“How long have you been having contractions?” Joni asked.
“They’re not contractions,” Mia negated. “Just Braxton Hicks.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “Areyoua medical professional?”
She glared at me.
“Tell the truth,” Joni said.
“I wasn’t feeling them when we were driving here,” she promised. “But after I woke up from my nap, they started.”
“Where’s the nearest hospital?” I asked.
“About an hour away,” Rachel said. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“I’m not due for another few weeks,” Mia complained.
“Baby has other plans,” I said, snapping into doctor mode. I looked at Joni. “I’ll go with her to the hospital.”
“Ah, fuck a duck. I think my water just broke,” Mia said.
“You said a bad word!” Silas said, eyes widening.
“Don’t panic,” I said.
“South Paw can take you two in my car,” Joni said, handing me the keys.
Mia bent over and struggled through the pain. When a contraction cleared, I took her by the elbow and helped her to the door.
“Are you going to be okay?” Silas asked, fear coating his voice as he ran to Mia.
She placed a hand on his head and forced a smile. “I’m going to be fine. Your sister is just as stubborn as her father it seems, and clearly wants to meet you early.”
Silas grinned and gently wrapped his arms around Mia.
Crow and South Paw were sitting on the porch, and they both jumped up when they heard the front door to the cabin crash open.
“What’s going on?” Crow asked.
“Mia’s in labor,” I said. “South Paw is going to drive us to the nearest hospital.”
“Fuck, Colt is gonna kill me,” South Paw muttered as he took the car keys from me.
“Why is Colt going to kill you?” Mia asked. Crow went to her other side and helped her down the stairs.
“Because he told me he’d kill me if you went into labor early.”
“That’s not your fault. That’s his daughter’s fault. He can take it up with her when he gets back. You’re not to contact him on the GPS,” she commanded. “Promise me.”
“I promise,” South Paw said.
“You too, Crow. Promise me.”
“I promise,” Crow relented.
South Paw got Mia settled in the front seat, and then I quickly got into the back. South Paw and I attempted to keep up a steady stream of mindless chatter, but it was always interrupted by Mia’s heavy breathing and groans of pain from her contractions. I began to time them. They went quickly from five minutes apart to three.
As we pulled up to the hospital, her contractions were only ninety seconds apart.