Smokin Gun

Chapter Nineteen: Part II

Brantley's POV

A few hours later, I thought the grip Stephanie had on my hand was going to break it. I'm pretty sure after this I was going to have a permanent indention of my wedding ring on my finger. I was already favoring the ribs on my right side a little from where she decked me earlier. Just because I had gotten caught up in a conversation with her doctor about deer hunting.

Ok, I may have gotten distracted and wasn't holding her hand and counting as she pushed. She wouldn't be letting me forget about that any time soon. Steph let out a gasp and shook her head before dropping back against the pillows.

"I can't," she sobbed out breaking my heart. I knew she couldn't feel most of this because of the epidural but she was exhausted. "I just can't."

"Almost there, Mrs. Gilbert. He's almost here. Just one more big push," the doctor said giving her an encouraging smile. I tightened my grip on her hand and pushed the hair off her face.

"Come on sweetheart," I said giving her a kiss on her sweaty forehead. "You've got this. Come on baby girl."

She nodded her head and squeezed my hand again causing me to yelp and the nurse on her other side to laugh. She'd had quite the comedy show from the two of us earlier. After Stephanie's water broke and the contractions had really started to hit, she had threatened to never let me near her again. I had smirked and rolled my eyes reminding her there was no way she could make it without The D.

She had launched the pitcher of ice chips the nurse had just brought in at my head. I hadn't moved quick enough and had been covered in ice chips. I had stood at the foot of the bed for ten minutes with my arms crossed glaring at her as she sat propped up in the bed mirroring my pose. Five minutes later she had been apologizing and chalked it up to the pain talking.

We had been bickering back and forth as the day went on. The nurse at one point had asked when she was in here checking on Stephanie, if we had been married for twenty years because that was exactly what we sounded like. Kolby had been kicked out after he had taken a selfie with Stephanie while she had been trying to sleep. He had left in search of ice for his jaw. That was the end of Nephew Watch 2018. The nurses had laughed and patted my wife on the arm for being able to keep both of us in line while being in labor.

I jerked my head from looking at my exhausted wife to the foot of the bed when I heard that first cry. I locked my knees to keep them from buckling as I looked to see the doctor holding up my son. Holy shit, I thought as tears formed in my eyes. We did that.

"Is he ok?" Stephanie asked between sobs.

"Dad, you want to cut the cord?" the other nurse asked giving me a soft smile. I gave Stephanie a soft kiss on her lips then made my way over to them on shaky legs. I followed their instructions and watched as they took him to the side to check him out.

"Go with him B," Steph asked looking at me with a tired smile. I nodded and walked behind them. I pulled my phone out to snap a couple quick pictures before sending out a mass group text that he was here. Mama had landed earlier and poked her head in when she got her. I know her and Susan were anxious to get their hands on their grandson.

A minute later the nurse was handing me Carson with a big grin on her face. I sucked in a deep breath as I looked down at him. I felt the tears fall down my cheeks unchecked as I walked over to Stephanie who was holding her arms out for him. I leaned over to place him gently in her arms before sitting down on the bed beside her. I wiped the tears from my face before reaching over to do the same for her. She pulled the blanket back slightly to count all ten fingers and toes then placed a kiss on his forehead as he let out a yawn making both of us laugh.

"Takes after you already and wanting to sleep," I muttered. I grunted when she elbowed me in the ribs never taking her eyes off our son. "I love you baby and thank you for always standing by me. I thank God for bringing you into my life every day."

Stephanie turned her head to look at me with tears in her eyes. She gave me a watery smile before leaning over to kiss me softly.
"I love you too baby," she whispered back.
I pulled her closer and rested my chin on her shoulder as I rubbed my thumb across Carson's hand. I was amazed at how tiny his little hands looked compared to mine. I chuckled as he pursed his lips out in his sleep looking so much like Stephanie it wasn't even funny.

A few minutes later the nurse came to take him to get cleaned up and to finish being checked out. I stood up after they left to help Stephanie stand up so she could go get cleaned up. She kicked me out to go let everyone else know that he was a here and doing awesome. I sent out a few messages as I walked down to the waiting room that at 8:45 p.m. on January 15th, Carson Keith Gilbert had arrived weighing in at 8lbs 2ozs.

Stephanie's POV

I had fallen asleep after the medicine the nurse had given me earlier kicked in. I heard a quiet voice and opened my eyes to the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I slowly reached over for my phone that was beside me on the bed where I had sat it earlier and snapped a picture before he noticed.

Brantley was kicked back in the recliner in the room they had moved us to with Carson asleep on his bare chest. I saw the camo blanket my mom had made draped over them. One little foot was peeking out from under it right in the middle of the cross he had added a few months ago. I glanced at my phone to see the time thankful it was the middle of the night so I didn't have to worry about having the nurses on the floor coming in and out to catch a peek of my husband shirtless.

Hey, I can't blame them,  all those muscles, tattoos, and that god forsaken hat. But I smirked as I watched him talking to our sleeping son, that man right there was all mine and always had been. The fan girls were really going to have heart attacks if I talked him into the newborn pictures I wanted I thought with an evil grin. I looked up to see my husband smirking at me as he dropped his feet down to the floor and slowly stood up.

I pushed up in the bed wincing just a little as I sat up and held my arms out. He placed our son in my arms, who let out a sigh as he settled against me. I saw Brantley shaking his head out of the corner of my eye as he reached for his long sleeve t-shirt to tug back over his head. I scooted over to make room in the bed. He climbed in and stretched out beside us wrapping an arm around me. He took his other hand and rubbed a long finger across Carson's hand who automatically curled his tiny fingers around it making my eyes tear up.

"Someone has daddy wrapped around his finger already," I said softly as I gently rubbed his head. I could see some blonde hair the color of mine peeking out from the black hat that P.J. had gotten made for him. It said Lil Outlaw across the front in red.

"Damn right he does," Brantley rumbled against my ear, "just like his Mama."

Other than my hair color , he was a mini version of his daddy. Heaven help me when he got older is all I could think. I shifted my sleeping son to my other arm and laid back turning to my side a little. Brantley shifted to his side mimicking me since the position put Carson between us. He banded an arm around my waist and pulled us closer. I buried my head in his shoulder and let my eyes drift closed again.

I had just thought the day we got married my whole world had felt complete but I was wrong, right now was what we both had been waiting on. If it wasn't for this little man right here we may have never pulled our heads out of our asses and admitted we did belong together. We were always meant to be this way even when we denied it. I was almost asleep when I felt him start to sing quietly. Carson shifted closer to him in his sleep instantly recognizing his daddy's voice. I smiled as I started drifting off when I realized he was singing "Play Me That Song". Yep little man, that one is all about Mama