Family Man
The minute he hit the top step of the porch, JC had Cam in his arms, whirling her in a dizzying circle. Everything in their lives was right. They loved each other…They were getting married… They were going to be a real family. All that was left was the details.
“Josh!” Cameron giggled breathlessly. “Put me down, you nut!”
“I love you…I love you…I love you…” Each declaration was punctuated by a wealth of kisses.
She put her arms around his neck to draw him down for a leisurely kiss.” “Hello, Mister Chasez.”
“How is soon-to-be-Missus Chasez?”
“She is fine, but little Miss Delaney soon-to-be-Chasez is not so hot.”
JC frowned. “Kara? What’s wrong?”
“Tummy bug.”
“Are you all right around her?” His hand went to her stomach.
“She’s had the childhood illnesses that would be a problem. And I wash my hands often. I think her daddy might cheer her up.”
They went into the house and up the stairs arms around each other’s waists.
“I haven’t told her about us. I thought I’d wait until you were around,” she told him.
“What about the baby?” he asked as they went down the hall to Kara’s room.
“I would rather wait until the first trimester before the world knows.”
JC nodded. He didn’t care as long as they were together.
“Kara, look who’s here,” Cameron called to the pale child in bed.
A bleary-eyed Kara looked up to see her father and smiled wanly. “Hi, Dad.”
JC went to the bed and gathered up the child to cuddle her on his lap. “I hear my favorite munchkin is under the weather,” he said quietly.
Kara nodded and pressed her hot little face against his shoulder.
“My poor baby,” he crooned and rocked her gently.
“I miss you, Daddy.”
“I miss you, too, baby, but guess what?”
“What?”
“Mom and I are going to get married and you’ll have my name and I hope we can be together a lot more often.”
Normally such news would have Kara jumping on the bed, whooping for joy. Today, she simply nodded and murmured, “That’ll be nice.”
That afternoon, instead of celebrating their engagement in bed as he had planned, JC took over caring for his ailing daughter to give Cameron a break. She basically wanted to be held and cuddled. He sang soft songs to her and held her against his heart.
At dinnertime, Cameron found father and daughter asleep, curled together on her small bed. It was a precious sight. She left them as they were; they had both found some peace.
The next day Kara’s crisis had passed and she was able to hold down soup. Both parents were delighted.
“You were the cure, Josh.” Cameron smiled as she returned Kara’s lunch tray to the kitchen.
“Me? I fell asleep.”
Slipping her arms around his slim waist, she beamed up at him. “You stayed with her the entire time and she knew you were there.”
He shrugged. He still didn’t see where he had done anything so great.
“I’m glad my children have a wonderful father.”
If Cam wanted to see him as wonderful father material, he was all for it. “Have you told anyone about the new one?”
“Just you and John.”
“Not Grams or Riley?”
“No, I was sort of waiting until after the wedding.”
“You did tell them about that, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Then why did you tell John?”
“I had to talk to him right away. He is bringing in another vet to take my place.” She grinned. “I’m unemployed, Mr. Chasez.”
JC grinned in return. “I guess you’ll be a kept woman until the wedding.”
“Umm…problem there.”
“Don’t tell me—“
“You aren’t Catholic. I can’t be married in my church.”
“Well…we’ll just have a justice of the peace then.”
“Not my preference, but as long as it’s legal…”
“Have you thought about what you want?”
“The wedding? Here. Your parents and family. My family.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“Baby, I’d give you the world.”
“Josh, I don’t want the world. I want you and I want us to be a family.”
“That’s what I want, too, Cammi.”
“Dad.” Kara stood by JC’s side of the bed and tugged on his shirtsleeve. “Dad.” When that didn’t work, she sat beside him and pried his eyelids up. “You in there?” She peered into his eyes.
JC woke after that and leaned up on elbow. “What’s wrong, baby?” he asked quietly.
“Did you say you and Mom were gonna get married?”
“Yeah.”
“When?”
“Real soon.”
Kara wiggled in an excited little dance in place and JC grinned at her. “Guess you like that idea, huh?”
“Yay!” she whispered, silently clapping her hands together.
“Glad you approve.”
The child hugged his neck.
He pulled the small body into bed with him and tucked her beneath the covers. “Night, munchkin.”
“Night, Dad.” Kara snuggled against him happily and drifted off to sleep.
JC gazed over at Cam who slept peacefully. She looked like an angel…His angel.
If anyone had told him a year ago he would eagerly take on the role of husband and father, he would have said he was crazy. He was too young. His lifestyle wasn’t conducive to long lasting relationships. But his relationship with Cam was twelve years old and their child nearly nine. And now his lifestyle had to change for the people he loved. There was no making them change for his convenience. “Damn, I’m a real grown-up,” he muttered to the night.
It was the first time they’d been alone and quiet since JC had arrived. Kara was tucked into bed, sleeping peacefully. The couple sat on the sofa, Cameron settling beneath his arm, her head on his shoulder. For some time, they sat enjoying the rare silence and peace.
Finally, JC nuzzled the side of her head and murmured, “We need to talk.”
“I know.”
“You’re quitting the clinic…I never expected that.”
“It was a safely issue. My being pregnant changes everything.”
“I didn’t mean for you to give it all up.”
“I know. If you had, then I probably would have dug in.”
He let out a soft chuckle. “Contrary, aren’t you?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Cammi, I’ll make it work. No matter what else has to give. I’ll schedule around school for Kara when possible. I sure as hell am going to be around for this one’s birth.” He rubbed a big hand over her flat belly. “I want to be there for you this time.”
“Josh, what is your main residence now? LA or Orlando.”
“I guess, LA. I seem to spend the most time there.”
“Would you be offended if I sort of check it out and make changes?”
“Hell no. It’s sort of a bachelor pad now. Only the bare essentials.”
“Stereo, big screen television, and a bed, huh?” she teased.
He grinned at her. “Pretty much.”
“About the bed…” The idea he had shared it with other women troubled her. She wasn’t unreasonable. She knew he had not stayed celibate as she had…
“I expect you’ll make the master bedroom a place for both of us. Start from scratch.”
“You’re making this too easy.”
Baby, you have made concession after concession. I can give too.”
“When you are truly settled…I mean if LA is going to be where you plan on calling home, Kara and I will make our home there too.”
JC held her from him so he could look into her face, a face full of love. “Cammi, I—I wasn’t going to ask…”
“You have the right to, Josh. You have that right as my husband.”
“But, Kara—“
“Is young. She’ll adapt.”
He was totally blown away by her announcement. He hadn’t expected this. “I don’t know what to say.”
“I don’t expect you to say anything. I do have one big concern though.”
“Which is?”
“Privacy. I don’t want to live in a fishbowl. I don’t want our children to feel as if their lives are on display. I don’t want every teenaged tantrum Kara throws to be fodder for the tabloids.”
“Fair enough. I’ll just keep it down low. I can’t keep it all undercover, but I can shield you. Eventually, I’ll be behind the scenes not out front.”
“You do seem to love studio work.”
“I do love it. It’s in my blood.”
“It’s a shame. You have a wonderful voice.
“I’ll be singing lullabyes.”
“Oh? How many children are you planning on having?”
He touched her cheek. “How many do you want?”
“How many can we afford?”
He chuckled. “Maybe a couple dozen.”
“Hmm…I don’t think I want that many.” She rubbed her lips over his. “But I do want one more.”
“Conceived in wedlock,” he taunted.
“Uh-huh.”
A real family meeting was needed to discuss the weddings and what changes would be forth coming. Kara needed to know and understand that when her mother married her father, her life would be changed as well. The parents let her ask questions and offered explanations.
“Am I gonna have the same last name as you?” Kara asked JC.
JC nodded. “That’s already in the works.” As asinine as it was, he had to adopt his own child. “But you can decide if you want to be Kara Delaney-Chasez or Kara Chasez.
“Kara Chasez is easier,” the child stated. “Cool! A shorter name.”
Cameron had to smile at her daughter’s simple logic. “There will be times when we will live somewhere else – when your father is working.”
“Where?”
“I have a house in Los Angeles, California and another in Orlando, Florida…” JC told her.
“Wow! Disneyland and Disney World!”
Cameron laughed and JC shook his head in disbelief.
“Kara, sometimes I’ll be on the road doing concerts. I’ll want you and Mom with me.” JC was already looking into buying a new tour bus for the Chasezes alone. “And you’ll be away from the farm for long stretches of time.”
The child left her chair and climbed into her father’s lap. “We’ll be together, a family, right?” At his nod, she said, “As long as you and Mom are there, it’ll be home.”
“Thank you, Kara,” JC murmured huskily, overwhelmed by her affection and acceptance.
“And a trip to Disneyland would be so cool!”
“I’m a lucky guy,” JC announced as he climbed into bed that night.
“How’s that?” Cameron asked from her side of the bed.
He moved to where he could lean up on one elbow to gaze down at her. He stroked her soft cheek adoringly. “I am marrying the woman I love…” He placed his hand on her still flat stomach. “She’s having my baby for the second time. And she is willing to sacrifice so we can be together.”
“Josh—“
“And the first child she gave me is so unbelievably awesome – smart, impish, loving, and like her mother she’s willing to be uprooted so we can be a family.”
“We both love you, Josh.”
“I’m not sure I deserve so much happiness.”
“You do, darling.”
Lowering his head, his kiss was tender and lingering. “Cammi…” he whispered.
Cameron raised her hands to bury them in his hair as he shifted above her. She reveled in the feel of his hard body, gentle hands, and hungry mouth.
“Let me know if I hurt you or anything,” JC murmured against her neck. “Never made love to a pregnant girl before.”
“Actually, you have,” she remarked teasingly.
“Okay…that I knew was pregnant,” he amended with a smile.
“Josh, you’ve never been anything but wonderful.”
“That I doubt.” Sliding one nightgown strap from her shoulder, he kisses her silky flesh. “But you’re good for my ego.”
“At the moment, your ego is one of the furthest things from my mind,” she replied with a chuckle.
JC decided if he was going to spend part of the year in Draperville, he was going to need a studio. He went to Marie and purchased land from the Delaney homestead for the building sit. Cameron thought nothing when he never shared his design ideas. She knew nothing about studios and music production, so she didn’t expect to be included.
It was the first time anyone from JC’s life away from Chicago or Draperville was going to meet Cam and Kara. The friendly, relaxed setting of a pool party barbeque was just the right ticket for the unveiling of the new Chasezes.
“Dad!” Kara raced out to the patio and spotted her father immediately. With a big grin, she came to his side.
“Heya, munchkin!” JC rumpled her hair affectionately.
“Damn! The poor kid looks like you,” Justin exclaimed.
Kara frowned up at the tall, young man. “It’s not nice to swear in front of kids,” she told him.
JC laughed. “That’s my baby girl.” He swung her up on one hip. “Where’s Mom?”
“She walks. I run.”
“Damn!…I mean darn…would you look at that fine piece of womanhood…” Justin’s eyes were fixed on the woman coming towards them. “And she’s all mine since you up and got married.”
JC glanced up to see who his friend was talking about. His smile grew wide. It was his beautiful wife. “She is gorgeous,” he agreed.
“She’s coming right at me…”
“Hmm…don’t be too sure.”
“I’m single. You aren’t.”
“Check the left hand, dude. She’s wearing a wedding ring.”
“Hi, Mom!” Kara called.
Justin flashed a stunned glance in JC’s direction. “That’s…I mean she?…”
JC took Cameron’s hand when she came beside him. “Justin, meet my wife Cam.”
“He needs some manners, Mom,” Kara told her mother. “He swears in front of kids.”
“That’s because he doesn’t care if your mother gets mad at him or not,” JC told the child.
Cameron graciously shook Justin’s hand. “I think I saw you once when you were eleven. I see you’ve grown some.”
“I never saw you. I woulda remembered. JC never said he dated someone like you.” Justin grinned.
“We didn’t exactly ‘date’. I think the prom was our only official date.”
“You were so beautiful, baby.” JC remembered the night fondly. It was the night they had truly become lovers.”
Swinging Kara up to sit on his shoulders, JC put his arm around Cameron. “C’mon. I’ll introduce you around.”
JC had known Kara would do well at the party. Her impish boldness served her well. He had worried about his country-girl wife. Cam was not used to the crush of strangers, but after a few moments he saw something he hadn’t seen since she was fifteen: the open sweetness that Maureen had beaten out of her daughter. Oh, he had seen it at home in Draperville and always with family. It had been nearly thirteen years since he had seen her sparkle in front of strangers.
Cameron felt JC’s gaze from across the patio. She lifted her eyes to his and smiled. “Love you,” she mouthed.
JC was swamped by the realization of his incredible fortune. He had the love of the girl of his dreams. He had his family. He was doing well in his chosen profession. No man could ask for more!
JC picked up the sleeping Kara from the sofa. The child who had been bursting with energy had finally wound down from the time zone change. Instead of waking, her head flopped to his shoulder.
“She even sleeps like you, C,” Lance mused.
“That’s because, like her father, she rushes around until she crashes.” Cameron stroked his daughter’s hair lovingly.
“She is a cutie,” Joey remarked. “Now I’m not the only *NSYNC dad.”
“Now I know what you feel about Brianna. It’s awesome,” JC told him.
“Yeah and you got to skip diapers.”
“Well, not this time.”
They were silent for a moment before Chris spoke up. “You been making babies again?”
“Actually, it was Kara’s request,” Cameron answered, placing her hand on her less than flat stomach.
“Let’s hope they all don’t look like him,” Justin taunted.
“Excuse me?” Cameron’s eyes flashed with defensive fury. “Are you trying to tell me my child is not beautiful?”
“Whoa, Mama Bear.” JC put a hand on her waist. “Our baby girl is gorgeous. J is trying to needle me. And I’m not taking the bait.”
“Just remember, hell hath no fury like a mother protecting her child, Timberlake.”
“Amen,” added Brianna’s mother Kelly.
It was decided that the first high-profile family outing would be a movie premiere. It was an animated feature that JC thought Kara would like. He realized speculation would run rampant when he introduced the pregnant Cameron as his wife and the little girl who looked like him as his daughter. He’d shield them for the media glare as much as possible, but he was not about to hide them.
Cameron smiled gamely as JC assisted her out of the car. She could already hear the snaps and pops of cameras.
Kara, who had been excited for a new adventure, seemed subdued when she saw the crowd.
JC read their reactions. “Say the word, guys,” he told them. “If you don’t want to do this, we can climb right back into the car and go home.”
“Just don’t let go of my hand,” his wife murmured.
“Not a chance, sweetheart. Kara?”
Kara clung to her mother.
He squatted in front of her. “Baby, if you don’t want to do this, we’ll go home. Tell me now.”
“I—I want to see the movie,” the child said softly.
“We can wait until it comes to the theaters.”
Kara reached her arms around his neck, leaning her forehead against his. “You wanted to show us to people.”
“Not if it scares you, munchkin. Nothing is more important than you and Mom.”
“Carry me?”
“Kara—“ Cameron was going to object.
“This once. You’re getting to be my big girl.” JC scooped Kara up so her rump rested on his forearm. With his free hand, he grabbed Cam’s hand. “Let’s do this.”
There wasn’t a big clamoring since he had nothing to do with the movie and it wasn’t a musical event. One television entertainment magazine reporter pulled them aside for a quick chat.
“JC Chasez…how is your solo venture coming along?” the blonde reporter asked. She was clearly surprised by his choice of companions.
“It’s comin’ along great. The vibes have been fantastic.”
“And who do we have here?”
JC smiled and bounced Kara on his arm. “This gorgeous little chick is my daughter Kara and this beautiful lady is my wife Cameron.”
The reporter’s eyes dropped to Cameron’s slight but obvious tummy bulge. “Another announcement?”
“Yeah, we’ll be an even four by the end of the year,” JC quipped.
“How does that work with your tour plans?”
“It’ll work.” JC squeezed Cam’s hand and met her eyes.
If anyone doubted JC’s attachment to the little girl he called ‘daughter’, they had to rethink when the trio came out of the theater. The ever-active Kara shot out the door, restless from sitting still. She hadn’t given a thought to where she was – or that Hollywood was not used to such behavior. In a burst of energy, she took off towards the car with JC in laughing, hot pursuit. When he caught her, he slung her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. She squealed and giggled as onlookers watched it all. When she demanded to be put down, he let her slip until she hung by her knees.
“Dad!”
JC walked back to where Cameron awaited them. “What do I do with this?”
Cameron laughed. “I suggest you put ‘it’ down.”
“Awww…Mom, you’re no fun,” JC whined teasingly.
She winked. “If I wasn’t any fun, I wouldn’t be in this condition.”
He grinned and leaned forward to kiss her. “I take that back. You’re lots of fun.”
“So’re you, Chasez.”
“Excuse me!” Kara called. “The blood is rushing to my head while you’re smooching.”
JC set the child to her feet. “Gotta find a babysitter…” he muttered.
“Hey!” Kara protested.
JC grinned down at her and she grinned back.
“JC Chasez, who has been working solo from *NSYNC these days, showed up with females on each arm last night. A little girl he claims as his daughter. And a brown-haired lovely who was obviously enceinte he announced as his wife. This reporter would love to know the rest of the story.”
JC flipped the television off after hearing that tidbit. “You got it, lady.”
The reporter could scarcely believe it when the least public member of *NSYNC called and asked if she wanted an exclusive, the real story. When Julia arrived at Chasez’s Los Angeles resident, the woman JC referred to as Cameron answered the door.
Cameron smiled warmly at the woman and her cameraman. “Please, come in.”
“Thank you.”
Julia looked around. The house that had once been touted as empty was now a family residence. A pair of children’s shoes lay by the stairs. The furniture in the living room was comfortable and durable, not that of a bachelor pad. And the wonderful aroma of cookies wafted from the kitchen. She had been here before, but the place had been vacant and hadn’t seemed like a ‘home’ then.
“Please, have a seat. I’ll let Josh know you’re here.” Cameron scooted away before the other woman could ask her any questions.
“The TV people are here,” she announced to her husband as he came down the stairs.
“It’s cool, baby.” JC read her anxiety in Cam’s eyes. “I promise it will be painless. I’ll talk to Julia. I’ll tell her about us and it’ll be done.”
“Josh…”
He bussed her forehead. “You go back to the kitchen so the cookies don’t burn.”
“Kara…”
“I’ll ask them not to shoot a lot of film on her – unless she decides she wants to be part of the interview. Just like we agreed.”
Cameron smiled sheepishly. “I guess you know more about the media than I ever will.”
With another kiss, he sent her off with an affectionate pat on the rump.
They decided to set up the interview out by the pool so JC could keep an eye on Kara. The child swam like a fish, still her parents preferred someone was with her.
“She’s adorable,” Julia said, nodding towards Kara.
JC smiled proudly. “That she is. Bright and impish like her mother.”
“How do you like fatherhood?”
“It suits me. At least, with Kara it has been good. The credit there goes to Cam.”
“Being a step-parent can be hard…”
“I’m not Kara’s step-father. I am Kara’s father.”
Julia had seen the resemblance in father and child but had decided not to push.
“And that’s why I wanted to talk to you. I don’t want a lot of trash out there with gossip and half-truths,” JC told her. “They deserve my protection and the truth is the best way I know how to give it to them.”
His eyes drifted to the water sprite that was his little girl. His expression glowed with love. “You probably guessed I was a teenager when Kara was conceived. Cam and I were very much in love. Cam was afraid for my career, my future. So when she found out she was pregnant, she simply disappeared. I never knew. I never knew she had been pregnant; I never knew where she had gone.” JC sighed unhappily. That part still haunted him; Cam had done it alone.
“So she eventually contacted you?”
“No…I met her by chance. I was still blown away by her. Then I found out about Kara…I decided I wanted to be her father. I sorta fell in love with both of them.” He watched as Kara climbed out of the pool and shook like a wet dog. He chuckled at her antics.
The affectionate gaze was not lost on the reporter.
“Anyway…” JC pulled his thoughts back to the interview. “Cam and I love each other and we want to make a family.”
Kara wrapped herself in a big, fluffy towel and went to where her father sat. Instinctively he reached out to blot her hair with the edge of the towel. “When can you come in, Dad?” she asked.
“In a little bit, munchkin,” he told her.
“Okay.” She climbed on his lap to wait.
Despite the fact she was soaking his clothes, JC was glad to have the wet little bundle in his arms.
“Hi,” Kara said to Julia. “You were at the movie.”
“Yes, I was. Did you enjoy it?”
The girl wrinkled her nose. “I like movies with popcorn.”
JC laughed. That had been Kara’s complaint about the premiere. A movie without popcorn? A travesty! “We know what’s important,” he said teasingly.
“Mom shoulda made puppy chow and stuck it in her purse,” Kara declared.
Everyone laughed at that.
“So, Kara, how do you feel about JC being your dad?”
“I love my dad,” the child responded plainly. “I loved him before I knew he was my dad.”
“Are you excited about a new brother or sister?”
“I told them I wanted a baby sister, so they made one.”
“Well, we don’t know if it is a sister or a brother yet, “ JC pointed out.
“If I get a brother, I want a dog.” Kara stated to the amusement of all.
They continued to chat. Kara was comfortable as long as she sat on her father’s lap, the boldness she inherited from her mother serving her well. And having his daughter with him inexplicably made the interview much easier for JC, almost as if his reason for having the reporter was validated by her presence.
Cameron watched Kara join her father from the kitchen window. She could tell by their body language they were both relaxed. The two adored each other – a stranger couldn’t miss it. With a sigh, she picked up the tray of lemonade and cookies for the people on the patio. She supposed she had better make her appearance.
JC smiled when he saw his wife come out to the pool. He’d been half-afraid she wouldn’t come out.
“I thought you might enjoy some refreshments,” Cameron said as she placed the tray on the patio table.
“All right!” Kara snatched a still warm cookie. “Yum! Still gooey!” she said as she bit into the chocolate chip cookie.
“Lemonade anyone?” Cameron asked.
“Me!” Kara called out.
“Julia?” JC questioned. “Would you and Woody like something?”
“Freshly baked cookies? I’m so there.” Julia stated. “Woody,” she said to the camera man, “you can turn the camera off and join us.”
Cameron served the guests first as chairs were moved around the circular table, then she poured glasses of lemonade for Kara, JC and herself. She took the empty chair to her husband’s right.
“These cookies are fantastic!” Julia exclaimed.
“Thank you,” Cameron replied.
“Are you going to be a stay at home mom?” Julia asked her.
“For now. I can’t very well do my job in my condition.”
“Your job?”
“Mom’s an animal doctor,” Kara announced proudly.
“More to the point,” Cameron added, “half of the practice was farm animals. You never know when an irritable cow or horse will try to kick.”
“I bet.”
JC took Cam’s hand. “My ladies are midwestern farm girls.”
“Is that where you plan to settle?” Julia asked.
“When I’m not touring and working. We’re trying to make a schedule that works with Kara’s school schedule as much as possible. I want to be home when they can’t travel with me.”
“You sound like a real family man,” the reporter commented.
“I am a family man.”
As Cameron’s time drew near, changes had to be made in the Chasez household. Riley moved into the guest room so she would be available to watch Kara at a moment’s notice. JC came off tour as planned, wanting to be with his wife for their child’s birth. Kara got her dog since the doctor announced the new Chasez was going to be a boy. A son…JC still had a tough time wrapping his head around that. He was getting used to being a husband and a father, but something primitive in him thrilled at having a son. It was all so awesome and wonderful.
“Josh…” Cameron shook her sleeping husband’s shoulder. It was just before dawn and he slept like the dead. “Joshua.”
JC rolled over and blinked several times to focus. “Huh?”
“It’s time.”
“Time? Time for what?” His sleep-fogged brain wasn’t making the connection.
“Time for me to go to the hospital.”
“What? Damn! Now? Shit!” He bounded from bed, tossing off his pajamas and began dressing frantically. “I’ll call Grams and wake Riley while you dress.” He snatched up the bedside telephone and dialed Marie’s house. “Grams? It’s Josh. Cam says it’s time. I’ll pick you up in a couple of minutes…”
“Oh, dear!” As soon as she got to her feet, Cameron’s water broke. Hurrying to the bathroom, she brought towels to mop it up.
Seeing what was happening, JC pulled her to her feet. “We’ll worry about that later.”
“But—“
“No but’s.” Going to the closet, he pulled out the dress she had planned to wear to the hospital. “You put this on and I’ll tell Riley. She’ll call the doctor.”
Moments later, Marie was climbing into the backseat SUV with Cameron’s suitcase. “How are you, dear?” she asked Cameron.
“I’m okay. We have plenty of time to get tot the hospital.”
“Kara was in a hurry to get out.” Marie remembered.
Cameron smiled. “And she’s been in a rush ever since.”
After a while, the occupants of the car became quiet. The only sounds were the stifled cries of pain Cameron tried to hold back. Feeling helpless, JC reached one hand over to hold hers. “Is it bad, baby?”
“This part isn’t fun…I’m okay, Josh.”
“Squeeze my hand if it helps.”
When the next wave of pain hit, she gripped his hand, her nails biting into his flesh. If that was any indication of her discomfort, she was in agony, he decided.
Once they made it to the hospital, things progressed rapidly. Cameron was rolled away while JC was left to fill out forms.
“I want to be with her!” he protested.
“Mr. Chasez, the doctor needs to examine her first, then you will be able to sit with her. When she is moved to the birthing room, you’ll be given instructions," a no-nonsense nurse told him. " Who is her Lamaze coach?”
“I am,” Marie volunteered. “Josh has been away…”
“Fine. I let you know when you can go in.”
He hadn’t known exactly what to expect, but JC hadn’t known how much pain Cameron would have to endure. She had said Kara was an easy birth – this was ‘easy’? What the hell was ‘hard’ like? Between panting sessions, he wiped her face and cooed soothing noises.
Looking up, Cameron saw the pale, concerned face of her husband. “I’m okay, Josh,” she assured them.
“You’re a brave lady.”
“Not brave. Just doing what I have to do.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Brave.”
“Okay, Mrs. Chasez, one more big push,” the doctor said.
JC looked down to see blood. His world tipped crazily on its axis as the floor came up to meet him.
Waking up on a cot, JC didn’t remember getting there. The last thing he did remember was Cam’s blood and the baby’s head. Geeze, what a lameo – he’d fainted at the moment his son was being born.
“Good morning, Mr. Chasez,” Cameron’s voice came from the bed.
“Cammi…God, I’m so sorry!” He rose to go to her side. She was nursing their baby at her breast.
“You only missed the last plop.”
“I saw your blood and I just…”
“Let me introduce you to your son. Joshua Scott Chasez, Senior meet Joshua Scott Chasez, Junior. He’s a bit busy right now.”
JC’s eyes misted with tears. “He’s beautiful.”
“Actually, he’s wrinkly and red, but as parents we’re allowed to think he’s beautiful,” she teased gently.
He stroked a tentative finger along the infant’s cheek. “Thank you, Cammi.” He brushed a light on her lips. “I love you, baby.”