“Want to get some air?” he asked, heading for the door.
“I’ll be glad to see my feet again,” she moaned.
“Me too—then you can put your own shoes on,” Jay teased her.
Love, he thought, had changed everything in his life. Really living with Blue, not just as roommates, was something he knew he’d never tire of.
She said she wasn’t a true McAllister anymore, and that she’d been citified, but he saw her roots in most things she did. Like saving a struggling plant or turning vegetables he’d have thrown out into something amazing to eat.
Blue Jay McAllister had shown Jay what it meant to be part of a unit. To argue, and laugh out loud, and love so fiercely, it terrified him. She was a wonder to Jay daily. This woman had so much passion for things—including him.
His love, his life, Jay thought, looking down at her face. She was tired, and pale, and going by her due date could have this baby any day now. That thought both terrified and excited him.
He opened the door and waved her through into the cool evening air. They paused on the front porch.
Blue inhaled deeply, one hand pressed to the small of her back. “This was a good idea,” she muttered.
Jay stayed close as she took the stairs down.
“You’re hovering.”
“I’m supporting.”
“You’re vibrating.”
He opened his mouth to deny it, but Blue froze beside him. Her fingers squeezed his.
“Blue?”
She blinked once. Twice. “Oh,” she said faintly.
“Oh?” His stomach dropped. “What does ‘oh’ mean?”
She looked down between them. Jay followed her gaze. The dark patch spreading at her feet took a second too long to register.
“Oh,” she whispered.
Her water had broken. For half a second, neither of them moved. Then Blue made a small, shocked gasping sound and said, “Well. That’s inconvenient.”
Jay snapped into motion so fast, he nearly tripped over his own feet.
“Okay. Okay. This is fine. This is happening. Don’t move. Or—move. Do you want to move? Should you move?”
“Jay.”
“I’m getting the bag.”
“Jay.”
He stopped pacing. He looked at her—and there it was. Not panic but pain. Then a sharp contraction stole her breath and bent her slightly forward.
His heart slammed against his ribs as she rode out the wave of pain.
“Blue, what can I do?” Jay sounded agonized to his own ears.
“That one hurt,” she whispered. “And you can’t do anything. This next part is all me. But you can be there to support me, okay.”
“I can do that,” he said, trying to get himself back under control. “You’re okay. You’re okay. I’ve got you.” He slid an arm around her, guiding her carefully toward the garage.
