Special Delivery by April Wilson

Chapter 2 - Beth

Beth McIntyre

I love it when family comes to visit. Right now, our penthouse apartment is full to bursting. Everyone’s in the rec room, eating, drinking, and laughing as they take bets on who will win the numerous skirmishes taking place in the boxing ring. My money is on two of Shane’s brothers—Jamie and Liam—although Jake, Mack, and Dominic should never be underestimated because of their sheer size and strength. Still, my money is on Jamie, a former Navy SEAL, who in spite of his blindness, has uncanny skills when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. Also on Liam—the youngest McIntyre brother—a former international MMA champion.

I have a front row seat on one of the black leather sofas in the rec room. Currently, Shane is in the boxing ring with his brother Jake. It’s a bit of an unfair skirmish as Jake is so much bigger than Shane. Jake outweighs Shane by at least thirty pounds of solid muscle. A corporate CEO versus a former heavy-weight boxer is pretty uneven. Still, Shane loves a challenge. And he especially loves sparring with his brothers.

I wince when Jake sneaks in a blow to Shane’s left side. They’re just boxing, with gloves and all, and headshots are off-limits. At least no one will get a concussion.

Jake’s wife, Annie, is sitting beside me, and we’re both devouring popcorn as we watch the match. Their three young children are back at home under the watchful eyes of Shane’s parents.

When Jake manages to corner Shane and pummels him a bit, Annie hoots in support of her husband. “That’s it, baby!” she yells, raising her fist in the air. “Show him who’s boss.” She grins at me. “He’s such a beast.”

I can tell from the tone of Annie’s voice that she means that in a very good way. “TMI, Annie,” I tease as I throw a piece of popcorn at her.

She throws a piece right back at me.

Erin’s sitting on my other side. She grimaces whenever one of the guys manages to land a punch. Her boyfriend, Mack, is acting as the referee tonight, so he’s in the ring with them. He’s had to jump out of the way more than once to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Jake may be the bigger of the two, by far, but Shane does an admirable job of holding his own. After all, he spent ten years in the Marine Corps, in a special ops unit. Even though he’s moved into corporate management, he’s still got skills.

Cooper walks over from the bar and hands me a little plate of cheese slices and crackers and a glass of ice water. “You need to eat somethin’, darlin’.”

I smile as I accept the plate from the silver-haired man who’s become like a father to me. “Yes, Dad.”

“Don’t sass me, young lady. You’ve got to keep your strength up. You haven’t eaten much today. And you need to hydrate as well. Don’t forget—you’re eating and drinking for two.”

Laughing, I lay a hand on my enormous baby bump as I gaze up into Cooper’s smiling blue eyes. “I don’t think I’m likely to forget that.”

Cheers coming from the boxing ring draw our attention back to the match. Not surprisingly, Jake wins his skirmish with Shane. Liam steps into the ring next, to fight the winner. My money is definitely on Liam for this round. Jake’s winded from going up against Shane, and Liam is a rarely defeated martial arts champion. While Jake has sheer brawn on his side, Liam is lean and fast.

As this new bout begins, I slip out of the noisy rec room and head to the kitchen on the pretense of resupplying the snack table. The real reason is my back is killing me, and I need a quiet moment alone to regroup.

I fill my glass with some ice-cold, fresh-squeezed orange juice and take a seat on one of the breakfast bar stools. Just as I sit, a sharp twinge in my abdomen nearly doubles me over.

“Calm down, peanut,” I say, my breath trapped in my chest. I press a hand to my rock-hard belly and feel the baby squirming. A moment later, the baby kicks me in the ribs, practically knocking the air out of me.

While I’m trying to catch my breath, I hear someone calling my name. It’s Molly, Jamie’s girlfriend.

“In the kitchen,” I tell her. I paste a smile onto my face.

Molly comes around the corner, into the kitchen, followed by Shane’s eldest sister, Sophie, who’s about four months pregnant and just starting to show.

Molly stands across the counter from me, gathering her long, wavy brown hair off her neck as she observes me. “Do you need any help?”

“Thanks, but no. I’m just taking a break.”

When the baby kicks my ribs again, I grab hold of the edge of the counter. Then, as the twinge of pain returns and I feel my abdomen tighten, I blow out a long breath and silently count to three. Don’t panic. You’re okay.

Molly lays her hand on mine. “Are you okay?”

Wincing, I nod. “It’s just the usual baby shenanigans.”

Lia walks into the kitchen then—Shane’s youngest sister—her pretty face flushed and sweaty. She’s wearing her typical workout gear—black boy shorts and a matching sports bra—and her blonde hair is braided to stay out of her face. She’s spent her fair share of time in the boxing ring this evening with her brothers, giving them a good run for their money. Lia may be petite, but she’s fierce. “Need more beer,” she says.

I point to the oversized, industrial refrigerator. “In there.”

Lia grabs a carton, sets it on the counter, and pauses to study me. “You look like shit, princess. What’s wrong?”

I force a smile I don’t quite feel as the pressure on my abdomen increases. “I’m just resting.”

I wince as a band tightens steadily around my abdomen, making it hard to breathe. I can’t help remembering back to when my water broke when I was pregnant with Luke. Lia and I were hiding in the attic of a convenience store that was currently being robbed by armed men. Lia saved me and my baby.

Lia’s blue eyes narrow sharply. “Something’s wrong.”

The moment she says that, a wave of pressure envelops me, and I have to bite my lip to keep from gasping.

Molly and Sophie, who’ve both been observing quietly, step closer.

“Beth? Are you sure you’re all right?” Sophie asks.

As the pressure increases, I find myself panting through it. In, out. In, out.

Lia scowls at me. “Fuck. You’re in labor. Why the hell didn’t you say something?”

“It just now started. I’m not even sure it’s actually labor. It could be Braxton-Hicks contractions. God knows I get those often enough.”

Jonah Locke comes around the corner, his gaze going right to Lia, his fiancée. “Hey, tiger. Did you find the beer?”

Lia points at the carton sitting on the counter. “Yeah, but we have more important issues to deal with.”

When Jonah gets a good look at me, his smile falters. “Is everything okay?”

Lia elbows him. “No, everything’s not okay. Princess is in labor.”

“Seriously?” Jonah’s dark eyes widen. “Shit. Does Shane know?”

“No one knows,” Lia says. “It just started.”

Cooper comes around the corner carrying two empty food trays. “We need more cheese and crackers—” He stops dead in his tracks and stares at me. “Damn it, kiddo, why didn’t you say something?” He hands the empty trays to Molly, turns on his heel, and walks back the way he came.

Lia grins. “Wait for it. Three, two—”

Shane comes storming into the kitchen, his face flushed from physical exertion. His short brown hair is damp with sweat and matted to his head, and he has the beginnings of a black eye, a bloody lip, and a one-inch cut on his cheekbone. His gaze sweeps me from head to toe. “Sweetheart.”

I smile weakly. “Hi, honey.”

Instantly, his demeanor transforms from family man to CEO, and he barks out orders. “Sam, get the Escalade. Sophie, call Mom and Dad and Ingrid. Cooper, call Tyler.”

Sam appears, my best friend and bodyguard, his posture on full alert. He takes one look at me and heads for the elevator that will take him down to the parking garage where our vehicles are kept.

Shane steps directly in front of me and gazes into my eyes. “Are you in pain?”

“A little.” But I can’t say much more because there’s still a vise squeezing my belly tight. All I can do is focus on breathing.

“You’re having contractions?” he asks.

“I think so.” When I feel a rush of warm water between my legs, I glance down. “My water just broke.”

“Okay, we’re going,” Shane says calmly. Carefully, he lifts me into his arms. “Sorry, guys,” he calls out to everyone within hearing distance. “Party’s over. We’re having a baby. Let yourselves out.”

Cooper appears, holding Shane’s wallet, phone, and a change of clothes. “Go,” he says. “Everyone knows their jobs. I’ve got Luke.”

My heart wrenches at the thought of leaving my baby boy behind—since he came home from the hospital, we’ve never been apart. My only comfort is in knowing Luke idolizes Cooper. He’ll be perfectly fine at home with his Hooper.

As Shane carries me to the elevator, we’re accompanied by Lia, who’s carrying my overnight bag, which has been packed and ready to go for the past two weeks.

“I’m having a serious case of déjà vu,” she says with a frown.

I know she’s thinking back to when Luke was born under horrible conditions.

Then she snaps out of it. “It won’t be like the last time,” she assures me. “Don’t worry about a thing. Just go have a baby.”

I manage a smile, but the truth is I’m scared.

“This time it’ll be textbook perfect,” she says as if she’s reading my mind. “Trust me.”

Shane carries me into the elevator, and I wave at the concerned crowd seeing us off as the elevator doors close.

“I’m scared,” I confess. I can’t seem to stop shaking.

I keep thinking about when Luke was born. I’d never been so scared in my life. If Jason Miller hadn’t been able to get Luke breathing, we might have lost him. Our poor baby boy was in the neonatal intensive care for so long, and I struggled so badly to nurse him or even bond with him. I’m just praying I won’t experience post-partum depression again like I did the first time.

Shane tightens his hold on me and kisses my temple. “It’s going to be fine, I promise. I won’t leave your side. Not for a minute.”

I still can’t stop shaking though.