Stealing a Cowboy's Heart Read online

  Thankfully, the doctor was calm, and his professional demeanor helped me focus. I was covered in sweat, and my muscles shook, but I tried to listen to the doctor’s soothing tone as he told me when to push, and when to back off. When male omega’s got pregnant, we formed a temporary birth canal. Once the baby was born, that canal was reabsorbed by the body, and it didn’t reappear unless the omega got pregnant again.

  “Push, Griffin.” The doctor’s voice was even, and he gave me a thumbs up when I obeyed. “Okay, back off. Let’s wait a second.” I couldn’t see him clearly because he was on a stool between my legs. “That’s good. She’s just about ready to say hello.”

  She.

  As his words sank in, my eyes teared. “It’s a girl?” I asked, wiping at my wet lids.

  “Yep.” The doctor responded. There was a loud squeal, and then the baby started balling. The doctor stood, holding the wiggling child up where I could see it. “She’s a beauty.” His face mask puffed as he spoke.

  I met his gaze, and nodded, feeling exhausted, but relieved that the baby seemed healthy. “I did it. I can’t believe I did it.”

  “You sure did.” The doctor handed the baby to a nurse, who wrapped it in a pink and blue blanket. Then he glanced over at me. “There’s no alpha hanging around out there to cut the cord, is there?”

  My face warmed, even though his tone was simply curious, not judgmental. “No.”

  He didn’t speak, he just clipped the umbilical cord. Then he moved up toward my head, and he pulled his mask down. His eyes were green and his smile warm. “You did great.” He patted my shoulder. “You got here just in time.”

  I closed my eyes, feeling grateful to the universe. When I opened my eyes, the doctor was still watching me. He squeezed my shoulder and moved away to check on the baby. Once the child was cleaned up, a nurse carried my daughter to me. She placed the child on my chest.

  “Do you feel up to nursing?” she asked.

  I stroked the baby’s velvety pink cheek. “I don’t think my milk has come in.” I knew it probably was because I’d been starving myself. I hoped that in a few days, after some good, healthy meals, I’d be able to nurse my baby girl. I hadn’t really cared about nursing my baby, until she’d been born. From the first sound of her cry, my body had warmed and clenched with the need to feed her.

  The nurse nodded. “You’re thin. I’m sure that’s why.”

  “I’ll work on that. I really want to feed her the natural way.” I was mesmerized studying the wiggling baby. My chest squeezed with emotions I didn’t really recognize. I’d never been a hugely demonstrative person, but I felt like showering my child’s face with kisses.

  The doctor peered over the nurses shoulder. “It doesn’t take much to bring in the milk. Eat everything we give you and you’ll be fine.”

  His reassuring tone seemed to do something to my pulse. “Thanks, doc.”

  He smiled and winked. Then he turned and left the delivery room, leaving me to stare after him. He was way more attractive than any damn OBGYN I’d ever seen before. “What’s that doctor’s name?” I asked the nurse.

  “That’s Dr. Prost.” She had a gleam in her eye. “He’s cute, isn’t he?”

  I flushed and looked away. “I’m just thankful he was so professional.”

  “Uh, huh.” She grinned and walked to the door. “Don’t worry, honey, all the omegas, male and female, have a crush on Dr. Prost.”

  “Pfft.” I kissed my daughter’s forehead, fully aware my face was probably red with embarrassment. She opened the door, and I caught a glimpse of Tex standing there talking to his mom. His expression was odd, and I had a feeling he’d overheard the nurses comment about Dr. Prost. But then the doors swung closed, and I went back to gazing at my newborn daughter’s beautiful face.

  Chapter Five

  Tex

  Had I heard that nurse right? All the omegas had a crush on that doctor who’d just left the delivery room? Was she implying Griff did too? I watched the doctor disappear down the hall. He definitely carried himself like he thought he was amazing, but he didn’t seem that special to me. Just another alpha. Besides, poor Griff had just had a baby, he wasn’t here to be set up on a blind date.

  I wasn’t sure why the idea of Griff liking that doctor bugged me so much. But it did. Enough that I had trouble concentrating on the conversation I was having with my mom. She’d called me when she got Griff to the hospital. I’d been shocked at how driven I’d been to get here to the hospital as fast as possible. I barely knew Griff. He wasn’t my omega. He’d only been in my house a little over a day. But the minute my mom had called, I’d told Jake I needed to go, and I’d dropped everything to get here.

  “So thank goodness I was there.” My mother ran a hand over her hair. “I mean if I hadn’t been, can you imagine what might have happened?” She widened her eyes.

  “I can’t. I don’t want to.” The very idea that Griff might have had the baby while alone had my gut clenching. I hadn’t done anything wrong by going to work, but I still felt awful the poor kid might have been stranded at my house while popping out his baby. He’d probably been terrified when labor started. I shivered and crossed my arms, trying to control the strange emotions going through me.

  A nurse walked up with a clipboard. “Are you related to Griffin Kantain?”

  “No. But he’s staying with me.” If we weren’t family would they not let us see him? I wasn’t prepared for how angry that thought made me. “He doesn’t have any family in town. We’re as close to family as he has in Sweet Water.”

  The nurse frowned. “Is that right?”

  “Yep.”

  My mom spoke up, “He’ll want to see Tex. I can guarantee that.”

  “Is that right?” The nurse laughed, eying me.

  “He did okay?” I asked, glancing toward the delivery room. “Everything went well in there?”

  A little smile hovered on the nurses lips. “He was a real trooper. The baby is in excellent health, and he’s doing great.”

  “Was it a girl or a boy?” my mom asked.

  “A girl.”

  My chest tightened, and I laughed. “Aww. Was he happy to have a daughter?”

  “He was glad it was over with.” The nurse smirked. “But, yes, he seemed thrilled.”

  “So do we get to see him? Or are we not allowed?” I figured we should just cut to the chase.

  She narrowed her eyes. “I think that can be arranged. I’d hate to think no one was around to show they cared. You two are here, so that means a lot. It’s nice to see an open minded alpha for a change.”

  I knew she was hinting at how unusual it was for an alpha to care about an omega that had just given birth to another alpha’s offspring. I lifted my chin. “He’s a good kid. He needs our support.”

  “Yep.” She smiled. “Let me get him set up in his room, and then we’ll get you guys in for a visit.” She wandered off.

  My mom turned to me. “I think I’m going to run down to the gift shop and get Griff some flowers.”

  I frowned. “Oh, I didn't think of that.”

  “I know.” She laughed and strode away toward the little row of shops near the cafeteria.

  I took a seat in the corner of the room. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone. I really just wanted to see Griff. My alpha instincts were going nuts with the need to make sure he was okay. Maybe he wasn’t my omega, but there was something about him, from the first time I’d met him, that made me want to protect him. I knew he didn’t really appreciate that impulse in me, but it was what it was.

  My gut clenched when I saw Sven Richard walk through the doors of the ER. What was he doing here? Did he know that Griff was here? How could he know? I stayed seated, just watching the other alpha. He marched up to the admitting desk and spoke to the nurse there. He seemed agitated as he talked, waving his hands and leaning into the desk.

  The nurse seemed nervous, and she glanced around as if seeking backup. Another nurse came over to her, and S
ven started the same routine with her. At one point he knocked over a little holder with pens in it and sent it flying onto the floor. Then he started toward the delivery room where Griff had just given birth.

  Something inside of me kicked to life, and I stood and moved toward him to head him off. He wasn’t getting anywhere near Griff if I had anything to say about it. Security got to him before me and seemed to be trying to calm him down. As I neared, he locked eyes with me. We’d never been friends. In fact, we barely knew each other, but after hearing what he’d done to Griff, I pretty much hated the guy now. I had a feeling he could see that in my eyes as I approached.

  “What are you doing here?” I growled.

  His jaw was clenched, and through gritted teeth he said, “My omega just gave birth.”

  How the fuck did he know that?

  “Says who?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “What does this have to do with you?”

  “If you’re talking about Griff Kantain, he’s my friend.” Maybe I was overstepping there. I wasn’t even sure if Griff would acknowledge that we were friends. But I wasn’t going to let Sven hurt Griff, even if I had to physically restrain him myself.

  “Is that right?” Sven looked angry, his face red and veins bulging in his throat.

  “Yep.”

  My mom came up, holding a big bouquet of brightly colored white and yellow daisies. “Boys, you may want to keep your voices down.”

  Sven gave her a surly glance. “Is this your backup?”

  “I don’t need any backup,” I rumbled, bunching my shoulders. His aggression was stirring my wolf, and I just wanted him to go away.

  Pointing toward the delivery room, Sven said, “That’s my omega in there, and you have no right to keep me from him.” He gave the security guy a dirty look. “None of you do.”

  The security guy straightened. “Wait. That’s your omega?”

  “Yes,” snarled Sven.

  “No. He’s lying.” I faced Sven. “Griff doesn't want to see you.” My voice was gruff.

  “Bullshit,” snapped Sven.

  “I know what you did to him.” I kept my tone even.

  His face tensed. “He’s my omega. I can do what I want with him.”

  “That’s not how it works.” I scowled.

  He sneered. “Like you’d know. Since when do you give a shit about one omega? This is none of your business. Maybe you don’t know the rules about omegas and alphas because you’re such a player. But alphas like me, who actually want to breed and settle with one omega, get it.”

  “You didn’t claim Griff. You kidnapped him. That’s not the same thing.”

  The security guy looked completely confused. “Maybe we should all calm down, and you guys can come back later. You’re way too worked up right now.”

  “I’m not worked up. I just know that Griff is afraid of this guy, and he doesn’t want him near him.” I was going to keep Sven away from Griff, even if the security guy didn’t have the guts.

  “He’s my omega, and that baby is my offspring. If you try and take them away from me, you’ll regret it.” Sven pushed his face closer to mine, his dark eyes glittering with anger.

  “Then you need to see a lawyer because Griff doesn’t want you around.” I didn’t back down, holding his furious gaze with mine.

  “We’ll see about that,” Sven said. “At least now I know where the hell he is. Thanks for that, at least.”

  I was frustrated that he knew Griff’s location, but it really couldn’t have been avoided. I had the distinct impression that if I hadn’t intervened, the security guy wouldn’t have had the guts to stand up to Sven on his own. “You come around my place and you’ll regret it.”

  He smirked, taking a step back. “You can’t be there all the time, asshole. Sorry. But there’s no way you’re keeping me away from my omega and child. It’s just not possible.”

  I feared what he said was true. I had to work. I couldn’t be with Griff twenty-four-seven. But I didn’t let Sven see his words bothered me. “I’m not worried.”

  “You should go.” My mother’s voice was gruff as she addressed Sven.

  He turned his cold glance onto her. “You should butt out.”

  “Why?” She snorted. “You don’t scare me. I’ve heard about how you treat omegas. Everybody in town has. Well, it’s not going to continue. Griff is under the protection of us Greersons now. You best get that through your pig head.”

  He glared, and took a step toward her, but I stepped in front of him. “Don’t even think about it.”

  Sven hesitated and glanced toward the security guard. “You’re just going to let them keep me away from what is rightfully mine?”

  Raking a hand through his hair, the guy said, “Buddy, I have no idea who’s right or wrong here. My job is just to keep people from causing trouble. And right now, you’re the one who seems the most aggressive. In my opinion, you need to go cool off.”

  Sven curled his lip and snarled at me, “This isn’t over.” He turned and strode toward the exit.

  I slumped with relief, trying not to show just how glad I was he hadn’t pushed it. The last thing anyone needed was the two of us physically brawling in the middle of the ER.

  “What a jerk.” My mother put her hand on my arm. “Thank goodness Griff isn’t around that monster anymore. He’s dangerous.”

  “Yeah. I think he is.” My gut clenched with worry. I wasn’t sure how to keep Griff and his newborn safe.

  The security guard watched Sven leave. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you have a few flat tires after that little exchange.”

  I sighed. “Yeah. Maybe we should have you walk us out to our car later.” I gave a gruff laugh.

  “Damn. I don’t want to run into that guy again anytime soon.” The guard raised his brows and walked away.

  I turned to my mom. “Well, you’ve obviously been introduced to Griff already. How would you like to hear how he and I met?”

  She laughed uneasily. “Sure. I’ll admit I was surprised to find a strange, pregnant omega in your house this afternoon.”

  We took two seats in the corner. I stretched my legs out in front of me and clasped my hands on my stomach. “Yesterday, Griff tried to steal my truck, and I caught him in the act.”

  “What?” she squeaked. “He stole your truck?”

  I grinned. “He tried. I stopped him.”

  She wrinkled her brow. “Griff did that?”

  “Yep.”

  “So, how did he end up at your house? Sounds more like he should have been arrested.”

  I winced. “You saw him. How the hell could I send the poor kid to jail? He was desperate, and I guess I felt sorry for him. I offered to drive him to the next town over, but I thought I should feed him and let him clean up first.”

  “But he’s still at your house.”

  “Yeah. The more I thought about it the more I felt like taking him to Slaterville wouldn’t solve his problem.”

  “And you wanted to do that?”

  “Why not?” I smiled at her. “You always taught me to care about those less fortunate.”

  She nodded. “True enough. And he seems like a nice boy.”

  I laughed at her description of Griff. “I don’t know if I’d describe him that way exactly. But he sure enough seems like a good person who has just hit hard times.” She didn't need to know all the details about Griff’s past. If I could get him on his feet, he wouldn’t have to do anything like sell his body anymore. That was my goal at least.

  The nurse we’d spoken to earlier came up to us. “You two ready to see your friend?”

  “We sure are,” my mom responded.

  We stood and followed her down a long hall to a room at the end. She pushed open the door, and we found Griff in a bed holding his daughter. The baby was squirming and grumbling, and Griff looked agitated.

  When he saw it was us, a worried smile appeared. “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.” His voice wobbled. “She won’t stop fussing.�
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  I grimaced, since I had no clue how to sooth a baby, but my mom laughed, and moved to his side. She picked the baby up gently and cooed down at the infant. “Are you giving your daddy a hard time?”

  Griff met my gaze. “You came to see me?”

  “Of course.” I frowned.

  “I told your mom not to bother you.” He looked down at his clasped hands.

  “That’s silly. Of course I wanted to be here to support you.” My voice was gruff, and I shifted uneasily.

  “Well, it’s good to see a couple of familiar faces.”

  That comment was a surprise coming from him, since he usually acted like he didn’t need anybody in this world. “How are you feeling?”

  “Pretty good, considering I just had a baby.” He watched my mom. “You’re so relaxed with her.”

  My mom smiled. “Of course.” She tickled the baby’s cheek. “She’s a little angel.”

  Griff sighed. “She is right now. You must have that motherly touch.”

  “You’ll get there. Don’t worry. It takes time.” My mom’s tone was reassuring.

  I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you went into labor. I thought we were safe for a few more weeks at least.”

  “You and me both.”

  “I knew it would be soon.” My mom laughed. “But I didn’t want to scare Griff and say that. Plus, I didn’t know it would be quite that soon.”

  “I’m so happy you were still there,” Griff said quietly. “I can’t imagine going through childbirth alone.”

  “No. That would have been very bad.” I frowned.

  My mom had a glint in her eye. “Plus you got the best doctor in the hospital. Dr. Prost is new, but everybody loves him.”

  I was surprised when Griff’s cheeks turned pink. “He really knew his stuff. He took control and kept me calm.”

  His obvious admiration for Dr. Prost irked me. “Well, that is his job.”