meeting nooks would be in the rear. It was wonderful to see Marshall’s vision coming to fruition.
“The rest of the bookshelves will be installed today. It’s really coming together nicely.” Kase motioned to the marks on the floor outlining the locations of the remaining partitions. “Creating meeting nooks with sofas and armchairs was genius.”
“Yeah,” she said, reaching for the wall as a cramp shot across her lower back.
“You okay? Want to sit down?”
If he mothered her one more time, she was going to smack him. She reminded herself she had only about two more weeks of coddling and said, “I’m fine.”
Mike poked his head in the door and said, “Lunch is here.”
They went outside, where the guys were digging into boxes of Dutch’s wings.
“Yes,” she said under her breath. Her man was so good to her, even if he made her check in every two hours while she was at work. He was such a worrier, but at least he’d stopped showing up on the job sites unannounced to make sure she wasn’t doing too much. Though she’d never admit it because he’d only hover more often, she loved that he cared so much.
She reached for a plate, and a sharp pain shot through her lower belly. “Holy . . .” She grabbed the table, bending over as the pain worsened.
“Oh shit,” Mike said.
She glared at him, gritting her teeth against the pain as the men closed in on her, panic gleaming in their eyes. When the pain eased, she let out a long breath. “Well, that sucked. You can back off now.”
“You sure, boss?” Darren asked.
“Yes, I’m fi—” She doubled over again as pain clutched her. “Fuuck,” she said, just as a gush of wetness soaked her maternity jeans. “Fuck. Me . . .”
The men began running around her like chickens with their heads cut off, shouting nonsense. “Call an ambulance!” one of them hollered.
“What should we do?” Darren looked at Kase. “Does anyone know how to deliver a baby?”
“Put her in the back of the truck!” Mike said.
“The front!” Kase shouted. “This wasn’t in Harley’s emergency plan!”
Piper pulled out her phone to call Harley and started to climb into her truck.
Kase grabbed her arm. “You’re not driving.”
“Yes I am.” She yanked her hand away, navigated to Harley’s number on her phone, and put the phone to her ear.
“The hell you are. Harley would kick my ass.” Kase moved between her and the truck and held out his hand. “Give me the keys.”
She handed him the keys as Harley’s voice came through the phone. “How’s my baby mama?”
She used the truck for balance as she walked around to the passenger door. “I need you to meet me at the hospital.” Another pain clutched her. She grabbed the passenger door with one hand and her belly with the other, cursing as the worst pain of her life tore through her.
“What’s going on? Piper, talk to me!”
The panic in Harley’s voice rattled her, but the pain made it impossible to speak.
“I knew you should have stopped working—”
“Harley!” she gritted out. “It’s time.” She panted as the pain eased. “Our baby’s coming. Drive fast.”
“I’m coming! I love you!” Harley shouted, and then there was a crash.
As Kase helped her into the truck, she heard heavy footsteps racing across the floor through the phone, and then she heard Harley shout, “We’re going to meet our baby!” in the distance and realized he’d dropped his phone and run out of the pub.
Kase sped toward the hospital rambling about hanging in there and how she was going to be fine. Fine was not even close to how she felt when the next contraction hit. She mentally scrambled for something to focus on besides the pain. Her mind raced to the last time she’d been to the hospital, when she’d picked up the wonderful man with whom she’d fallen so deeply in love.
She closed her eyes, breathing deeply and preparing to meet the next special person in her life, who had already stolen her heart.
Harley had no idea how the doctor could be so calm when his beautiful girl was in so much pain, cursing like a sailor and threatening Harley’s life with every contraction. Piper had been too far along to get an epidural when she’d arrived at the hospital, and she seemed to think that was Harley’s fault.
“I’m never letting your fucking blissmaker near me again!” Piper fumed through gritted teeth, sweat beading her forehead. “How could you do this to me?”
She was right;