Abby covered her mouth with her hands and blinked her dripping eyes.
“I want to go to bed with you every night and wake up to see your face in the morning. I want to share every minute of my life with you and hold your hand when we’re old. Abby, I promise to take care of you, to love you and be faithful to you every day of my life.” He took her hand in his. “Will you marry me?” His blood pulsed in his ears as he waited between heartbeats for the most important answer to the most important question he’d ever asked.
Abby swiped at her cheeks, smiling down at him. “Yes. Yes.”
He let out a nervous breath and slipped the two-carat, square-cut diamond he’d so carefully selected onto her finger. He stood and framed her face with shaking hands, knowing he’d never forget this moment.
The kiss started out damp and shaky, because she was still crying. A few of the tears might have even been his, but he kissed her with all the love in his soul. Their tongues danced around each other and within seconds, slow and gentle turned needy and desperate. Their hands and mouths roamed, always craving more. He was just about to do away with her thin sweater when she jerked back.
He gave her a hot look, thinking she was about to strip it off herself. But her eyes were wide, and both hands were on her stomach.
“Matt. I think my water just broke.”
Chapter 35
Matt paced the labor and delivery room between contractions, his step as sharp as his voice. “Where’s the doctor?” He raked his hands through his hair and Abby relaxed as the last one tapered off. “Why is she in pain?”
Matt didn’t even notice the amused look the nurse gave him. “Well, she is having a baby.”
“Why the hell does it have to hurt? This is a hospital, damn it!”
“Matt,” Abby said softly. “Come here.”
He was by her side instantly. “You need more ice chips?” He reached for the cup, digging in with the spoon even as she shook her head. “I don’t think they know what they’re doing here. I should call Beth and maybe have you…What? Are you laughing?”
“No, definitely not laughing, but I’m not moving. And it’s too late to call Beth.” She sucked in air at the start of another contraction. How did she always forget how much this hurt?
The nurse from the end of the bed did a check. “It’s almost time to push.”
She squeezed Matt’s hand. He’d been right beside her the past four hours, refusing to leave for even a second. He’d put the gown on her, helped her go to the bathroom, and double-checked her IV. She was surprised the nurses hadn’t kicked him out; probably too charmed by his handsome face than put off by his tough, commanding presence.
She breathed through the worst of it. “I won’t be big anymore.”
“I should hope not.” Matt grinned, stroking her hand.
She felt grouchy. On top of being exhausted, hot, cold, shaky, and in pain. “But you’ve never seen the not-pregnant me. I’ll be all soft and my stomach will be squishy and—”
“Abby, don’t start with trying to scare me away.” He trailed a hand up and down her arm in a constant, mesmerizing motion.
She took a slow, deep breath. That’s what she focused on during the contractions, the sensation of his fingertips on her skin and the repetitive movement.
She’d never been in this position before. On her back with someone leaning over her, stroking her, offering ice chips, at times looking as if he were in as much pain as she was.
And she’d never had anyone around to see her body after a birth. She did pregnant well: small and cute. Afterward? Everything was soft and loose. Not so cute.
Another contraction hit, and the devil entered her body. “I can say anything I want! I’m pushing something out of my vagina that’s too big for what God intended!”
Matt leaned his head down next to hers, breathing with her, feathering kisses along her sweaty hairline as the contraction passed. “Feel better?”
“Yes.”
“Good. And I don’t care what your stomach feels like. You’d still be beautiful to me if you weighed four hundred pounds.”
Abby scowled at him. “Okay, that’s just a lie and—”
“And I really think this baby wants to come out. Would you please push so I can hold my daughter?”
“Abby,” the nurse said. “Get ready to push with the next contraction.”
“It’s unnatural. It’s just a little place and— Ow, ow, ow.”
Matt didn’t flinch or move away. She breathed, focused on his slow ministrations.
The labor went fairly quickly after that. She pushed five times and their new baby girl entered the world. The tears running down Matt’s cheeks were as precious as her newborn’s cries. He didn’t even try to hold them back.