Liam sighed. “I seem to jinx my women when it comes to delivering babies.”
The sentiment itself meant nothing to her, but the fact that he’d included her in “his women” meant everything.
“It’s hardly your fault that that guy kicked me.” She shook her head.
“I asked you to take the case.”
“You didn’t know.” She shifted her weight carefully in the bed, trying to ease the pain of her cracked ribs. “Did you call Carlynn to come?”
He nodded. “Is that all right?”
“Of course. Thank you. It can’t hurt to have an official healer here, though I’m still not sure I’m a believer.”
“Me neither.” He touched the bandage on his jaw with his fingers, wincing a little. “You know what I do believe in, though?” he asked.
“What?”
“You and me,” he said. “With this baby or without her.” He nodded toward her belly. “Somehow, Jo, you and I are going to make this work.”
She felt her eyes fill again with tears. What had happened to Liam? What sort of epiphany had he experienced in the last couple of hours? She didn’t dare ask him; she would just enjoy it.
“That would be wonderful, Liam,” she said.
“I called Sheila and told her I’d be working late,” he said, looking at his watch. “But I think I’d better call her again and see if she can keep Sam all night.”
“You don’t need to do that,” she said. “I’ll probably just sleep tonight, and I may end up being in here for days. Maybe even weeks.”
“Well, you’ve got my company, at least for tonight,” he said. “I’d like to make up to you for giving you none of it over the past seven months. Unless you’d rather I didn’t stay.”
“I’d love you to stay,” she said. “But you may just be watching me sleep.”
“Fine,” he said, getting to his feet. “I’ll call Sheila.”
“What will you tell her?” she asked.
“The truth,” he said. He was standing now, his hands on the back of the chair. “She already knows the baby is mine.”
Joelle was shocked. “She does? How?”
“She guessed, and I told her she was right.”
“What did she say?”
“She beat me up with her purse.”
“Are you kidding?” She laughed.
“I wish.” He smiled and left the room.
She woke herself up with her own moaning, the sound coming from somewhere deep inside her. There was cramping low in her belly.
“What is it, Jo?” Liam asked.
She opened her eyes. The room was dark, except for the light pouring through the open door from the hallway, and for a moment Joelle wasn’t certain who was sitting next to her.
“Carlynn?” she asked.
“She went home, Jo,” Liam said. “Are you okay?”
“I think…” she said. “A contraction, I think. What time is it?”
“Two in the morning.”
She could see the paleness of his eyes in the light from the monitor. “You’d better get the nurse,” she said.
He was back in a moment with Lydia, who examined her, then stood up.
“You’re four, almost five centimeters dilated,” she said. “The mag sulfate didn’t work. I’m going to call Rebecca.”
She looked at Liam after Lydia left the room. “I’m afraid this is it,” she said.
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’ll be with you,” he said.
“My mother was supposed to be my birth partner,” she said.
“Do you want me to call her?”
“She didn’t take any of the classes.”
“I’ve had all the classes, Jo,” he said. “I’m a pro.”
Another contraction gripped her belly, and she tightened her hold on his hand. When the pain had passed, she looked into his eyes. “I’m scared,” she said.
“I know,” he said. “Me, too.”
