Bought for Love(49)

“The head is crowning, I think we’re ready to push. I’m going to have to cut you, honey. This little tyke’s head is too big.”

I didn’t care if she cut my insides out at the moment and I felt a soft prick as she gave me a shot of something down there. Making a face at the sensation of fluid rushing forward, that lasted only long enough until the need to get this kid out took over every other sensation. Without thinking, I pushed hard. I screamed at the feeling of that head pressing against my flesh.

“Good girl, Emily, just like that, ten seconds now. Mr. Duncan, help her do her breathing.”

Whatever fog Jack was under, it seemed to break at her words. He counted down from ten to one. And my body relaxed as much as it could. The urge to push refused to lay dormant and when it came again I screamed every obscenity I could think of about my husband, which granted wasn’t many, and I’m not sure they came out right.

After half an hour of this horrific pain, I was done. If they wanted this baby out they could push themselves. I was exhausted. The next contraction came and I fought against it.

“Emily, you have to push.” The doctor looked at me in concern when I shook my head, instead sinking into my mind and dying.

“You look at me now, Emily.” Jack’s voice had turned back into that forceful persona I had grown to love. Without thought, my gaze drifted to his on command. “When that next contraction comes you push. Don’t hesitate.”

I felt the buildup again and fought against it. “Now, Emily. Don’t make me tell you again.”

That was all it took, I pulled strength from someplace I didn’t know existed and brought our daughter into the world. The thought wasn’t lost on me that it was a girl, just like he said, as my body rested back against the bed, completely exhausted.

The soft cries of this beautiful little human reached my ears and I wept in gratitude. All the agony was so worth it when my baby girl was finally nestled in my arms. She was so perfect. I know because Jack counted every single finger and toe. We basked in that miraculous moment until they took her away.

“I love you so much, baby.” Jack lowered his lips to my forehead, kissing me tenderly.

Those words brought tears to my eyes and I told him I loved him just as much. My sister finally arrived, and of course she was the first one to hold the baby when the tests were done. “She’s perfect.” I’d never seen Kim with so much joy on her face as I did when she peered down into the pink little face of our daughter. “What’s her name?”

Since I’d sworn she was going to be a boy, I had no idea what we were going to call our little princess. Looking up at Jack, I panicked. He grinned wickedly.

“One day you’ll learn, I’m always right, my love.” He walked over to our daughter and peered down into her beautiful eyes. “What would you like to be called, little one?”

“I guess this is one little lady who’ll tell you how things are done?” Kim found that funny since she was smiling. “What about your mother’s name and ours?” Kim looked to me, then back at Jack at her suggestion.

I nodded, so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open but not wanting to miss one moment of my baby’s life either. “Katherine Adele Duncan. I like that. Jack?”

“It’s perfect, just like her.” Jack lifted Katherine from my sister’s arms and brought her back over to me, putting her in my arms where I was aching for her to be, no matter how tired I was. “Welcome to the world, little Katherine.”





chapter Fifteen





Simply Jack


“Does she know, Jack?”

My friend and confidante, Bentley Arrington, looked decidedly uncomfortable holding my precious little daughter in his large hands. Emily was exhausted when I took our sweet little Katherine out for the day so she could get some much needed rest.

Taking her from his arms, I gave him a look of incredulity. “She knows what I allow her to believe.” Smiling down at my now eight month old angel resting in my arms, I made the silly faces I swore I’d never be caught making. They made her smile and keeping her happy was the most important thing in the world to me.

“Don’t be coy. If she discovers your true nature during this campaign it could destroy all our hard work.” He kept his tone low, as to not startle my child, but the words nonetheless were angry.

“She will never find out. As far as my loving wife is concerned, my only desire is to keep her happy and to have her follow my very lenient rules.”

“Julia may prove to be a problem. She was very disappointed in discovering you had married the girl. If you had handled this differently, perhaps your wife might never know. I don’t think she’ll allow things to remain the way they are.”