alternated staring at Morgan and Joe.
The tears suspended in her eyes fell, tracing silvery tracks down her cheeks. She bit her lip. Then nodded. “It’s true. This time. I’m pregnant . It’s really true.”
Joe leaned forward, burying his face in his wife’s neck. If the shaking of his wide shoulders was any indication, he joined her in emotional release. His arms folded over her chest as he hugged her from behind. The guys took turns slugging him in the shoulder, slapping his back and ruffling his hair before nudging Mike out of the way to kiss Morgan’s cheek.
They finally cleared away. Even Joe stood upright, giving Kayla room to approach. She leaned in and hugged her friend. “Congratulations. You’re going to be a great mom. I’m so thrilled for you.”
“And I’m here for you.” Morgan clasped her tight enough to border on painful. “Both of you. Dave is tough. We’re going to make it through. Him. And all of us too.”
“Excuse me. Is Mrs. Rosewood in the room?” A doctor stood in the entryway that had only been empty—and empty and empty some more—for an eternity.
Mike threaded Kayla’s arm around his elbow and escorted her to the rumpled man. His scrubs were askew, hair sticking up on end, and his face seemed pale in the harsh lights. Dark stains smattered his clothing.
After the interminable torture of not knowing, the truth suddenly frightened Kayla. She stutter-stepped. The foreman dragged her forward with his momentum. She must have whimpered.
“Come on, Kay.” He squeezed her arm. “We have to find out. Hearing the truth isn’t going to change anything. It is what it is. We’re going to cope with it together.”
“This is Kayla Rosewood.” Mike presented her to the doctor. “I’m Dave’s brother. We’re all his brothers.”
The rest of the crew huddled close behind them. Morgan and Joe tucked in the rear.
“Big family.” The doctor nodded slowly. “I’m not surprised he has so much support. Ma’am, your husband is stubborn as hell. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone quite so determined not to give up. There were a couple very close calls. Both according to the rescue workers and from what I saw myself. I’m thrilled to be standing in front of you right now and to be able to say your husband is being moved to the ICU for recovery.”
“So he’s going to be fine?” She struggled to translate each phrase that drifted from the doctor’s lips and decipher the repercussions his pronouncement had on her and Dave’s lives. Her heart soared with hope and relief.
“I wouldn’t say it like that.” The surgeon sobered. He ground his hands over his face. “I assume the police haven’t been in yet, since he wasn’t conscious to answer questions.”
Kayla shook her head no.
“Then you don’t know anything about the accident?” The surgeon sighed.
Several shallow, quick breaths threatened to choke Kayla.
“You’re scaring her.” Mike rubbed circles on her back.
“I looked it up on the local news.” James spoke up from the rear. A green cast infused his typically bronzed skin.
“You did?” She whipped her head around to stare at him. “Why didn’t you show me?”
He didn’t answer.
“It’s that bad?” She looked between Mike and the doctor.
“All I know is he took on a semi and lost.” The surgeon shook his head. “Or maybe he won. I’ll let you be the judge. This I’m sure of. It’s going to be a long, hard road from here. Your husband was pinned inside his car. His left leg was shattered. Tibia, fibula, kneecap—you name it. A large chunk of his calf muscle was…missing. I did all I could to save the limb. We’ll have to wait until he’s awake and healing to see if it worked.”
“There’s still the possibility—”
“I’m afraid so.” He grimaced.
“Okay, okay.” Kay had spent the last several hours preparing herself for this, based on the tips Ofelia had given them. “It’s horrible. Terrifying. Going to be so
The tears suspended in her eyes fell, tracing silvery tracks down her cheeks. She bit her lip. Then nodded. “It’s true. This time. I’m pregnant . It’s really true.”
Joe leaned forward, burying his face in his wife’s neck. If the shaking of his wide shoulders was any indication, he joined her in emotional release. His arms folded over her chest as he hugged her from behind. The guys took turns slugging him in the shoulder, slapping his back and ruffling his hair before nudging Mike out of the way to kiss Morgan’s cheek.
They finally cleared away. Even Joe stood upright, giving Kayla room to approach. She leaned in and hugged her friend. “Congratulations. You’re going to be a great mom. I’m so thrilled for you.”
“And I’m here for you.” Morgan clasped her tight enough to border on painful. “Both of you. Dave is tough. We’re going to make it through. Him. And all of us too.”
“Excuse me. Is Mrs. Rosewood in the room?” A doctor stood in the entryway that had only been empty—and empty and empty some more—for an eternity.
Mike threaded Kayla’s arm around his elbow and escorted her to the rumpled man. His scrubs were askew, hair sticking up on end, and his face seemed pale in the harsh lights. Dark stains smattered his clothing.
After the interminable torture of not knowing, the truth suddenly frightened Kayla. She stutter-stepped. The foreman dragged her forward with his momentum. She must have whimpered.
“Come on, Kay.” He squeezed her arm. “We have to find out. Hearing the truth isn’t going to change anything. It is what it is. We’re going to cope with it together.”
“This is Kayla Rosewood.” Mike presented her to the doctor. “I’m Dave’s brother. We’re all his brothers.”
The rest of the crew huddled close behind them. Morgan and Joe tucked in the rear.
“Big family.” The doctor nodded slowly. “I’m not surprised he has so much support. Ma’am, your husband is stubborn as hell. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone quite so determined not to give up. There were a couple very close calls. Both according to the rescue workers and from what I saw myself. I’m thrilled to be standing in front of you right now and to be able to say your husband is being moved to the ICU for recovery.”
“So he’s going to be fine?” She struggled to translate each phrase that drifted from the doctor’s lips and decipher the repercussions his pronouncement had on her and Dave’s lives. Her heart soared with hope and relief.
“I wouldn’t say it like that.” The surgeon sobered. He ground his hands over his face. “I assume the police haven’t been in yet, since he wasn’t conscious to answer questions.”
Kayla shook her head no.
“Then you don’t know anything about the accident?” The surgeon sighed.
Several shallow, quick breaths threatened to choke Kayla.
“You’re scaring her.” Mike rubbed circles on her back.
“I looked it up on the local news.” James spoke up from the rear. A green cast infused his typically bronzed skin.
“You did?” She whipped her head around to stare at him. “Why didn’t you show me?”
He didn’t answer.
“It’s that bad?” She looked between Mike and the doctor.
“All I know is he took on a semi and lost.” The surgeon shook his head. “Or maybe he won. I’ll let you be the judge. This I’m sure of. It’s going to be a long, hard road from here. Your husband was pinned inside his car. His left leg was shattered. Tibia, fibula, kneecap—you name it. A large chunk of his calf muscle was…missing. I did all I could to save the limb. We’ll have to wait until he’s awake and healing to see if it worked.”
“There’s still the possibility—”
“I’m afraid so.” He grimaced.
“Okay, okay.” Kay had spent the last several hours preparing herself for this, based on the tips Ofelia had given them. “It’s horrible. Terrifying. Going to be so
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