man she barely knew, but Trina needed that tea more than she needed him to be close by.
“ Rosalie, are you sure...that is—” Trina stammered, breathing hard. Her brow glistened with sweat.
“ I know what to do. Everything you're feeling is normal. If you can relax completely during the contractions, they won't hurt as bad. I'll massage your feet. That helps, too.”
Trina collapsed onto the pillows, panting, holding her distended abdomen with both hands. “Thank God you're here, Rosalie.”
“ You're going to have a fine, healthy baby in only a few more hours. Try not to wear yourself out too soon.”
“ A few more hours? Why can't I just push now and get it over with?”
“ Because babies have to make up their minds to be born, and they don't listen to anyone about when that should be. Try to think back to how happy you were when you learned you were pregnant. Don't dwell on the pain. Think about happy times.”
Tom came in. “What else we can do?”
“ Keep the water hot and the tea coming. And keep Gabriel out of here.”
“ No problem.”
Trina 's face and body went rigid with pain. Rosalie massaged her feet until the contraction passed, then lifted her skirt. Remembering who this woman was, and wasn't, she felt she owed Trina an explanation of what she had to do next.
“ I have to see how the baby is positioned. I'll have to touch you in intimate ways.”
“ Go ahead. I don't care what you do. Just get this baby into the world quick!”
Rosalie smiled. Tom had intimated his sister was quite a woman. Evidently, he knew her well.
<><><><>
“Five hours!” Gabriel paced across the front room again, then turned toward the bedroom.
“ Not yet, Gabriel. They don't need us, remember?”
“ But why is it taking so damn long?”
“ From what I've heard, five hours is just getting started good.” In truth, Tom had no idea how long birthing a baby took but he had to keep Gabriel from storming in, getting in Rosalie's way. Tom had been tempted to knock Gabriel clean off his feet and let him sleep off the waiting. All the pacing he'd done grated on Tom's nerves until he wanted to smash something!
“ You mean we may have to wait even longer?”
The sharpest, most painful scream they'd heard yet came from the bedroom, followed by the lusty cry of a newborn baby.
Gabriel staggered back against a chair and dropped heavily into it. “Oh, God. Tom, was that—”
“ Yep, I think so.”
Gabriel started toward the bedroom again.
“Just another minute. I figure Rosalie will let us know when it's time to come in.”
“ Yeah. I guess.” Gabriel swung around and thrust his hand toward Tom. “Thanks, Tom. Waiting would've been hell without you.” He pumped Tom's hand vigorously.
“ It was hell anyway, but you're welcome.”
The bedroom door opened and Rosalie came out.
“Your wife and daughter are doing fine, Mr. Hart. Would you like to see them now?”
Gabriel's face paled until Tom wondered if he might faint. But the color came back in a rush, along with a wide grin. “My daughter? And Trina's all right?”
“ She's better than all right. She's the happiest mother I've ever seen. They're waiting to see you.”
Gabriel stumbled across the room, to the bedroom door, kissed Rosalie on the cheek, then went inside.
She blushed. “You, too, Uncle Tom. She wants you to see the baby.”
Tom had a Denver-sized lump in his throat, seeing Rosalie with her hair mussed, falling across her shoulders, face flushed with exertion and exhilaration. He knew he should say thanks or something, but emotion swelled inside him until it cut off all possible speech. He took a couple of steps toward her.
She smiled and pushed her hair back from her face, behind her shoulders. “I'm a mess,” she whispered.
Tom found his voice. “You're beautiful.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, needing to express more than simple thanks. She hesitated only a moment before placing her
“ Rosalie, are you sure...that is—” Trina stammered, breathing hard. Her brow glistened with sweat.
“ I know what to do. Everything you're feeling is normal. If you can relax completely during the contractions, they won't hurt as bad. I'll massage your feet. That helps, too.”
Trina collapsed onto the pillows, panting, holding her distended abdomen with both hands. “Thank God you're here, Rosalie.”
“ You're going to have a fine, healthy baby in only a few more hours. Try not to wear yourself out too soon.”
“ A few more hours? Why can't I just push now and get it over with?”
“ Because babies have to make up their minds to be born, and they don't listen to anyone about when that should be. Try to think back to how happy you were when you learned you were pregnant. Don't dwell on the pain. Think about happy times.”
Tom came in. “What else we can do?”
“ Keep the water hot and the tea coming. And keep Gabriel out of here.”
“ No problem.”
Trina 's face and body went rigid with pain. Rosalie massaged her feet until the contraction passed, then lifted her skirt. Remembering who this woman was, and wasn't, she felt she owed Trina an explanation of what she had to do next.
“ I have to see how the baby is positioned. I'll have to touch you in intimate ways.”
“ Go ahead. I don't care what you do. Just get this baby into the world quick!”
Rosalie smiled. Tom had intimated his sister was quite a woman. Evidently, he knew her well.
<><><><>
“Five hours!” Gabriel paced across the front room again, then turned toward the bedroom.
“ Not yet, Gabriel. They don't need us, remember?”
“ But why is it taking so damn long?”
“ From what I've heard, five hours is just getting started good.” In truth, Tom had no idea how long birthing a baby took but he had to keep Gabriel from storming in, getting in Rosalie's way. Tom had been tempted to knock Gabriel clean off his feet and let him sleep off the waiting. All the pacing he'd done grated on Tom's nerves until he wanted to smash something!
“ You mean we may have to wait even longer?”
The sharpest, most painful scream they'd heard yet came from the bedroom, followed by the lusty cry of a newborn baby.
Gabriel staggered back against a chair and dropped heavily into it. “Oh, God. Tom, was that—”
“ Yep, I think so.”
Gabriel started toward the bedroom again.
“Just another minute. I figure Rosalie will let us know when it's time to come in.”
“ Yeah. I guess.” Gabriel swung around and thrust his hand toward Tom. “Thanks, Tom. Waiting would've been hell without you.” He pumped Tom's hand vigorously.
“ It was hell anyway, but you're welcome.”
The bedroom door opened and Rosalie came out.
“Your wife and daughter are doing fine, Mr. Hart. Would you like to see them now?”
Gabriel's face paled until Tom wondered if he might faint. But the color came back in a rush, along with a wide grin. “My daughter? And Trina's all right?”
“ She's better than all right. She's the happiest mother I've ever seen. They're waiting to see you.”
Gabriel stumbled across the room, to the bedroom door, kissed Rosalie on the cheek, then went inside.
She blushed. “You, too, Uncle Tom. She wants you to see the baby.”
Tom had a Denver-sized lump in his throat, seeing Rosalie with her hair mussed, falling across her shoulders, face flushed with exertion and exhilaration. He knew he should say thanks or something, but emotion swelled inside him until it cut off all possible speech. He took a couple of steps toward her.
She smiled and pushed her hair back from her face, behind her shoulders. “I'm a mess,” she whispered.
Tom found his voice. “You're beautiful.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, needing to express more than simple thanks. She hesitated only a moment before placing her
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