push!"

Colton was at the ready as Jace guided the baby out and into his hands. Jace turned slightly and placed the baby right into Colton's hands. Flint moved in and handed the clamp to Jace before turning to get the surgical scissors. Colton looked down at the scrunched face and kicking legs of the newborn and smiled as he wiped him down.

"It's a healthy boy," Jace announced and the town went crazy.

Aniyah cried. DeAndre cried. Ahmed sniffed.

"But you know what's next? The smaller one," Jace said and that sent the town into a tizzy. No one knew Aniyah was pregnant with twins. Jace turned to Flint. "This baby is much smaller. We might need immediate transport to the hospital."

"Colton brought the chief's SUV. It has sirens. I'll go get it and bring it closer." Flint handed the tools off to Nolan Flynn, the part-time firefighter who also owned a feed store in town. He and his family had a huge cattle farm. Nolan had probably delivered more babies than anyone here. They just happened to moo.

There was a calm before the next storm. Colton wrapped the baby boy in a blanket and carried him up to DeAndre and Aniyah. Happy tears ran down their faces as he placed the boy in Aniyah's arms.

"There's my big cub," Aniyah said with a look on her face that was pure contentment and love. DeAndre kissed his wife and ran a finger over the chubby cheeks of his son.

"At first we didn't know there was a twin," Jace whispered to Colton. "We didn't know if Baby B would make it. Baby A was so much larger and taking so much more of the nutrients. However, at the last ultrasound, Baby A looked to be seven pounds while Baby B was around three and a half pounds. Baby B is hanging in there. We just don't know how strong they are."

The Rose sisters, the three elderly women who ran Keeneston and had started the betting books, all approached and kissed Aniyah and DeAndre and cooed over the baby. Abby and Dylan, Ahmed's daughter and son-in-law, who were both good friends with the Drews, were also there.

Colton looked up to find Cady and Conley standing side by side at the ready if either he or Jace needed anything. She was smiling at Aniyah and Colton was hit with a vision of Cady holding a little girl who looked just like her but with his hazel eyes.

"You okay? Are you going to faint on me?" Jace asked in a harsh whisper, drawing Colton from his vision.

"Nah, I'm good."

About fifteen minutes after Baby A was born, Aniyah groaned in pain again. Bridget, Ahmed's wife, swooped in and took their newborn son so Aniyah could focus on Baby B. Ahmed took one of Aniyah's hands, DeAndre the other, and with a worried look, DeAndre watched Jace and Colton get to work.

Colton grabbed a new towel, Nolan got the second clamp and surgical scissors out of their sterile wrapping, and everyone waited. DeAndre was clearly concerned. The tight lines around Jace's lips told Colton he was concerned too, and that scared him. Flint had the SUV backed up to the tent ready to rush them to the hospital. Aniyah and DeAndre had gone through so much to get pregnant and while they had the joy of the baby boy being born, everyone knew that this next baby could be in danger.

"Sugar bear," Aniyah said with a gasp. "What if—?"

Tears threatened DeAndre's eyes and he just squeezed his wife's hand.

"We've got you, Aniyah. Let's meet your second baby," Colton said with as much confidence in his voice as possible.

Aniyah turned her anxious face to Ahmed. "It's okay, daughter of my heart. Your baby will be well," Ahmed said with such surety no one could dare argue with him.

"Let's meet them. Push for me," Jace ordered with a faux smile. He couldn't hide the worry either.

Colton's eyes didn't leave Jace's hands as Aniyah pushed and a small head appeared. There were no cries as Aniyah panted and then pushed again. Jace caught the baby and placed it in Colton's hands. It was so small and it wasn't moving.

"Why don't I hear crying?" Aniyah asked, pushing up to look between her legs where Nolan was handing the clamp to Jace.

Jace didn't wait to ask DeAndre to cut the cord. He clipped it and grabbed the suction from Nolan. Colton knew why. The baby's lips were tinted blue. The small tubing was placed into the baby's mouth and Jace sucked on his end.

"Do you have a pulse?" Jace asked Colton between sucks and spits of fluid.

Colton pressed on the small chest near the heart. "I have a pulse, but it's fading."

"Let's go. Jack, call it in to the hospital."

"My baby!" Aniyah's pain was heartbreaking.

"We've got her," Colton told her. "I promise."

"A girl?" DeAndre whispered. "Save my baby girl!"