LITMIR.BIZ

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two years ago had leveled her. And cured her of any desire to ever date another firefighter. Her work might’ve saved her, but it also meant Mama and Daddy depended on her to keep things running. Especially now that Daddy’s health was declining.

      A bead of sweat trickled down Natalie’s spine as she steered the cart around a group of guests snapping selfies by the old tobacco barn, their faces flushed from the heat. For the third Saturday in September, summer hadn’t shown any interest in giving up and making way for fall.

      Near the entrance to the corn maze, a very pregnant woman clutched her lower back and paced in a small circle. Shelby hovered near her elbow, a cell phone to her ear, while a crowd of onlookers gathered around. Natalie stopped the cart and hopped out, side-stepping identical twin boys fighting over a pinwheel. They couldn’t have been more than two, judging by the pacifiers wedged securely in their mouths.

      “Shelby, I’m here. What can I do?” Natalie joined them, wincing as the pregnant woman stopped pacing and squeezed her eyes shut.

      “I—I don’t know.” Shelby’s voice wobbled, and she cast a furtive glance toward the woman. “This is Maria. She’s expecting her second baby any minute now. I’m staying on the line with the dispatcher until the ambulance gets here.”

      “Perfect. I’ll redirect the kids to the inflatables. Maybe if they’re bouncing, the siren won’t scare them.” She whirled around and walked straight into a firm, defined chest clad in a navy University of Virginia T-shirt. Her gaze traveled up to an angular jaw, tan skin and moss green eyes staring down from beneath the brim of a well-loved ball cap. A warm hand on her bare forearm steadied her.

      “Ma’am? Is there anything I can do to help?”

      His deep voice made her insides dip and swerve. She moistened her dry-as-sandpaper mouth. “Are you a doctor?”

      “No. A firefighter. My kids are guests at the birthday party.” He cut his gaze toward the expectant mother. “Do you have a place where she can lie down?”

      “Lie down? I was hoping the ambulance would—”

      “Oh, my—” Maria’s voice trailed off, and Natalie sneaked a peek over her shoulder. Maria grimaced, her fingers splayed across her protruding abdomen.

      The man let go of Natalie’s arm and stepped away, pressing his thumb and index finger to his lips. He released a shrill whistle that stopped all conversation. “Hey, folks. Let me have your attention, please.”

      The wail of a siren grew louder, but all eyes remained fixed on him.

      “Wait,” Natalie hissed. “What are you doing?”

      “Taking charge.”

      “But I’m—”

      “Trent, line the children up behind your daughter and head over to the inflatables so we can get this ambulance in here. Hamilton, you’re in charge of finding Maria’s husband and daughter. Start at the restrooms.”

      “Got it.” Cell phone in hand, Hamilton jogged away.

      “One, two, three, eyes on me.” Trent Walker, Natalie’s friend and another local firefighter, held his hand high in the air. “Anyone who wants to go to the bounce house, line up behind Ella.”

      The children maneuvered into a disjointed line behind Trent’s daughter. She wore a princess dress and tiara, clearly enjoying her role as the birthday girl. Even the boys tussling over the pinwheel obeyed, bringing up the rear as adults and children moved across the grass toward the inflatables.

      “Wow.” Shelby’s eyes widened. “Impressive.”

      Natalie was speechless.

      Shay turned his attention back to Maria. “I’m Shay Campbell. I work for the fire department. Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?”

      “Another girl.” Maria gasped, swiping her forearm across her glistening brow.

      “Wonderful. When’s your due date?”

      “Yesterday.” Pain rippled across her features. “My first one didn’t come this fast.”

      “Hang on. We’re going to help you.” Shay looked from Maria to Natalie. “Bring the golf cart closer. We’ve got to move her.”

      “Move her where?”

      He pointed toward the parking lot. “We’ll meet the ambulance at the gate.”

      She turned around, looking past the rows and rows of cars in the field to the access gate at the far end of their property. A figure wearing Glenview’s signature yellow T-shirt maneuvered the heavy metal bar out of the way, and an ambulance eased through, siren howling as the red lights flashed. Glenview’s staff was following emergency protocol—just like they’d rehearsed half a dozen times.

      “Ma’am?” Shay prompted. “I think we’d better act quickly.”

      She pivoted back toward him. “Are you sure moving her is the best idea? We’ve trained our staff to guide the ambulance right—”

      Ignoring her question, he brushed past her, guiding Maria toward the golf cart. Sweat dampened the back of his snug-fitting T-shirt as he helped her onto the second seat. Natalie’s eyes swept from the expanse of his shoulders to his gray cargo shorts and muscular legs. Most of the firefighters attending the birthday party with their families had come by the farm to eat lunch at The Grille several times, but she’d never seen Shay before.

      He whirled around and caught her staring. “C’mon, we don’t have time to argue.”

      Heat singed her cheeks. “I’m not arguing. I’m trying to tell you we can get the ambulance over here. We’ve done it before. What about her husband and daughter? You want me to leave without them?”

      He silenced her with his fierce gaze. “Just drive, please. Hamilton will figure it out.”

      She slid behind the wheel again, her heart pounding. Shay stayed with Maria, coaching her in a calm yet firm voice as Natalie sped across the grass toward the ambulance.

      “Breathe, Maria. I know the contractions are coming hard and fast, but you’ve got to try to breathe.”

      Maria grunted out a response and then panted.

      Natalie cringed when they hit a rut, bouncing over it. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”

      “Oh, my—” Maria’s words were lost as she released a guttural moan. “I think I need to push. I really, really need to push.”

      “No,” Natalie and Shay said in unison.

      “We’re almost there. You do not want to have this baby in a golf cart, right? Everything you need is inside that ambulance.” Shay’s confident voice never wavered, but Natalie’s mind spun out of control with possibilities, making her mash down harder on the accelerator. They’d assisted guests with heat exhaustion, chest pain, sprained ankles...even the occasional broken arm. But a baby delivered in her golf cart? That was ten times worse than the corn maze. She gritted her teeth. Moving Maria was a horrible idea. Why did I listen to him?

      They reached the ambulance, and two EMTs jumped out, each securing blue disposable gloves on their hands.

      “C’mon, Maria. Let’s get you to the hospital.” Shay helped her from the cart and handed her off to the closest guy in uniform. Natalie got out and hovered behind them, catching pieces of their conversation. Something about the timing of the contractions and when her water broke—all the details she should’ve noted, had she not been so exasperated by this mysterious firefighter who happened upon the scene and took control.

      Despite her resistance to lying down or leaving without her family, they had Maria secured on the stretcher and inside the ambulance in a matter of seconds. Once her husband and daughter caught up and were on board, the EMTs slammed the doors and whisked her away, lights flashing but no sirens. Would they even make it off the property before

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