Free Melt With You: Fated, Book 4 by Karen Erickson

Chapter One
            “Whatever you do, don’t uncross your legs.”
            The woman glared at him, the expression on
her reddened face fierce, her lips screwed up in a grimace just before she
spoke. “You have got to be kidding me. You’ve got a lot of nerve, ya know? Trying to tell me what to do during the most
painful moment of my—” She shrieked, her words lost as she clutched her belly.
            Panic filled Wes, and he breathed deep.
Okay, maybe the humorous approach wasn’t the right way to handle a woman in
full-blown labor, but hell. He didn’t want to admit he was just as freaked as
she was. Yeah, he’d been a paramedic for six years and he’d assisted with a
couple of deliveries during his training days, but that had been a long time
ago and he’d only dealt with the occasional laboring woman.
            He definitely hadn’t dealt with one this
far in labor—and she was pretty damn far.
            Really damn far, as in dilated to nearly
ten centimeters and clutching his hand so hard he was afraid she’d squeeze his
fingers off. Sweat dampened her brow. Hell, it poured down her face, and she
let loose another wail just before she started that panting deal all laboring
women did.
            She squeezed his hand again hard and acted
like she was going to…push.
            “No, no, no, don’t do that yet.”
            He
smiled. He laughed. He cajoled and tried to get her mind off the matter at
hand.
            She wouldn’t be deterred. She was a woman
on a mission to have a baby.
            Now.
            “First child?” Making idle conversation was best. Her belly rippled. She gnashed her teeth,
and— thank Christ the ambulance pulled into the drive
that led to the emergency room drop off.
            He could hand her off to labor and
delivery and all would be well.
            “No, dumbass, it’s my third. My husband is
out of town with our other two children, visiting his parents.” She bit down on
her lower lip, gave a little whimper. “I’m three weeks early. I’m never early.
Every one of my babies has been late.”
            “This one is just anxious I guess.” He
chuckled, and she glared.
            Seeing her flushed face, her behavior
completely out of control reiterated a recent thought. No babies for him. Ever.
            “I’m pushing.” She made the announcement
just as the truck screeched to a jolting halt. “I don’t care what you say. I
can feel this baby hanging between my legs. I’m pushing.”
            He winced. Not the image he wanted in his
mind but too late. Not that she cared, and not that he blamed her. “Ma’am,
please. We’re at the hospital. We’re here. We can take you up to labor and
delivery, and a doctor can guide you through the rest…”
            “I
don’t need any guidance, I need to get this baby out
of me. Now. Oh my God.” The
words rushed out of her and she levered herself up on her elbows, practically
bending in half. She started grunting, and he knew she was pushing.
            That baby was probably going to tumble out
and over the stretcher in about two minutes if he didn’t do something about it.
            “Shit.” She must have heard his mutter
because she started laughing, the crazy woman.
            The doors swung open and his partner Evan
stood there, his eyes widening when he saw the scene before him. “Holy crap, Wes. Why didn’t you tell me she was this close?”
            “She decided on her own she was this
close. Get someone and hurry up.” The words hissed out of Wes as he crouched
over the woman and made sure she was comfortable. “We’re going to move you out
of the ambulance.” She grabbed his hand, which she’d let escape only a moment
before, and squeezed it again. Damn, she was strong. “Don’t you dare take me
from this ambulance.
            The baby is coming. Coming. ”