Rhett —2
I was so emotional you would swear I was the one who was pregnant. I wasn’t and that was impossible, but still. I held on to Logan, so very thankful for his strength and understanding. I wasn’t quite sure what had gotten into me lately, but if I were pregnant, I’d say I was nesting and hormonal. Poor Scarlett, she didn’t quite know what to think of my mood swings. I fell to my knees and let her whine and lick all over my face as she’d been trained to do. It snapped me out of my funk and caused me to laugh, which had Logan going down on a knee beside me.
“You okay, munchkin?”
“I will be. I’m just…I don’t know. Nervous? Anxious? Scared?”
“I’d say probably all three. I know I am. What do you think about us decorating some cookies and then head over to Aunt Cammie’s and Uncle Sam’s for some chaos?”
“I think that sounds perfect,” I said as I walked over to the counter, and after pulling several tissues from the box, I wiped my eyes, blew my nose, and then tossed the tissues. I looked over at my husband and his parents, offering a tentative smile. “Shall we?” I asked as I walked to the sink and washed my hands.
“Can I be the evil mother-in-law and just watch? I can do cakes with canned frosting, but any of the boys will tell you I suck at baking,” Fiona said as she pulled out a stool and sat down at the island, looking at all of the cookies and scones.
“You could never be evil, but I’ll definitely let you have a pass. Although, really, have you seen these Redfeather men eat? They don’t seem to care much how pretty things are.”
“That’s not true. I love how pretty you are,” Logan said as he washed his own hands. After two years together, Logan was more than just good at helping when it came to decorating cookies for family gatherings.
“I don’t know if I like being called pretty,” I joked while giving my husband the side eye.
“Well, one of us has to be, and we both know it isn’t me. I think you are truly beautiful inside and out. Every inch of you,” Logan said as he came over and cupped my face. I was not going to cry again, dammit.
“Love you,” I told him as I went up on my tiptoes the same time he lowered his lips to mine. Because his parents were in the room with us, it was kept a quick, gentle peck but one that held the promise of more to come later. I heard Fiona sigh in the background, so I smiled when I looked up at Logan.
“Love you too, munchkin. Now, let’s get these scones ready.”
“I thought we were doing the cookies. I see how it is,” I joked with Logan. It was no secret to anyone in the family. The man was crazy about my pumpkin scones, and the only way he hadn’t gained a huge amount of weight was because he worked so hard on the ranch. That and the fact that I didn’t make them for him but once or twice a month. Even that often would probably be reduced once our twins arrived.
“Well, you know…”
“Okay, so Logan wants the scones iced so he can devour as many as he can before he has to fight off his cousins.” I smiled at my husband as I picked up the container of powdered sugar and got the rest of the ingredients for the icing. Two hours and a pot of coffee later—not to mention the three scones Logan managed to sneak—we were loading up the goodies to head over to the other side of Wild Creek for the annual Christmas Eve celebration.
“Wait, when did you two get a fancy new car?” Joe asked as we piled containers in the back of the Audi.
“Last week. We needed something a little bigger for the twins, and Rhett isn’t really happy driving something as big as my truck. He’ll do it, but I wanted him to feel comfortable doing it.”
“Yeah, Logan surprised me last week. Isn’t it great?” I asked, trying to not blush at the memory of what we did in the back seat right after we got it. And also, the fact that Jacob of all people caught us. Although, I wasn’t sure why I was so embarrassed about that. It wasn’t like several of us hadn’t seen him and Isaac come out of his office rearranging clothing.
I watched as Joe shook his head and Fiona looked at him hopefully. “Fi, no. There is nothing wrong with your truck.” I hid my laugh as my mother-in-law scoffed at her husband. I loved them so much.
“You ready?” Logan asked, effectively cutting off his parents’ arguing.
“Aww, look, Joe, they have car seats in the back already. But why are they both cow print? How are we supposed to tell what you’re having?”
“We haven’t said yet because we don’t know. We wanted it to be a surprise,” Logan told his parents. I couldn’t help it—this time I did laugh. Fiona seemed completely taken aback by the thought that we wouldn’t want to know the sex of our babies. Neither of us cared; we just wanted healthy babies. Ali had asked if it was okay if she knew because she wanted to get us one gift for each of the babies, and Logan and I both agreed that she had every right to know.
Thinking about Ali reminded me that I should probably text her on the way over. I would have loved for her to have joined us, but I understood that at this point, she was basically stuck in bed all the time. When Logan or I tried to check on her and help out, or even offered to move her into the house with us, she refused. She wanted to stay home with Wendy. I smiled at those two, they were cute without even trying.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Ali. I was thinking about her. I’m going to text her on the ride over and see if she needs anything.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Logan said as he pushed the button and the liftgate closed. I walked over to the passenger side and climbed in. After clicking my seat belt, I pulled out my phone and fired off a text.
Me: How you doing? You need anything?
Ali: Doing good. We’re vegging on the couch. Enjoy the madness.
I laughed at that, and Logan looked at me curiously.
“She said for us to enjoy the madness.”
“Well, she’s right. It’s madness. You ready?”
“Yeah, I am.”
In no time, we were parking outside Cammie and Sam’s cabin. It was lit up both inside and out, and very welcoming, like always.
“Unka Logan!” Phoebe yelled as we came through the door. If his hands weren’t full, he would have picked her up. As it was, she simply latched onto his leg.
“Phoebes, let him go. He can’t walk like that. If you make him drop those containers, there won’t be any cookies,” Kait said as we tried to walk in the door. She didn’t have to worry because as soon as she saw Joe, she was gone. Logan she could see anytime. But Grandpa Joe, only a few times a year. For now.
Just as with any Redfeather family get-together, Christmas Eve this year was no different. It was loud, crazy, and full of love. After we’d somehow devoured more food than I still thought would be possible, we settled down to open presents. I smiled, thinking that this time next year, Chloe, Phoebe, and Mack would have three more joining them. Four depending on how quickly Simon and Sean added to their family.
“You know, it’s crazy thinking that just yesterday you turned twenty-five,” Logan whispered in my ear as I sat in his lap on one of the couches.
“Why is that? You’re going to be forty next year. What of it?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking that it’s possible that December could become a very important month for us,” Logan said as he ran a finger down the side of my face. I smiled at him but turned to look at Chloe, who squealed as she opened a toy horse. After watching her for a few more moments, I looked back at my husband.
“How is December not already important to us? I met you three years ago, in December. Married you two years ago, in December.”
“True. But what if the twins are born before the end of the year?”
“Then I’d say you’re going to be screwed for life trying to remember what day is what.”
“That’s what they make calendars for,” Logan chuckled as he bopped my nose. I turned back to the three little ones and watched as they continued opening presents from family members. Papa caught my eye and it was my turn to chuckle. He was quite taken with Cujo and had barely put the little puppy down since Graham and Ty had shown up with him.
“Hey, Scarlett. You okay, girl?” Logan asked as she came over and plopped her head down on my legs before letting out the doggy equivalent of a sigh. I reached out and gave her head a good rub before I reached into my pocket for my phone that had started vibrating. I know my face turned white, and at first everything in the room went silent before all sound came rushing back into my ears.
“Her water broke! Holy shit! Her water broke! Fuck! We have to go!” I shouted as I jumped up off Logan’s lap and just stood there. Logan got up behind me, gently taking my phone out of my hand before I dropped it. Scarlett started whining and dancing at my feet, but I barely noticed.
Dad and Papa rushed toward us, smiles on their faces. “What do you need us to do? Just say it and we’ll help any way we can. Do you need a ride to the hospital?” Dad asked, Papa right behind him, his arm wrapped around his waist.
“Okay, here’s what’s going to happen. Since she’s headed to the hospital in Sulfur Springs, I’ll take the daddies-to-be in my truck, and anyone else who wants to follow can do so at a slower speed,” Jacob said as he pointedly looked at everyone in the room. Never before had I been so thankful to have a sheriff as a family member.
“We’ll keep everyone updated, but we have to go. She’s scheduled for a C-section, and we promised we’d be there for her,” I said to nobody in particular as I looked back down at my phone, hoping for another update. So far, nothing.
“Go. We’ll be in the waiting room when you need us,” Dad told us as he and Papa gave us tight hugs. I was so scared, but I knew Logan would be here if I needed him. After a quick hug from my dads and then Logan’s parents, we followed Jacob to the door.
“Scarlett. No, girl. Come here,” Isaac said from behind us. I turned and saw him trying to get Scarlett to come back to him, but she was determined to stay with me.
“I’m sorry, girl. You can’t go this time. But I’ll be home soon, okay? You go play. Go on,” I told her as I gave her a quick hug, and then she took off. Logan helped me into my coat before pulling on his own, and then we were out the door and climbing into Jacob’s truck that had been issued to him from the county.
Once we left Wild Creek, Jacob put the pedal down and turned on his lights. Holy shit we were about to be parents! I started fidgeting in my seat, nervous and yet anxious at the same time. Logan, sensing my nerves, reached over and laced his fingers with mine.
“Munchkin, calm down. We’ll get there when we do. They know we’re on the way, and if we don’t make it before they take her to surgery, then we weren’t meant to be there. She’s not alone; her roommate is with her.”
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s her roommate, Logan. But that’s not the point. Those are our babies, and I want to be there.”
“I’ll get you there. I’ve radioed the hospital. They know you’re inbound and your ETA. They’ll have someone waiting for you at the ER entrance. And just so you know, Allison hasn’t arrived yet either.”
When did Jacob radio the hospital? Why hadn’t I heard him?
“Thanks, Jacob,” Logan said as I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Ali. I was even more worried now.
Me: You’re not there? Is everything okay?
Ali: Everything’s fine. My contractions are over ten minutes apart. We’re on the way. Are you?
Me: Yes. Jacob is driving. We’ll be there in twenty minutes.
Ali: Wendy said to be careful.
Me: We will.
“Her contractions are over ten minutes apart, but they’re still on their way to the hospital,” I told Jacob and Logan. Logan gave me a hug, and I pushed into his body, needing his warmth and comfort.
After what felt like hours, even though I knew it was only around the twenty minutes Jacob had said it would be, we finally pulled into the parking lot of the Sulfur Springs ER.
“Wait, why are we at the ER?” I asked frantically.
“It’s the closest entrance. Don’t worry. They’re waiting for you, so get going, Daddy. And good luck, you two,” Jacob said from the front seat. He smiled at us over his shoulder, and Logan tugged me out the door.
“Thanks, Jacob. For everything,” Logan said as he leaned back in the truck after I’d gotten out. I turned and looked at the waiting nurse in scrubs and realized this was happening. Right now. I did my best to smile back at the nurse, but I was sure it came out as a grimace, maybe. Who the hell knew? I was about to become a daddy, and I was a nervous wreck.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go meet our babies,” Logan said as he wrapped his arm around me. Somehow I managed to get my feet and legs to work, and I followed Logan and the nurse into the hospital.