Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
It was just before midnight, the celebration worn down, a few stragglers remaining, mostly warriors with no women to go home to and a snowstorm raging outside.
“It could take the whole night,” Artair said. “It’s just the way of things.”
“That makes me feel good,” Lachlan said.
Cavan laughed. “He wasn’t that reasonable when Zia gave birth.”
Lachlan chuckled. “He wasn’t?”
“Not a bit,” Cavan said. “I remember that I had to hold him down from running to her near the end when her screams got bad.”
Lachlan cringed. “Damn, why did you tell me that?”
“It’s just the way of things,” Artair insisted.
“I don’t want to hear it,” Lachlan said, covering his ears for a moment, though his eyes turned wide and his hands fell to his sides when he saw Hagen enter the hall.
“I was told to fetch you,” he said to Lachlan.
Cavan stood. “Is there a problem?”
“Don’t know,” Hagen said. “Addie just told me to bring Lachlan.”
Cavan placed a strong hand on Lachlan’s shoulder.
“I haven’t heard a scream from her,” Lachlan said, worried as they climbed the stairs. “Why hasn’t she screamed?”
Artair followed but offered no sensible advice and that worried Lachlan all the more. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Why hadn’t he heard his wife scream while trying to deliver their child?
Hagen lead them down the hall to the bedchamber, Lachlan behind him and Cavan and Artair following. Hagen rapped on the door and when it opened he stepped aside.
Lachlan stood in the doorway afraid to enter, afraid to hear that he had lost his beloved wife or child or both.
“Mother?” he said as if begging her to tell him.
Addie broke into a grin. “Alyce delivered your son without so much as a peep.”
Lachlan near cried out with relief and joy, and he hurried to his wife’s side, stopping abruptly when he saw the bundle in her arms and peered over the blanket at his newborn son.
“He’s handsome like you,” Alyce said with pride. “And didn’t give me a bit of trouble birthing, and he smiled just like you when Zia placed him in my arms.”
“Just like you,” Zia confirmed with a soft laugh.
Lachlan was speechless. His wife looked radiant, not at all weary, and his son was a good size with a thatch of dark hair just like his own. He felt blessed, so very blessed.
Alyce held the babe out to him. “Hold your son.”
Lachlan didn’t hesitate. He cradled the tiny bundle in his arms for all to see. “My son, Roark Sinclare.” He announced proudly the name he and Alyce had decided upon.
Everyone took turns looking at the sleeping babe who in turn favored them with a smile just like his father’s, and they all laughed claiming like father like son.
Once Alyce yawned, Zia chased everyone from the room and ordered her to rest for the babe would soon wake wanting to suckle.
Zia instructed Lachlan to fetch her if need be, even if it were just to ask a question.
Lachlan thanked her profusely as he walked her to the door.
“I’ve never seen such an easy birth,” Zia said at the open door. “Your wife was remarkable, not a scream or a protest. She simply focused on her task and birthed her son so easily that she truly didn’t need my help.”
Lachlan swelled with pride. “Still, I’m glad you were here to help. It made me feel better.”
Zia smiled. “Thank you. Now go to your wife and new son.”
Lachlan closed the door as Zia walked into her husband’s waiting arms.
He hurried over to his wife and son, slipped off his boots and quickly shed his shirt, though left his plaid on and crawled into bed to wrap his arms around Alyce and his son.
“This wasn’t how I thought of our wedding night, though it is so much more than I ever hoped or dreamed.”
Alyce reached over and rested her hand to his cheek. “Thank you—”
“It is I who should thank you,” he insisted. “You birthed our son.”
“No, I want to thank you for having the patience to love me, for not giving up when I snapped at you or blamed you or shouted at you or ran away, or failed to realize just how deeply you loved me.”
“Now you know,” he said softly.
She yawned, her eyes fluttering closed. “And I will never forget.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek, then kissed his son’s tiny red cheek and with a yawn snuggled around them and went to sleep.