Tropical Holiday Tails - Zoe Chant Page 0,44

laundry basket that he was frantically filling with scattered dirty laundry. “We weren’t really ready for this yet,” he drawled in his southern American accent. He paused to tip his hat to Caroline. “Ma’am.”

“I won’t judge,” Caroline assured him with a warm smile and a handshake. “And I promise it doesn’t matter to the baby.”

“Baby,” Tex squeaked, looking quite wild around the eyes.

Caroline turned to Liam. She was utterly unruffled by the entire thing, her blue eyes amused. “This may take a while,” she warned. “It’s almost never like it’s shown in the movies. It is likely to be hours, possibly well into tomorrow or even the next day.”

“Tomorrow?” Tex moaned. “The next day?!” Liam wasn’t sure if his heart was going to last that long.

“I can…ah...wait in your apartment, make sure that James has someone to come home to?” Liam volunteered, not sure if it was an overstep. It wasn’t like James wouldn’t be safe here at Shifting Sands, even by himself.

“I’d appreciate that,” Caroline said, and she gave Liam a brief embrace and touched her forehead to his, not offering a kiss that might have been awkward.

From within the cottage, Laura gave a muffled cry of pain. Tex turned white and Liam cringed.

“You can let it out, Mama,” Caroline said briskly as she entered with confidence. “I bet you can’t wait to meet your new baby.”

Then the door shut and Liam was alone in the darkness. Caroline’s voice was a comforting murmur, and Laura’s cries seemed to calm.

After a few hours, Breck brought James back to the apartment behind the medical center. “She’s still at it,” the waiter reported unnecessarily. As close as the few finished core buildings were, Laura’s moans carried every half an hour or so. Liam was actually considering closing the windows and losing the fresh, cooling evening air. “James did great. But Neal took the cup in the last round.”

James didn’t seem bothered. “It was a good game,” he said casually. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“Your mom might be a while,” Liam said apologetically to him. “You want a snack or something?”

James went to the refrigerator. Liam had stocked a few cheese sticks, some vegetables, and a selection of condiments, but hadn’t bothered to fill it further. The freezer held only ice cubes. “Nah,” James said, clearly not impressed.

“Does your mom do this a lot?” Liam asked.

James shrugged. “She’s not really a baby doctor, just general practice. The hours are usually better.”

“I hope...I hope you aren’t sorry you came.”

“Nah,” James said casually. “Whatever.”

Eventually, after some halting conversation and shrugs were exchanged, they went to bed, James in his new room, Liam awkwardly sleeping with his legs dangling off one of the couches in the attached medical center because he wasn’t sure if he should presume to use Caroline’s bed.

Caroline hadn’t been kidding about the time it would take; Laura labored through the night, and well into the next day.

Caroline returned at noon for a swift shower. James gave her a brief hug and returned to his video game. Liam plied her with questions and made sure she ate.

“I’m not really necessary at this stage,” she said. “Laura is strong, and a shifter, and this is still early labor. But it seems to make them all feel better to have me around.” She took a brief nap, sterilized the spotless clinic again in case Laura needed it for some reason, and returned to the house that the staff was sharing.

Liam did his own rounds at the elder’s home, dodging the inevitable prying questions and drawing conversation back to speculation about Laura’s pending baby, the first baby of their new home.

“No baby in the history of ever will be more spoiled,” Darla warned Liam in a stage whisper.

By evening, the entire village was in a tizzy of excitement.

“How long does it take to have a baby?” Breck wanted to know, when he served them all a grand dinner at the restaurant for Christmas Eve. Mrs. Shandy was happy to share the grueling tales of her own labors, which, if she was to be believed, had taken several weeks apiece.

Just as Breck announced dessert, Liam saw Caroline standing at the entrance of the restaurant. He pushed his chair back and crossed the floor towards her as the others noticed her. James waved, his mouth full of food.

“Baby?” Breck asked in excitement.

“Baby!” Caroline announced, and everyone in earshot cheered. Chef, coming out from the kitchen holding a propane torch, clasped her in an impulsive hug.

“It’s a boy, eight pounds