Fireball (Cheap Thrills #1)(11)

“Call me Dave, Jose, and don’t worry, we’ll make sure you get to the hospital before it comes.”

I trailed behind them as they took slow steps to the door, Jose looking like her legs were trembling the whole way.

“I think it’s a boy,” she told him, “and my hospital bag’s in the trunk of the car.”

Deciding I was better in front, I scooted around them picking up our purses from where we’d dropped them next to the door, and reached to open it. My hand was just on the handle when there was a loud gasp, followed by the sound of liquid hitting tile behind me.

“Well then, your water’s definitely broken now, hasn’t it?” he chuckled.

He could laugh, it wasn’t his floor or his sister who’d just exploded.

“Tabby, could you get the bag out my car,” Jose asked, voice trembling and tugging at my heartstrings.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw the tears building in her eyes and how pale she was, and I was relieved all over again that I’d found her so she didn’t have to go through this alone. She could have her baby on my recliner, pee on my floor, whatever she needed to do. I was here to help her get through it and do anything to help her out.

That was until two hours later, and then I wished I was outside in the waiting room with earplugs in, still innocent to the labor and birthing process women went through.





Two hours later…

“Make it stop, Tab,” Jose sobbed, the chokehold she had on my neck making it almost impossible to breathe as she cried on my shoulder. “I can’t do this anymore.”

Taking in a gulping breath, I rubbed her back slowly and tried to make comforting noises, but they all just seemed to come out sounding like a choking crow.

“You’re ok, Jose,” her OB/GYN, Glynnis, hummed from where she was at the bottom of the bed. “I know it’s hard and exhausting, and I know you’ve been through a lot recently, but you’re almost there.”

This could be looked at as one of the downsides of living in a small town – everyone knew your business. As it was, on this occasion I was looking at it as a good thing because Jose hadn’t had to explain what had happened with the rat bastard to anyone, and it also seemed like the staff had taken a bit of extra care with her since we’d arrived.

She deserved that extra care. She’d never received it from her mother or husband before, so at this moment when she was vulnerable and her vagina was being torn into a billion pieces, hell yeah she deserved it.

“Ok, I see the top of your sweet baby’s head, darlin’. On the next contraction, I want you to give a hard push and don’t stop until I say the word. Ready?”

“No,” she cried. “I don’t want to do it. It hurts, my vagina feels like it’s exploding, it’s hot in here, I’m thirsty, I’ve got all y’all staring at my Jo-Jo bow,” she rambled. “And… oh, shit,” she broke off with a loud groan and reared up as she pushed, her face turning a worrying shade of red.

“That’s it, girl. Keep going,” the nurse who’d moved to stand beside us encouraged Jose. “Maybe let your sister breathe though.”

Letting go of the grip she had around my neck, she shifted to grab my hand instead and squeezed it as hard as she could.

“Oh, she’s coming out fast. Are we ready?” the OB/GYN called to the other nurse in the room, grabbing for stuff from the table beside her.

It played out like this – the contraction ended so Jose got to relax and sit back, then the next hit and she was up and pushing again. Her grip tightened on my hand, it tightened, it tightened, and with a shout from the doctor, a scream for her, a crack from my hand, and a scream out of me, my niece came out and joined the two of us with her own.





Chapter Four





DB





“Yo, Logan. I’m heading back to the hospital to check on the baby, ok?” I called out as I left my office.

“More like you’re checking on the sister,” he snorted, getting the finger in return as I walked past him.

“What about…” Rory asked as I passed her desk, but I cut her off.

“Got my phone and radio on me, and if those don’t work for some unknown reason, call the hospital and they’ll track me down.” I didn’t miss her responding growl and Logan’s snort, and I didn’t miss Hurst Townsend standing outside the door of the building talking to my friend Ellis either. “What are you two doing here? I don’t remember seeing your name on any of the reports today?” I directed this last bit at Hurst who was now looking affronted by the notion that I’d assume he’d been arrested.

“As it so happens,” he shot back, “I’m here to thank Logan for his help the other day. I bumped into this one who was on his way to see you, apparently. Says he heard you’ve got a lady friend, one who’s just moved into the area.”

A glint in a Townsend’s eye was never a good thing, ever. It usually signaled mischief, mayhem, sarcasm, humor, or you’d unknowingly drawn the short straw and it was straight up bullshit. And right now it was all aimed at me. Fucking woo!

“Smooth move arresting her, DB,” Ellis chuckled, earning himself a glare.

“He arrested her?” Hurst hooted, tipping his head back laughing. “Wait ‘til I tell the others about this.”