Page 45 of Roping Reba

“This childbirth shit is for the birds.”

He laughed and crawled into bed behind me. “Yeah, but just think how amazing it will be when Jax is holding his little sister.”

Tears sprung to my eyes and he wiped them away. “That will be really great.”

After what felt like seconds, but was probably minutes, pain ripped through my body, sharp and unrelenting. I gritted my teeth, gripping Johnny’s hand so tight I swore I might had broken it this time and I didn’t even feel bad about it.

“You’re doing so good, sweetheart,” Johnny murmured, his voice calm but thick with emotion. He wiped the sweat from my forehead, his other hand steady on my lower belly as another contraction rolled through me.

I let out a shaky breath, my head falling against his chest. “I swear to God, Johnny, if you tell me to breathe one more time?—”

Johnny chuckled, even as his body tensed behind me. “I wouldn’t dare.”

I groaned as another wave of pain hit, and Johnny held me tighter, grounding me. The house was quiet except for the sound of my ragged breathing and the occasional encouraging words he whispered in my ear. Ivy was on her way, but the contractions were coming faster, stronger. Panic bubbled beneath the surface, but Johnny’s presence kept me from drowning in it.

“You got this,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to my damp temple. “I’m right here.”

I dug my fingers into his arm, breathing hard through the contraction. “You better be. You’re the reason I’m in this mess.”

Johnny smirked. “I’ll take full responsibility just as long as you don’t hold this against me forever.”

I shot him a glare. “No promises.”

Just then, the sound of a car pulling up outside sent a wave of relief through me.

“Ivy’s here.”

Johnny nodded, his hold on me unwavering as another contraction hit. He kissed the side of my head, whispering, “Almost there, baby. Just a little longer.”

As the door opened and Ivy rushed in, I clung to Johnny, knowing that no matter what happened next, I wasn’t doing this alone. Ivy came up beside me, her hands gentle but firm as she assessed the situation. “Alright, Reba, you’re progressing fast. This baby is coming soon. When did contractions start?”

“Earlier today. We wanted to just take our time with everything but it seems like she doesn’t want to wait anymore.”

“That’s okay,” Ivy said, placing her bag on the table in the corner and pulling out some gloves. “I want to check you before your next contraction so we can get an idea of how close you are okay?”

I nodded, It wasn’t like I had much choice at this point. Johnny helped me lift my leg since I couldn’t bear the thought of rolling back onto my back and Ivy made quick work of checking how far along I was.

I let out a shaky breath, trying to focus. “How soon?”

Ivy gave me a reassuring smile. “It won’t be long now. With the next contraction, I want you to start pushing.”

“Already?”

She nodded as Johnny’s grip on me tightened, his thumb rubbing slow circles against my belly. “You got this, baby. I know you do.”

The next contraction hit like a freight train, and I bore down, a sharp cry ripping from my throat. Johnny murmuredencouragement, his presence the only thing keeping me from unraveling.

“Good, Reba. Again,” Ivy coached as she held my leg and I tried to do my best to follow her instructions. I sucked in a breath and pushed again, my whole body trembling with effort. Tears pricked my eyes from the intensity, from the sheer overwhelming reality of what was happening.

“I can’t,” I gasped, exhaustion weighing me down.

Johnny cupped my face, forcing me to look at him. His eyes burned with love, determination. “Yes, you can, Reba. You’re almost there.”

I nodded, drawing from his strength, and for the next half hour I pushed with everything I had. Suddenly a piercing cry filled the room, and my entire world shifted. I collapsed against Johnny as Ivy lifted a tiny, wailing bundle into the air. “Reba, Johnny, meet your daughter.”

Tears slipped down my cheeks as Ivy placed the baby on my chest. I stared down at her, completely in awe. She was perfect—tiny fingers curling, her cries strong and fierce. Johnny’s arms wrapped around both of us, his breath warm against my hair as he let out a choked laugh.

“She’s beautiful,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Just like her mama.”

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