Page 128 of Calamity Rayne Knocked Up

“Have you been timing the contractions?”

“No.” I was doing everything wrong. “But they’re close. I don’t know how close.” Hale would know. He’d done so well at all of our birthing classes. He wassupposed to be here, holding my hand and encouraging me and ordering drugs to make the pain go away.

“Would you say they’re less than five minutes apart?”

“Yes,” both Xander and I answered at once.

“Then we need to check if the baby's head is visible.”

Everything stilled.

“Sir, are you there?”

Xander held my stare, his expression one of absolute horror. “I’m here.”

“Can you check if the baby’s head is visible?”

Mother Earth, swallow me now. The only person allowed to see my unmanicured nine-month pregnant hoo-ha was my husband and my doctor. “Absolutely not.”

Xander nodded in agreement and told the 9-11 operator, “I’d rather wait for the professionals.”

“Ma’am are you having the urge to push?”

“No,” I lied, then admitted, “Mostly because I don’t want to.”

Tyler would be proud if I ruined Xander’s car. But even that wasn’t enough to make me push.

“Ma’am, for your safety and the baby’s, Ineed you to get into position and let him take a look to see if the head is visible.”

I closed my eyes and whimpered. I should have expected catastrophic level calamities. Things had been too good, too easy. I was happy. I knew better. I should have anticipated my worst nightmare coming to life.

A hand squeezed mine and I opened my eyes. Xander was there, fear clear on his face, but something had changed. Was that compassion in his stare?

“It’s okay,” he assured. “We can do this.”

With a shaky breath, I nodded and turned my body so my legs hung out the door. “You make one snide comment, and I swear I’ll kick you right in the nose.” I lifted to pull down my underwear. They only made it to my thighs before I was bowing backward in pain.

“Shit. The contractions are getting worse,” Xander snapped at the 9-11 operator. “Where the hell’s this ambulance?”

I howled. “Something’s wrong! What do I do?”

He yanked my underwear off and pushed up my dress. “Holy shit.”

“What? What isit?”

“It’s a brunette.”

“Don’t tell me that!”

“What should I do?” Xander yelled. “I see a head!”

“Place your hands under her and support the baby’s head, sir. Ma’am, once he’s in position, you have to push.”

“I want Hale!” I wailed. Wheels squealed in the distance as sirens blared, blending into a roar with my own screams as I had no choice but to start pushing as the pressure took on a life of its own.“I can’t do thissssss!”

“Rayne!”

My breath hitched as I tried to see past Xander’s sweaty head, but tears blurred my vision.“Hale?”

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