Ainsley moans and places her hand on her side.
“That’s it. I’m putting my foot down. You’re not traveling. Stella can do it.”
“But…” She can’t even finish her sentence as one of the twins kicks again. They’re still growing, and she’s stretched as far as the eye can see. I’m afraid she’s going to burst open like a water balloon.
“Babe, did you just pee your pants?” I lean back and find her pants drenched, as well as mine because of the way we were sitting.
“No, but I think my water just broke.”
My eyes pop open as I let the words seep in. Lamaze class was pure torture. I hated going, but went anyway because it was important to Ainsley. The breathing technique is weird, and I question whether moms are actually able to use it. I didn’t find it calming but on the verge of hyperventilation. I suppose it didn’t help matters that I brought Travis Kidd with me one time. We had been out golfing on a day off when Ainsley reminded me that we had a class. I didn’t have time to take him home, and I wasn’t about to let him drive my car, so I made him go.
That was the biggest mistake of my life, although the women got a good laugh out of it. The instructor made him participate, and the sight of Kidd on the floor with his legs spread open, mimicking the breathing technique, was fucking hilarious. What I didn’t count on was Kidd taking our adventure back to the clubhouse and using me as his partner while he demonstrated to the guys.
“I think I’m in labor,” Ainsley says, stating the obvious.
I try not to laugh, but a chuckle escapes me. “Yeah, babe. I think you are.” I kiss her quickly and shuck off my clothes, walking bare-ass naked into the closet to change.
“Asshole,” she mutters.
“What’s that?” I laugh.
“Six weeks,” she says, reminding me it’ll be six weeks after the birth before we can have sex. “You’ll be begging me.”
I bring her a set of new clothes and help her stand. “Ah, babe, you forget that we can still play, I just can’t penetrate.”
Ainsley slaps me but does so with a smile. Once she’s changed, I call Daisy, Stella, and Wes while Ainsley cleans up, letting them know that we’re on our way to the hospital. All three of them tell me their on they’re way, with Stella already promising she’ll be on the next flight out. My next call is to my agent, asking him to postpone the closing until later this week or see what he can do about getting down to Florida to sign the papers on Ainsley’s behalf.
“Are you having contractions?” I help her into the car, making sure she’s secure before I put the bags into the backseat.
“A little,” she says, rubbing her side again.
“I’m supposed to remind you to breathe.” I can’t say it with a straight face. She knows how I feel about those classes.
“Shut up and drive, Twenty-Five.”
It only takes a few minutes for us to get to the hospital. We pull into the valet and I toss my keys to the attendant while another one helps her out of the car and into a wheelchair.
“You’re my favorite player,” the man says. I thank him and promise to come back later and give him an autograph. It’s my automatic response. Shockingly, the man shakes my hand and tells me not to worry about it.
If Ainsley weren’t pregnant, I’d love to push her down the hall in this chair and see how fast we can go, but the inner child in me has to refrain. I have no doubt she’d kill me once she pops these babies out. At check-in, we’re taken to a room. The wallpaper is hideous with huge pink, brown, and white flowers.
“This is supposed to be calming,” I tell her as I help her change and get into the bed. “I think we should change our walls to this.”
“I think you’ve been spending too much time with Travis, and I may have to ban him from coming over to our house.”
“You love Kidd, admit it.”
Before she can answer, she’s clutching her abdomen and scaring the shit out of me. “Babe,” I say, trying to help her find a comfortable position.
“Oh God, Cooper, it hurts.”
“Breathe, okay.”
“Fuck breathing, get me drugs.”
I’m torn between leaving her side and going to do what she asks. The nurse walks in just in the nick of time, saving me from having to leave her.
“Hi, Ainsley. How are you feeling?”