“Take off your shoes,” I tell her.
“I can't reach.” She pouts. “Can you help me?”
Chuckling, I kneel and motion for her to lift her foot. “Jesus. These things need a passcode or something to untie?”
“Don't look at me. Oakley picked out these hand-sewn laced up the ankle killer traps.”
I finally manage to get one off, then reach for her other.
“Oh shit,” Fallon blurts out, leaning on my shoulder.
“What's wrong?” I panic, standing and holding her shoulders.
“The contractions are getting stronger.” She squeezes her eyes and blows out a long breath.
“You're in labor?”
“I thought it was just Braxton Hicks, but they've been consistent for the past hour.”
“Baby, we have to get you to the hospital,” I urge.
“No, no, I'm fine. Contractions can last hours, and I don't wanna ruin—” She screams as she leans against me.
“Yeah, we're going. Right now.”
“What's the matter?” Tatum, Oakley’s sister, comes over to help.
“I'm taking her to the hospital. She's in labor.”
“Give me your keys, and I'll get your truck,” Tatum says, springing to action.
I dig in my pocket and hand them over. “It's parked on the East side.”
“Be right back.”
“Just breathe, baby. You got this.”
Since we're in the orchard, there's nowhere to sit. Finally, Finn and Oakley return with the photographer.
“Oh my God, is she okay?” Finn rushes over.
“I'm fine, just about to have a baby in the woods is all.”
I shake my head at her dramatics. “It's not the woods, sweetheart. And you're not having him now.”
“How far apart are your contractions?” Oakley asks.
“I'm not sure, it was around twenty minutes a few hours ago, now they're—”
“Argh, fuck.” Fallon hunches over, but I hold her up as best I can.
“I think they're at five minutes now,” I tell her.
“Shit, I hope you make it in time,” she says. The hospital's thirty minutes away.
“Your son better not make me give birth outside without an epidural,” Fallon hisses, holding her stomach as if she's trying to keep him pushed inside.
“He's a White, he's gonna do what he wants,” Finn says with a light chuckle and Fallon rewards him with a glare.