Page 36 of The Norcross Rescue

Shit. Brynn wasn’t afraid of anything.

“Brynn—”

“I think we’re adding something else that we didn’t expect to our night.”

His heartbeat picked up. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been having contractions,” she said quietly. “For a while.”

He froze. His mind just stopped working. “Contractions?”

Rhys made a sound, Boone stilled, and Siv’s eyebrows flew up.

Brynn lifted a hand and stroked Vander’s cheek. “I was hoping they weren’t real, but they’re getting stronger and closer together. Vander, the baby’s coming. Now.”

Vander scooped Brynn into his arms and carried her across the rooftop.

She loved when he carried her.

His jaw was tight, and she saw something very unfamiliar on his face. The always sure of himself Vander Norcross was panicking.

“It’s going to be okay.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to reassure him or herself.

Her husband grunted.

“You just dealt with armed thieves while alone and unarmed. This should be easy. I mean, women have babies all the time. They’ve been doing it for thousands of years.”

“Pretty sure lots of them died doing it, too.” His voice held an edge.

“Before modern times.”

“We’re going to the hospital. Now.”

Before he’d reached the door, another fierce contraction gripped her belly. She groaned, her fingers digging into his arm.

“Brynn…”

She huffed a little. “I know they tell you that it’s going to hurt, but it really hurts.”

He reached the door, and Boone held it open. Vander shouldered inside. She was grateful that the wind cut off and it was so much warmer. She tried her best to breathe through the pain, before it finally faded.

She felt a heaviness, a pressure, low in her stomach. “Uh, Vander, I don’t think we have time to get to the hospital.”

“What?” He jerked to a halt at the top of the stairwell, staring down at her, his dark-blue eyes fathomless.

“I think our baby is coming.” She managed a smile. “Trust a Norcross baby not to follow the plan and want to jump the gun.”

“We still have over three weeks⁠—”

“Babies definitely don’t follow schedules.” Another contraction gripped her.

She heard him curse and set her down. When he lowered her to the floor, she focused on surviving the contraction.

“Breathe, baby. You’ve got this.” His hand took hers and she squeezed. “And we are not having a baby here. We’re going to the hospital.”

God, she almost wanted to laugh. When the contraction eased, she ran her fingers along his jaw. “I think this little person isn’t going to follow your orders.”

He made a disgruntled sound. “Just like their mother.”