Special Delivery. Laura Browning

then slipped the clean shirt over her head.

      As much as he tried to be objective and impersonal about the whole process, his insides were in a knot. He’d never seen a pregnant woman’s body before and he marveled at all the changes. When he looked into her face, she blushed and looked away.

      “Don’t, Holly,” he blurted. “You’re beautiful.” Jake felt heat in his cheeks, but he refused to look away. She was pretty. She needed to know that.

      Her laugh was half sob. While she sat in the chair near the bed, Jake put additional towels over the mattress. He’d never seen a human baby born, but he had helped with cattle births on the farm when he was a kid and knew clean and easy weren’t necessarily part of the process. When he was done, he helped her onto the bed just as another contraction began. He sat next to her and held her hand. How the hell was he going to do this?

      “Doc said I should make you comfortable. Would you rather sit on the bed or move around a bit?”

      Holly’s eyes were so bright they almost glowed. “Sit for now. Have Tyler get the extra pillows out of his closet. I’m so tired. I guess the pains I’ve had since yesterday weren’t false labor like I thought.”

      “If you’ll be all right for a few minutes, I’m just gonna check on Tyler, and then I need to call Doc and the chief. I’ll bring those pillows, too.”

      Holly laid a hand on his arm, and he stopped to look at her.

      “Thanks, Jake. I know you didn’t expect this, but I can’t tell you how glad I am you’re here. I thought…”

      He squeezed her hand. “You thought you were going to have to do it by yourself.”

      She let out a relieved breath. “Yeah.”

      He grinned. “You’da done it, too.”

      * * * *

      The weather deteriorated as the night wore on. The tick, tick, tick of freezing rain continued to beat against the windows and onto the rusted tin roof. In a strange way, Holly found it soothing, like being cocooned inside the small house.

      Jake’s presence was more reassuring than she might have imagined. He sent Tyler out to his truck to bring in the emergency kit he kept in the backseat and then had her brother fill two of the collapsible five-gallon water containers he pulled from the kit. Tyler gave him a questioning look.

      “Why ya having me get all this water?”

      “In case the power goes out, buddy. If you lose power, you’ll lose the well pump—so no water. After you’ve filled the containers, fill the tub, too. I’m gonna call Chief Jones to let him know where I am and talk to Doc Owens.”

      He sat in the chair next to her bed to make his calls. Holly shifted position, rolling to her feet awkwardly. When Jake started to rise, she waved him back.

      “I’m okay. I just need to move around some.”

      While she walked around the room, she listened to Jake’s end of the conversation with Chief Jones. The weather situation was worsening. Jake pinched the bridge of his nose while he listened.

      “Look, I’m sorry to leave you in the lurch like this. I know it’s not our jurisdiction…”

      When he hung up a few minutes later, Holly said, “If being here is getting you in trouble…”

      He glared. “Don’t even finish that sentence. Ernie told me to stay right here. Sam and his deputies can cover until I get back.” He studied her belly. “You doing okay?”

      Holly nodded. “A little tired.” Another contraction started, so she held onto the bedpost and rode it out. She knew Jake was worried. She tried to smile. Then he surprised her by coming around to rub her shoulders and her back.

      “That help?”

      “Yes.” Another stronger contraction doubled her over. “I think I need to sit, and Jake?”

      “What?”

      “I think you should call Doc again. I feel like I need to push.”

      Jake helped her to bed, propped her with the pillows, and left the covers over her. This wasn’t how Holly had pictured the birth of her baby. This man was little more than a stranger, but as he moved around her with easy grace, his hair falling over his brow and his gaze flicking her way with concern, she realized if Doc Owens couldn’t be here, she was glad Jake was.

      He was on the phone with Doc. He listened for a few moments, huffed out a breath, and ran his fingers through his hair before he said, “Yeah, I’d already kind of figured that, Jen.” He paused an instant and then handed the phone to her. “Doc wants to talk to you. I’ve got to go scrub.”

      “Hi, Doc.”

      “You okay with this, Holly?”

      She smiled as Jake left the room. “I don’t have a lot of choice, but yes. Jake’s doing a great job.”

      “Good. I know you’re a little uncomfortable with people you don’t know, but he’s a good guy. You’re going to be pretty busy here in the next little bit. Just keep in mind everything Jake does is to help you and the baby. Okay?”

      “Yes. I feel like I need to push.”

      “Sounds like you’re close. Let me talk to Jake again.”

      He had just returned from the bathroom and used a towel to grab the phone from her. After a minute or two he held it out to her. “Hit the End button, please.”

      That’s when the lights went out. Jake swore, and Holly’s heart skipped a beat. As if he sensed that flutter of panic, Jake squeezed her knee. The gentle pressure reassured her.

      “Tyler?” he called calmly.

      “Yeah?”

      “Get in my emergency kit. You’ll find two flashlights, some candles and matches. Bring them here, please.”

      “Yes, sir.”

      Tyler walked in with a flashlight beam already bobbing in front of him. In another minute, several candles cast a soft glow around the room. Jake’s lips quirked. “Someday you’ll have some great stories to tell your little girl.”

      Holly’s laugh cut off as another strong contraction started.

      “I need to take a look to see how close we are to the real work.” He glanced at her. “Still feel like you need to push?”

      “Yes.” She panted.

      “Easy, honey. Big breaths. Just relax. We’ll get your baby here right and tight. Tyler, I’m sorry, buddy, but you’re going to have to be an active participant. I need you to hold the flashlight so I can see.”

      “Okay.”

      This had to be tough on Tyler and was no doubt more than he wanted to know about how his niece was getting into the world. “Ty, if you’re not okay with this, we’ll figure something out.”

      He swallowed. “I’m okay. Really. I watched Jimmy Pruitt’s beagle have her puppies, so I have some idea.”

      If Holly hadn’t been in so much pain, she would have laughed. In fact, she could have sworn she heard Jake do just that.

      “I remember delivering a few puppies,” he said, “but I think we’ll bypass the part where you swing the little guys to get them breathing, and I don’t think Holly will need to bite through the umbilical cord.”

      “Ooh.” Tyler made a face. “That’s just gross.”

      Jake’s eyes twinkled. “What do you think?”

      “I’m all for snipping,” Holly assured him.

      Jake put a hand on her knee. “I’m just gonna take a look, okay?”

      The heat of his palm offered