Kitabı oku: «The Firefighter's Twins»

Chapter One

Natalie McDowell paced the courtyard in front of the white clapboard barn, her stomach twisted in knots. As the silver BMW convertible turned down the magnolia-lined drive, she swiped her clammy palms against the skirt of her navy blue sundress. You’ve got this. Treat her like any other potential client. Only that was the problem. This wasn’t just any client. Karen Thomas owned Forever Love, North Carolina’s premier event planning firm. She’d asked to schedule a consultation and a walk-through. What did she want with Magnolia Lane?

Determined to be prepared for any possible scenario, Natalie had stayed up well past midnight, ensuring every inch of the restored livery was fit for royalty.

Easing to a stop, the woman behind the wheel flashed a bright smile and offered a casual wave. Natalie waved back, silently praying her legs would stop quaking before Karen stepped out of her car.

“Hello,” the petite blonde called as she emerged, tanned and flawless in her white slacks and silky red blouse. She thrust out a French-manicured hand. “Karen Thomas, from Forever Love. You must be Natalie.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Karen.” Natalie shook her hand. “Welcome to Magnolia Lane.”

“Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today. I’m sure you’re quite busy with fall weddings.” Karen pivoted, scanning her surroundings. “This is stunning.”

Natalie struggled to maintain her neutral expression. Karen Thomas just called her little old barn stunning. She drew a deep breath and gestured toward the building and adjacent courtyard. “We’re very proud of it. Brides and grooms alike find it’s the perfect blend of modern yet rustic.”

“I agree.” Karen strode toward the entrance. “There’s nothing else like it nearby, correct?”

The walkie-talkie resting on top of Natalie’s iPad nearby squawked to life. “Natalie, we’ve got a code stork. I repeat, code stork near the corn maze.”

No. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins. “Karen, excuse me. I’m so sorry. I’ve got to go. A woman’s about to give birth in the corn maze.”

Karen’s perfect brow knitted together. “But I—”

“I’m sorry. Truly, I am. Feel free to walk through and see if this might be a good fit. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.” She scooped up the iPad and walkie-talkie, and then she jogged toward her golf cart parked beside the barn, her cowboy boots clicking against the cobblestones.

“Nat, where are you? Her water broke.” Shelby, the college student supervising the birthday party, had more than enough experience to manage a crisis, but this was uncharted territory. Not even Rex, their most seasoned employee, could deliver a human in a corn maze.

“Call an ambulance.” Natalie slid behind the wheel. “I’ll be there in two minutes.”

“Copy that. Please hurry.” Shelby’s panicked voice crackled through the speaker.

She set the iPad and the walkie-talkie on the cushioned seat next to her, put the cart in gear and stomped on the pedal. While she careened down the gravel path, her mind raced. Several of the off-duty firefighters from the station down the road were attending a birthday party at the farm today. Surely they were qualified to handle emergency childbirth.

“Oh, dear Lord, please don’t let her give birth in front of a bunch of three-year-olds. Make a way for the ambulance to get through the crowd.” Her prayers were like that these days—flung up in tense moments, desperate submissions shot heavenward, while her plans unraveled like a loose thread. God heard her, but He hadn’t responded like she’d anticipated. Still she longed for a sign, a clear indication it was time to chase her dreams. Would she ever get a chance to focus exclusively on wedding planning, instead of dealing with the relentless flood of issues facing Glenview Farms?

She’d thrown herself into managing the farm and launching Magnolia Lane, desperate for an avenue to both channel her grief and help her forget about Spencer. His sudden death on duty at the fire department two years ago had leveled her. And cured her of any desire to ever date another firefighter. Her work might’ve saved her, but it also meant Mama and Daddy depended on her to keep things running. Especially now that Daddy’s health was declining.

A bead of sweat trickled down Natalie’s spine as she steered the cart around a group of guests snapping selfies by the old tobacco barn, their faces flushed from the heat. For the third Saturday in September, summer hadn’t shown any interest in giving up and making way for fall.

Near the entrance to the corn maze, a very pregnant woman clutched her lower back and paced in a small circle. Shelby hovered near her elbow, a cell phone to her ear, while a crowd of onlookers gathered around. Natalie stopped the cart and hopped out, side-stepping identical twin boys fighting over a pinwheel. They couldn’t have been more than two, judging by the pacifiers wedged securely in their mouths.

“Shelby, I’m here. What can I do?” Natalie joined them, wincing as the pregnant woman stopped pacing and squeezed her eyes shut.

“I—I don’t know.” Shelby’s voice wobbled, and she cast a furtive glance toward the woman. “This is Maria. She’s expecting her second baby any minute now. I’m staying on the line with the dispatcher until the ambulance gets here.”

“Perfect. I’ll redirect the kids to the inflatables. Maybe if they’re bouncing, the siren won’t scare them.” She whirled around and walked straight into a firm, defined chest clad in a navy University of Virginia T-shirt. Her gaze traveled up to an angular jaw, tan skin and moss green eyes staring down from beneath the brim of a well-loved ball cap. A warm hand on her bare forearm steadied her.

“Ma’am? Is there anything I can do to help?”

His deep voice made her insides dip and swerve. She moistened her dry-as-sandpaper mouth. “Are you a doctor?”

“No. A firefighter. My kids are guests at the birthday party.” He cut his gaze toward the expectant mother. “Do you have a place where she can lie down?”

“Lie down? I was hoping the ambulance would—”

“Oh, my—” Maria’s voice trailed off, and Natalie sneaked a peek over her shoulder. Maria grimaced, her fingers splayed across her protruding abdomen.

The man let go of Natalie’s arm and stepped away, pressing his thumb and index finger to his lips. He released a shrill whistle that stopped all conversation. “Hey, folks. Let me have your attention, please.”

The wail of a siren grew louder, but all eyes remained fixed on him.

“Wait,” Natalie hissed. “What are you doing?”

“Taking charge.”

“But I’m—”

“Trent, line the children up behind your daughter and head over to the inflatables so we can get this ambulance in here. Hamilton, you’re in charge of finding Maria’s husband and daughter. Start at the restrooms.”

“Got it.” Cell phone in hand, Hamilton jogged away.

“One, two, three, eyes on me.” Trent Walker, Natalie’s friend and another local firefighter, held his hand high in the air. “Anyone who wants to go to the bounce house, line up behind Ella.”

The children maneuvered into a disjointed line behind Trent’s daughter. She wore a princess dress and tiara, clearly enjoying her role as the birthday girl. Even the boys tussling over the pinwheel obeyed, bringing up the rear as adults and children moved across the grass toward the inflatables.

“Wow.” Shelby’s eyes widened. “Impressive.”

Natalie was speechless.

Shay turned his attention back to Maria. “I’m Shay Campbell. I work for the fire department. Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?”

“Another girl.” Maria gasped, swiping her forearm across her glistening brow.

“Wonderful. When’s your due date?”

“Yesterday.” Pain rippled across her features. “My first one didn’t come this fast.”

“Hang on. We’re going to help you.” Shay looked from Maria to Natalie. “Bring the golf cart closer. We’ve got to move her.”

“Move her where?”

He pointed toward the parking lot. “We’ll meet the ambulance at the gate.”

She turned around, looking past the rows and rows of cars in the field to the access gate at the far end of their property. A figure wearing Glenview’s signature yellow T-shirt maneuvered the heavy metal bar out of the way, and an ambulance eased through, siren howling as the red lights flashed. Glenview’s staff was following emergency protocol—just like they’d rehearsed half a dozen times.

“Ma’am?” Shay prompted. “I think we’d better act quickly.”

She pivoted back toward him. “Are you sure moving her is the best idea? We’ve trained our staff to guide the ambulance right—”

Ignoring her question, he brushed past her, guiding Maria toward the golf cart. Sweat dampened the back of his snug-fitting T-shirt as he helped her onto the second seat. Natalie’s eyes swept from the expanse of his shoulders to his gray cargo shorts and muscular legs. Most of the firefighters attending the birthday party with their families had come by the farm to eat lunch at The Grille several times, but she’d never seen Shay before.

He whirled around and caught her staring. “C’mon, we don’t have time to argue.”

Heat singed her cheeks. “I’m not arguing. I’m trying to tell you we can get the ambulance over here. We’ve done it before. What about her husband and daughter? You want me to leave without them?”

He silenced her with his fierce gaze. “Just drive, please. Hamilton will figure it out.”

She slid behind the wheel again, her heart pounding. Shay stayed with Maria, coaching her in a calm yet firm voice as Natalie sped across the grass toward the ambulance.

“Breathe, Maria. I know the contractions are coming hard and fast, but you’ve got to try to breathe.”

Maria grunted out a response and then panted.

Natalie cringed when they hit a rut, bouncing over it. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”

“Oh, my—” Maria’s words were lost as she released a guttural moan. “I think I need to push. I really, really need to push.”

“No,” Natalie and Shay said in unison.

“We’re almost there. You do not want to have this baby in a golf cart, right? Everything you need is inside that ambulance.” Shay’s confident voice never wavered, but Natalie’s mind spun out of control with possibilities, making her mash down harder on the accelerator. They’d assisted guests with heat exhaustion, chest pain, sprained ankles...even the occasional broken arm. But a baby delivered in her golf cart? That was ten times worse than the corn maze. She gritted her teeth. Moving Maria was a horrible idea. Why did I listen to him?

They reached the ambulance, and two EMTs jumped out, each securing blue disposable gloves on their hands.

“C’mon, Maria. Let’s get you to the hospital.” Shay helped her from the cart and handed her off to the closest guy in uniform. Natalie got out and hovered behind them, catching pieces of their conversation. Something about the timing of the contractions and when her water broke—all the details she should’ve noted, had she not been so exasperated by this mysterious firefighter who happened upon the scene and took control.

Despite her resistance to lying down or leaving without her family, they had Maria secured on the stretcher and inside the ambulance in a matter of seconds. Once her husband and daughter caught up and were on board, the EMTs slammed the doors and whisked her away, lights flashing but no sirens. Would they even make it off the property before the baby arrived?

Shay watched them go and then turned to face her. His gaze narrowed. “Y’all need to reevaluate your emergency action plan. That could’ve been a disaster.”

A terse response flitted through her brain. She tipped her chin up. “It could’ve been, but it wasn’t. I guess the good Lord was looking out for us. And Maria, too.”

A muscle in his jaw knotted tight. “How many pregnant women visit your farm? You need to be prepared for more scenarios like this one.”

She fixed him with a pointed stare. “We are more than prepared to handle a crisis. If you would’ve listened and let me execute our emergency action plan, we could’ve skipped the golf cart altogether.” Without waiting for his answer, she climbed back in the golf cart and drove away.

“‘Y’all need a better emergency action plan.’” She mimicked his deep Southern drawl as she drove back toward the barn to smooth things over with Karen, if she was even still there. Who did Shay think he was, anyway, jumping in and taking over? So what if he’d helped avert a crisis. Did he have to be so smug about it? She made a mental note to email Chief Murphy later and ask who he’d assigned to serve on the fall festival committee and help with their service project. If it was Shay Campbell, she’d request Trent instead.

This fall marked her family’s tenth season of offering a destination farm experience, complete with hay rides, the corn maze and several other creative opportunities to get kids outside. They took every reasonable precaution to protect their guests. She blew out a long breath. The last thing she needed was some arrogant firefighter telling her how to run her own farm...or her fall festival committee.

* * *

Shay watched her drive off, her honey-brown hair spilling between the skinny straps of her sundress. Despite the medical emergency, the curve of her bronzed, bare shoulders and delicate collarbone hadn’t escaped his notice. He’d always had a thing for sundresses and cowboy boots. Until Monica left. He’d stopped listening to the country radio station for fear he’d hear her latest hit single.

Shoving aside the memory of his ex-wife, he jogged back toward the inflatables. Isn’t that where he instructed the other parents to take the kids? But when he got to the giant multicolored bounce house, the kids seemed older. Bigger. He scanned the faces of the adults hovering on the grassy area nearby. This was only his second week in Meadow Springs, but none of these ladies looked like anybody he’d met at the beginning of the party. Not that he had much time for small talk. He’d left the socializing up to his mother, while he kept a vigilant watch on the boys. If he looked away for an instant, Liam and Aiden toddled off, climbing something, touching things they shouldn’t—making his heart race. He’d lost focus once before, and it had cost his family dearly. He couldn’t afford not to be hypervigilant.

He spun in a circle, searching for towheaded boys wearing denim shorts and blue and green T-shirts. Don’t panic. Mom can handle it. But this was their first birthday party that wasn’t limited to close family members. Would she remember to ask about the ingredients and double-check the labels? And could she deal with the tantrums if she had to tell the boys they couldn’t have any?

“Excuse me.” He spoke to an older woman who appeared to be supervising the inflatables. “Do you know where the little kids from the birthday party went? A bunch of two-and three-year-olds?”

She fluffed her short brown hair with her fingers and smiled, staring at him over the rim of her leopard-print sunglasses. “Shelby’s group?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“They’ve gone on to the gazebo. They were afraid of the siren, so Shelby skipped straight to cake and ice cream.”

“Where’s the gazebo?”

She pointed behind him. “Go toward the pond and past the rubber duck races. You can’t miss it, hon.”

“Thank you.” He weaved around couples with strollers, kids tugging on their parents’ hands and packs of teenagers staring at their phones. Gravel crunched under his tennis shoes as he made his way past the main building. The aroma of fries and hamburgers filled the air, making his stomach rumble. He’d worry about lunch later. His boys’ safety was his first priority.

A line snaked out the door of the café. “Pardon me, please.” He eased between two women chatting in line, while two little girls chased each other in circles around their legs. Once he was past the crowd, a large white gazebo situated next to a pond came into view. A group of older boys cranked the handles on the water pumps nearby, their rubber ducks racing down the water-filled troughs. Aiden and Liam would love that. Maybe if they had time, he’d bring them over to check it out.

Moms and dads mingled with the children in the gazebo, talking and laughing. A few glanced up as he joined the party. Walker and Harrison stood by a cooler with cans of soda in their hands. He’d thank them for their help with Maria in a minute, once he knew Mom had handled the cake situation.

“Shay,” Mom called out from where she sat at the end of a long picnic table, Aiden and Liam across from her.

“Da-da!” Aiden shrieked, his blue eyes gleaming. Frosting coated his fingers and ringed his mouth. The paper plate in front of him held a half-eaten slice of cake and a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream. Liam didn’t even look up, all his attention centered on loading his fork with the sugary treats.

Shay’s stomach lurched. “Mom. The cake—” He raced to the table, reaching for the boys’ plates.

“Sweetie, I scoured the labels and interrogated the poor girls serving it. It’s fine. No peanuts.”

Aiden’s lower lip quivered, and he snatched the plate back, glaring. “Mine.”

“We don’t know if it’s safe for you to eat, buddy. Let me check.”

Mom sighed. “I promise I double—”

Her words were drowned out by the sound of the boys crying. Not a little crying, either. The kind of sobbing that stopped all conversation.

“Hey, fellas.” A young woman approached the table carrying an ice-cream carton and scoop. “Is everything okay?”

“Aiden has a severe peanut allergy, and I don’t let Liam eat peanuts, just to be safe.” Shay felt the curious stares of the other guests as the boys continued wailing. “I was concerned about cross-contamination.”

“My daughter’s the birthday girl. She has a severe allergy, too. Trust me, I can guarantee this cake is completely acceptable.” She set the ice-cream container on the table. “I’m Caroline Walker, by the way. You probably know my husband, Trent, from the station.”

Man, he felt like an idiot. He wished the ground would open and swallow him whole. Shay dropped his gaze to the boys’ plates. “Here you go, boys. I’m sorry. Daddy messed up.” He slid the plates back in front of them. “Go ahead. You can eat it.” He offered his hand to Caroline. “Thanks for clarifying. I’m Shay Campbell, and this is Aiden, Liam and my mother, Belinda Campbell.”

“Nice to meet you.” Caroline shook his hand. “Do you mind if they have more ice cream? We bought way too much.”

Aiden and Liam’s pathetic sniffles disappeared as they shot cautious glances in Shay’s direction. “It’s fine. You may have more.”

The conversation around him ebbed and flowed again, much to his relief.

“See?” Mom patted their little hands. “Everything’s going to be okay. By the time you’re finished with that yummy cake and ice cream, I bet it will be time to watch Ella open presents.”

“We’re glad y’all could come today.” Caroline added a tiny scoop of ice cream to Aiden’s plate, and he grinned up at her.

“Thanks for the invitation. This is quite a treat.” He’d been counting the minutes until the party ended and he could get the boys home for nap time. More ice cream would probably derail their afternoon routine. But a sugar high was a small price to pay for inflicting such pain on his innocent little boys. They’d suffered enough already.

“Are you all getting settled in your new place? Trent said you’re in that neighborhood behind the farm?”

Shay nodded. “Meadow Crossing. Yeah, it’s...great.” He pictured the moving boxes still stacked against the wall in the detached garage. Sometime soon he’d carve out time to tackle those. Getting the boys settled in their new bedroom and unpacking their toys was as far as he’d gotten. Well, that and the kitchen essentials. Even with Mom’s help, establishing a new routine and helping them cope with Monica’s absence was all he could do.

“How about you, Mrs. Campbell? Are you close by?”

“My husband and I live in the new retirement community a little closer to town. But I stay with the boys when Shay’s at the station.”

He grimaced. Did she have to tell everybody about that? It wasn’t a secret that he didn’t have a wife, but the looks of sympathy and awkward silence that usually followed made him uncomfortable.

If Caroline was surprised by the revelation, she hid it well. “That’s wonderful. We have family nearby, too. It’s such a blessing, especially when the guys are on duty. This is a great group of people, Shay. We treat each other like family, so if you need anything, let us know.”

“Thanks. I will.” He forced a smile, ignoring Mom’s triumphant look.

“I better serve some more ice cream. Oh, wait.” Caroline surveyed the gazebo. “Huh. That’s weird. I thought for sure she’d stop by. I wanted to introduce you to Natalie McDowell.”

Shay’s gut clenched. He wasn’t here to make new friends. “That’s okay. I’m not exactly—”

“I heard Chief Murphy assigned you to her fall festival committee. I thought you might want to say hello before the first meeting.” Caroline shrugged. “She manages this farm. I’m sure things are hectic today, with Maria almost giving birth and all. Maybe she’ll stop by later.”

Visions of a sundress, boots and a golf cart raced through his mind. Uh-oh. Based on their previous interaction, she’d be less than thrilled about his assigned role. He wasn’t really crazy about it, either. Working closely with an attractive young woman only put him and his broken heart on a pointless trajectory. Between Monica’s sudden departure, the move from Virginia and caring for two toddlers, there wasn’t space in his life for a new relationship. He couldn’t fathom falling in love again, anyway. Especially not with someone as strong-willed and determined as Natalie.