NATALIE

I don’t think my heart ever beat as fast before. Adrenaline was surging through my veins and I was terrified. I was splayed out in the back seat of the Hummer; flat on my back with Stephen on the floor beside me. Claudia had climbed in behind us with the monitoring equipment beeping away. The pain was excruciating. The tears on my face were a mixture of pain, fatigue and terror. But, I tried to not let it show, tried to bear the pain as best I could; breathe through it, like they taught us in class.

“Jack!”

He looked back, took in the scene and swallowed hard, obviously as terrified as I. He started to respond, but I interrupted.

“Catherine! Where’s Catherine?”

“Right here with me, my love.” He held her up so I could see our daughter. She was wrapped tightly in blankets and her little eyes peered back at me. She cooed at the sound of his voice and I reached for her when another contraction hit hard and I cried out with the intensified pain.

Each bump, each jolt of the Hummer made the pain worse and I really began to think I wouldn’t make it through. I was so tired. All my energy was gone. And if I’m this bad, all I could think of was poor Chelsea and what she might be going through, what pain she might be feeling.

“Stephen,” I sobbed, “Just take the baby. I don’t care about me. Just take her … make sure she’s alright.”  

CLAUDIA

The Hummer was good, not too tight. Warm. I sat in the far back and reached over to check on Natalie’s vitals while Dr. Maturin knelt on the floor at her side. Jack was in the front seat going a little nuts. His attention was on his struggling wife and mine was on the back of the snow plow leading us very … very … very … slowly down the hill. Without the storm, the clinic is no more than fifteen minutes away from the Inn. But at this rate?

The patient’s blood pressure was soaring, her pulse, too fast. She was scared and in pain and we had nothing to help her. Nothing but our own Prince Valiant leading us to medical assistance and the gentle ministrations of the good doctor. I’d called the clinic and warned them what we were bringing but in truth, I too was getting very frightened.

In the front seat, Jack was simultaneously soothing his tiny new daughter cradled in his big arm and praying for his other daughter to survive the trek. I could see it in Jack’s eyes the moment he realized that not only could we lose the second twin … but we could lose Natalie too. Maturin is amazing. Perfect kind bedside manner, in control and extremely well trained. We worked in tandem, like a well oiled machine but Mother Nature and John’s insufficient but willing plow were not a fair match.

Another contraction wracked Natalie and the doctor reached into the birth canal. He raised his eyes to meet mine and I immediately straddled the seat back. Was Maturin really about to attempt what I thought he was about to attempt?
 
JOHN

I was driving the fucking plow with one hand and dialing my cell with the other. When Sheriff Kauffman answered his direct line I went ballistic on him.

“John, John. Come on, this is a major storm. Plowing the road to the Inn just can’t take priority over the main entrances and exits to the interstate. You know that.”

“Mike! Where’s your fucking nearest plow, because I’m doing my damn best to clear the road for an emergency. Goddamn ambulance can’t even get up here and we got a woman in labor and deep in trouble!”

“Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck. One sec.”

I looked behind. The Hummer was right on my tail and I could actually see Mr. Valentine sweating bullets. Damn, what a good guy, stepping up like that. “Mike? Where the hell are you?” I shouted into the receiver and finally he got back on.

“Exactly where are you, John?”

“Less than a half mile from my fucking front gate. This plow can’t do much more, man.”

“Okay, okay. Keep coming. I’ve got a municipal plow on its way up to you. Just be prepared to take to the edge, okay? It ain’t gonna be easy but Freddie’s good at this.”

“Fine. He better fucking be good.” I wasn’t sure what the hell was going to happen. My plow was as wide as a lane and Freddie’s was even wider. Somehow I had to clear a path, back off and pull to the side so that Valentine could get his Hummer between us! There are pines along both sides of the road. We’re talking some serious hairpin turns and steep drops and this hill is like a black diamond at some points.

I kept going and suddenly there he was. I stopped, leapt out and ran back to Valentine.

“Can you get around me and through some of this deep snow?”

“Hell yeah!”

“Go!”

I pulled aside and watched the big, wide Hummer rock and roll then push through about ten yards of soft, wet foot-deep snow. Valentine hit the cleared road like a NASCAR driver and sped past the other plow. I said a prayer as I headed back to the Inn to get my jeep and go down to the clinic. I had to know everything would be okay. I just had to. Natalie is special, man. I only fucking hope I was able to help save her life just one more time.

BEN WADE

I don’t like to think about women giving birth or being in that kinda pain. Don’t like to think it was a man’s pleasure that put her through that kinda thing. But watching them settle Natalie into that large vehicle, my gut ached. The Captain was holding one baby. There was another one still trying to get born and Maturin said it was in a critical situation.

I wanted a drink but that wasn’t going to make these thoughts go away fast. That’s when I noticed Tracy sitting in the parlor. Like in one of my favorite whorehouses, the one in Abilene, I simply gave her a nod and damn if she didn’t follow me. This time, she came to my small room. I was looking for distraction. Tracy was what I needed.

“Do you know that poor woman?” she asked between hard kisses that crushed our lips and rubbed my beard against her tender skin.

“Yeah,” I pulled the sweater over her head and dove for her pink, hard nipple. Sucked deep and pressed my hand into her britches while she wiggled and shifted and struggled to get out of them. Britches? Why do women wear britches? A quick sweep of skirts and petticoats was a lot easier. But finally she was free of clothes and I pressed her backward.

She finally met the wall and I stepped even closer, my hot skin tight against hers. Taking her leg in hand, I grasped her perfect pretty ass and lifted her just right. A slide of my finger to check and see that she was real ready and one hard thrust was all it took to pin that woman to the wall. She cried out and I stretched my neck to see her face. There was a big smile and I grunted a chuckle.

“Like that, do ya?”

“Jesus! Ben, what you do to me is crazy! Don’t stop!”

But I did, pulled out and took her hand, tugged her to the bed and pressed her shoulders to bend her over the edge of the mattress. “Want this?”

“Yes!”

Another hard thrust and I groaned. Damn, it felt good and right to be inside of a woman. I pressed my chest to her back and licked along her ear. Easy pumping. Damn … easy women knew how to let a man find his pleasure. “More?” I groaned.

“Yes!” Her fists balled the blankets as I jerked into her. She gasped and held her breath and that’s when I thought to maybe ease up a bit. Maybe I was hurting her. That wasn’t what I wanted. Most times, I never even do this. I like the softness of a woman, like the feel of her being soft with me. Tracy just seemed like something I bought. Something I paid for that was mine to do with like I wanted. The problem was … even though these twenty-first century women were willing … that don’t mean they’re whores. The girl under me deserved a little respect.

“Okay,” I moaned and pulled out, carefully rolled her over and slid her head up to the pillows. “Enough of that. Come darlin’, what say we make love instead of rut like animals?”

Her eyes softened, even looked like they were filling with tears and I felt even worse for being like that. A sweet smile. A soft sigh. “Yes, Ben,” she whispered. “Let’s make love.”

It was easy, made me feel good and made me feel more like a man than it was like to do the other way. She curled around me after, her leg over my knee and her pretty face nuzzled on my chest. Felt real good holding her like that. It even felt real good talking to her.

Tracy told me she lives in Connecticut. She said it wasn’t such a long drive to get to the Inn and that she liked to ski. She worked in some legal office, something about white collar criminals and honor farms instead of prisons, and that was kinda interesting. She said she was leaving for home tomorrow since the roads would be clear enough for the drive. I sighed and grinned down at her face; shifted so I could kiss those lips that tasted like honeysuckle. It was too bad she’d be gone, but Tracy did help get my mind off the Captain’s poor wife.

“What’s your whole name, Tracy?” I asked.  I just thought that some cold night alone in that bed, I’d like to be remembering Tracy by a name I could maybe look up some day. But, what I got was a name I wasn’t expecting.

She smiled sweetly, licked into my lips and said … “Tracy Marie Pinkerton”.

Hell. Maybe it’s best she’s leaving tomorrow morning after all.

NATALIE

Stephen looked at Claudia. “The baby is presenting complete breech. I believe we still have time to reposition the infant to a frank breech birth” He turned to me. “Natalie, you will feel a strong urge to push, but you must resist. Do not push.”

My eyes flew open as he slid his hand up inside of me and began to feel for Chelsea. It felt like his entire arm was in there … well, at least up to his elbow. The Hummer, while traveling very slowly, still jostled us as it bumped and slid down the road. Jack turned to check on me and his mouth dropped open with a look of horror on his face that would have been comical if this had been a movie. I could feel another contraction coming and Stephen reminded me, “Don’t push! Whatever you do, don’t push.”

Claudia was a pillar of calm, talking me through everything in a soothing voice. Complete breech meant that Chelsea’s feet were beneath her, which would make her travel down the birth canal much more difficult. If Stephen succeeds in moving her to a frank breech position, then her feet would be up around her ears and her birth would be less problematic.

The contraction came and I tried to do as Stephen said, struggled not to push when every fiber of my being wanted to eject the baby out of my body.

JEFF

The snow had knocked out the phone lines and we were unable to get a signal with either of our cell phones.

Kelly went over to her desk and turned on her laptop. “I’ll keep trying. Maybe I can send Lesley an e-mail … the wireless may still be working.”

She managed to get online and while she was able to send a message, there was no certainty that Lesley would be able to receive e-mail messages of her own. “I’ll send one to Riley just in case and hopefully she’ll get it to Lesley too.” She glanced over at the couch and Pullo’s sleeping form. “Poor guy. I hope he can pull it together. I rather like him. It’s such a tragedy about Lesley.”

We decided to just let Pullo sleep it off. Kelly brought him a couple extra blankets while I helped remove his boots and before long he was snoring away. Shalimar came over to investigate this usurper to her designated throne, finally deciding that he made a perfectly good pillow and proceeded to curl up on his chest, her tail twitching back and forth just inches from his chin.

It was quiet for about an hour or so. Kelly and I moved into the den to watch the Weather Channel and continued trying without success to get through to anyone on the phones. After a while we heard Pullo moving around in the other room and I went to investigate.

I found him sitting up on the edge of the couch, leaning over as he laced up his boots. “I want to thank you and your good woman for your hospitality, but I need to get back to my family.”

No way was I letting him back out into the snow. “You can’t for the time being. The plows won’t be coming through for a while yet and the storm’s going to get worse before it gets better. You may as well settle in and make yourself comfortable.”

“I’ll walk.”

“You’re crazy.” It was a comment said without any malice or forethought, but I noticed Pullo’s sharp glare as he stood up and squared his shoulders.

“My family’s out there and they need me, and I am going. Now.”

He headed toward the door and I went to block his path. “Pullo, I can’t let you do that. It’s dangerous out there and …”

He pushed me out of the way, but I grabbed his arm and pressed him up against the bookcase. “You’re not going anywhere …” A full on shoving match ensued with fists ready to pommel, but the business end of a broom came down on each of us.

“Knock it off you two!”

That was all it took for Pullo’s attention to be averted elsewhere and I managed to knock his feet out from under him and he dropped to the floor with a grunt.

“Jeffrey Wigand, I’m talking to you, too!” The broom found its way across my back. I might have lashed out in retaliation, but the sight of my lovely Kelly ready to do battle with two big, lumbersome men armed with nothing but that ridiculous broom and the look of hellfire in her eyes was enough to set me back on my heels.

“Titus Pullo, while you are a guest in this house you will behave yourself, do I make myself clear?” She had the broom pulled back and ready to bop him on the head if he made one wrong move, but I think he knew he’d overstepped the bounds of hospitality and chose his next move wisely.

The big man looked up at her with the eyes of a misbehaving child and nodded his head.

“Good, then we all understand one another.” She lowered her weapon while I offered my hand to Pullo. He grunted and allowed me to help him up.

“Now I want both of you to go out and shovel the walk and driveway and put all this energy to good use. If you want to continue fighting, then do it outside. Do I make myself clear?” Her eyes darted back and forth between both of us, just daring a note of dissention.

Less than five minutes later Pullo and I were standing in the front yard surveying the job before us, each armed with a shovel and a grim look of determination. Well, Pullo actually had the grim look, where I was just irritated to be tossed outside like a misbehaving thug.

Pullo grunted. “I’ll take the walkway.”

The cold and exertion seemed to help as we each focused on the task at hand. I noticed that Kelly would peek out the curtains every so often to make sure that we weren’t killing one another.

Pullo noticed also and after a while I actually heard him chuckle. “Your Kelly is a worthy foe with a broom. One should never risk a woman’s ire – it’s enough to make even the gods tremble.”

The snow began to fall harder and I stopped my shoveling for just a moment, motioning for Pullo to do the same. “Listen, I know that you’re worried and I don’t blame you for losing yourself to the alcohol. I’ve been there myself, but you’re not alone in this. You have a whole supportive family here to help you shoulder whatever lies up ahead. Deal with the future as you see fit, but just remember that there’s people around you who care and will help if asked.”

He stood stoically before me, his powerful shoulders squared against the falling snow, his eyes focused upon some undetermined point between us. Finally his eyes met mine and he gave a nod of acknowledgement. “I need to apologize to Kelly once we are finished here.” Another pause. “And to you, my friend. Once again I have behaved in a manner that is less than commendable.”

The tension was finally broken and I sensed that I had gotten through to him. “Hey, no offense taken, my friend. Just be sure to take off your boots before going inside or you may get another round of Kelly and her broom.”

He gave a mock shudder as he went back to shoveling and I followed suit. I would have suggested that we help ourselves to a couple of beers when we went back inside, but I think we’ll stick to coffee. For now.    

STEPHEN

I had successfully repositioned one of the infant’s legs by the time we arrived at the clinic. We rushed Natalie to the delivery room. During our transport, I had thought to perform a cesarean section as soon as we were in a safe place to do so. But her labor had now progressed too far. Resigning myself to the only option left, I reached inside the tired woman and succeeded in repositioning the baby’s other leg just before another contraction hit.

“Now, Natalie. Push hard now!”

She howled and pushed. The child slid out bottom first into my hands. One final push and the infant’s head was clear. All in the room were silent and I could hear Natalie’s labored breathing when suddenly, the child gasped and began to wail. And wail she did, louder than I’d ever heard a newborn babe wail.

JACK

I had followed closely behind the others, intending to stay by Natalie’s side with Catherine when I was stopped by a nurse at the door. “I’ll take the baby to the delivery room to be examined. Please wait here” she commanded with a sour expression and reached for the baby.

I stood back, holding Catherine away from her grubby hands. “Absolutely not. My place is with my wife and children,” I insisted.

“I’ll be frank, sir. This will not be pretty. It is not a normal birth and I’m sure you will not appreciate seeing your wife …”

I refused to listen any longer. “Stand aside woman! I have been around blood and wounds all my life. My wife needs me!” I pushed her aside and strode into the room just as I heard Chelsea’s loud cry and saw Stephen hand her to Claudia.

“Is she … are they alright?”

Stephen nodded. “Yes Jack, both Natalie and the infant are fine. The baby though, has broken her clavicle while passing through the birth canal. It will heal, but we will need to immobilize the arm for the time being. There should be no lasting repercussions.” He shook my hand and slapped my back, a broad smile finally appearing. “My heartiest congratulations, Jack, on your beautiful daughters.”

The nurse took Catherine from me as Claudia, having completed examining and cleaning the screaming baby, passed Chelsea into my arms, careful not to disturb the injured wing. I sat on the bed next to my tired but beaming wife. The nurse, satisfied that Catherine was in fine health, handed her to Natalie. I sat, rocking Chelsea while she cuddled Catherine, reaching out to stroke Chelsea’s fuzzy blond head.

The contentment and peace was plain on her face and it brought joy to my heart. Our family was complete.

NATALIE

Yeah, I couldn’t see my feet for weeks. And yeah, I was bloated and achy. And yeah, yeah … I became a screeching harpy and the pain unbearable. But … holding Catherine and seeing the look on Jack’s face as he tenderly held Chelsea … it was worth it. Definitely worth it. Absolutely.

KIM

I spent my day doing laundry, can you bloody believe it? Actually had six loads and even did Andy and Monna’s laundry as well. I also got a hold of Hando and he assured me that he’d be able to safely store the Porsche at his shop. He offered me the use of one of his garage’s loaner vehicles until I was able to make arrangements for an SUV of my own.  Knowing H, he’ll probably lend me some broken down Ute that’s held together with rust and primer. It would fit his sense of humor, but at this point, I just need reliable transportation.

7PM came before I knew it and sure enough, she was there waiting for me.

PrimaVera: Hey NYSE, you there?

NYSE411: Just waiting for you, love.

PrimaVera: Whatcha doing?

NYSE411: Listening to music.

Primaera: What kind of music?

NYSE411: The soundtrack from Conan the Barbarian

PrimaVera: You’re kidding

NYSE411: Hey, it’s a classic

PrimaVera: You’re a nutter.

NYSE411:  A “nutter?” Is that a good thing?

PrimaVera: Well, in my book it is. You always make me laugh.

NYSE411: You may be the only one that I have that effect on …

PrimaVera: Oh, come on. I doubt that. I think you’re charming, amusing, intelligent, witty …

NYSE411: Go on …

PrimaVera: Hey, I was being SERIOUS!

NYSE411: So am I … tell me more about all the things you like about me.

PrimaVera: LOL…ok … you always make me smile and you give good advice on how to deal with my jerk of a boss.

NYSE411: Really?

PrimaVera: Yes, my boss is a real jerk.

NYSE411: No, I meant do I really always make you smile?

PrimaVera: Oh most definitely. As a matter of fact, I’m wearing nothing but a big smile right now.

NYSE411: You’re naked?

PrimaVera: NO, silly! I meant … see? Now you’re making me laugh again.

NYSE411: I wanna hear more about the naked part …

PrimaVera: Down boy!

NYSE411: Well, you started it, LOL. Hey, is your boss really as big a jerk as you claim? He sounds like a complete arsehole.

PrimaVera: Oh, NYSE, I don’t know about the “complete” part, but I have to admit, I’m really nervous about this new job not panning out. In one way, I’m so anxious to work with this guy – he has all this experience and I want to learn from him, you know? I’m willing to go the extra mile and put in the effort and hours to do the best job possible and make his job easier but he has this really irritating manner. I can’t really describe it – he’ll be talking to me about one thing and just when I want to assure him that I’m behind him 100% he’ll say something that implies that I’m not very intelligent or overstepping my bounds. It’s hard to explain, but he’s very hard to figure out. I want to like him, and just when I’m ready to do just that, this Mr. Hyde personality takes over. Why does he do that?

NYSE411: Sheesh, he sounds like a real loser. Either that or he’s just scared of screwing up and wants to present this image of being in control. You said he’s new to the position also, so my guess is that he’s extremely insecure about his ability to do the job. Slapping you down helps him feel superior.

Either that, or he really is just a pathetic jerk.

PrimaVera: Hmmmm, I can see a certain amount of sense in that. But how do I deal with it? NYSE, I need this job.  I’ll do everything in my power to make his job easier, but he treats me like the enemy!

NYSE411: Be like a duck.

PrimaVera: A duck?

NYSE411: Yeah, learn to let his nasty comments and attitude roll off of you like water. Understand that he’s a total wanker and that it really has nothing to do with you. Don’t try to make him like you, just do your job. Concentrate on the end result – doing the job well and doing it right.

PrimaVera: It sounds so easy when you say it …

NYSE411: And if that doesn’t work, I can always beat him up for you, LOL.

PrimaVera: Oh, don’t tempt me!

NYSE411: Okay, now enough talk about work. Tell me more about your being naked …

PrimaVera: You’re a pervert, LOL.

NYSE411: I’m a man, love.

PrimaVera: Ok, you goof, but first tell me what you’re wearing, LOL.

We chatted for a just a few minutes more until the electricity went out and the wireless connection soon followed. Damn! It was just getting interesting. We had agreed in the beginning to avoid all mention of cyber sex, but I caught myself just wondering, you know? I have no idea who she is and for all I know she could be a bored, middle aged housewife with six kids, two mortgages and a husband with the nickname of “Bubba.” But what if she is just as lovely as she seems? I’ve been wondering if she’d be willing to meet somewhere down the line?

I’ll have to think more about this.

JOHN

I just got to the clinic and it was all over. Poor second baby was breech and not easy for Natalie. But the nurse told me both babies, mother and dad were all fine. They even let me in to see them but only five minutes there and I could tell they were all exhausted. I shook Jack’s hand and he embraced me with a loud thud against my back.

“Congratulations, man. Pretty little girls.”

“They are, are they not?” Jack’s smile was massive and his yawn even bigger. “Thankee for your assistance, John. Stephen says it had made all the difference.”

“Glad to do it.” I kissed Natalie’s cheek then whispered. “I’m gonna get myself out of here. Riles and me, we’ll be back tomorrow to see you all.”

“G’night Prince Valiant,” Claudia teased.

“Sir Galahad!” Nat grinned.

“Yeah, that’s me, Sir Push-the-snow-a lot.”

BEN

The next morning, passing through the parlor and hearing the good news that both babies and Natalie were gonna be just fine, I walked past the front desk toward the Breakfast Room.

“Oh Mr. Wade?” lovely Marla’s sweet voice sang and I turned.

“Mornin’, ma’am.”

“I thought you might know that a Miss Tracy Pinkerton just left … and …” her eyes sparkled.

“And?”

“And she’s booked herself for several weekends in advance … just to see you.”

“Ah.”

“You two seemed to like each other. I thought you’d be happy about that.”