Page 105 of The Pilot

Marit and Evelyn were rushing around, gathering blankets and towels and trying to be useful.

On the front deck, Harper looked at Linc in shock. They’d gone outside to meet the ambulance. It would take ten minutes or so for help to reach them, and that was even going over the speed limits with lights and sirens.

“So much for our distraction,” Harper said under her breath.

Linc let out a huff of laughter. “I was about ready to drop to one knee in front of you when of course my little brother had to upstage me.”

Harper hugged Linc. “First babies usually take a while to come,” she said. “She’ll be fine.”

“Of course she will. How long were you in labor with Kash?”

“Twenty-seven hours, forty-two minutes, and thirty-one seconds,” Harper said.

“Holy shit! That long?”

“Yeah.”

“And you were by yourself.”

“Uh-huh. It sucked. I’m glad Britt won’t be alone. We’re all going to the hospital with her, right?”

“Of course. I’m sorry you had to go through that alone, Harp. But you aren’t alone anymore. No matter if you have a splinter in your finger or something more serious, you’ve got a whole tribe who will gather in the hospital, annoying everyone else, anxiously waiting to see if you’re all right.”

She hugged him and rested her head on his shoulder as they stood there waiting, until they finally heard sirens.

“Here they come,” Linc said.

“I’ll go in and let Britt know,” Harper said.

Linc nodded. “I’ll run out to the road and flag them down.” He kissed Harper hard and fast before turning and jogging across the property.

When she got inside, Harper was surprised at how tense everyone seemed. Britt was lying on the kitchen floor now, with Chad at her back, holding her up. She was panting and looked scared to death.

“It’s coming,” Britt said to no one in particular.

“Don’t push!” Evelyn ordered.

“The ambulance is almost here,” Harper informed everyone.

“Hear that? Hold on for another minute, hon, the paramedics are almost here.”

“Not . . . sure . . . I . . . can,” Britt said between breaths.

The next few minutes were chaos as the paramedics arrived and ordered everyone to back away from the kitchen. They huddled together in the living room instead, staring at Britt with concern as a paramedic checked the progress of the baby’s arrival.

“Stretcher!” she barked at the EMT who’d come inside with her.

Before Harper knew it, Britt had been transferred to the gurney and was being wheeled out of the house. She was put into the back of the ambulance, and Chad climbed in after her. The doors shut, and now everyone stood in the driveway, staring at the back of the emergency vehicle.

It didn’t leave.

Everyone held their breath.

It only took another minute or two before they all heard the sound of a very pissed-off baby screaming.

“Holy shit!” Evelyn breathed.

For the woman who very rarely said a bad word, it was a huge deal.