Summer on Lovers' Island (Jewell Cove 3)

She looked up, dazed. And she could tell Josh knew where her thoughts had gone.

“I’m fine. I’ve got it.”

The baby crowned. Josh was at Lizzie’s shoulder, Dave was at Charlie’s head, stroking her hair, and things were heating up.

And then Lizzie saw the cord and her heart stopped a little.

The umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck. In her head, Lizzie knew this wasn’t a big deal. It was common enough. But that, with the decreased heart rate earlier and her general sense of unease, made Lizzie freeze. What if she was missing something?

“You’ve got this,” Josh said in her ear.

She swallowed. “Charlie honey, don’t push for a minute, okay?”

“Easy for you to say!” Charlie grunted and bore down.

“Don’t push!” Lizzie commanded, trying not to panic. It was just a cord.

Josh put his hand on her shoulder. “I can step in, but you need to do this. You can do it. Just ease the cord over the baby’s head.” His voice was warm and low so as not to alarm Charlie any further.

Lizzie’s eyes blurred with tears and Josh came around, wiped them with his thumbs, and kissed her forehead. “You’ve got this,” he repeated. “Nice and easy, loosen the cord and slip it over. It’s only wrapped around once.”

With his voice soft and encouraging in her ear, she loosened the cord. The baby turned a little, in preparation for birthing the shoulders, and Lizzie let out a breath.

“Okay, Charlie. Next contraction you give ’em hell.”

There was a groan and a yell, and then the baby slid into Lizzie’s waiting hands. Josh was there with a pink towel and Lizzie laughed with joy as the baby’s first cries filled the room. They bundled her as best they could with the cord still attached and placed her on Charlie’s tummy.

“Congratulations, Mom and Dad,” Lizzie said, weeping now. “A beautiful, healthy baby girl.”

Josh’s hands squeezed Lizzie’s shoulders. “Told you so,” he said in her ear.

“Yes, you did,” she replied, tilting her head to rest on his hand for a second. “Thank you, Josh.”

He gave her a final squeeze, then took over clamping and helping Dave cut the cord. Lizzie attended to Charlie, and Dave took over the task of a first bath with some of the water he’d heated when Lizzie and Josh had arrived. When both mom and baby were cleaned up, Lizzie helped Charlie settle the baby at her breast.

The sight was so emotional that Lizzie escaped to the kitchen, giving Charlie and Dave some privacy. Josh went with her, and when they were around the corner he simply took her in his arms and held her tight.

She put her arms around his back and held on.

“Josh?”

“Hmmm?”

She tilted her head up to look at him. “I think I love you, Josh.”

“Just think?”

“It’s a big step for me.” She smiled, somehow both tired and energized.

“In that case, I think I love you, too.”

She wouldn’t weep again. She wouldn’t. But the words made her want to.

“For a while I was so afraid. And then you were there and I knew you trusted me.”

“I knew what you were thinking. But we all make mistakes, Charlie. And we can’t let those mistakes freeze us up and make us afraid to try again.”

“You’re not just talking about the baby.”