Page 54 of The Maverick

He checked her progress. “I’ll have you transferred to your room. You’ll be able to walk there. We have a birthing suite available. I think you’ll be most comfortable there.” He rolled the gloves off and placed them in the trash.

“How many centimeters am I dilated?”

Doctor Strauss smiled. “You’re about nine. It shouldn’t be long now.”

Rachel frowned. “Good. I’m ready to have this baby and go home.”

“Don’t worry about going home, Rach. I’ll make sure the kids are okay. Stay as long as the doctor wants you to. Please.” Nick kissed her forehead.

She gazed at him and closed her eyes as a contraction hit. She began doing measured breaths, in and out, in and out. Rachel found it helped with the pain, probably because she was concentrating on something other than the pain.

“Mrs. Kincaid, according to your intake form you’ve been in labor about five hours is that correct?” Dr. Strauss lifted one eyebrow and then looked at the computer screen.

“Yes, that’s right. It’s only been what I would callhard laborfor about two hours.”

He raised his eyebrows and then frowned. “That’s not a long time, for you to be dilated so far. I’d like to check your progress again. Perhaps I made a mistake.”

“That’s good because I feel like I’m about to give birth.”

“Let’s take a look shall we?”

“Well, look at that. It appears you’re at ten centimeters and your baby is crowning. Are you ready to have this baby? You won’t make it to the birthing suite, but we’ll move you there after the baby is born.”

Rachel nodded. “Okay, I’m more than ready. I haven’t had a child this quickly before. Is everything okay?”

The doctor hit the call button for a nurse and then donned a mask and gloves. “Yes, I don’t believe there is anything to worry about. Second and third children are often in a hurry.” He chuckled before becoming serious again. “The next contraction I want you to push and push hard.”

Nick walked to the head of the bed. “Take my hands, sweetheart. Use them as you need to like before.”

Over the next forty-five minutes, Rachel pushed and rested then pushed again until finally she felt the baby slide from her body.

“What do we have? A boy or a girl?” Rachel couldn’t wait to find out.

“You have a beautiful little girl.” Dr. Strauss placed the baby on Rachel’s chest without cutting the umbilical cord.

She placed a hand on the baby’s back and caressed her. The other hand was on her bottom to make sure she didn’t slide off.

Rachel was glad the cord didn’t get cut right away. She wanted to ask the doctor to wait, but she didn’t remember to. She’d read that the baby got an extra boost of iron through the blood from the placenta that was still attached to the mother.

Happy tears streamed down her cheeks. “A girl.” She looked up at Nick. “Bailey will be tickled to have another girl in the family.”

Nick bent and kissed Rachel’s lips. “Thank you for my daughter.” Then he ran his hand over his daughter’s head. He could cup her entire head in one of his hands. “She’s so tiny.”

Rachel watched him as he kissed the baby’s head. She’d seen the look on his face before with the birth of Wyatt. Total love was the only way she knew to describe it. His face relaxed and his mouth turned up at the corners. His gaze took in every bit of the baby from her toes to the top of her head. To her it looked like a feeling of peace passed over him. She wondered if that was what he saw when he watched her as she gazed at their children. “Our daughter. Are you still happy with the name we picked?”

He smiled and placed his hand on the baby’s head. She was so small, his hand covered nearly her entire head. “I am. Hallie Sinclair Kincaid is a great name .”

Rachel gazed up at him with a smile. “I love it, too. And I love you.”

“And I you, my love. You’re still my best friend.” He stroked a knuckle down her cheek.

“And you’re mine. Best friends, forever.” Rachel never thought she would end up married to Nick, but her life and her family were complete. Dreams really do come true if you wish hard enough.