Jessica’s high-pitched voice rattled off incoherent while Carrie tried to calm her. “It’s okay, Jess. Calm down. Everything will be fine.”
Not quite sure what was going on, his worried expression met Carrie’s across the room. He took in Jessica’s large abdomen, stunned that for moment he’d forgotten about her having Jimmy’s child. His mind had been so wrapped up in seeing Carrie again and having her in his arms her sister hadn’t even crossed his mind.
“What’s wrong?”
“She needs to get to the hospital. I think her water broke.”
His gaze swept down Jessica’s body only to find the large wet spot on the floor at her feet. “What do we do?”
“How were the roads?”
“Slick.”
“Shit.” Carrie cursed, but he could see her mind working, trying to think of some way to get her sister where she needed to be. “Can you drive us to the hospital?”
“Of course, but it’ll be slow going.”
“We’ve got to do something, otherwise she’ll be having this baby right here in the store.” Carrie walked quickly to the pile of blankets on the shelf, grabbing several before she moved back to her sister’s side. “Wrap these around you. I’m going to lock up really fast.” Her eyes turned back to him. “Can you take her out to your truck? Yours is four-wheel drive, right? Mine isn't running the best, and I don't want to chance breaking down.”
“Yeah, but do you think this is such a good idea? I mean, what if we get stuck somewhere and she has the baby in my truck?”
“We have to do something, Cole. We can’t stay here.” Her terse tone grated on his nerves. Concern for Jess warred with his need to take Carrie in his arms and kiss the daylights out of her again while she ordered him around. “Get moving. We need to get her there now.”
Grumbling under his breath about stubborn females, he moved toward Jessica and said, “Come on, Jess.” He helped her wrap the blanket around her before he steered her in the direction of the front entrance. Carrie came up behind them a moment later and opened the door. The frigid wind whipped around them as he hustled Jessica out to his truck and Carrie pulled the door shut behind them. When all three of them were settled, he slowly pulled out onto the highway.
“Which way?”
Carrie sat in the middle between him and Jess with her arm around her sister’s shoulders. She pointed them in the right direction, but when her attention was drawn back to Jessica, he took a moment to study her. She hadn't changed much in the last six months. Still gorgeous, still full of fire and still bossy, he noticed.
Her murmurs of comfort to Jessica kept his mind on the emergent situation at hand while he continued to pick his way along the slippery highway.
There sure aren't many people out.
"Has the weather been bad here?"
"Yeah," she murmured, but didn't take her gaze off her sister. "It's been snowing heavily for several days."
"Wyoming's been bad, too."
"That where you've been?"
"Since the season ended, yeah."
The lights of the hospital came into view, and he almost sighed with relief. He really didn’t want to have to witness a baby’s delivery in the cab of his truck. Pulling right into the ambulance bay, he said, “I’ll go get help. Stay here and stay warm.”
Carrie put a hand on his arm. “Thanks for being here.”
He let a small smile play on his lips, and his hand covered hers. “Where else would I be?”
A frown pulled down the corners of her mouth, and her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but he didn’t wait. Sliding out into the snow, he felt his feet hit pavement under the six-inch deep drift before he shut the door. Rushing inside, he almost slid on the wet floor as he stopped at the reception desk.
“I need some help, fast.”
The young woman’s appreciative gaze raked him from the top of his blonde head to the tip of his cowboy boots as she popped the gum in her mouth and grinned. “I bet you do,
Not quite sure what was going on, his worried expression met Carrie’s across the room. He took in Jessica’s large abdomen, stunned that for moment he’d forgotten about her having Jimmy’s child. His mind had been so wrapped up in seeing Carrie again and having her in his arms her sister hadn’t even crossed his mind.
“What’s wrong?”
“She needs to get to the hospital. I think her water broke.”
His gaze swept down Jessica’s body only to find the large wet spot on the floor at her feet. “What do we do?”
“How were the roads?”
“Slick.”
“Shit.” Carrie cursed, but he could see her mind working, trying to think of some way to get her sister where she needed to be. “Can you drive us to the hospital?”
“Of course, but it’ll be slow going.”
“We’ve got to do something, otherwise she’ll be having this baby right here in the store.” Carrie walked quickly to the pile of blankets on the shelf, grabbing several before she moved back to her sister’s side. “Wrap these around you. I’m going to lock up really fast.” Her eyes turned back to him. “Can you take her out to your truck? Yours is four-wheel drive, right? Mine isn't running the best, and I don't want to chance breaking down.”
“Yeah, but do you think this is such a good idea? I mean, what if we get stuck somewhere and she has the baby in my truck?”
“We have to do something, Cole. We can’t stay here.” Her terse tone grated on his nerves. Concern for Jess warred with his need to take Carrie in his arms and kiss the daylights out of her again while she ordered him around. “Get moving. We need to get her there now.”
Grumbling under his breath about stubborn females, he moved toward Jessica and said, “Come on, Jess.” He helped her wrap the blanket around her before he steered her in the direction of the front entrance. Carrie came up behind them a moment later and opened the door. The frigid wind whipped around them as he hustled Jessica out to his truck and Carrie pulled the door shut behind them. When all three of them were settled, he slowly pulled out onto the highway.
“Which way?”
Carrie sat in the middle between him and Jess with her arm around her sister’s shoulders. She pointed them in the right direction, but when her attention was drawn back to Jessica, he took a moment to study her. She hadn't changed much in the last six months. Still gorgeous, still full of fire and still bossy, he noticed.
Her murmurs of comfort to Jessica kept his mind on the emergent situation at hand while he continued to pick his way along the slippery highway.
There sure aren't many people out.
"Has the weather been bad here?"
"Yeah," she murmured, but didn't take her gaze off her sister. "It's been snowing heavily for several days."
"Wyoming's been bad, too."
"That where you've been?"
"Since the season ended, yeah."
The lights of the hospital came into view, and he almost sighed with relief. He really didn’t want to have to witness a baby’s delivery in the cab of his truck. Pulling right into the ambulance bay, he said, “I’ll go get help. Stay here and stay warm.”
Carrie put a hand on his arm. “Thanks for being here.”
He let a small smile play on his lips, and his hand covered hers. “Where else would I be?”
A frown pulled down the corners of her mouth, and her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but he didn’t wait. Sliding out into the snow, he felt his feet hit pavement under the six-inch deep drift before he shut the door. Rushing inside, he almost slid on the wet floor as he stopped at the reception desk.
“I need some help, fast.”
The young woman’s appreciative gaze raked him from the top of his blonde head to the tip of his cowboy boots as she popped the gum in her mouth and grinned. “I bet you do,
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