Kissin' Tell (Rough Riders #13)(42)

“That’s good, right?”


“No! She’s two weeks early!”


“Is Jess all right? She’s not havin’ complications?”


“She’s just…in so damn much pain she can’t even talk.”


Tell set his feet on the floor. “Where are you?”


“In my truck on the way to the hospital.”


A loud female wail echoed through the phone. “Can’t you make this f*cking thing go any faster, Brandt? You’re driving thirty miles under the speed limit.”


“Just bein’ safe, baby. Got precious cargo on board.”


“Brandt?” Tell prompted.


“You’re gonna hafta do chores by yourself, at least in the morning.”


“I’m pretty sure I can handle it. You need to be focused on Jessie.”


“Come on, Jessie, baby, breathe.”


Another groan, followed by, “It f*cking hurts to breathe!”


“Shit, bro, I gotta go.”


He said, “Keep in touch,” to the dial tone.


Georgia’s warm, naked body pressed against his back and her chin rested on his shoulder. “I take it Jessie’s in labor?”


“Yeah. And Brandt doesn’t appear to be handling it any better than he did her pregnancy. They’re on the way to the hospital.”


“Wouldn’t it be funny if they ended up sedating your brother instead of the pregnant woman?”


Tell laughed softly.


“Come back to bed. It’s hours before we have to start chores.”


He turned and looked at her. “We?”


“Yes, we. You said Dalton is gone this weekend and I know it’s too much work for one cowboy—even a McKay cowboy—so I’ll help you.” She kissed the cup of his shoulder. “I’m not all city girl.”


“I know that.”


“Did you also know that I’m having a pain on my right butt cheek? From where I fell off the zip line.”


He grinned. “You didn’t fall off. Your arms gave out and you bailed off because you went on the damn thing like twenty times.”


“But it was so fun!”


“See? I told ya.”


“Don’t be smug. Now get back under these covers and kiss my butt.”


Tell kept checking his phone all morning, but he hadn’t heard from Brandt and he was getting worried.


Georgia was a big help with chores. She’d brought all the paperwork for the upcoming rodeos and she started the ball rolling on getting him assigned as a judge. He was happy he’d be working fourteen more rodeos this summer, although none were PRCA-sanctioned, and not all of them were events she was working.


They’d finished a late lunch when his phone vibrated. He fished it out of his pocket. “Brandt. You have good news?”


“Yep. Jess had the baby about an hour ago. His name is Tucker. The boy weighed eight pounds.”


“And Mama Jess? How’s she doin’?”


“Weird to hear her called Mama Jess. But she’s already taken to the little guy like he’s been here forever…” Brandt cleared his throat. “She was in labor for five hours before she even told me, so it was eighteen hours in labor instead of just thirteen hours at the hospital. She’s sleepin’. The nurses came in and took Tucker for some tests or something about five minutes ago.”


“If Jess is sleepin’, aren’t you supposed to be with Tucker wherever he goes?”


Silence.


“Shit. You’re probably right. I don’t know how to do any of this stuff.”


“It’s no different than anything else. You’ll learn as you go.”


“Will you come to the hospital?”


“When?”


“Ah…now.”


“You think that’s a good idea, given Jess is sleeping? Who all have you called to spread the good news?”


“What do you mean?”


Jesus. Brandt was really a mess.


“You’re the first person I called, bro. Jess called her mom.” He exhaled a frustrated burst of air. “I better call Mom, huh?”


“And Dalton. And Skylar. If you call Keely, she’ll make sure everyone in the McKay family knows.”
 


Jessie’s voice dropped to a soothing timbre Tell hadn’t heard from her. “What’s this really about, Keels? Being scared of labor isn’t really what’s holding you back from having a baby. Is Jack pressuring you?”


Keely wiped beneath her eyes. “A little. I love Jack like crazy. I love our life together. I never thought I’d be this happy. What if having a baby screws that up? What if everything in our life becomes about being parents? What if I lose myself in motherhood? We both know we won’t stop at one kid. Plus, I don’t think I’m cut out to be a full-time, stay-at-home mom. And I’m afraid that’s what Jack wants, because that’s what we both had growing up.”