The Davenport Christmas Chronicles
kissed my cheek, but still climbed off my lap and joined my kids who were checking out the presents under the tree. I took the cider from Kim and she sat on the sofa next to my chair. “Did you see Doc?” I asked.She nodded. “Yeah. I was mobbed by all the single ladies trying to get to him.”
“He’s pretty sexy.” I chuckled. “You didn’t hear that from me, though.”
“Of course not... even though I agree.” She glanced around the room, then leaned in and whispered, “Just wait until you see Alamo, though. Lord-eeee, the man is fine.”
Before I could comment, the man walked in the room. I knew it was Alamo; A, because I’d never met him before, and, B, because he walked in with Doc and the room seemed to quiet. Mostly because all female eyes were on the newcomers.
Kim wasn’t kidding about Alamo. He was all lean muscle, dark hair, longish on top, and a beard that rivaled Hatch’s. When he smiled, his blue eyes lit up and I swore I heard a chorus of female sighs echo through the room.
“Where’s this Gator guy?” I asked Kim.
“He’s changing. He’s playing Santa.”
“Oh, that’s sweet.” I frowned. “Wait, is he using the suit he stole?”
Kim giggled. “Yep. Duke didn’t want it back.”
“I don’t blame him.”
Because Gator had been staying at the homeless shelter, Crow had made the decision to open up the compound for the kids staying there, so they would be arriving in less than an hour, would be fed and each kid would get a gift from “Santa.” I couldn’t wait.
And neither could the kids.
The next three hours were spent laughing and eating, along with watching the little kids fawn over Santa. Well, the ones that weren’t screaming in fear, that is.
Gator was amazing. I knew he’d had a rough go of it over the last year, but he was born to be around kids. He loved it and they loved him. He looked like Sam Elliott and Tom Selleck had a love child, and he was gorgeous.
“How are you feeling?” Kim asked me, and I smiled up at her.
“I feel good,” I lied.
She frowned just as a sharp pain rolled through my belly.
“Dani?”
I swallowed. “Get Austin. My water just broke.”
“Holy shit,” she whispered, then turned and bellowed, “Booker! Dani’s havin’ your baby.”
“I hadn’t planned on this being a group thing, Kimmie,” I grumbled.
Austin rushed toward me, Doc behind him. “Baby?”
“My water broke,” I said.
Doc leaned over me. “Do you mind if I feel your belly?”
I shook my head and he checked me over just as Macey walked up with a stethoscope. Doc took it and listened, then smiled. “Let’s get this mama to the hospital.”
Austin helped me up and I groaned.
“What, baby?”
“I’m not going to make it to the hospital,” I rasped. “This little girl is coming now.”
“Get her up to your room, Booker,” Macey said. “We’ll call an ambulance while we try to keep the baby inside.”
“No, you don’t understand,” I countered, grabbing for Austin. “She’s coming. Right now.”
Austin swept me up into his arms and carried me to the bunk room which was on the first floor. Doc, Macey, and Kim followed, and I bent over in pain when Austin set me on my feet.
“Let’s get her out of those wet clothes,” Doc said. “We called for an ambulance, but it’s gonna take a little while for it to get here.”
Macey pulled a comforter off one of the beds and doubled it over to throw on the sofa while Austin helped me out of my wet bottoms.
Easing me down onto the sofa, Macey covered me with a sheet while Doc washed his hands and donned gloves. While he got me into a good position, Macey washed her hands and grabbed gloves so that she could assist.
“I can see the head,” Doc said, and smiled up at me. “You ready to have this baby?”
I reached for Austin. “Are the kids okay?”
“Payton and Maisie have the kids under control, and Cass and Darien are covering clean-up, so you just worry about you and the baby,” Kim said. “Okay?”
Austin smiled at my best friend. “Thanks, babe.”
I groaned as a contraction hit and then my body decided it was time to push. It took about twelve minutes and four pushes to deliver our baby girl and I cried the second I had her in my arms.
“Ohmigod, she’s perfect,” I whispered as I counted her fingers and toes and kissed her forehead. Glancing up at Austin, he gave me his nod of approval, so I focused back on our daughter. “Daisy May Carver, welcome to the world, sweet girl.”
“Oh my god, that’s so cute!” Kim said, and clapped her hands.
Austin didn’t speak as he leaned down to kiss Daisy, then me, just as the EMTs arrived. As I was loaded onto a gurney, Daisy and I were wrapped in a blanket together and wheeled through the great room where our family congratulated us as we passed by.
“We’ve got the kids covered,” Kim said. “We’ll bring them by later.”
“Thanks, honey.”
I let tears fall as we were loaded into the ambulance and driven to where we’d ultimately be told how textbook and perfect the delivery had gone, and how lucky I was to have such a skilled medical team so close. Lucky didn’t even begin to cover it.
My world was filled with perfection and pure joy.
* * *
Maisie
Christmas Eve...
Mack and Darien were the last to arrive for our little “nucleus” get-together. Because the majority of us lived within walking distance of each other, we always made Christmas Eve our “family time.” The rest of our little group were already partying it up in the family room, including Dani and Daisy, who was now ten days old.
“Come in,” I said, waving the little family inside. “Harper and Huxley, all the other kids are downstairs if you want to go play. I have it on good authority that Hatch has helped Flash set up the karaoke machine.”
“Whoo-hoo!” Harper squealed, dropping her coat and