Page 58 of A Heart Falls Cowboy Christmas

They were both really in a bad way. Josiah glanced toward the houses on the ridge. Tucker was nearly at his back door. He had to have sprinted the entire way. “He's getting ready to meet you guys at the hospital after they drop off Demi.”

“Cool.” Then Luke was gone, arms pumping as he raced away.

If there hadn’t been a spot of panic in his own belly, Josiah would have found the entire thing as entertaining as the rest of them.

Caleb laid a hand on Josiah’s shoulders and turned him toward the house. “Come on. You need to see Lisa to be sure she’s okay. And Tamara will want a hand getting Demi and Kyle settled in.”

A chance to check Lisa was good. “Brilliant.”

They said their farewells to Walker, Dustin, and the rest of the hands, then paced slowly across the yard toward the house.

Very slowly. Josiah eyed Caleb with suspicion. “You getting too old to walk properly?”

“Don’t see the need to run,” Caleb returned. He pointed up the hill to where Ginny and Kelli were walking down the hill, holding their toddler’s hands. “They’re in no rush.”

Tucker and Luke both looked pissed as they crawled into their respective trucks and inched down the driveway after their wives.

Josiah re-routed, meeting Kelli and swooping in on little Kyle. “Hey buckaroo. Hey, Kel. How’s it going?”

She pressed a hand to her belly. “It’s going, so that’s good.”

“You know you’re driving your guys insane right now,” Caleb muttered. “Go easy on them.”

“Chances are I’m going to be walking the halls at the hospital for hours,” Ginny pointed out as she caught up with them. “I’m only going in now since my water broke. One more walk outside is nice.”

“Agreed.” Kelli took a deep breath. “How’s the new ride? She looks as if she’ll be fast.”

Josiah left Caleb chatting horses with Kelli, hurrying ahead to the house because, screw it—he wanted to see Lisa and his own kids.

He pushed open the screen door and came face-to-face with his beautiful wife.

“Oh. You’re here.” She blinked in surprise then took in Kyle in his arms. “Put him down. We need to go. Now.”

He took a quick glance around the room. Tamara had little Nathan in her arms. Mason was asleep in the playpen in the corner, and Zoë was doing a craft at the island with Emma. “Place looks quiet, but get ready for chaos. Kelli and Ginny are headed to the hospital.”

Tamara snorted as she expertly took Kyle as well. “Of course they are. Go on. I got this,” she assured Lisa, tilting her head toward the door. “You need to hurry.”

An instant later, Josiah was being pulled past Caleb and the ladies up to his truck.

Lisa planted her fists on her hips and swore in annoyance. “Of course they would stop right there.”

She put her fingers to her lips and blew, an ear busting screech that got both Tucker and Luke’s attention from where they’d pulled to a stop outside the house.

“Move so we can get out,” she shouted.

“Kelli’s in labour,” Luke complained, dropping from the cab ready to run to the house and probably swoop his wife up.

“I’m in labour, too, you turkey,” Lisa growled. “Move. Kelli will be back in a minute.”

Josiah nearly tripped over his own feet. “You are?” he demanded.

She turned a much happier expression on him than the one she’d offered Luke. “I am, and I don’t think it’s going to be too long this go-round. So…can you speed?”

“You sure we have time to make it to the hospital?” He helped her into the cab even as he asked, while ahead of them, Luke moved his truck out of the way.

“Nope, but we’re going to try.” She waited until he was seated to continue. “I’m going mostly on instinct here, but if I’m wrong, we’ll be okay. I’ll either pace the halls with my friends, or you’ll get to catch this one like you did Zoë.”

He drove fast.