Page 10 of Delivery After Dark (Gansett Island #28)

She pulled the coat she’d never bothered to zip closed against the stiff breeze coming off the water. “It’s very good, but you don’t need a reservation anywhere this time of year.”

“I’d hate to leave anything to chance for such an important engagement.”

“You’re kinda making my head spin with all your pretty words.”

“Am I?”

She nodded, feeling as breathless as she’d ever been around a man.

He stepped closer to her, tipped her chin up and laid a soft, sweet kiss on her lips that surprised the hell out of her.

“Pick you up at seven tomorrow?”

“Seven thirty is better. I have a client until seven.”

“Seven thirty it is. See you then.”

“Okay.”

“Sleep tight.”

“You, too.”

As she used her key in the door that led to her apartment upstairs, Sierra wondered if she’d sleep at all as she picked over the last twenty minutes and reviewed each of the amazing things he’d said to her.

She was still dazzled when she crawled into bed and snuggled under the down comforter she needed this time of year.

She’d felt a spark of… something… in past encounters with him, brief as they’d been with her stopping by the gym to bring him something or to ask how he was doing before jumping on the elliptical for an hour.

If she’d started to look forward to seeing him, well, that was her problem, or so she’d told herself.

Sierra had also wondered if he was just being nice to her the way he was to everyone who’d come by to support him through a tragic time.

But as of an hour ago, she could now say he wasn’t just being nice.

He was interested in her and realizing that changed everything.

She hadn’t dated anyone in more than two years.

Or was it three? Jeez, it was more than three years since she and Kyle, the ferry boat mate, had broken up after dating for six months.

Sierra still saw him around once in a while, but that’d been going nowhere fast from the start. She’d stayed with him thinking it was better to be with him than to be alone, but she’d learned that being lonely in the wrong relationship hurt worse than the loneliness that came from being single.

After they’d finally called it quits, she’d been relieved and had never once missed having him around.

Duke had told her then that everything was a learning experience, but she was tired of worthless experiences that hadn’t taught her anything other than she was better off alone than with someone who wasn’t good enough for her.

Morgan was different. He was an actual grown-up who’d been through a lot in his life but still seemed to have his shit together.

And he’d said things to her that no man had ever dreamed of saying, which made him the first one with the power to truly hurt her if she wasn’t careful not to get too caught up in whatever game he might be playing.

She’d start being careful tomorrow. For now, she wanted to fall asleep thinking about how he’d looked at her when he said she stood out in the crowd and perhaps the inaction of other men would turn into his good fortune.

Dan Torrington was learning that labor wasn’t for the faint of heart as Kara’s stretched into the eighteenth hour, and the medical team seemed to become less animated with every half hour that went by.

Kara was exhausted and as pale as Dan had ever seen her, which had his nerves stretched to their absolute limit.

He’d given in and called his mother an hour ago, and she’d assured him that a long labor was perfectly normal, especially with a first child.

He’d been relieved to hear that his sister Barbara had been in labor for thirty hours with her first baby, not that he’d wish that on anyone.

But it had been good to hear from his mom, on top of the assurances from Victoria and David that everything was progressing according to plan.

He rubbed the back of his neck, which had gone tight with tension hours ago, trying to get some relief.

Kara awakened out of a doze when another contraction started.

Dan held her hand and talked her through it, encouraging her to breathe and all the other useless things he could think of to say.

“I think I want the epidural,” she said when it was finally over.

When they’d come in earlier to do the procedure, she’d panicked and decided to keep trying to go without it.

“Are you sure, hon?”

“Yeah, I can’t do this anymore. The pain is too much.”

“I’ll tell Victoria.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

“We’ll be here.”

Dan left the room to find Victoria and David in a break room at the end of the hallway, standing as they had something to eat. “Sorry to bother you guys, but Kara is interested in the epidural. This time, she means it.”

“I’ll be in right away to assess whether she’s still in the zone to have one.”

“There’s a zone?”

Victoria nodded. “We don’t like to administer an epidural if she’s crowning or about to deliver because it can slow things down. I’ll take a look and see where we are. Be right there.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course. How’re you doing?”

“I’m fine. Just worried about her.”

“Have you eaten anything?”

“Not since this morning.” The thought of eating had made him nauseated because he was so worried about Kara.

“You should have something so you don’t pass out and give us another patient to tend to.” Victoria gestured to the pizza on the table. “Have some. We have plenty.”

Dan’s stomach growled.

Victoria and David laughed.

“Don’t mind if I do.”

“Help yourself, friend,” David said.

“How much longer will this go on?” Dan asked between bites of the delicious pepperoni pizza.

“We’re giving her four more hours, and then we’ll consider our options,” David said, “but please don’t worry about anything. She’s doing great, and this is a very typical first labor, as hard as it is on both of you. And also, the baby is tolerating labor well, with a strong heartrate.”

“That’s a relief, but I’m worried about Kara. I hate to see her suffering.”

“She’s a warrior,” Vic said. “She’s got this.”

“Thanks for the reassurances. I’m going back to check on her. Thanks for the pizza.”

“Sure thing,” David said. “Hang in there, Dad. You’re doing great, too.”

“If you say so.”

“I say so, and I’m the boss around here.”

“Puleeze,” Victoria said. “We all know who the boss is, and it ain’t you.”

“You see what I put up with?” David asked.

Dan laughed, relieved to see them goofing around. If they were doing that, they weren’t overly concerned about Kara. “I see, and I wish you well, my friend.”

“I need all the good wishes I can get with all the women in my life bossing me around,” David said.

“Let’s go check on Kara,” Vic said as she thoroughly washed her hands.

In the hallway, Dan took a second to reply to Kara’s grandmother Bertha’s text checking on her progress.

Slow going, but she’s hanging in there.

Keep me posted.

Will do.

Love you both.

Love you, too.

When he entered the room, Vic was examining Kara as his wife gritted her teeth from the added pressure.

“You’re there,” Vic said. “We’re ready to push.”

“So no epidural?” Dan asked.

“Nope, but don’t worry. She’s got this. I’ll be right back.”

Dan went to Kara’s bedside and took the hand that didn’t have the IV attached, kissing the back of it. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. I already knew you were incredible, but now I know you’re a superhero.”

“I don’t feel like one. I’m scared of this next part.” Her eyes were full of tears. “I should’ve gotten the epidural when I could.”

“I’m sure you’ll rock this the same way you rocked the first part.”

“If you say so.”

“I say so, and you know how I love to hear myself talk.”

She laughed and then gasped at the start of another contraction.

Dan talked her through it while feeling ridiculous because nothing he said would help. “I can’t wait to meet our Dylan.”

“Me, too,” she said, panting through the aftermath of the contraction.

“Last chance to change your bet.”

She’d bet on a girl, while he’d bet on a boy.

“She’s a girl. I’m sure of it.”

He couldn’t wait to be a girl dad—or a boy dad. Either was fine with him, and he was thrilled to be naming the baby after his late brother. “You’re going to be a mommy.”

She turned her head so she could see him. “You’re going to be a daddy.”

“I’m so excited.”

“Me, too.”

“I just wish I had a magic wand to move things along for you.”

“That would be nice to have right now.”

Victoria returned with David and Katie, who were wearing gowns, masks and gloves and moved like a well-oiled pit crew who’d done this very thing many times before. Their obvious competence infused him with confidence that he badly needed as he prepared to support his wife through the birth.

They instructed him to get behind her on the bed while they positioned her legs and took their places, with Victoria leading the charge, Katie standing next to Kara and David waiting to care for the baby after the birth.

“On the next contraction, I want a big push,” Victoria said.

“Are you ready, honey?” Dan asked, surprised to be blinking back tears as the magnitude of the moment took hold.

“I think so.”

“I’ve got you. Lean on me when it becomes too much.”

Her hand gripped his arm as the contraction began and she pushed with all her might.

Time seemed to stop as they repeated the cycle at least ten times before Victoria instructed Kara to push as hard as she possibly could.

“Here comes your baby! Keep pushing.”

Over Kara’s shoulder, Dan watched as the baby entered the world into Victoria’s waiting hands.

“Congratulations! You have a daughter!”

Dan could barely see her through the haze of tears as he held Kara.

“You did it,” he whispered. “I love you so much. We have a daughter!”

“I told you.”

“Yes, you did. I’ll never bet against your mother’s intuition again.”

“You still owe me a hundred bucks.”

“Do you take credit cards?”

“You guys are too cute,” Victoria said, smiling up at them.

David brought their baby to them, wrapped in a receiving blanket with an oatmeal-colored cap on her tiny head. “She’s scored a perfect ten on all her tests.”

“She’s already an overachiever,” Dan said through his tears.

David transferred the baby to her mother. “Baby girl, meet your incredible mom and dad.”

Kara held her as tears streamed down both their faces. “Hello, Dylan Adele Torrington.” Adele was Bertha’s mother’s name, which she’d insisted they go with instead of Bertha for her middle name. No baby needs that old name, she’d said adamantly.

Kara kissed the baby’s cheek. “I’m your mom, and that guy behind me is your dad. I’m sorry about him, but we’ll handle him together.”

Dan laughed as he wiped tears from his face. “Hey!” He reached out to caress the softest skin he’d ever touched. “And this is your mom. She has a smart mouth, but overall, she’s pretty cool, and I love her more than anything, except you, of course.”

“We need to tell all the people. They’re on pins and needles by now.”

“Let me see your phone,” Katie said. “I’ll take a picture.”

Dan sent the first photo of their family of three to his family and Kara’s as well as all their friends on Gansett Island with the message, Welcome to the world, Dylan Adele Torrington, born at 7:38 pm on December 10 th , weighing in at eight pounds, four ounces and measuring nineteen inches.

Mom was a stud, and Dad held up pretty well, all things considered. We’re overjoyed to have a daughter!

He hoped his late brother somehow knew that he had a new niece named for him. Dan would never cease to be amazed by how the best day could somehow also reflect the worst day, proving that life went on after an unimaginable loss.

“She’s so pretty,” Kara said, bringing him back to the present with his wife and daughter.

They had a daughter!

“Like her mommy.”

“I hate to say it,” Kara said dryly, “but she looks just like you.”

“Lucky kid,” Dan said, because that’s what she expected from him.

“We’re the lucky ones.”

“We sure are.”