Page 141

Story: Dead Rinker

Luna snorts a laugh. “Why do I get the feeling he’s going to be in more pain than you?”

Hollie rubs her hands together with glee at the thought. “Oh, to be a fly on the wall.”

With a large blackScorpions hoodie wrapped around my waist to cover my very wet dignity, we pull up in the hospital parking lot.

Throwing my head back in the seat, I realize I couldn’t be any less organized right now. “Shit.”

“What. What is it?” Felicity looks across at me in panic. “Are you in pain? Have the contractions started?”

“No. I just don’t have my overnight hospital bag with me, and in terms of pain, I am, but not from the contractions. More the way you’ve squeezed me into this tiny fucking car.” I look around at Martha Mini. “I really hate this thing right now. I’m defecting to Jon’s side.”

She ignores my jibe and checks her watch. “It’s been fifteen minutes since we left. The boys will be heading off the ice. Are you sure you don’t want me to make the call?”

“No. I want him to concentrate on his game. I’m not in labor. I just need to find out what I need to do next and if I’m staying in.”

Unclipping her belt, she rounds the car and extracts me from Martha, an amused smile on her face.

“Don’t laugh,” I grit out, trying and failing to look as graceful as possible.

Her shoulders shake slightly as she loops her arm through mine, and we make our way to the entrance. “I’m not laughing,” she says.

“I’m scared,” I say, coming to a stop in the freezing air. “Promise me it’s going to be okay.”

Placing her soft, warm palms on either side of my face, she looks me dead in the eyes. “You really think that boy of yours is going to let anything happen to you or the babies?” She casts a glance down my body and smiles. “Especially when you turn up at the labor ward wearing his jersey?”

I twist my face to the side as a wave of dull pain radiates into my lower back and pelvis. Felicity drops one of her hands to my stomach in response, asking a silent question.

I nod. “Call him.”

JENSEN

“Easiest period we’ve had in a while.” Jessie stands from thebench and checks the laces on his skates.

“Yeah. But don’t underestimate them. They won’t want to be totally embarrassed, and I want the shutout for my stats.”

“Damn right you do, Jones!” Coach Burrows bellows across the noisy locker room. I swear that guy has radar ears.

He looks at me and then at Jessie, narrowing his eyes at him.

Ignoring the look, Jessie picks up his stick and nods at the exit towards the ice. “More of the same.”

The team begins to file out when Zach hangs back, staring down at the phone in his hand. His eyes blown wide in panic.

Shit.Luna.

Pushing past a rookie forward who looks like he came out for a Sunday stroll rather than a league game, I stride over to the other side of the room and clamp a gloved hand on his shoulder. “What’s up?”

He shakes his head, words trying to leave his mouth but failing.

Eventually, he looks up at me. “She’s at the hospital.”

“Luna?” I reply. “She’s not due for another few weeks, right?”

Shaking his head again, he hands me his phone to check the text.

Felicity

I’m trying to reach Jensen, but he isn’t answering his phone. I’m here at the hospital with Kate. Her waters broke in the second period, and her contractions have just started. They’re coming on pretty fast and strong.