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“But this is the most amazing night of AJ’s life—one he has worked so hard for. He’s been on cloud nine all day, and I want him to savor each and every moment. I can’t bear to ruin one second of it by causing him unnecessary worry as the nagging fiancée.”

“He needs to know, and I’m going to tell him.”

“Not if I get to him first!” I countered. When I shot out of my seat, all hell broke loose below my waist. A twisting, wrenching pain ricocheted through me, and I moaned.

“Mia?” Just as Brayden stepped over to me, my water broke with such a force that it splashed down my legs and onto the top of Brayden’s shoes before spreading on the floor.

As Brayden and I gazed down at the puddle we stood in, my hand flew to cover my mouth. “Oh God, I can’t believe that just happened. All that ‘what to expect’ crap doesn’t quite prepare you for Splash Mountain.” When I dared to look up at Brayden, I shook my head. “I’m so, so sorry about your shoes.”

He laughed. “Mia, honey, I could give two shits about my shoes right now. I’m a little more concerned about the fact you’re in labor.”

“Oh damn,” I muttered.

“We need to get you to the hospital.”

Tears stung my eyes. “Now I’m really going to ruin AJ’s night.”

As I sniffled, Brayden’s hand came to cup my cheek. “Mia, I promise you when it comes down to it, awards and parties won’t mean shit when he holds Isabella in his arms for the first time. Nothing will ever compare to that moment when he sees the life he helped create.”

My lip trembled at his sweet words. “Thank you.”

He smiled. “You’re welcome. Now why don’t you just sit back down here while I go find AJ, and then we’ll get you to the limo.”

“Yeah, that should be—” My voice choked off as pain ripped through my abdomen like a steam locomotive charging through it. I doubled over and cried out. Around me, I could hear Brayden talking furiously to someone, but I couldn’t make out his words through the agonizing pain. It seemed to go on forever before it finally let up.

“Mia!” AJ cried.

I glanced up to see him tearing down the veranda—his face ashen with worry. When he got to me, he wrapped me in his arms. “Amorcito mio, it’s okay. I’m here now.”

Before I could stop myself, tears stung my eyes. “Oh AJ, I’m so sorry about going into labor tonight.”

His eyes widened. “Don’t you dare say that! You and Bella are my world.”

Another pain rippled through me, and I cried out. “Come on. We gotta get you to the limo.” AJ wrapped one arm around my waist while the other he used to push us through the crowd. Brayden started ahead of us, shoving people out of the way to clear a path. By the time we got outside, Jake, Abby, Lily, and Rhys were pacing beside the limo.

“Oh my God, Mia,” Abby cried, rushing up to me.

“I’m okay…I’m just in labor.”

“And we’re going to get you to the hospital ASAP,” Lily replied.

“No, no, you guys need to stay and have fun,” I protested.

Jake grinned and shook his head. “I think there’s a new party to go to—‘Miss Bella’s Introduction to the World Party’.”

I laughed. “Yeah, it’s going to be a rocking one for sure.”

“All right, enough talking. You need to get inside the limo. Now,” AJ commanded.

“Eesh, so bossy,” I muttered before I dipped inside. AJ threw his tux jacket across the seat. Just as I sat down, another pain gripped me. AJ immediately appeared at my side and grabbed hold of my hand.

When I finally came out of my pain haze, I saw that Abby and Jake had ducked inside as well. “That was intense,” I croaked.

“I’m so sorry,” AJ murmured, kissing my cheek.

I was adjusting myself on the seat when the limo driver appeared at the door.

“Why aren’t we moving?” Jake asked.

His face paled. “We seem to be having engine problems.”

“Excuse me?” I demanded through gritted teeth.

“It won’t start.”

“You gotta be fucking kidding me!” AJ exclaimed.

Jake shook his head. “Maybe we can borrow someone else’s car or limo?”

The limo driver shook his head. “I just called the paramedics on dispatch. They were right around the corner, and they should be here any minute.”

“Shit,” I muttered as another terrible contraction ricocheted through me. Looking back, I realized all the pains I’d had yesterday and today weren’t just the usual pregnancy pains or Braxton Hicks. Even though I was a Cardiac nurse, how the hell could I not have realized the signs that I was in labor?

I gripped AJ’s hand tight as I rode the agonizing wave of pain. When it finally subsided, I relaxed. But it was at that moment that I felt something had shifted below my waist. “Um, this is probably totally in my imagination, but it feels like she’s coming out already.”

Abby peered down at her phone. “Your contractions are coming faster and faster together. Do you want me to…” She glanced between AJ and Jake before looking back at me. “You know, check on things…down there?”

“Yeah, it probably wouldn’t hurt. I mean, between the two of us, we probably have just enough nursing training to be dangerous when it comes to labor and delivery.”

When Abby reached to ease up my dress, Jake threw up his hands defensively. “Wait, I’m sorry, but I have to get the hell out of here,” he said, before ducking out of door. I caught a glimpse of Rhys pacing outside with Brayden and Lily before Jake closed the door.

Abby gently reached under my dress to remove my soaked panties. She tossed them to the side, and then pushed the hemline up. “Oh my God!” she screeched.

“What?” AJ and I demanded in unison.

“You were right. Bella’s head…it’s like…right there.”

“Oh, shit, I’ve already crowned?”

“Whoa, what the hell is crowning?” AJ questioned.

“Didn’t you read any of the baby books I gave you?”

A sheepish look entered his face. “I skimmed some of them. Those birthing pictures were way intense.”

“Well for your information, crowning means it’s time to push.”

He shook his head wildly back and forth. “But you can’t push yet. The paramedics aren’t here. Can’t you just hold it in?”

The death glare that both Abby and I shot him caused him to shrink back into the seat. He held up his hands defensively. “Sorry, that was a really stupid question.” He swallowed hard. “Okay, then what do we do?”

I opened my mouth but was interrupted by the wail of an ambulance’s siren. At AJ’s horror stricken face, I squeezed his hand. “It’s okay now. The EMT’s will know what to do.”

Just as they knocked on the window, another pain seized me—this time it felt like a giant’s hands were squeezing my abdomen. I couldn’t help but pinch my eyes shut and push, regardless of whether the paramedics were there or not. Voices echoed around me, but all I could do was focus on the contractions as they came harder and faster.

As I crouched down at Mia’s side in the back of the limo, the irony of the situation wasn’t lost on me. We’d come together sexually as a couple for the first time on a limo floor and now our daughter was going to be born in one. Mia was advancing so fast that the EMT’s refused to move her.

When I’d dared to protest that maybe having a baby in a limo wasn’t the best idea, they had ignored me. Instead they’d jerked up Mia’s dress even further and widened her legs for the delivery. Shit was getting epically real, and I wasn’t sure I could handle it.

But when I got my first sight of Bella’s crowned head, it was like a lightning bolt zapped me. Even from my vantage point, I could see she had a head full of jet black hair. Something about seeing that tiny head sent wonder and instant adoration rippling through me. This was my baby girl. I no longer gave a shit that we were having her in a limo and not a sterile delivery room. All I cared about was that my daughter— mi niña—was about to be born.