certain they would, he was sure to end up with joint custody.
It would be better for the child, he intended to argue, if he were allowed to develop a relationship with her as soon as possible.
He knocked again on the heavy wood door. Inside, a dog yapped noisily, but Annie still didn't answer. Maybe she was out back, tending to the animals. He turned around, ready to walk to the side of the house, when the door slowly creaked open.
He turned to see Annie standing in the doorway, clad in a short pink print dress, clutching her stomach. Her face was pale, and her eyes held the look of acute pain.
Jake stepped toward her. "Hey—are you all right?".
"I—I'm ill. I can't talk to you now."
"What's the matter?"
"I have the flu or something. Please—would you just go away?"
It was more than the flu. She looked like she was in agony. "What hurts?"
"M—my stomach. And I'm nauseous and dizzy and ..." The dachshund darted out the door, and the baby, dressed in a yellow and white two-piece playsuit, toddled out right behind. Annie reached forward to stop the child, then doubled over, her hand on her stomach. "Ohh!"
Madeline plopped down on the porch by the dog, right at Jake's feet. He turned his attention back to Annie. "You need to see a doctor."
She - started to straighten, but it evidently caused her too much pain. "Please—just go away. I'm in no shape to deal with you today."
Jake started to tell her she was in no shape to deal with a baby, either, then thought better of it. "How long have you been feeling like this?"
"It started yesterday. It got worse in the night, and by this morning ..." Her voice trailed off.
"I'll take you to the hospital," he said decisively. "No. I don't want you to take me anywhere."
"Well, then, I'll call an ambulance. You're in no con-
dition to drive yourself." He pulled a cell phone out of
his pocket.
Annie stared at the man's phone, weighing his words. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Her stomach hurt so much that she couldn't even stand up straight. She felt weak and light-headed, as if she might pass out at any moment. She'd barely been able to lift Madeline out of her crib this morning.
But she couldn't go off in an ambulance. What would she do with Madeline? The only babysitters she'd ever used were Ben and Helen, and they were in Tulsa.
"Where's the nearest hospital around here, anyway?" Jake asked, opening the phone.
"Bartlesville."
He clicked the phone closed. "Look—it makes a lot more sense to let me drive you. I can have you at the emergency room before the ambulance could even get here."
It was her turn to hesitate.
A nerve flicked in his jaw. "Look, lady—we can stand here arguing until you pass out, or we can get you to a doctor while you can still tell him what hurts. If you want your daughter to grow up with a mother, you'd better get in my car and let me give you a ride."
He sure knew what button to punch, mentioning Madeline. "All—all right. But we have to get the baby's car seat out of my truck."
"Do you need anything else?"
"My purse. And the baby's bag. They're on a hook in the kitchen beside the garage door."
Jake nodded. "Okay. Let's get you to the car, then I'll get your things."
Annie turned loose of the door and took a step for- ward. A wave of searing pain rose up like heat from a summer pavement, making everything seem wavy and red.
She felt Jake's hand on her arm, steadying her. "Hey—you'd better let me help you."
His forearm was hard and sturdy under the starched white cotton of his shirt. Annie gripped it tightly. "Madeline...... she muttered.
"She's fine. She's still sitting on the porch, trying to grab the dog's tail. I'll bring her to the car as soon as I get you settled."
The next thing Annie knew, he'd picked her up, one hand under her knees, the other under her back. Her cheek pressed against his. She felt the roughened smoothness of freshly shaved skin, and inhaled the faint scent of shaving cream.
He
It would be better for the child, he intended to argue, if he were allowed to develop a relationship with her as soon as possible.
He knocked again on the heavy wood door. Inside, a dog yapped noisily, but Annie still didn't answer. Maybe she was out back, tending to the animals. He turned around, ready to walk to the side of the house, when the door slowly creaked open.
He turned to see Annie standing in the doorway, clad in a short pink print dress, clutching her stomach. Her face was pale, and her eyes held the look of acute pain.
Jake stepped toward her. "Hey—are you all right?".
"I—I'm ill. I can't talk to you now."
"What's the matter?"
"I have the flu or something. Please—would you just go away?"
It was more than the flu. She looked like she was in agony. "What hurts?"
"M—my stomach. And I'm nauseous and dizzy and ..." The dachshund darted out the door, and the baby, dressed in a yellow and white two-piece playsuit, toddled out right behind. Annie reached forward to stop the child, then doubled over, her hand on her stomach. "Ohh!"
Madeline plopped down on the porch by the dog, right at Jake's feet. He turned his attention back to Annie. "You need to see a doctor."
She - started to straighten, but it evidently caused her too much pain. "Please—just go away. I'm in no shape to deal with you today."
Jake started to tell her she was in no shape to deal with a baby, either, then thought better of it. "How long have you been feeling like this?"
"It started yesterday. It got worse in the night, and by this morning ..." Her voice trailed off.
"I'll take you to the hospital," he said decisively. "No. I don't want you to take me anywhere."
"Well, then, I'll call an ambulance. You're in no con-
dition to drive yourself." He pulled a cell phone out of
his pocket.
Annie stared at the man's phone, weighing his words. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Her stomach hurt so much that she couldn't even stand up straight. She felt weak and light-headed, as if she might pass out at any moment. She'd barely been able to lift Madeline out of her crib this morning.
But she couldn't go off in an ambulance. What would she do with Madeline? The only babysitters she'd ever used were Ben and Helen, and they were in Tulsa.
"Where's the nearest hospital around here, anyway?" Jake asked, opening the phone.
"Bartlesville."
He clicked the phone closed. "Look—it makes a lot more sense to let me drive you. I can have you at the emergency room before the ambulance could even get here."
It was her turn to hesitate.
A nerve flicked in his jaw. "Look, lady—we can stand here arguing until you pass out, or we can get you to a doctor while you can still tell him what hurts. If you want your daughter to grow up with a mother, you'd better get in my car and let me give you a ride."
He sure knew what button to punch, mentioning Madeline. "All—all right. But we have to get the baby's car seat out of my truck."
"Do you need anything else?"
"My purse. And the baby's bag. They're on a hook in the kitchen beside the garage door."
Jake nodded. "Okay. Let's get you to the car, then I'll get your things."
Annie turned loose of the door and took a step for- ward. A wave of searing pain rose up like heat from a summer pavement, making everything seem wavy and red.
She felt Jake's hand on her arm, steadying her. "Hey—you'd better let me help you."
His forearm was hard and sturdy under the starched white cotton of his shirt. Annie gripped it tightly. "Madeline...... she muttered.
"She's fine. She's still sitting on the porch, trying to grab the dog's tail. I'll bring her to the car as soon as I get you settled."
The next thing Annie knew, he'd picked her up, one hand under her knees, the other under her back. Her cheek pressed against his. She felt the roughened smoothness of freshly shaved skin, and inhaled the faint scent of shaving cream.
He
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