Gunnin' for You (Rolling Thunder series Book 4) Read online

  “Holy shit! I think I’m in labor,” Ashley exclaimed.

  Ron jumped up and started throwing dishes into the sink. “I’ll get your suitcase and the baby’s bag; Emma, can you start the car and get it warmed up?”

  Instead of rushing out the door, Emma stared at Ashley as she breathed through a labor pain. Ashley glanced at her and smiled, “It’s okay, Em. That one wasn’t bad. I don’t think we have to run to the hospital right now. We’re supposed to wait until the pains are about ten minutes apart.”

  Ashley hoisted her girth up from the table and started walking around the kitchen, hands pressing into the small of her back. Emma, still frozen to her seat, watched not sure what to do.

  Ashley turned, saw the look on Emma’s face, and burst out laughing again. “Is that what you looked like when you realized what you did to sexy biker guy’s ride?”

  Emma furrowed her brows and shook her head. “Stop making fun of me! That was mortifying.”

  Ashley was still laughing when a gush of water spewed down her legs. She quickly looked up at Emma who stared at the puddle of water at her sister’s feet. Both women looked at the floor and it was Emma’s turn to start laughing.

  “Glad you weren’t there, or you would have busted your water all over his bike.” As their eyes met, they both began laughing again. It had always been this way with them.

  Ron walked in and looked at the water on the floor and the two women laughing.

  “What’s so funny about... What is that? Did you pee…?”

  “No. My water broke.”

  “Holy shit! We have to get going.”

  Ashley calmed Ron down and explained why they shouldn’t go to the hospital just yet. They sat in the living room for nine hours. Ashley sat on towels, in case all of her water had not gushed out, passing the time until they could bring her to the hospital and “get the baby out of her,” as she kept saying. She switched between lying down and sitting up. Ron would rub her back, and then she would need to get up and walk, only to sit right back down and have Ron rub her back.

  “God, I have to go to the bathroom again,” she moaned.

  “No, Ash, you’re going to squirt the baby right out of you into the toilet. I don’t want my niece or nephew being born in a toilet.”

  Ashley sighed. “I’m not going to squirt him out, Em. You watch too much television.”

  Emma wrinkled her face as Ashley slowly waddled to the bathroom once again.

  *****

  As they sat in Ashley’s hospital room, nurses came in here and there to check her and the baby’s vitals, as well as any progress being made. Emma watched in horror as her sister’s features contorted in pain. Sweat dripped down her bright red face and her blonde hair was plastered to her head. Ashley and Ron were panting, quick little huffs of breath as Ashley let out a yowl. Emma thought she would pass out watching her sister in so much pain.

  The current nurse, Janie, announced, “You’re dilated to nine centimeters. It won’t be long now.” She pulled her gloves off. “I’m going to get a doctor.” Emma watched Ashley and Ron beam at each other.

  “I’ll wait outside, Ash.” Emma stood to leave.

  “Don’t you want to watch your niece or nephew come into this world?”

  Emma stopped and looked at Ashley. She raised her brows. “Really? Isn’t that embarrassing or…gross?”

  Ashley giggled and was immediately hit with a sharp labor pain. Ron started instructing her on her breathing. Her face burned bright red as her tired eyes closed, and beads of sweat slid down her face.

  Nurse Janie came running in with a doctor in tow and they proceeded to get to work. Emma didn’t know if she should run out of the room and head back to Chicago or just stay and watch. So far, it’d been pretty terrifying. Ashley’s face was constantly contorted in agony. Childbirth was certainly not the least bit glamorous.

  “Okay, Ashley, the baby is crowning,” Janie informed her.

  Emma peeked over the doctor’s shoulder and saw the top of a head come peeking out of her sister’s bottom. Holy shit, that looked horrifying! Emma looked at Ashley’s face and almost passed out.

  “Okay, Ashley, we need you to push.”

  Ashley bore down, and with a loud grunt, she pushed until the veins popped out on her face. Jesus! Emma looked down to see the baby’s head slide out and the doctor turned the baby so it was face up. Nurse Janie suctioned out the nose and mouth and wiped away some goo from its face. “We need another push, Ashley,” the doctors said, “and your baby will be here.”

  Ashley reared up as Ron said, “Okay, Ash, push with your abs this time.”

  “Shut up, Ron; I know what I’m doing.”

  She pushed like never before. She panted and grunted, and as Emma watched with both shocked fascination and awe, she saw a baby fly out of her sister’s nether regions. “Holy crap! It’s a boy!” Emma exclaimed.

  Tears ran down Emma’s face as she stood transfixed, staring at her new nephew. The doctor and Janie laid him on Ashley’s belly as they wiped him up. As they suctioned more goo out of his mouth and nose, he started crying—a weak, but sweet little cry. Ashley started bawling like her baby.

  “I have a baby! I have a baby!”

  Ron hugged Ashley and kissed her face, her head, and her neck as his tears mixed with hers. Emma watched like she was sitting in a movie theater. It felt so surreal.

  “Em, I have a baby!”

  Emma nodded. She couldn’t say anything; her throat was so tight. She walked to Ashley’s side as the doctor instructed Ron on how to cut the umbilical cord. The tears in Ron’s eyes had Emma’s eyes watering. She’d never seen him so emotional, and he was probably as terrified as Emma at watching a human shoot out of Ashley’s private parts.

  Nurse Janie cradled the baby in her arms and walked to a little table in the room with a light above it and laid the baby down. She cleaned him up and weighed him, measured him, and listened to his heart and lungs. When she was confident she had everything she needed, she wrapped the baby in a blanket and walked over to Ashley and laid him in her arms.

  Emma stood watching the whole thing in amazement. Ron sat on the edge of the bed with Ashley, and Emma leaned down and kissed her sister’s head. She looked down at her brand new nephew in awe. He was fast asleep, not caring a thing for all these people in the room who wanted to meet him. Ashley and Ron positively glowed.

  “What do you think, Em?”

  “I don’t know.” Emma’s words were slow and soft. Ashley looked at her and smiled.

  “Your face is going to stay like that if you don’t stop looking that way.”

  Emma shook her head. “I’m stunned. A little grossed out too. I just saw a little person come out of your…you know. Holy shit, Ash. Gross.”

  Ashley laughed again, “Yeah. You should have been me. Hurt, too.”

  Emma could only nod, “I bet it did.”

  “I want to hold him,” Ron said, watching his son with so much pride on his face. Ashley giggled and handed their son to Ron, who quickly cradled him to his chest.

  “What’s his name?”

  Emma smiled as she watched her big ol’ brother-in-law make cooing sounds to his son. Ashley looked up at Ron and said, “Tyler.”

  Ron’s head snapped up. “Really, Ash? I thought you didn’t want to name him Tyler.”

  Ashley nodded and smiled as she laid her head back against the bed and closed her eyes for a moment. Nurse Janie came around the bed, “Can we get you into a new gown and change the bedding before you nap?” Ashley opened her eyes and nodded. Ron stood up and walked over to Emma and placed Tyler in her arms. Emma started to protest, being new to this baby thing, but Ron insisted. “I want to help Ash, Emma; and you need to meet Tyler.”

  Emma promptly sat in the nearest chair and looked at her nephew as he slept blissfully unaware in her arms. Rocking back and forth, Emma relaxed and realized she was content sitting with Tyler. She finally understood what people meant when they said it was peace
ful rocking with a baby. Before she knew it, Ashley had been cleaned up, changed, and new bedding placed on her bed. Janie walked over to Emma.

  “May I bathe him?”

  Emma smiled at her. “You have the greatest job.”

  Janie nodded. “Yes, I do. I love this. I can’t wait to have my own someday.”

  “After watching this all the time, you aren’t scared? It looks like it hurts like hell.”

  Janie smiled. “It’s a pain that brings such joy.”

  Emma nodded. “Well that’s true. Are you hoping to have a baby soon?”

  Emma watched her handle Tyler, wanting to learn what to do. She followed Janie across the room to the bath. Very efficiently she rested one hand on his tummy, and filled the baby bath with the other. As she squirted baby soap into the water, the fresh scent of clean baby filled Emma’s nostrils. Mmm, fresh baby.

  “I’d love to. We’ll see. I’ve only just met someone special.”

  Chapter Five

  Jeremiah ran to the car and started it. He turned the heater on, tapped the trunk button to open it, and quickly walked into the house to grab Joci’s and the baby’s bags. He mentally checked that he had everything they needed. He wasn’t home when the twins were born. Serving in Iraq saved him from this type of stress. Thinking on it now, this would rank right up there with being shot at; his nerves were wound tight. Rotating his head as he set the bags into the trunk, he closed the lid and hustled to help Joci to the car.

  “Baby, everything is in the car except for you. Let me help you out of bed.”

  Joci scooted herself to the edge of the bed and lowered her feet to the floor as Jeremiah wrapped his arm around her back and waist to help her stand. Once on her feet, she was gripped with another contraction.

  “Breathe through it, baby. Come on, breathe with me.”

  Jeremiah’s massive chest rose and fell against Joci’s back as he began panting with her, encouraging her to breathe with him. Joci closed her eyes and felt his breathing and the warmth and strength of his arm around her. What would she do without him?

  “Okay. Whew. They’re coming closer and closer,” she said as she looked into his eyes, the same color as fresh spring grass, and hoped once again that their baby would look like its father.

  “Yeah, I thought we would have more time between ten minutes apart and two minutes apart. Those last two were close. Let’s get you to the car.”

  Making their way slowly to the kitchen, another contraction hit Joci.

  “Oh no, another one’s coming.” Joci froze in place and gripped her belly on either side as she leaned slightly forward.

  “Shit. Breathe, honey. Breathe.”

  *****

  Jeremiah turned into the hospital parking lot and drove right up to the emergency entrance. As an attendant came out to the car, Jeremiah yelled, “We need a wheelchair; my wife is having a baby and her contractions are about a minute apart.”

  Trotting through the hospital to the birthing unit, a nurse met them in the hall. “This is my wife, Joci. My name is Jeremiah.”

  “My name is Janie and I’ll be helping you deliver your baby.”

  *****

  JT, Gunnar, Molly, and Ryder were sitting outside the birthing room with Thomas and Emily, Jeremiah’s parents, Jeremiah’s brothers and sisters-in-law, and Joci’s sister and brother-in-law. They could hear certain things being said in the room; they were trying to listen, and then trying not to listen. They could hear Jeremiah coaching Joci on her breathing, and then hear Joci grunt or pant, and then a loud release of breath after she pushed.

  Gunnar squirmed in his seat. This was uncomfortable, just thinking about what was going on in there was making him sweat. Molly looked at him and started laughing.

  “What?”

  “The look on your face is funny. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

  She laughed a little harder as they heard another loud grunt and Gunnar winced. Ryder grinned as Gunnar turned his head and looked away.

  Feeling restless, Gunnar got up and walked a few steps down the hall. Stretching his back as he moved helped relieve this tension. Damn hospital smells on top of his mom grunting in pain in the other room was driving him crazy. A door opened and a woman walking backwards bumped into Gunnar with a thud. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders to keep her from falling on her ass. The soft scent of her perfume and the feel of her warm body pressing into his make his dick jerk. The woman with her was wearing a robe and pushing a baby in a little bassinet. Her eyes initially rounded as she watched Gunnar break the fall of the woman in his arms.

  As he lifted her to her feet, Emma turned, “I’m sorry, I was just…”

  They stared at each other for a few moments as recognition set in. Emma’s expressive brown eyes grew as big as saucers as realization hit. She was standing in Gunnar’s arms. She righted herself as he set her away from him and her face flamed a vibrant red.

  Gunnar looked at her and smirked. “You’re not going to throw an exploding can of formula on me, are you?” He hooked his thumbs in his front pockets to keep his hands from holding on to her. Feeling her against his body had his heart beating a rapid tempo and he felt the moisture forming on his back.

  Ashley burst out laughing. “Oh my God, are you the guy whose bike got doused? I laughed so hard after she told us what she did that I went into labor. At least, I think that’s what did it.”

  Emma looked at Ashley with a “what the heck?” look and Ashley laughed all the more.

  “Sorry. I’m sure it wasn’t funny at the time, but it really hit a funny bone when she told me.”

  Gunnar’s family was listening and watching with amusement. He had spent yesterday afternoon cleaning his bike. Again.

  Just then, they heard a baby’s cry from Joci’s room. Gunnar turned to face the door where his new little sibling was just born, waiting to hear the news. It took a few moments, and Janie walked out of the room to tell the family the news.

  She looked over at Gunnar and her blue eyes grew large. “Gunnar, what are you doing here?”

  Gunnar looked at her, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning. He looked at her name badge, Janie. He looked at her face again. Nope, nothing.

  After a few beats, Emma, watching the whole thing, nudged Gunnar’s arm.

  Gunnar looked down at her and back at Janie. He cleared his throat and pointed to Joci’s room. “My mom’s having…had a baby. What is it?”

  Janie looked at him and shook her head as if letting this detail sink in before looking back to the others. She cleared her throat and said, “It’s a girl. We’re cleaning her up and taking care of Joci. It should be just a few minutes, and then we’ll let you in.”

  Janie glanced at Gunnar, shifted her gaze to Emma, and then turned and walked back into the room. JT grinned at Gunnar and nudged Ryder. They chuckled and began talking with each other about the baby. Jeremiah’s brothers exchanged a few dollars; apparently, there had been a bet.

  Gunnar heard a cluck and looked down at Emma. “Did you pick her up in a bar or something and not remember her?” she asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

  Gunnar closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Fuck, yeah—blow job girl on his birthday. He realized she had asked him something and looked back at her. She looked irritated with him.

  “Ah, something like that I guess.”

  “Pfft. Men.” Emma pointed to the other end of the hall as she looked at Ashley and turned to walk away.

  Ashley followed her with a smile on her face. She looked at Gunnar. “Congratulations on your little sister.” She continued walking to catch up to Emma, pushing Tyler in his bassinet.

  Gunnar walked back to his family and waited to be allowed to go in and see his new little sister. He watched Emma and Ashley walk down the hall. Just a few moments with her and his cock was wiggling around in his pants and his mind was lost in thoughts of her. She smelled good again, dammit. Fresh and powdery. When she bumped into him and he wrapped his arms around
her to keep her from falling, she fit perfectly into his arms. Too perfect.

  “She’s very pretty. Who is she?”

  Gunnar turned to see Molly looking at him with a smile on her face. Molly, his biological sister—beautiful, with dark hair, bright blue eyes, perfect smile, petite, smart, loyal, talented, and he loved her. They had just met a few months ago, never knowing each other growing up, but they had spent time over the past few months building a relationship and Gunnar was so grateful to have her in his life.

  “I don’t know. I met her yesterday at the grocery store. She’s clumsy.”

  “Oooo, the bike thing? Yikes. Bad huh?” Molly’s nose wrinkled.

  Absently, Gunnar turned his head to watch Emma and Ashley talking at the end of the hall. “Yeah.”

  “You’re able to come in and visit, but I’m afraid only a few of you at a time,” Janie said as she tried to avoid looking into Gunnar’s eyes.

  Jeremiah’s father, Thomas, stood and stretched. “You kids—Gunnar, JT, Ryder and Molly should be first along with Emily and me.” They walked in the room to see Jeremiah lying in bed next to Joci and holding his daughter in his arms. Joci was lying back, watching Jeremiah, her smokey gray eyes adoringly looking at him. Gunnar walked over and kissed his mom on the head.

  “Hey. How are you doing? How’s my little sister?”

  Joci smiled at Gunnar and grabbed his hand. “I’m good; she’s better.”

  Gunnar looked at his dad and leaned across Joci to pat him on the shoulder.

  “You look good with her in your arms.”

  “She feels good. You want to hold her?”

  Gunnar nodded and walked around the bed. Jeremiah placed the baby in his arms. He watched her little face as his brothers and sister crowded around. Perfect little nose, bowed lips, and a full head of blonde hair. She was going to be a stunner when she grew up.

  Gunnar’s mouth was dry, the beating of his heart solid and strong. “What’s her name?”