Shakes helped her up, and she kept a hand on her belly.
“Man, the baby is really having a field day in there.”
“Maybe I should call the doctor?”
She shook her head. “Shakes, I’m fine.”
“Well, maybe I should call your dad.”
“Why? All he’ll do is hover over me and worry about me, like you are.” She smiled and leaned forward, rose on her toes, and kissed him.
Making her way toward the bathroom, she shut the door, and just as she was about to sit down to do her business a gush of wetness soaked her panties. Oh. God. Had she just pissed herself? Looking down, she saw the clear fluid dripping down her inner thighs. Snapping her head up and looking at her reflection in the mirror across from her, she knew what in the hell was going on.
“Oh shit. Shakes.” She screamed out his name.
The bathroom door flew open and slammed against the wall.
“What? Everything okay?” Shakes looked scared as hell as he scanned her body, his focus stopping on her legs. “Baby, you couldn’t make it to the toilet?” He was all seriousness as he asked, not making fun of her, but looking confused. It was only after a few seconds that realization covered his face. He looked at her again, his eyes wide. “Oh fuck. Is this it, Daniella?”
She nodded, knowing her eyes were just as wide as his. “This is it. The baby is coming.”
Shakes wanted to drive safely, but fuck, he was scared as hell. “You still doing okay, baby?” He glanced over at her. She looked calm, collected. She looked the total opposite of how he felt.
“Shakes, calm down. I’m fine,” she said and smiled, but he saw the way her face grimaced after she spoke and saw her hold her belly. “I’m good. It’s just a contraction.”
He took a turn and cursed when he came up on a red light.
“Don’t break any traffic laws. It’s not like the baby will be born in the car,” she teased.
Fuck, he hoped not. No way did he want his woman giving birth to his baby in this filthy fucking SUV. “Hold it in.”
She looked over at him shocked, and he realized how fucking insane it sounded when he said it.
“Hold it in?” And then she laughed. “I’ve never seen you this frantic.”
Yeah, he was pretty fucking frantic right now. Hell, he even had beads of sweat on his forehead.
He just hoped he got to the hospital in time.
Chapter Two
“Help. We need some fucking help. My wife is having a baby.”
Daniella frowned as she stared at Shakes. Considering she was the one about to give birth, shouldn’t she be the one going crazy? Shaking her head, she followed behind him, gripping her back. The most embarrassing thing to have happened to her was her water breaking, and Shakes thinking she’d peed herself. Seriously, what kind of guy thought that?
“Come on,” he said, rushing back toward her with a chair to roll her in.
A nurse came toward her, and Daniella smiled at her.
“How are you feeling?”
“My contractions are about ten minutes apart.”
“Let’s go and check you out in triage.”
The next fifteen minutes were surreal as Shakes rushed around, ordering, growling, and generally being a big pain in the ass.
Gritting her teeth, Daniella grabbed her husband’s hand as the doctor looked to see how far she was dilated.
“You shouldn’t worry. I’d say we’ve got a good while to go yet. This one is not ready to come out just yet.”
“What?” Shakes growled the word, making Daniella wince.
“Seriously, honey, quiet down.”
“Check her again,” Shakes said.
“That’s fine, thank you.” She tugged on Shakes’s arm, glaring at him. “Seriously. It’s bad enough that a stranger is looking at my vagina, but you’re demanding he look again. I’m the one that has to have a human being coming out of me. I can’t believe you.” She grinned, because deep down she liked seeing him this frantic. It was cute.
“I want him to be sure.”
“They know what they’re doing, Shakes.” Daniella frowned. “You’re sweating.”
“Yeah, because you’re in labor.”
“So? Women have been doing this for a long time.”
This was not going how she imagined her labor to go. She expected Shakes to keep his shit together while shepanicked. This was just a horrible nightmare.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yes. Of course.”
He was lying.
“How about you call my father. I’m sure he’d want to know I’m labor.” She ran her hands across her stomach. He kissed her head and disappeared out of the door.
“First baby?” the nurse asked, smiling.
“Yes, is it so easy to see?”
“The dads are always a little frantic. It’ll get easier.” Daniella couldn’t help but find it funny that the nurse spoke her own thoughts. All parents were the same when it came to childbirth.
“I hope so.” If her father was here he might be able to keep Shakes in line, or at least keep him busy and his mind off panicking.
“What are your credentials? Why are you not dealing with my daughter? She’s in labor, and you’re sitting around doing nothing about it.”
Daniella dropped her head into her hand. Getting her father had been a huge mistake. Why did she even try to make this an easy process? Shakes and Zeke stood at the base of her bed, glaring at the doctor and nurses.
“I’m really sorry. Where they come from this is not a normal everyday occurrence. Please, forgive them,” Daniella said.
“Forgive us? They should be lucky I don’t have their jobs for this.”
“Dad, enough,” she said.
Over and over he went, badgering the poor doctor and nurses. He was giving her a headache just by listening to him.
“I’m the one that is pregnant. I’m the one that is having a baby. Could you please stop hassling everyone? I can’t stand it.” Daniella let out a breath and rubbed her stomach.
Her father came to one side of her, while Shakes came to her other side.
“What is it?” Shakes asked.
“We’re about to have a baby, and it’s no different from any other woman. Please, just stop being so demanding and protective, and just concentrate on me. You’re a real sweetheart when you do that.”
Shakes leaned in and kissed her.
“I know what I’m doing, honey,” Zeke said.
“Dad, please don’t be your usual bossy self. Try to be a regular father who doesn’t kill people, okay? I don’t think I can handle you threatening my doctor. I need him to get this baby delivered.” She nodded, trying to get her father to agree.
“You’re right.”
“I know I’m right.” She held onto Shakes’ hand as another contraction hit, harder than the last and far more painful. This one hurt a hell of a lot worse than the last.
Relaxing back on the bed, she panted, trying to gain her composure. “What were you doing tonight?” Daniella asked, looking toward her father and trying to focus on something other than the pain.
“I was with Alessandria.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she wanted to come tonight but I told her to stay at home. She’ll come after the baby is here.”
Daniella nodded.
Shakes gripped her hand, and she kissed him.