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 BONUS SCENE – Anything That You Want 

by Mary Carson

4 Years Later

– James

I pulled my hard hat off and grabbed my phone to call an Uber. I needed to get out of here. All of the other guys had left the job site already, the sun was going down, and Ellie would not be happy if I missed another dinner at home. The spring home building season was nuts, and I hadn’t been around for dinner nearly as much as I liked.     

My phone went off in my hand before I could pull up the rideshare app. I smiled. Speak of the devil.

“Hey, beautifu—”

“James. Get over here now. The baby’s coming.”

“Wha—”

She hung up before I could get another word in.

I stared at my phone like maybe it would magically say something different than what  I had just heard. The baby was coming? Now? We were supposed to have two more weeks!

I looked around the deserted job site, cursing the fact that my truck was in the shop, and there wasn’t a single person here who could get me to the hospital fast. And I definitely didn’t have time to wait for an Uber. If I thought Ellie would be upset at me for being late for dinner, that was nothing compared to how she would feel if I was late for our own son’s birth.

I ran to the neighbor’s house next door. I had met Darren Booth a handful of times over the course of the construction project. He seemed like a good guy, and I knew he’d take me to the hospital if he could. I skirted past his car in the driveway and raced up the steps of his house. I pounded on the door and took a step back, hands on my hips, breathing hard. I must’ve dropped my hard hat at the site because it wasn’t in my hands anymore. 

I didn’t hear anything from inside the house, so I pounded again. 

Nothing. 

Darren was definitely not home.

I dashed down the steps and looked around, frantic, wondering what I should try next when it struck me. Stranger things had happened. Heck, it had happened to me the last time I had to get to the hospital for the birth of a baby. 

I reached for Darren’s car door and sent up a prayer of thanks when it opened. Now just one more small miracle needed to occur. I looked under the floor mat and didn’t find anything, so I pulled down the sun visor. Bingo. The keys dropped right down in the seat.

I backed out of his driveway and raced to the hospital, hoping that Darren wouldn’t be too panicked when he noticed his car was gone. There was a baby being born, after all.

 

********************

– Ellie

I was pacing. I couldn’t be working, so I was pacing. 

Where was James? Why wasn’t he h—

“Ellie!”

James ran down the hall, and he ran straight into my arms.

“How are you?” He backed up, and looked me up and down. “How is he? What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be—”

“James,” I said, as I reached out for him. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

He took my hands, and then leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. 

“You look okay.” He raised an eyebrow. “Why do you look okay? I was expecting something very different from…this.” He raised his left hand and motioned to me. 

I laughed and leaned in for another hug, then whispered in his ear. “I’m not the one doing all the work.” 

I put my arm around his waist. “Come on. Let’s go get the latest update on how Lorna and our son are doing. I was waiting for you.”

When James and I decided to grow our family, we considered all of our options, and ultimately decided on adoption. EB couldn’t wait to be a big sister, and we wanted the experience of choosing a child again, just like we chose EB.

We got lucky in that we were actually going to be in the birthing room when our baby was born.

I glanced at James. “Are you as excited as I am?” I kept my voice low when what I really wanted to do was squeal in delight. “Can you believe our son is almost here?”

James stopped, and he sounded a bit panicked when he spoke. “Why is he almost here? Isn’t it too early?” 

I hugged him again. I knew my man. He was a toucher. When things were good, when things were bad, he wanted to be touching. 

“It’s not too early. It’s just earlier than we expected. Nature can do that sometimes.” I pulled on his arm, moving us toward the nurse’s station. “And Lorna is in good hands. If I can’t be the one in there, you know Dr. Bennet is the best bet. Everything is going fine.”

Dr. Ashley Bennet had become a good friend of mine over the past year. There wasn’t anyone I trusted more to deliver a baby if it couldn’t be me. 

“Dr. Dumont.” Rachel at the nurse’s station looked between James and me. “Uhm, Mr. Dr. Dumont.” She turned three shades of red and ducked her head. “Sorry. I don’t know your name.”

James laughed, and I was grateful for Rachel. James needed a laugh.

“You can call me James.”

She smiled and gave him a little nod. 

“I just checked in on Lorna for you. Dr. Bennett said it was time. If you want to suit up, you’re welcome to join them in the birthing room as soon as you are ready.”

James took in a big breath and looked at me, a touch of panic in his eyes.

I hugged him again. “We can do this, James. Easy as falling off a log.”

Gosh, I loved this man. He was perfect. And always had been.

He nodded once. “Right. Right. Where too?”

I took his hand and led him down the hall. 

We were having a baby.

 

********************

– James

I held little Drew in my arms and looked up at Ellie, who was standing next to us. She reached her hand to our baby’s face, moving to stroke it over his head.

“Hey, honey,” I said. Your hand is shaking.” I looked into Ellie’s eyes. “And you look a little glassy.” I stood up, carefully holding Drew to my chest. “Here, Ellie, sit.”

She gave me a weak little smile as she sat down, then shook her head. 

Looking back up at me, she said, “I’ve cut countless umbilical cords. Countless.” She shook her head again, eyes wide, and still glassed over. “I didn’t think it would feel so…different.”

I gave her a soft smile. “None of those babies were ours,” I said, and placed Drew gently into her arms. “And your husband had never been there helping you, either.”

I grabbed a rolling stool and sat down next to her. “I had Nurse Rachel call my parents. They’ll be here soon with EB.” I smiled. “She’s going to be so excited.”

 My heart felt solid in my chest. Like it was full to bursting from all of the love inside it. 

Dr. Bennet stuck her head into the room.  “You guys doing good in here?”

Ellie beamed. “We’re doing great.”

Dr. Bennet came into the room. “Everything went well, as you know. Lorna will stay the night, and we have a room for you guys too. As you arranged, Lorna will have some time with Drew, and over the course of the night there might be times for you to all be together.”

This was all happening so fast. Faster than even with EB it seemed, even though we’d had virtually years and then months to get used to this idea. 

“There’s one thing I like to encourage if it’s something you can do,” said Dr. Bennet. She looked at Ellie. “You know this, but it’s just a reminder.”

Ellie gave her a nod. 

“Adopted babies need a lot of touch in their early days. A lot. If it’s something you can manage, we suggest you hold Drew around the clock for the first 30 days.”

I stood up straight, and the words rushed out. “Did you just give me permission to hold our baby non-stop for 30 days?”

Both Ellie and Dr. Bennett laughed quietly, and Ellie said, “You have no idea what you just did, Ashley. He probably would have done it anyway, but now he has reason behind it.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Yes. Yes, I do, and yes I will.”

Ellie smiled at me. “Yes, you will. But you might have to fight EB for him.”

I shrugged. “I’m bigger than her. I can take her.” 

And we all laughed.

 

********************

 – Ellie

James and I were snuggled on a lounge chair, going through all of the pictures he had taken during the birth. 

EB and James’s parents had just left, though no one wanted them to go. It was late, and everyone was exhausted. I hadn’t expected it to hit me like it had. It must have been all the adrenaline leaving my body.

There was a quiet knock on the door, and Dr.Ashley walked in.

“I just wanted to check in on you guys before I drive home. Is there any—”

“Oh, dang it,” James exclaimed and jumped out of the chair. “Dang it, dang it, dang it.”

I sat up in the seat. “What is it?”

James ran a hand through his hair, took a step away from me, and then a step back. “You are not going to believe this.”

I tilted my head to the side. “Try me, James Cross. I know you pretty well.”

“Uhm.” He looked at Ashley, and then back to me. “I—”

“How about I just head out,” Ashley said, obviously reading the room, and reading it correctly.

“Oh, no,” I said. “This is going to be good. I can already tell. Spill it, James. What did you do?”

He cleared his throat. “So, you remember the night that baby James was born?”

I lowered my eyebrows. “Of course, I remember. I would never forget that night.  You spilled drinks all over me, then I rushed to the hospital—My car! My car was stolen that night.” I stood up. “By you.”

I heard Ashley gasp.

James smiled and backed slowly away from me. “I like to think that I borrowed it.” He glanced over to Ashley, and then back to me. 

I was shaking my head. “James, you didn’t.”

“I’d like to think I was borrowing the car this time, too,”

“Of course you do.” I took in a big breath. “I can’t believe this is happening again.”

“Remember how much you love me, Ellie. How much you love all of me.”

“Oh, I’m remembering all right.”

James chuckled. “Hey, don’t be mad. It worked out pretty good for the two of us last time,” he said.

I threw my hands up in the air. “Yeah, but that was my car. Who is it going to work out for this time?”

James looked over at Ashley, who was still standing at the door, her eyes wide.

“So, Dr. Bennett,” James said. “I know this really great guy, who needs to have his car returned.”

Then he gave her his most charming smile.  

“Any chance you’re single?”

 XOX

THE END

And of course, things aren’t really over…. 

Remember Ellie’s best friend Jasmine? Things don’t turn out quite like she thought they would, and running into Cowboy Quinn again – literally! – is just the beginning.

Anything I Can Do, a city girl/country boy, opposites attract, forced proximity (kinda?), small town, sweet romance is available on Amazon (click here) now! 

If you loved Ellie and James and Anything That You Want, please consider leaving a five star review. Amazon (and me, too!) loves that! Just click here to leave a review – and thank you!