“I feel the same way, princess. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
When I slowly laid her down next to me, she put her head on my chest. The next thing I knew, she was sleeping. All I could hear were the sounds of the Llano River and the slow and steady breaths coming from the girl of my dreams.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
ARI
Oh. My.God. I was lying there on the bed, panting. Jesus, how does Jeff do that to me? I smiled as I thought about how amazing he’d just made me feel. After two orgasms, I was spent and ready to go to sleep.
He crawled up next to me and smiled.
“Well, do you feel more relaxed, baby?”
When I started laughing, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. Holy shit. What the fuck?
“Jeff, will you help me sit up?”
Jeff got up and helped me into a sitting position.
“What’s wrong?”
I looked at him and smiled. “Nothing. I guess I just had a sharp pain in my stomach. It was almost like the Braxton Hicks contractions, but this time it seemed different, stronger.
“Do you want something to eat?”
I nodded my head and slowly made my way off the bed. Grabbing my normal attire from the last few weeks, I threw on a pair of sweat-pants and a T-shirt.
Jeff whipped up some scrambled eggs. Just as I was about to take a bite, I felt another contraction.
Oh shit.
I looked at Jeff with a panicked look on my face. His face went white in two seconds flat.
“Holy fucking shit. Contractions?”
I nodded my head.
“Shit! I didn’t time it…you had the other one like what…twenty minutes ago?”
“That sounds about right.”
“Fuck!” Jeff jumped up and ran into the bedroom. When he ran by the kitchen, I saw he was carrying my bag that we’d packed for the hospital. He never even stopped.
At one point, he just tossed my flip-flops at me and told me to put them on.
One landed on top of the fridge, and the other hit me square in the face. Luckily, I was able to catch it. The one on top of the fridge was going to be a challenge.
I stood up, dropped the one flip-flop I had on the floor, and then walked over and grabbed the broom. I was able to knock the other flip-flop off of the fridge. It landed on the floor, and then I slipped that one on.
I reached for my purse and pulled out my cell. Oh yay! I had a signal.
I sent a text to my mother: Having contractions. About twenty minutes or so apart. Heading to Seton.
Less than a minute later my cell went off.
Mom: OMG! OMG! Dropping Matt off at Melissa’s and heading to Seton. Tell Jeff to drive safe. No! Tell Gunner to drive.
I let out a laugh and replied back with a simple okay. I picked up the land line and called Ellie and Gunner’s place. Ellie answered, and I told her I was having contractions. She screamed in my ear and then screamed for Gunner, saying they had to leave to meet us at Grams and Gramp’s place. Then, the bitch hung up on me.
Okay. I’m the one having shooting-ass pains, and I’m the one that’s about to push a watermelon out of a hole the size of a grape. What the fuck are they all freaking out about? Why am I the only one who is calm?
Gunner would be calm. I could always count on Gunner.
Jeff came running back, going straight by the kitchen, before skidding to a stop.
“Oh there you are, baby! What are you doing? I sent a text to Gunner. We have to meet him at Emma and Garrett’s house. So, um, let’s go. We have a long drive. Have you had another contraction?”
I smiled at him and shook my head.
“Have you called Dr. Wyatt’s?”
“No.”
He pulled out his cell and looked at it. “Fuck!” He ran over to the land-line and started to dial.
“Oh yeah, hi…she’s um…she’s having contractions.”
Oh dear Lord. I rolled my eyes.
“Who? Oh yeah, Ari...Arianna Johnson…she’s my wife….well shit, you know that. Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to swear, but I kind of have to go now…we have a long drive...twenty minutes…two...yeah...okay. No, I’m not driving...No! Of course, I’m not going to make her drive…okay, yeah …I’m calm… sure. Who? Ari? Yeah, she’s just standing here leaning against the kitchen island smiling at me… I think she might be in shock…she’s too calm if you know what I mean. Okay, right…on our way.”
Fuck a duck. I would have given anything to have recorded all of that. Damn.
***
By the time we got to the hospital, I was having contractions every ten minutes. Ellie went with Jeff to check us in while Gunner stayed with me. A nurse came up and had me sit in a wheelchair.
“Gunner, thank you for staying so calm. with freak number one and freak number two over there, I’m glad I could count on you to stay calm.”
“Sure, Ari. You know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for y’all.”
Just then, Heather and Josh walked in. I knew the moment I saw Heather with the glow on her face, they had made love. Thank God. It’s about damn time. She smiled as she walked up to me, and I saw Josh look over at Gunner and smile. Damn boy looks like he’s walking on cloud nine.
She kissed me and asked if there was anything she could do. I shook my head and gave her a bigger smile.
She leaned down and got up next to my ear.
“It was amazing, Ari.”
“I knew it would be with that boy. Was he big? I bet he was big,” I said as I winked at her.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Gunner say something in Josh’s ear as he patted him on the back.
Heather laughed and shook her head at me. “You’re nuts!”
Jeff came walking up with a nurse, and of course, I would have to have a contraction right then. I tried to hide it. Oh my god, it hurt like hell.
Jeff dropped down to his knees. “Ari, just focus and go to y our happy place.”
“Why the fuck do you keep saying that to me?”
Gunner and Josh started to laugh, and Jeff snapped his head up and gave them a dirty look.
“We learned about it in Lamaze class. Don’t you remember, babe? You were supposed to pick a happy place where you could escape to.”
“The only happy place I’m going to is the place where this baby is out of my stomach, and I’m drinking a damn margarita. That is my happy place, Jeff.”
“Good, babe…just go there.”
I just stared at him.
“Baby, please don’t tell me that again, okay? Because if you do, I’m gonna grab you by the balls until you feel the kind of pain I’m about to feel.”
Jeff started laughing. “God, I love you, Ari.” He leaned forward and kissed me right on the lips…fast and hard.
***
I was finally in a room, and the contractions were coming faster and stronger. Everyone had left the room, except my mother and Jeff.
Dr. Wyatt walked in with that damn smile on his face. “How are you doing, Arianna?”
I wanted to tell him to fuck off. Instead, I smiled. “Good.”
“So, I hear you want an epidural, Arianna?”
“Ah, yeah, that would be really awesome if that could happen…like before the next contraction.”
Too late.
“Coming faster are they? Let’s take a look at how far along you are, Ari.”
Dr. Wyatt looked up at me and smiled.
“I hate to be the one to deliver this news, Ari, but you’re at ten centimeters. The baby is crowning. You’re ready to push.”
“What? Oh no… no, no, no, you have to push him back in! I’m not ready yet.” Panicking, I looked over at Jeff and my mother, who both had goofy-ass smiles plastered on their faces.
“I wish I could, Ari, but it looks like your little guy is ready to make an appearance.”
Then, another contraction hit me. Oh god.