Come Together by Marie Force

Chapter Fourteen

“Never allow someone to be your priority while

allowing yourself to be their option.”

—Mark Twain

Feeling better after the chat with his sister, Noah got dressed in the layers necessary to survive working in the elements. He left the house ten minutes later and headed to the diner. As he parked in front, he was surprised to see his grandfather’s truck. He went inside and noticed Elmer sitting alone at the counter with a cup of coffee in front of him.

“Morning, Noah,” Megan said. “I’ll have your order ready in a few.”

“Could you please make it a double today? Hold the bacon on the second one.”

She gave him an odd look. “Sure.”

He never, ever, ever changed up his routine, so naturally, the people he saw every day would notice any minor difference.

Noah took a seat next to his grandfather. “Morning.”

“Who are you buying breakfast for?” Elmer asked with a mischievous grin that had Noah laughing.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Yes, I would.”

“Damn, I’ve got myself cornered by the expert.”

“If I had to guess, I’d think it was that gorgeous architect you’re working with on the inn.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“How was your night at the Pig’s Belly?” Elmer asked nonchalantly.

“What night at the Pig’s Belly?”

Elmer rolled his eyes. “The one you and Brianna had after Mrs. H sent you there with a coupon.”

“Did that coupon come from you? Tell me the truth.”

“Not until you answer the question.”

“I may or may not have gone to the Pig’s Belly with Brianna after Mrs. H—and you—gave me a coupon and an order to work things out with her.”

“And how’d that go?”

“Fine.”

Elmer released an exasperated sound. “You and your one-word answers. You’d drive a man to drink.”

“That’s the second time I’ve heard that in two days.”

“About driving someone to drink? Not surprised you hear that from people.”

“No, the part about the one-word answers.”

Noah loved any chance he got to spend time with his grandfather, even when the older man was trying to get information from him that Noah wasn’t inclined to give him. Not that he cared if Elmer knew what was going on with him. Stonewalling him was so much fun.

“Wasn’t that the night of the storm and Izzy’s accident?”

“It was.”

“How’d you get home with the road closed?”

“We didn’t.”

Elmer sat up straighter. “Is that right?”

“That’s right.”

“Heard they’ve got some guest rooms upstairs. Must’ve been filled to the rafters with the road closed.”

“I think they were. I didn’t ask about the occupancy.”

Megan put two to-go coffees on the counter.

“Thank you.” Noah fixed one the way he liked it and gave his grandfather the side-eye. “So, was that your coupon and your idea about the Pig’s Belly?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

Noah snorted out a laugh. “And you wonder where I get it from.”

“I don’t wonder. I was a lot like you back in the day. I never liked having people up in my business. I get it.”

“But that doesn’t stop you from meddling in our lives.”

“What you call meddling, I call support. Did you have a good time with the pretty architect?”

Noah shrugged. “It was okay.”

“You are so full of shit.”

“Gramps! You’re swearing.”

“You drive me to it with your stonewalling. I’m an old man, Noah. Not going to live forever. Don’t you want me to go to my eternal reward knowing that each of my precious grandbabies is happily settled with someone who’ll care for them when I no longer can?”

Megan’s snort of laughter drew a smile from Noah.

“I think he actually believes that nonsense,” Noah said to her.

“His track record is quite impressive.”

“Yes, it is,” Elmer said. “You and your husband are one of my favorite success stories, my dear.”

“We are rather thankful for your meddling, Elmer,” Megan said as she put the bag containing Noah’s order on the counter.

“See?” he said to Noah. “She’s thankful. Her husband is thankful. You should consider yourself lucky to have someone with my skills interfering in your life.”

“At least you acknowledge that it’s interference,” Noah said, endlessly amused by his adorable grandfather.

Before Elmer could respond with yet another witty comeback, Megan gasped and reached for the countertop with one hand while placing the other on her hugely pregnant belly.

“What is it?” Elmer asked, jumping to his feet.

“Just a weird pain.”

“Noah, run across the street and get Hunter, will you, son?”

Elmer’s tone was dead serious, and Noah was out the door before he could ask his grandfather whether it would be quicker to call his cousin than to get him. He crossed Elm Street, entered the store through the back door and went right up the stairs to the executive offices, where the light was on only in Hunter’s office.

His cousin heard him coming. “What’s up, Noah?”

“Megan is having a weird pain. Gramps told me to come get you.”

Hunter was up and out of his seat before Noah finished talking. He ran out of the office without bothering with the coat that hung on a hook inside his office.

Noah grabbed it for him and followed his cousin across the street, where Elmer was standing over Megan, seated on one of the stools at the counter.

She looked pale and frightened.

Hunter went right to her. “Do we need to go?”

“I’m not sure we have time.”

“What do you mean?” Hunter asked with a hysterical edge to his voice.

“The baby. I don’t know. I think it’s coming.”

“How is that possible?”

“How should I know? I’ve never had one before!”

“Noah, call for the paramedics,” Elmer said, maintaining his post next to Megan, hand on her shoulder.

Noah went to make the call. In Butler, when you called for rescue, you called the local firehouse, so he wasn’t surprised when one of his cousins answered.

“Butler Fire Department, Lieutenant Abbott speaking.”

“This is Noah. I’m at the diner with Megan, and we think she might be in labor.”

“On our way.”

The phone line went dead.

“They’re coming.”

“Breathe, honey,” Hunter said, his voice higher than usual.

“I am breathing.”

“The way they taught us in the class.”

“Screw the class. This freaking hurts.”

Poor Hunter was wild-eyed and panic-stricken as he watched his wife writhe in pain. “Where the hell are they?”

“Any minute now, son,” Elmer said. “Stay calm for your wife. That’s what she needs.”

“I need a freaking epidural,” Megan said through gritted teeth.

Noah wanted to ask if it was customary for labor to come on this fast, but he wasn’t about to say or do anything to interfere.

A customer came through the door and stopped short at the sight of Megan surrounded by overwrought men.

“We’re closed today,” Elmer said. “Noah, flip the sign, will you?”

Thankful to have something to do, Noah went to the door and turned the sign from Open to Closed. There’d be a lot of disappointed patrons.

Megan was panting and making other sounds that had Noah wanting to grab his order and get the hell out of there, but he couldn’t do that until he was sure she was all right. She was his friend in addition to being his cousin’s wife, and he was deeply concerned for her and their baby.

Elmer continued to speak to Megan in a soft, reassuring voice that she seemed to cling to as the pains came fast and furious.

Hunter wasn’t much good to her as he was trying to keep from coming unglued.

Noah had always thought he might like to have kids someday. After witnessing this, he was probably all set.

The ambulance finally arrived a few minutes later. Noah’s cousin Lucas was the first one through the door. Two other firefighters followed, bringing a gurney with them.

Lucas crouched to speak to Megan. “Do we have time to get you to the hospital?”

She shook her head.

“Seriously?”Hunter cried.

To his teammates, Lucas said, “Let’s get her on the gurney and take a look.”

“Wait a minute! You’re not looking at my wife!”

“Elmer, do something with him, and hurry up about it,” Megan said, her voice more of a growl at this point.

Elmer took Hunter by the arm and hauled him off to the side so the paramedics could tend to Megan.

“This baby is coming,” Lucas declared after he examined Megan. “Right now.”

“I, um, I think I’ll get out of the way,” Noah said, grabbing his bag and the tray of coffees from the counter.

“Take Hunter with you,” Megan said through gritted teeth.

“He needs to be here with you. I’ll, ah, check on you later.” Noah hurried out the door before he could see something that couldn’t be unseen.

Holy shit, Megan was having her baby—at the diner!

* * *

This could not be happening.He and Megan had a plan, a plan that included a hospital and a doctor, not one of his idiot younger brothers face-first in Megan’s unmentionables. Hunter was having a full-on meltdown at the possibility of her giving birth in the freaking diner, of all places.

“Lucas, we need to get her to the hospital,” Hunter said.

“No time, bro. This is happening right now.” Lucas never looked up from what he was doing between Megan’s legs—dear God in heaven, Hunter wanted to kill him—as the other paramedics scurried about, getting him what he needed.

Lucas spoke calmly to Megan, telling her what he needed her to do on the next contraction.

“Hunter.”

He heard his wife say his name. He understood that she wanted him to come to her. He couldn’t move or breathe or think over fear so massive, it had overtaken every cell in his body. What if something went wrong and they were in a goddamned diner rather than a fucking hospital like they were supposed to be?

“Hunter!”

“Go, son,” Elmer said. “Your wife needs you.”

Hunter looked to his grandfather, the wisest man he knew. “What if…”

“Go.”

Elmer gave him a push that propelled him toward Megan, on a gurney, in the diner. The paramedics had cleared out tables and chairs to make room for them to work.

Megan reached for him, her hand digging into his arm like a claw. “Stop freaking out.”

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“My brother has his face in your hoo-ha. What do I have to freak out about?”

“My eyes are closed,” Lucas said.

“Open your goddamned eyes,” Megan cried.

“Do not open your goddamned eyes,” Hunter said.

“I’m going to kill you if you don’t shut up, Hunter,” his lovely wife said.

“You might want to listen to the lady, bro,” Lucas said. “She’s the boss here.”

Hunter was going to kill him, the first chance he got after the baby had been safely delivered, of course.

“Okay, Megan, it’s about to get real,” Lucas said. “On the next contraction, I want you to push as hard as you can and hold it for as long as you can, all right?”

“Yeah.”

“Hunter, get behind her and support her back and shoulders.” He directed the other firefighters to hold her legs open.

Hunter’s head was about to explode at the thought of her on display for all these men they didn’t even know—and one they knew all too well.

“Hunter!” Lucas’s sharp tone snapped him out of his panic, and he moved into position behind his wife.

Right now, she was the only thing that mattered, as well as the baby they were so excited to welcome. He couldn’t believe it was about to happen. Finally. He just wished it had gone according to plan and they were in a freaking hospital. “Lucas.”

“It’s fine, Hunter. She’s doing great. Babies are born every day in places other than hospitals.”

Hunter clung to his brother’s assurances with everything he had. If anything happened to her or the baby… The possibility of that was enough to suck him down so deep, he’d never resurface. He shook off those thoughts so he could focus on his beloved wife. “You’re doing great, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.”

“I’m scared.”

“What the hell is going on?”

Hunter turned toward the kitchen, where their longtime cook and friend Butch was standing in the doorway, staring at the goings-on with big eyes.

“The baby’s coming,” Hunter told him.

“Here?”

“Right here, and right now,” Lucas said. “Come on, Megan. Give me a big push. Hard as you can.”

She pushed while Hunter held her and comforted her as best he could while she shrieked from the pain of labor with nothing to take the edge off. He hated that she was suffering.

“You’re doing great, Meg,” Lucas said between severe contractions. “You’re almost there.” He gestured for one of the other firefighters to come closer to him and whispered something to him.

The guy took off out of the diner.

“What’s wrong?” Hunter asked his brother.

“Nothing. It’s all good.”

Megan was whimpering through the start of another contraction that quickly intensified, requiring everyone’s full attention. She pushed so hard, screaming the entire time, but the baby still didn’t come. A half hour later, the firefighter who’d left returned with a woman Hunter recognized from their doctor’s practice.

She quickly moved into position with Lucas between Megan’s legs, where the two of them whispered about something that had Hunter’s blood pressure spiking into the danger zone.

“Is she all right?” he asked.

“Everything looks good,” the doctor said. “But let’s get this baby out on the next contraction.”

Megan pushed harder than she had yet, her screams breaking Hunter’s heart.

As he held her up through the worst contraction yet, he hated that she was in so much pain, that nothing had gone according to plan.

“That’s it,” Lucas said. “The baby’s coming, Megan. Keep pushing.”

After the longest minute of his life, Hunter saw the baby land in his brother’s hands, slimy and red and beautiful.

“It’s a boy,” Lucas said. “Congratulations, Mom and Dad.”

“Oh my God,” Megan said between sobs. “It’s a boy.”

Hunter was so overcome with emotion he couldn’t speak around the massive lump in his throat. They had a son.

“What’s his name?” Lucas asked as he stepped aside to let the doctor tend to Megan, while he and the other paramedic took care of the baby.

“Carson,” Hunter said softly. “Carson Elmer Abbott.”

“I love that,” Lucas said. “And it starts with a C. Mom and Dad will like that.”

All his parents’ grandchildren had names that began with a C or an S.

Hunter and Megan had considered many C and S names before they’d landed on Carson, which was also Megan’s maternal grandmother’s maiden name.

“Is the baby okay?” Megan asked. “Why is he so quiet?”

“He’s perfect,” the other paramedic said as she handed the baby to Megan.

Hunter’s eyes were so full of tears, he could barely see the tiny little face with the big eyes that stared up at the two people who’d love him more than anyone else. He’d read that babies couldn’t see much of anything at first, but Hunter hoped his son knew how very much they loved him.

“Look at him,” Megan whispered, sounding equally awestruck. “He’s so beautiful.”

“He looks just like his gorgeous mother,” Hunter said.

“No, he looks like you. Elmer, come see him. Tell us who he looks like.”

Hunter had almost forgotten his grandfather was there.

Elmer came for a closer look at his newest great-grandchild. “I agree with Megan. He’s you all over again, Hunter.”

“Poor kid,” Lucas said with a chuckle.

Hunter ignored his brother and the predictable comment to focus on his family. He had a family.

“Are we transporting, Doc?” Lucas asked.

“I don’t think we need to. Both mom and baby are in great shape. I think they could safely go home. I’d be happy to stop by and check on you later.”

“What do you think, sweetheart?” Hunter asked his wife. “Should we take our son home?”

“Absolutely.”