handsome.”
“Not me. I have a pregnant woman in my truck who is going to have a baby. Can you get someone, please?” He wasn’t in the mood for a flirtatious woman right at the moment.
“Sure, honey.” The woman picked up the phone next to her, dialing with her bright red fingernails. “Hey. There is a guy out here with a pregnant woman in his truck. Can one of you grab a wheelchair? Okay. Thanks.” She turned her gaze back to him. “They’ll be out in a sec."
“Thanks.” He walked to the window and watched the snow swirl in the wind before it hit the ground until he heard someone behind him.
“Which way?”
“Under the ambulance bay.”
“Is she in labor?”
“How in the hell am I supposed to know?” He was getting agitated.
These people obviously had no clue what was going on, or did they?
Hell. He’d been around pregnant horses and pregnant cows, but a pregnant woman—he didn’t want to go there.
Following the orderly out the door, he directed him to where the truck was parked. They struggled through the snow even though they had obviously shoveled the walk recently and put some kind of salt on the pavement.
When they finally reached the passenger side, he could see Carrie and Jessica talking, but he could also tell something wasn’t quite right. Jessica’s face was contorted with pain as Carrie tried to calm her. They opened the door as both women turned terrified eyes to him.
I don’t like the looks of this. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. We need to get her inside—quickly,” Carrie answered her voice crackling with tears.
“Well, ma’am, if you’ll just get in this wheelchair…” The orderly from inside tried moving into position, but Cole stopped him as he reached inside the truck, sweeping Jessica up in his arms, heading for the door.
“Show me where. We don’t have time for the damned chair.” The orderly finally must have decided not to trifle with him as he opened the ambulance door, ushering the trio inside.
Cole moved inside one of the exam rooms and gently laid Jessica down on the bed as Carrie took the other side, wrapping her sister’s hand in her warm one.
One of the nurses came into the room and began preparing things to get Jessica’s checked in. “My name is Mandy. I'll be taking care of you while you are in the emergency room."
“Where’s the doctor?” Patience was not his virtue, and he knew it, but damn these people were driving him crazy and it wasn’t even his wife or his baby.
“Sir, I’m sure your wife will be fine. The doctor will be in here in a minute, but I need to get her into the computer system before we can do anything.”
“She’s not my wife, she’s…” What the hell is she to me? Nothing, really—just Carrie’s sister, but that's enough.
Carrie was worried, he could see the terror in her eyes and that was enough for him.
“Well, anyway, I need to get her processed. If you’d like to step out, I can get this done a bit quicker.”
“Fine.” Jamming his hands into his pockets, he flashed Carrie a look meant to reassure her before he pulled open the door and slipped out. He started pacing the hall like an expectant father until Carrie came out a moment later. Without a word, she walked into his arms, wrapping hers around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder while he rubbed her back. “Everything will be okay. We’re at the best place for her.”
“I know,” her murmured words sent a tingle down his arms when they whispered against the skin of his neck. “I’m just scared. It’s too early. She’s not due for a month.”
“Come on. Let’s sit down over here. This could take a while.” He steered her in the direction of several chairs. When they sat down together side-by-side, he took her hand in his, threading their fingers so he held her soft palm against his. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tugged her close while his lips brushed her forehead. “She’ll be
“Not me. I have a pregnant woman in my truck who is going to have a baby. Can you get someone, please?” He wasn’t in the mood for a flirtatious woman right at the moment.
“Sure, honey.” The woman picked up the phone next to her, dialing with her bright red fingernails. “Hey. There is a guy out here with a pregnant woman in his truck. Can one of you grab a wheelchair? Okay. Thanks.” She turned her gaze back to him. “They’ll be out in a sec."
“Thanks.” He walked to the window and watched the snow swirl in the wind before it hit the ground until he heard someone behind him.
“Which way?”
“Under the ambulance bay.”
“Is she in labor?”
“How in the hell am I supposed to know?” He was getting agitated.
These people obviously had no clue what was going on, or did they?
Hell. He’d been around pregnant horses and pregnant cows, but a pregnant woman—he didn’t want to go there.
Following the orderly out the door, he directed him to where the truck was parked. They struggled through the snow even though they had obviously shoveled the walk recently and put some kind of salt on the pavement.
When they finally reached the passenger side, he could see Carrie and Jessica talking, but he could also tell something wasn’t quite right. Jessica’s face was contorted with pain as Carrie tried to calm her. They opened the door as both women turned terrified eyes to him.
I don’t like the looks of this. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. We need to get her inside—quickly,” Carrie answered her voice crackling with tears.
“Well, ma’am, if you’ll just get in this wheelchair…” The orderly from inside tried moving into position, but Cole stopped him as he reached inside the truck, sweeping Jessica up in his arms, heading for the door.
“Show me where. We don’t have time for the damned chair.” The orderly finally must have decided not to trifle with him as he opened the ambulance door, ushering the trio inside.
Cole moved inside one of the exam rooms and gently laid Jessica down on the bed as Carrie took the other side, wrapping her sister’s hand in her warm one.
One of the nurses came into the room and began preparing things to get Jessica’s checked in. “My name is Mandy. I'll be taking care of you while you are in the emergency room."
“Where’s the doctor?” Patience was not his virtue, and he knew it, but damn these people were driving him crazy and it wasn’t even his wife or his baby.
“Sir, I’m sure your wife will be fine. The doctor will be in here in a minute, but I need to get her into the computer system before we can do anything.”
“She’s not my wife, she’s…” What the hell is she to me? Nothing, really—just Carrie’s sister, but that's enough.
Carrie was worried, he could see the terror in her eyes and that was enough for him.
“Well, anyway, I need to get her processed. If you’d like to step out, I can get this done a bit quicker.”
“Fine.” Jamming his hands into his pockets, he flashed Carrie a look meant to reassure her before he pulled open the door and slipped out. He started pacing the hall like an expectant father until Carrie came out a moment later. Without a word, she walked into his arms, wrapping hers around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder while he rubbed her back. “Everything will be okay. We’re at the best place for her.”
“I know,” her murmured words sent a tingle down his arms when they whispered against the skin of his neck. “I’m just scared. It’s too early. She’s not due for a month.”
“Come on. Let’s sit down over here. This could take a while.” He steered her in the direction of several chairs. When they sat down together side-by-side, he took her hand in his, threading their fingers so he held her soft palm against his. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tugged her close while his lips brushed her forehead. “She’ll be
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