Page 7 of A Game-Changing Christmas

A full smile spread across Camilla’s lips. “He’s famous, doll, and so are you.” Camilla watched the revelation spread through Claudia’s mind as her brows rose slightly. “Took me a while to figure this out, too,” Camilla chimed. “But—”

Camilla’s tongue was tied when a liquid warmth saturated her panties and spread down her legs. Camilla’s eyes grew, and she glanced to the floor just as the first trickle of water spilled from her pantyhose.

Claudia thought she was seeing things. Her eyes bucked, and she blinked, staring at the liquid that had just clashed with the floor. It hit them both at the same time, and Claudia gasped.

“I think my water just broke,” Camilla said, her voice a ball of shaken nervousness.

“Oh my God!” Claudia stood to her feet. “I’ll go get your friends.” She turned to leave the bathroom.

“Wait! Don’t leave me in here. I don’t want to have my baby on a bathroom floor!”

“No, you won’t, it doesn’t happen that fast. I’ll be back in a snap!”

Camilla reached out to Claudia, gripping her by the shoulder. “Please don’t leave me in here,” she said, sinking her back into the stall wall.

Camilla’s grip was lethal, and Claudia had to wonder if the woman worked out with her husband to have such a stern clutch.

“Okay, okay,” Claudia held her arms up in surrender. “I’d like to keep my shoulder if you don’t mind.”

Camilla released her stronghold but didn’t release Claudia completely.

“I’m sorry. I’m just. Oh my God. Can you take me to the hospital?!”

Claudia’s stomach did somersaults. She’d been in this same position when Samiyah’s water broke while Phoebe was shopping for a dress at the bridal shop earlier that year. That had ended with Selena, Phoebe, and Eden in jail, while Claudia was clutched in Samiyah’s dangerous grip in the labor and delivery ward.

“I didn’t drive, so I don’t have keys!”

Camilla pulled out a set of keys and shoved them in Claudia’s hand.

“Please.”

Claudia hesitated a moment too long, and another wave of water spilled from Camilla just as an arresting pain shot through Camilla’s core.

“Oooh! Oh my God!” Camilla screamed, jarring Claudia into action.

“Can you even walk?!”

“Yes, yes, but not for long, please get me out of here!”

Claudia grabbed Camilla’s arm and guided her with a hand at her back out of the restaurant to the front door. She’d tried to signal the ladies across the sea of people, but they were blocked from the growing line, making Claudia curse internally.

The frost in Chicago’s air whipped across their faces as they made it out the door to Camilla’s Lexus SUV. After climbing inside and igniting the engine, Claudia glanced at Camilla.

“You may want to buckle up.”

Camilla nodded frantically as Claudia backed the car out and screeched into the street. She broke every rule of the road; riding bumpers, swerving around motorists, hitting illegal U-turns when she’d passed their exit. All the while, Camilla held on to Claudia’s arm with unsteady alarm.

“I hope you don’t drive like this all the time!” Camilla yelled.

“No, I don’t, but when your limbs are in the position to be pulled off, you do what you gotta do,” Claudia said, referring once again to Camilla’s tight grip.

Camilla nodded, aware that she held a fierce grip, but even telling herself to loosen up didn’t help the matter. She was nervous as hell.

“I’ve gotta call my husband.”

Camilla pulled out her smartphone, temporarily reliving Claudia’s arms. Claudia rubbed her shoulder then hit another sharp turn, causing the car to rock as it found its treading groove again.

“Baby!” Camilla yelled into the phone.

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