Double Dare (Neighbor from Hell #6)(76)

“And you should be getting my food,” Trevor pointed out as he walked into the room and headed for the fridge where they kept a case of ginger ale for Zoe.

“Is her stomach upset?” Marybeth asked, looking concerned as she stepped out of his arms and grabbed a cup of ice for Trevor.

Trevor chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. She’s got this.”

“I don’t think we’ll ever be able to thank you enough for doing this for us,” Marybeth said, still managing to look as shocked today as she was when he’d told her about the gift that Trevor and Zoe had offered them.

“No worries,” Trevor said, taking the cup from her with a wink, “it’s what Bradfords do for each other.”

“Thank you,” she said, looking close to crying, again, as she reached up and wrapped her arms around Trevor. “Thank you so much,” she said, sniffling as Trevor carefully returned the hug all while he glared at him and mouthed, “I still hate you.”

Grinning, Darrin mouthed back, “I know.”

With a kiss on the top of her head, Trevor stepped back, grabbed the plate of macaroni and cheese out of his hands and headed for the living room. As soon as they were alone, Darrin took his wife back and in his arms and closed his eyes, intent on savoring the feel of the woman in his arms.

“I love you,” she said as she held him tightly.

“Not as much as I love you,” he promised her as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

Nodding with a sigh, she stepped away and headed for the fridge. “That’s probably true.”

Chuckling, he stepped up behind her and carefully wrapped his arms back around her. “It really is a shame,” he said, kissing her throat.

“What is?” she asked warily, going still in his arms.

“I feel a double dare coming on,” he admitted with a smile and a chuckle as his words sank in and his wife tried to make her escape, but unfortunately for her, she didn’t move fast enough.

A Little Something Special as a Thank You…

“Take the painkillers, Jodi! For the love of God, take the painkillers!” Danny begged, biting back a scream even as she released a bloodcurdling scream that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

“Take the pills!” Darrin begged from the other side of the table where he was taking his turn holding Jodi’s other hand. “Oh God, take the pills!”

“I can’t!” Jodi growled, tightening her grip around their hands just as another contraction tore through her, earning twin shouts of pain and pleas for mercy.

“Jodi,” Aidan quietly said, drawing Jodi’s rage towards him while Danny sagged in his chair, not sure if he’d be able to survive another contraction without drugs, “you’re only at two centimeters, sweetheart. I think it might be time to start rethinking your choice for a natural childbirth.”

“No!” she bit out through clenched teeth, sounding somewhat demonic and scaring the ever-living hell out of all three of them. “I will remember having these babies!”

“Baby,” he said slowly, hoping not to startle his wife into turning her homicidal rages on him, “I understand that you don’t want to go into one of your ‘states,’ but I don’t think that you want to be in this much pain for the next few hours either. Do you?”

She turned her glare on him so fast it was a wonder that he didn’t fall out of his chair. “I am not taking drugs!”

“O-okay,” he said, swallowing nervously as he gently pat the back of her hand, trying to soothe her before she decided to go for his balls.

“Why don’t you boys give us a minute?” his father said with a warm smile for Marybeth as he walked into the room, wearing a pair of navy blue scrubs.

“Thank God,” Darrin muttered, pulling his hand free with a wince as Danny did the same.

“We’ll just be in the hallway,” he promised his wife, deciding that mentioning the ice pack that he planned on hunting down for his hand would probably only piss her off.

“Okay,” she mumbled, panting a bit as she placed her hand protectively around the large swell of her belly.

He leaned down and kissed her. “You’re doing great.”

“Ice chips. I need more ice chips,” she said with the determination of a woman who truly believed that ice chips would make all the difference in the world and somehow ease her pain.

“I’ll get more ice chips,” he promised her, resisting the urge to cradle his hand against his chest.

“Thank you,” she said, sighing with relief as she laid back and closed her eyes.

“We’ll be right back,” he said, ignoring the panicked look in his brother’s eyes as they headed for the door, not knowing that his father was about to make a liar out of him.

An hour later, he was finally allowed to return.

“Danny!” Jodi said excitedly with a big smile, giving him his first clue that something was seriously wrong.

“Umm, hey, sweetheart. I brought your ice chips,” he said, holding up the cup that was mostly water now.

Her beautiful eyes teared up as her chin quivered. “You are the sweetest man alive. I love you so much, Danny Bradford,” she said with a little sniffle that immediately put him on edge.

“Oh, shit….”