Baller's Baby - A Bad Boy Romance (20 page)

Chapter
Forty-Five

Kiptyn

Granny
reaches me moments before I turn and see Skila. Jordan is standing next to me, and
when he sees her, his eyes widen. Granny doesn't even get a chance to say a
word. No one does.

“Ow," Skila cries, grabbing her stomach.

"Sky, are you okay? What's wrong?"

I panic, rushing to her side. When I see the wetness beginning
to puddle at her feet, I know what’s happening. It’s time. I stand there frozen
in fear before Jordan slaps me on the back, sending me into motion. I wrap my
arms around Skila, steadying her. Her hands are still cradling her stomach, and
by the look on her face, she is still in extreme pain.

Skila looks up at me, her beautiful chocolate eyes clouded with
worry, and whispers, "I think my water broke, Kip."

I nod toward Jordan and the coach, letting them know I have no
choice but to bail. I wouldn't miss this moment for the world. Jordan runs up
to the podium and alerts the current speaker of our situation.

"We'll call the doctor on the way," I assure Sky as I
help her put on her coat. I get one arm in it before I have her out the door
and back into the car that, thankfully, Lisa had the valet bring around. In a
rush, I speed out of the parking lot. I can't believe I’m about to be a father.
I know the baby is early, and I hope like fucking hell nothing is wrong. I
can't handle the thought of losing either of them. Her panting and groans of
pain make my foot press harder on the gas.

"Jesus, Kip. I’d like to get there alive." She hisses
through a contraction.

"We're almost there, Sky. We're almost there."

She nods and stares forward, trying to keep her breathing level.
I ease off the gas, but not much—just enough to help her relax. Drifting into
the ambulance lane at the hospital, I jump out and flag down a nurse. She
quickly brings me a wheelchair, and I help Sky out of the car and into it.

Hurriedly, I push Skila through the sliding doors to the nurses’
station inside the ER. It's impossible for me to stay calm any longer. I get
the attention of the receptionist.

"Excuse me, but could you help us? She's gonna have a baby,"
I explain.

The nurse, who looks about fifty, glances up at me and then down
to Sky, who is sitting in the wheelchair, breathing in and out heavily. “Take
her to labor and delivery in the maternity ward and move your car. You can't
park there.”

I reverse Skila and push her in the direction of the elevators,
hoping and praying I can find a sign that says something about maternity when I
get there. “Your car,” the nurse calls.

“Fuck the car. I'm having a baby.”

When I finally reach the maternity ward, a short, robust woman
in a lab coat kneels down in front of Sky. "Are you contracting, and how
far apart are they?" Skila shrugs and looks at me.

"About three minutes apart would be my guess."

She nods her head and pushes Skila down the hall to triage.
"Come with me. I'm gonna get you guys ready and prepare a room," she
says. I'm anxious, nervous, and excited as I follow closely behind.

It has been almost two hours since Skila went into labor at the
awards ceremony. We’ve been at the hospital now for thirty-two minutes. I bite
my thumbnail as I watch her writhe in pain. The contractions are now coming
more intensely, and I wish I could take some of the pain away from her. Dr.
Thompson says she can't get an epidural until her platelet count comes back,
but they gave her something called Fentanyl. I just wish it did more to help
her. She's almost eight centimeters dilated. It's not going to be much longer.

She has been checked twice in the last ten minutes, and each
time she is getting closer. I'm doing everything, from rubbing her back to
singing horribly to try to make her laugh. It helps some, as she enjoys my
stupidity, but I don’t feel like I can ever do enough. The door slowly creaks
open, and Granny has Nana in tow.

"Oh, Skila, we came as soon as we could, sweetheart,"
Nana says, kissing her cheek. "How are you, baby girl?"

“Fine. Kip has been awesome, Nana." She manages to smile
through her painful tears. Nana cuts her eyes at me and offers a half-smile.

"Thank you, Kip, for bringing her to the hospital,” she
slurs. She’s already been celebrating. Granny rolls her eyes, knowing that Nana
has a pint of Henny tucked away in her purse.

"How are you holding up, Kip?" I nod my head and shrug
my shoulder. I feel helpless. I want to take away all of Skila’s pain, and not
being able to do that is tearing me up inside.

"I'm great. Nervous, but great." At that moment, Bo
and Lisa rush in bearing gifts of their own.

"Sorry, we got held up in traffic. We came as quickly as
possible,” Lisa explains excitedly.

Bo pats me on the back, "How you doing, Daddy?" I
smack his arm and give him a thumbs-up. I'm just ready to meet my son.

A moment later, Dr. Thompson comes back to check Skila's
dilation. She shoos the men, except for me, out of the room and checks Sky. She
looks up and nods at the nurse standing by Sky’s head.

"She's ready to push. I'm going to go scrub in, so I'm
going to need everyone except Kip to leave."

She prepares herself for delivery. Nana and Granny bid their
good luck to Skila and me as they walk out. I'm given a pair of scrubs to put
on over my own clothes, as a precaution, I'm told. I grab Skila's hand in my
own and kiss her forehead.

"Are you ready for this?" I question, mostly to
myself, lightly kissing her knuckles.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Dr. Thompson and her team of nurses come and surround Skila,
tools and blankets on deck. Dr. Thompson then instructs Skila on how to push
and asks me to help keep her calm.

"All right, Skila, come on girl, push," she yells.
Skila takes in a deep breath and gives it all that she can. Viv, the nurse to
her left, offers her encouragement.

"That's a good girl. I can see the head, a bunch of hair!
Just two more good pushes like that."

Skila looks up at me. "He has hair." I laugh, amazed
at this special woman. She's in labor, delivering my son into the world, and she
still finds time to pick at me.

"Don't be so sure it's a boy. It could very well be a
girl," I tease her.

"You shut your face, Kiptyn. It’s a boy."

Skila gives another push with the nurses and me cheering her on.
Although she would never admit it, it’s strange having a room full of people
seeing her body, but I can tell she really wants this to be over, so she's
dealing.

Dr. Thompson looks up at Skila and inquires through her mask.
"Can you give us just one more good, strong push?"

Squeezing my hand tightly, Skila gives all the strength and love
she can into a final push. She lets her body jerk backward into the bed when
she hears the beautiful, sharp cry. Dr. Thompson smiles as she holds up the
baby.

"It's a boy!"

One of the nurses hands me a pair of surgical scissors as she
instructs me where to cut the umbilical cord. As the neonatal technicians clean
the baby and check his vitals, I kiss Skila.

"You're amazing," I whisper against her lips.

One of the nurses comes back and gently places the now calm baby
boy in his mother's arms. Skila looks up at me all teary-eyed. "What do
you want to name him?"

"I thought we had decided," I say. Skila looks into
the small, brown eyes of the creamy-skinned newborn. She takes in his small
size and mop of black hair that comes out from under the small blue cap.

"He looks like a Lennon. Lennon Asa Price, for each of our
parents." I reach out to take him from Skila and hold him to my chest.
Tears fall from my eyes as I cradle the tiny baby in my arms. My son.

"I love that." I smile and kiss baby Lennon's
forehead, inhaling his unique baby scent before passing him back into the arms
of his mother.

Soon after, the rest of the family, including proud Uncles Devan
and Jax, come together, laughing and gushing over the new addition. We are all
celebrating a new life that is sure to bring joy to us all. Only one person is
missing. I feel his loss like a gaping hole in the depths of my soul, but I
know as soon as he can, he will be here with us where he belongs. It's just a
matter of time, and if there is one thing I have learned, it’s that everything
in life happens in its own time.

No need to rush. I plan to just sit back and enjoy every day
with my beautiful bride and the sweet, adorable bawling baby boy she just so
kindly blessed me with. My life is finally complete.

Epilogue

Skila

“Kiptyn,
can you grab the door?” I yell, trying to juggle the cake in one hand and
Lennon on the opposite hip. Lisa rushes in, taking the cake from me and setting
it on the table. I don't know how I would have managed this party without her.
She’s been a real lifesaver. I swear, there are more details and planning in
Lennon’s first birthday party than there had been in my own wedding.

I set
Len down in the high chair and strap him in, careful to not pinch my growing
baby belly in the lid. It was a welcomed shock to find out that Kip and I were
expecting again so soon after having Lennon, but the closer I get to delivery,
the more anxious I become. It will be so good for him to grow up with a sibling
close in age. I know I loved having Jaxon and Devan when I was growing up, even
when I hated them.

“Guess
who’s here?” Kip yells, coming back into the kitchen. I glance back and see
Camryn following him in with his arms loaded down with gifts. I told each of
the guests to not spend more than twenty dollars on a gift for Len, but
apparently, Cam didn't know that rule applied to him.

“Ah,
it's Uncle Cam,” I yell, and Lennon squeals and tosses his arms up and down in
the high chair, demanding to be picked up. It's so hard to not give in to him
when you see his chubby cheeks spread wide in a smile and his cocoa eyes light
up.

“Go on
and get your love before he gets covered in cake.” Camryn doesn't wait for me
to tell him twice. Releasing Len from his restraints, he pulls him close and
kisses his curly brown head of hair before tossing him into the air and letting
Lennon pretend he’s an airplane soaring through the room. Lennon’s giggles fill
everyone's hearts, but none more so than mine. I was so worried that when I
signed those papers terminating Camryn’s rights that Lennon would lose him in
his life. I should have known better. As soon as Camryn was released, he came
straight to Kip’s, and from that day forward, he has been a permanent staple in
our lives.

It was
tough at first, trying to figure out his role in Lennon's life, but after the
first few weeks, he found his place as Uncle Camryn, and it's been smooth
sailing ever since. To say I'm blessed would be an understatement. My cup
runneth over.

Kiptyn
got re-signed with the Bolts, and things have been going great there. The team
is growing so well that I have faith they’ll make it back to Nationals this
year and steal the show. No one deserves it more.

Life
still throws us curve balls every once in a while when we least expect it, but
as a family, I'm happy to say that we overcome most of them together. The ones
we can't overcome . . . well, we sweep those under the rug and forget about
them. At the end of the day, the only thing that really matters is us.

“Who’s ready to sing Happy
Birthday?”

The End

About The Author

By day, I am
known as Mommy, Wifey, Sister, Bestie. I live off Starbucks and Panera Bread. I
am addicted to both. I am not ashamed. They fuel my soul and my body so that by
night I can become the person I want to be. Author. Writer. Story Builder.
World Creator. I live moment to moment in this crazy fast world and I cherish
every single second of it like it is my last. I wake before the sun comes up
every day and enjoy the sound of coffee trickling into the pot as the kids
snooze on blissfully unaware until the brilliant sun shines across the horizon
lighting my soul ablaze. I love brightness. It consumes me.

You can like her on Facebook here
.

Join the Prism
Heart Press mailing list to be notified of sales and upcoming releases!