Page 124 of Billionaire Lumberjack's Bargain

Camille finally relaxes and opens her eyes to meet mine.

“I’m worried about the baby and you…”

“I know, but thirty-seven weeks is technically full term. The baby is just fine. She wouldn’t be coming if she wasn’t ready to be here. Let’s not worry about something until we have to.”

It shouldn’t be so easy for her to say those words when she’s the one who is going to have this baby, not me.

“We’re really going to do this up here?”

She nods. “It looks like it.”

I squeeze her hand and lower my lips to her temple, breathing her in, letting her warmth seep into me. “Then you better tell us what to do.”

She offers me a half smile when I pull back. “I can certainly do that. Is Davey still occupied?”

I nod and glance through the open door into his bedroom across the hall. “I set him up in his room where he’ll be close enough for us to keep an eye on him, but hopefully, he won’t try too hard to get in here when things get…”

The right word eludes me.

Messy.

Scary.

Utterly terrifying.

“I know he’ll be worried about you once it gets louder.”

Her lips twist. “Not looking forward to that part.”

No matter how tough Camille may be, giving birth isn’t a painless experience. She’s already in so much discomfort with contractions, so I can’t imagine how bad things will be once she starts pushing.

“What can I do to help?”

It doesn’t matter what her answer is—I would doanythingfor this woman.

She offers me a soft smile and tightens her grip on my hand. “The same thing I did for you.”

A few seconds pass before what she’s saying clicks. “The tub?”

She nods. “Water delivery. It’s how I had Davey, and the warm water helps with the pain of the contractions until it’s time to push.”

“But won’t the baby—”

Her bark of laughter interrupts me before I can even get the full question out. “No, the baby won’t drown. Trust me.”

“I do.” I kiss her gently, then rise to my feet, releasing her hand. “I’ll go draw a bath.”

Pops gives me a sharp nod. “I’ve got her.”

By now, the thick, black smoke pouring from the barn will have drawn everyone’s attention in James Creek. If it weren’t for the snow, half the town would’ve been up here by now. But as it stands, we’re on our own, and that means making use of anything I can find to ensure this delivery goes well for Camille and her daughter.

That means I need to gain control of myself.

My panic isn’t good for her.

And I do my best to slow down my breathing as I head into the bathroom, crank on the tap, and sit on the edge.

Water pours into the cast iron, the rushing sound now filling my ears instead of the roaring crackle of the fire that I can’t seem to get out of my head.

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