Page 73 of Saved By the Mountain Man

“Shit,” Laken said again, and then I heard her talking on the phone.

“Tommy? Yeah, we need help. We need to get to the hospital. I think Rae’s in labor.”

She ended the call and turned to me.

“Tommy’s close and on the way. He’s in his truck.”

As if the moment conjured him out of thin air, Tommy’s truck skidded to a halt in front of us. He hopped out and helped me in. Laken followed, and I was sandwiched between them, holding onto my belly.

The contractions were coming fast and strong, and I was struggling to stay calm. “Tanner… we need to find Tanner,” I gasped.

Tommy nodded. “Don’t worry, Rae. We’ll find him. Right now, I want you in a better place.”

We sped toward the hospital, the pain intensifying with each contraction. As we pulled into the parking lot, we passed Bear. He had a bunch of supplies in his hands. He barely ever came to town, and it was pure luck that we saw him here.

“Bear,” I gasped. “Tell Bear.”

Laken wound down the window and called out to him. He frowned, but when he saw me in the middle, he ran over.

“What’s going on?” Bear frowned deeper, his gray-streaked beard unkempt, his eyes serious.

“Rae’s in labor, and we can’t reach Tanner,” Laken said quickly. “Can you find him?”

Bear nodded once. “I’ll find him and bring him to the hospital. Don’t worry, Rae. He’ll be there.” His words were serious, and I knew he would find him. No one knew how he’d tracked down Jethro that day, but he’d done that with ease.

Bear was a different breed.

When we stopped at the clinic, Tommy helped me out of the truck. Laken ran inside, yelling that I needed help to anyone who would listen. Two nurses ran out, one with a wheelchair. Everything seemed to happen in a blur through the waves of contractions that rocked my body. They undressed me, put me in a johnny, got me into a room and onto a bed.

The pain was overwhelming, and tears squeezed out of my eyes.

“Please, find Tanner,” I begged when Laken could see me again.

“He’ll be here,” she said. “Just breathe, Rae. You’re doing great.”

The minutes felt like hours as the contractions came closer together. The doctor checked my progress and gave me a reassuring smile that didn’t help at all.

“You’re doing well, Rae. The baby’s eager to come out. Just a little longer.”

I nodded, trying to focus on my breathing, but the pain was so intense. All I could think about was Tanner and that he was going to miss the birth of his baby. I needed him here. I needed him by my side.

A moment later, the door burst open, and Tanner crashed into the room. His face was wild and the smell of the forest clung to him. His eyes were filled with panic.

“Rae,” he said, coming to my side and taking my hand. “I’m here, babe. I’m here.”

“Tanner,” I sobbed as a wave of relief washed over me. “Thank God you’re here.”

He kissed my forehead, his hand gripping mine tightly. “I wouldn’t miss this for anything, sweetheart. You’re so strong, Rae. You can do this.”

My body seemed to kick into a new gear, and suddenly we were surrounded by doctors and nurses. The doctor guided me through each contraction, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, I heard the most beautiful sound in the world—our baby’s first cry.

“It’s a boy,” the doctor announced, placing the tiny, wriggling bundle in my arms.

“Tanner,” I breathed, looking down at our son. Tears still ran over my cheeks, but they were ones of joy now. The pain was gone, and although they were still taking care of me, all I could see was the little bundle on my chest, the tiny nose, and Tanner’s hazel eyes.

Tanner looked at the baby with something that looked like pride and fear mixed together.

“He’s so small,” he said.

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