Read Online Special Delivery (Mountain Meadow Homecoming 1) by Laura Browning - Free Book Online Page B

with concern, she realized if Doc Owens couldn’t be here, she was glad Jake was.
    He was on the phone with Doc. He listened for a few moments, huffed out a breath, and ran his fingers through his hair before he said, “Yeah, I’d already kind of figured that, Jen.” He paused an instant and then handed the phone to her. “Doc wants to talk to you. I’ve got to go scrub.”
    “Hi, Doc.”
    “You okay with this, Holly?”
    She smiled as Jake left the room. “I don’t have a lot of choice, but yes. Jake’s doing a great job.”
    “Good. I know you’re a little uncomfortable with people you don’t know, but he’s a good guy. You’re going to be pretty busy here in the next little bit. Just keep in mind everything Jake does is to help you and the baby. Okay?”
    “Yes. I feel like I need to push.”
    “Sounds like you’re close. Let me talk to Jake again.”
    He had just returned from the bathroom and used a towel to grab the phone from her. After a minute or two he held it out to her. “Hit the End button, please.”
    That’s when the lights went out. Jake swore, and Holly’s heart skipped a beat. As if he sensed that flutter of panic, Jake squeezed her knee. The gentle pressure reassured her.
    “Tyler?” he called calmly.
    “Yeah?”
    “Get in my emergency kit. You’ll find two flashlights, some candles and matches. Bring them here, please.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Tyler walked in with a flashlight beam already bobbing in front of him. In another minute, several candles cast a soft glow around the room. Jake’s lips quirked. “Someday you’ll have some great stories to tell your little girl.”
    Holly’s laugh cut off as another strong contraction started.
    “I need to take a look to see how close we are to the real work.” He glanced at her. “Still feel like you need to push?”
    “Yes.” She panted.
    “Easy, honey. Big breaths. Just relax. We’ll get your baby here right and tight. Tyler, I’m sorry, buddy, but you’re going to have to be an active participant. I need you to hold the flashlight so I can see.”
    “Okay.”
    This had to be tough on Tyler and was no doubt more than he wanted to know about how his niece was getting into the world. “Ty, if you’re not okay with this, we’ll figure something out.”
    He swallowed. “I’m okay. Really. I watched Jimmy Pruitt’s beagle have her puppies, so I have some idea.”
    If Holly hadn’t been in so much pain, she would have laughed. In fact, she could have sworn she heard Jake do just that.
    “I remember delivering a few puppies,” he said, “but I think we’ll bypass the part where you swing the little guys to get them breathing, and I don’t think Holly will need to bite through the umbilical cord.”
    “Ooh.” Tyler made a face. “That’s just gross.”
    Jake’s eyes twinkled. “What do you think?”
    “I’m all for snipping,” Holly assured him.
    Jake put a hand on her knee. “I’m just gonna take a look, okay?”
    The heat of his palm offered some comfort, but everything took a backseat to the simple need to push the baby. “Hurry.”
    “Oh, wow!” Tyler whispered at the same time Jake spoke.
    “I see the top of her head, Holly.” A note of excitement crept into his deep voice. He glanced at her and grinned. Her contraction eased. When Holly half laughed and half sobbed, he patted her leg. The touch was enough to reassure her. “You’re doing fine. Doc says you should push with your contractions, but easy. As soon as the head’s out I’ll need to suction and check to make sure the cord’s good.”
    She nodded, feeling a mixture of awe and fright. The life inside her had taken control, and she had no say at all in what was going on. As another contraction began, Holly sobbed and began to push. It hurt, more than anything she could have imagined, but even the pain paled next to the anticipation.
    Jake told Tyler, “Prop that flashlight right there. Take the other one into the kitchen and bring me the