Lone Wolf (Wilde Brothers Ranch #6)- Scarlett Grove Page 0,30
focus on bringing her into the world.”
She squeezed Dylan's hand and moaned as she pushed. Dylan didn't think he'd ever seen anything so brave in his life.
“She's crowning,” the doctor said.
“Just a few more pushes, Annie. You got this,” Dylan said.
“This is all wrong. I've made a mistake,” she said.
“No you haven't. Everything is just right,” Dylan whispered to her as he held her hand.
Annie screamed and pushed, and the doctor caught the baby. There was no sound as his daughter slipped into the world. The doctors and nurses scurried around, rubbing the child's body and checking her vitals.
“Why isn't she crying?” Annie asked. “Is she okay?”
“The doctors are working on her. She's going to be fine,” said a nurse.
Annie looked up into Dylan's eyes, desperate for reassurance. He held her hand and wiped her wet brow.
“Everything is going to be okay. I'm here for you. No matter what.”
A sharp cry rang through the delivery room, and there were sighs of relief and cries of happiness from the doctors. Annie began to weep then groaned again with another contraction.
When the delivery was complete and Annie was patched up and comfortably tucked into bed, her eyes fluttered closed with exhaustion. But Dylan didn't leave her side. They had taken the baby out of the delivery room.
He sat beside her, his heart ripped into pieces and confusion whirling in his brain. His concern and his love were divided between his beautiful brave mate and his new child, who had been forced into the world before her time.
“Dylan Wilde?” the nurse said from the door. She motioned for Dylan to follow her into the hall.
Dylan released Annie's hand and followed the nurse. “Is my daughter okay?” Dylan asked, his voice thick.
“She is several weeks premature. And her Apgar scores reflect that. She's gonna need to spend some time in the NICU. But she's a fighter. And with a little bit of extra help, she's going to be all right.”
“Can I hold her?”
“She still needs some medical attention. But we will make sure that you and your wife get the chance to bond with her as soon as possible.”
“Thank you,” he said.
“Do you want me to inform your wife, or would you like to do it?”
Dylan loved the sound of the words “your wife.” And he didn't want to correct the nurse. He just told her that he would tell Annie himself. She nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer.
He sat by her bed as she slept. And when she finally woke up, she was confused. She touched her stomach and tried to sit up.
“Where's my baby?” she said.
“She's okay. The doctors are looking after her. She's going to need a little bit of extra help. But they've assured me she’ll be fine.”
“I need to see her.”
“They told me that we could see her very soon. You just have to hold on a little bit longer.”
A nurse came in with a tray of food and asked if Annie wanted to eat. Annie slowly sat up in the bed, and the nurse placed the tray in front of her. She drank the orange juice and nibbled on the fruit, but she didn't eat the sandwich.
“You need to regain your strength,” Dylan said. “You should eat.”
“All I can think about is my baby. I have done everything wrong. I've betrayed her. All I want is to see her and hold her. I think I've made a mistake.”
“You don't need to worry about that right now. We’re going to get through this together.”
She looked at him, her eyes filled with tears, and nodded once. The nurse returned to take her tray, and another came around soon after, asking if she was ready to see her child.
“Yes. Please.”
The nurse wheeled the baby's incubator into the room. She was hooked up to an IV and wrapped tightly in a blanket.
“She’s a little weak, but you might try to nurse her. She's going to need all the strength she can get.”
The nurse handed the baby to Annie, who quickly pulled down her robe and offered the child her breast. The nurse showed her how to hold the baby to her breast to get the best latch. The little thing’s eyes were squeezed closed. But her face grasped at her mother, and her mouth slowly opened. A drop of milk dripped on her lips, and she took Annie's nipple into her mouth. Annie's mouth dropped open in amazement as the child suckled. The nurse stood by the whole time, watching and helping