Page 143 of Samuel

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“Cowboy, I?—”

“I promise, Evie. I’m fine. Let’s just put the focus where it needs to be. On our sweet little diva who wants to share a very special day with her aunt and uncle.”

Her gaze lingered on his face for just a second before her eyes rolled back in her head and she bunched up her face. Sam crooned words of encouragement into her ear, reminding his own body to calm down and be a steady source of strength for the warrior in his arms.

“Okay. I think this next contraction we’re going to deliver the head. And it should only be one or two after that, we’ll have her out.” Sam was so thankful for Jake and his calm approach to the whole situation.

“I c-can’t do this, Sam. I can’t.” Her wide eyes were filled with panic and her breathing started to pick up.

“Slow down.” He brought his hand up to stroke her forehead. Her head lolled on his shoulder as she moaned. “There’s nothing else in the world that matters right now except you and Jellybean. Time is standing still, waiting for her. You’re going to do this, because you are fierce, and powerful, and you were made for this moment. You’re going to bring our daughter into the world, Evie. And we’re going to celebrate the first baby born at home on the ranch in decades.”

“Something’s going to go wrong, Sam. I can feel it. I don’t get to fall in love and keep my babies.”

“You do this time, Sweetheart. God help me, this is the life I was brought back for. I’m not going to let anything happen to either one of you. I give you my word.”

“And a cowboy never…ohhhhhhhh!!!”

“Just go with what your body is telling you. You’re doing beautifully, Evie. She’s coming, just keep pushing like that.” Jake’s encouraging words seemed to bolster Evie, and Sam placed his hands on her hard bump one last time. He felt the moment their daughter entered the world, her belly going soft as Jake caught their wiggly little girl.

“Oh my god, Sam. She’s here!”

Fuck. His face was suddenly wet.

Tears of joy, of endless love, poured down his face. He swiped them away, not wanting to miss anything.

“You did it! God, you are so amazing Evie. I love you.” He kissed her forehead and looked down at Jellybean in awe.

“She’s perfect you guys. Well done, Evie.” Jake set the baby on Evie’s chest and Sam rubbed even more tears from his eyes. Fuck. Evie was a mom. And he was a dad.

They sat in that shocked glow for several minutes, both taking in the little girl now laying on Evie’s chest. They counted her fingers, and her toes. Evie brushed her fingers lovingly over the baby’s fuzzy hair. Sam committed to memory the way her first little cries sounded.

As if to punctuate the profoundness of what just happened, Jake held up a pair of small looking scissors. “Okay, Evie. The cord has stopped pulsating. Are you ready for Dad to cut it?”

Evie nodded, her head resting back on the sofa cushion.

“It’s not going to hurt them, will it?” Sam whispered.

“Not at all. I promise.”

He reached out, taking the scissors from Jake. There were two clamps and Jake pointed to the space where Sam should cut between them. It took more effort than he had imagined, but suddenly his girls were no longer physically connected.

Jellybean was well and truly Earth-side then.

He handed the scissors back to Jake. Then he leaned overand kissed the baby’s head. “Hello, sweet girl. I’m your dad. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

Sam sat back, keeping one hand on the baby’s back, while his other hand stroked Evie’s hair. “You were brilliant. God, Evie. Thank you for making me a dad. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Sam. I can’t believe she’s here.”

“What an entrance, Jellybean.” He rubbed his hand over her back, and was rewarded with giant blue eyes staring up at him. “I think we are going to have our hands full with her.”

“I d-don’t even know what just happened,” she panted. “We probably need to call her by her real name, right?”

“You decided?”

She nodded, tears filling her eyes. She bent her head down, gently kissing the baby’s head. “Welcome to the world, Samantha Jo Cooper.”

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