The day started like any other day, Grant woke and drank his three cups of coffee while answering emails for the business from home. Then he would work out in the small home gym he set up, his short blonde hair and blue eyes seemed to be a draw to the local women, which was why he kept his six foot body in shape, so he could run when they tried to catch him. The local women called him ‘Doogie’ because his baby face made him look so much younger. He had recently begun not to shave for a few days at a time, giving his face that rugged look with the hopes they would stop calling him that.
This morning he had looked in the mirror and decided he wasn’t going to shave yet, maybe if he grew one of those beards like the guys on that duck show, the women would stop using the nickname. Now that he had partners, he didn’t have to be there at the crack of dawn every morning like he had when he first started. This morning was not the norm. First, he dropped his cup of coffee on the table and it ran over all his papers he had strewed across the small cozy bungalow he bought a year ago.
It had only two bedrooms, and the previous owners had gone with a tropical theme, one Grant had still not changed, the ocean blue rooms were growing on him.
The phone rang and Grant should have known better than to pick the damn thing up. It was obvious to him after he answered.
“Doc?!” He heard Jabo, the local tour guide into the swamps to see gators, as he yelled in the phone at him.
Why the man insisted on calling him doc was beyond him. The only thing he could think of was when his dog went into labor and Grant was called to his house because the hound dog was having problems. He noticed Jabo talked about the dogs as if they were his kids.
“Hey, Jabo.” Grant sighed.
“Can you get to the house, we have a situation. I need you there, I am on my way, had to wait for a tour guide to replace me,” Jabo yelled and Grant could hear the panic in his voice. Had to be the dogs, he thought and began gathering his bag.
“What is going on?” Grant said briskly, walking out to the car and plugging the phone into his speaker.
“Doc?!” Jabo yelled crackling up. Damn cell service.
“I am here, WHAT IS GOING ON?” Grant said putting his car in reverse and speeding toward his patient’s home.
“Sassy…pain…thinks there is blood…” Jabo said and Grant pushed down on the accelerator.
The phone clicked and Grant frowned. Blood? Can’t be good, he thought and went as fast as he could until the Fremont house came into view. Jabo and Sassy Fremont had been high school sweethearts according to Sassy, Jabo swore time and time again that he had not remembered her until he woke up one morning and she was there. Then of course, Jabo had a few concussions.
As he pulled into the drive, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the dogs in the front yard, lazing in the sun. What the hell? he thought when he got out of the car, where was his patient. Shit, if Jabo had another gator out back Grant was going to kill him. This would be the fourth time this year.
Grant walked up the drive and heard Sassy crying. Shit, he thought and knocked on the door.
“Damn it, I am coming!” Sassy yelled and he heard her sniff. “Doc, thank God,” she said when she opened the door.
Grant looked at her tear-stained face and instantly felt bad for thinking everything he had on the way over.
“Hey, Sassy, Jabo called, said you had a problem?” Grant said gently.
The half-blue, half-pink truck roared into the front yard, almost taking out the gate. Grant sighed when he saw Jabo jumping from the cab and running around to the stairs in a panic. Grant thought it could possibly be by the way he was dressed, in hip water boots and a flannel red and black shirt, that made him look slightly demented. Of course, he would never tell him that.
“Damn it, Jabo. Why did you bother the doc? I told you my water just broke, we have hours and hours!” Sassy yelled.
“He is the Doc,” Jabo argued. “I am not having a baby on the side of the goddamn road like those people we keep seeing on the news. Hell, I just got new upholstery done, I haven’t got the plastic to lay out, woman.”
“Plastic, this is your kid, who gives a shit about a truck!” Sassy screeched.
Grant tried to ease back and leave now that Jabo was here, he could take over. What the hell had they called him for? He was a vet, not an obstetrician. If he could have been a magician he would have disappeared, this kind of thing made him uncomfortable.
“Doc, check her and see if she is crowning,” Jabo said. “If she is we will call the ambulance.”
Grant felt his face go red and then it should have taken a strange shade of green. There was no way he was going to put his hands anywhere near her vagina.
“Uh, I don’t think that is wise. I mean…I know what an animal feels like when they are crowning. Babies are a whole nuther story.” Grant grimaced.
“The parts are still the same,” Jabo argued.
“You are not going to have the Doc sticking his hand up my crotch and checking nothing. I swear you are a bastard,” Sassy said and reached in the door, grabbed her purse, and swung it wide. Both of the men ducked, then Grant watched in fascination as Sassy slammed the door and waddled down the stairs yelling at Jabo the entire time about how insensitive he was.
He just stood there frozen as Jabo led her to his car, a decked out 2013 Dodge Charger. What the fuck, that was custom interior, he thought and then realized as he stood there protesting in his mind, Jabo settled Sassy in the back seat and was waving at him to hurry up. Damn it, this was when he questioned moving to a small town.
“Doc, we gotta hurry, she said the contractions are coming fifteen minutes apart, that is bad isn’t it?” Jabo yelled as he rounded his car and opened the door. Grant paused, closed his eyes, and took a second to gather himself. He was going to have a coronary if he allowed himself to think.
Grant slid into his seat and almost laughed. Jabo was wearing his hipster boots and was having trouble bending down that far. Finally they were settled and Grant pulled onto the main road, fifteen miles to the hospital, and then he could drop them off, and be on his way. He wondered briefly if they knew how to tuck and roll, then he would only have to slow down.
“You know, I would never have been in this situation if it weren’t for your sorry ass. I told you I needed a car in case I went into labor with your child. But no, you had to have that fuckin' truck painted!” Sassy yelled and then held her stomach as another contraction must have hit. “You had better have told the doctor to have that epidural thingy ready and waiting. I wanna be numb and gorgeous when she comes out to meet her momma. Not like that one show on the TV. You know a Baby Story or something like that. Those women look like they have been rode hard and put up wet. I swear if I look like shit, I am gonna shoot you.”
“Woman, will you shut up, the men are trying to concentrate up here,” Jabo ground out.
Grant wanted to laugh again. Sassy and Jabo were the perfect couple. She looked like a pint-size cheerleader who looked like she swallowed a watermelon, with her blonde hair and blue eyes. Make that Annie Oakley, since she carried a shotgun most days. While Jabo was built like a linebacker, and had a little beer gut.
He figured if he remained silent that they would forget he was here. Of course, nothing ever went like planned when it came to something like this. Grant saw an SUV parked off the side of the road. A woman was in front of the car leaning against the hood with her head down. She must have broken down. Grant slowed the car.
“Doc, what the hell are you doing?!” Jabo yelled.
“She is stranded,” Grant argued.
“Well call someone to come out here, Sassy is in labor!” Jabo yelled.
Grant rolled his eyes, slowed, and that was when he saw the woman in question was also pregnant and there was no way he would leave her here. Putting the car into park, Grant slid out of the car and said, “Ma’am, do you need some help.”
The most gorgeous woman he had ever seen looked up with a tear stained face and no
dded her head. She had long curly, blonde hair that he wanted to run his hands through. Shit, she was pregnant, married, and Grant was thinking how sexy she looked. He walked toward her and when she stood, he wanted to wrap his arms around her and say it was all going to be okay. She was small, and Grant felt an urge to protect her.
“I am sorry,” she cried. “I went into labor, and pulled over when my water broke. I am in early labor, but I can't drive,” she said desperately. “Do you know where the closest hospital is?”
“Course he does,” Jabo yelled out of the window. “Sassy is having a baby right now too, jump in, lady, we will get you there.”
Grant groaned. “My name is Grant Prime, I am the local Veterinarian. My friends went into labor and called me. Can I get you to the hospital too? Do you want me to call your husband?”
The woman snorted, “My name is Brin Plater, I am an MD, I was on the road trying to locate someone my brother wanted me too. I don’t have a husband or a baby daddy, so ya, I could use a little help. If you want my resume you will have to wait for it,” Brin said and sucked in a breath as a small contraction struck her.
“Sorry, just wanted you to know I was not a mass murderer,” Grant said quickly. “Let’s get you to the hospital.” Grant pulled his phone out and called 911 to let them know where they were and that they were en route to the hospital. Brin sighed thankfully and he felt like he won a huge prize. What the hell was going on with him? Now I'm attracted to pregnant strangers?
Jabo got out of the car and helped her into the backseat with Sassy, where both women began chatting about what was going on with them. Jabo threw in if they had to give birth in the car, at least they had an MD and a vet. Grant caught Brin’s look of surprise in the rearview mirror.
“Well, I don’t deliver babies but I did do a round in the birthing ward.” Brin laughed. “I know the mechanics.”
“See, Sass, everything is gonna be fine. I told you I knew what to do,” Jabo said.
“You dumbass, called the local vet and picked up a hitchhiker in labor, how the hell do you plan that?” Sassy demanded and they were back in hell. Jabo and Sassy argued while Grant watched Brin try to follow the conversation.
“So where is the daddy?” Sassy asked Brin and Grant listened intently.
“I’m not sure, he doesn’t know yet. He is in the military, and got hurt, as far as I know he is recuperating somewhere. That is why I was on the road, one of the guys in his unit mom lives only an hour from here. I thought I would make it to her house,” Brin said grimly.
“Oh, honey, it's okay, we can help you. Now who is the name of the woman, we can call her if you know her number. Heck out here there isn’t too many townships, everyone knows everyone. I can just call Bob, the owner of Bob’s Bank, he likes to track people down, thinks he is a private dick as well as the local money holder,” Sassy said.
“Uh…well, I don’t think you will know her. I do have her phone number somewhere, my cell died a few hours ago, and I didn't bring the car charger. Felt like a dumbass on that one,” Brin admitted.
“Jabo and Grant both have a cell, although I would use Grant's cause Jabo has his damn phone programmed with a porn site, the damn thing goes off every time I use it, makes it sound like I am calling from the bedroom having wacky sex every time,” Sassy said flippantly.
Grant looked at the man sitting next to him that had puffed his chest and smiled at the comment his wife made. He wanted to slap him upside the head. The dumbass was making them look like backwards ass country fucks. Damn it, he was trying to make an impression on her. Fuck, he groaned. Really? He was thinking of getting a date with a pregnant woman—in labor no less.
Chapter Two
Ice called back to the ranch during their trip to see what they had decided. “Alex, what’s up?” he said gruffly. He ran his hands through his collar length brown hair, since being out of the military, Ice had let it grow, and the new wavy locks were something he was getting used to. He was used to getting stares everywhere he went when he was in the military, his warm chocolate eyes, and six foot three buff frame made him a chick magnet. At least that is what Sable told him. Now with the longer hair, his friend’s woman said that he really did remind her of the leading men in old western movies.
“Thane and West are headed to Texas, as soon as you have the situation under control, we are going to send a plane for you. The family thinks this is gonna heat up pretty quick and since we are going to be needed we have to make sure they are safe. We are packing and leaving for the island tomorrow,” Alex said.
“Wow, I bet Sable is pissed about that.” He laughed as Drake was frowning at him and motioning with his hands. “Hang on," he told Alex, then questioned Drake, "What the fuck is your problem?”
Drake snorted and then said, “Put them on speaker, jackass.”
“Oh the girl wants to talk on the phone while driving,” Jessie said into the phone and then hooked it to the dash and plugged it into the system so they were all on speaker.
“Fuck you,” Drake said with a harsh laugh. “Hey, Alex, I need you to do me a favor, if you are thinking about sending the families to the island like I think I just heard, you should check with the Commander to see if he can lend us a few men as back up. I don’t like being so spread out. We are going to have to step it up. I want this over with.”
Ice looked at his friend, there was a determined set in his jaw. Drake was rarely serious, however when he was everyone listen.
“Okay,” Alex said slowly. “Do you have one of your famous feelings?”
Ice worked with Drake for so long they had all become too wrapped up in their own troubles to get back to being a team. Drake always had feelings when they were in the field and most of them came true. Whenever they ran into problems, Drake had always predicted them and made sure they were prepared.
“Yep, I think we need to plan on having all the families out on the island and we meet back at the ranch. Something is brewing and I am feeling real uneasy,” Drake said and pushed the accelerator down. “We are making good time. We can be back to the ranch in a few days. Get everyone ready.”
Gage came on the phone and said, “Ice, what are you going to need?”
“Shit, transportation for Brin and the baby, and maybe some back up. We are really looking at a cluster fuck,” Jessie said. How the hell was he going to explain this to a woman in labor? Hey push, we gotta leave?
“Uh…one more warning,” Gage said. “Before Thane left he said the people of the town you are headed to are a little different. Just try to not piss them off.”
“Will do,” Ice laughed and shook his head when they hung up the phone. “How bad could it be?”
They were soon going to find out the people of Smith and Wesson Township were a force to be reckoned with when they take someone in as one of their own.
Brin finally was in the hospital and had some meds, which at least took the edge off, while she was waiting for the epidural. This sucked and she had handled this so badly. When she first found out she was pregnant, Brin had been shocked. Of course then she kicked her own ass. She had just graduated from Med School, how in the hell had she forgotten protection. Then of course, if anyone looked at the drop dead gorgeous Jessie James, they would know. He had an air about him—dangerous, sexy. What woman could have resisted.
For the last nine months, she had finished her residency and built a reputation for herself in the medical community. Brin knew she wanted to practice family medicine and was ready to find a place for herself to hang out her sign. She wanted a small community to serve, one where they could live comfortably. So far, she hadn’t found it. Brin sent inquiries out to several small communities that were looking for a doctor, but had not made up her mind yet. She had enough money to live on for now, thanks to her brother. Once the baby was six weeks, she would re-evaluate, for now though, she needed to figure out how to contact Jessie.
The night had been magical for her. He was an amazing lover, and even though she wa
s drunk, her body remembered everything they did. Each touch and each kiss. Damn, he had been a good kisser. It almost made up for the fact her family was in a shambles.
Growing up, the Platers' children realized they were supposed to be seen and not heard, and perform on command when the parents wanted to impress someone. If they failed to live up to their father’s expectation, there had been hell to pay in the form of beatings. Of course, never where anyone could see, that would never do. The appearance of a loving upper middle class family meant everything to their father. Mark never was one to conform and bucked his father more often than not. Brin asked him once why he did it, and Mark explained if he pissed off their father, he would leave her alone. His last rebellion had been joining the military, but Brin had been proud of him anyways.
When her brother died her father went on a rampage, everyone was to blame for him losing his only son. Granted, Mark had not been talking to them at the time, in fact Mark had gone so far as to tell his father he was no longer part of the family. That didn’t change the relationship he had with his sisters. Covert meetings and vacations were becoming the norm before he died.
The last time she saw him was when he snuck into town for her graduation party. She had been ecstatic, and when he brought Jessie with him, Brin had been excited. Seeing Jessie over the years, and having a schoolgirl crush on him made it so much more important that she looked grown up. He had only seen her as his best friend's sister, untouchable. That night she proved to him just how grown up she really was.