Pippa
“Melissa, can you set Pippa up an appointment for two weeks from now?”
Dr. Tippen aims a smile my way.
“If there’s anything to report I’ll call, and remember to keep an eye on your salt intake.”
As she turns to head back to her office, her eyes catch on something behind me. Or someone, judging from her polite nod.
It takes me a moment to recognize the short-buzzed hair. I’m used to the black Stetson. But there’s no mistaking the clear blue eyes narrowed on me.
Oh shit.
What the hell is he doing here?
I want to run, but my feet are rooted as I look down at him.
My day was going so well up to this point. I met with Ira earlier and although the man has a serious personality issue and a giant chip on his shoulder, he genuinely seems to want to work at the shop. I got the impression the prospect of basically working by himself for the foreseeable future was appealing. I was able to call a few references and they all gave him glowing recommendations. We agreed on a salary and he even offered to come in and paint this week so we can open after the weekend.
A great morning so far, but I should’ve known it wouldn’t last. Not with my luck.
Sully slowly rises to his feet and is now towering over me. It makes me feel even smaller.
“Wow. Talk about a shock to the system, you’re not really showing,” he observes before I can think of something to say. “That knee in the nuts makes a lot more sense now.”
“What are you doing here?” my mouth finally forms, completely disregarding his comment. Or maybe I’m ignoring it on purpose.
“Fletch is out on a search and your sister’s van wouldn’t start. She needed to get checked out by her doctor and wasn’t able to get ahold of you.”
I realized my first visit here that Nella’s OB-GYN, Dr. DeMario, is part of the same practice as Dr. Tippen.
“Wait, you said she needed to get checked out? Is she okay?”
“I think some cramping.” He seems uncomfortable with the topic, but his next words imply his discomfort is with me. “I’ll wait for her in the car.”
“That’s okay, you don’t have to hang around. I’ll wait for her.”
Anything to get out of this awkward situation, since I’m not going anywhere without knowing my sister is okay.
Sully nods, fits on his hat, and starts walking to the door. There he stops and turns around.
“I’m sorry for the other day. I didn’t know you were involved. Best of luck to you.”
Then he pushes through the door and disappears from sight.
It takes me a moment to realize he hasn’t clued in to the fact he’s the father. At least not yet. I’m sure he will soon enough.
Yeah, I wasn’t prepared for this today.
Five minutes later, Dr. DeMario walks out with Nella, who is surprised to see me. But before she can ask me how I got here, she winces and bends forward. While she’s handling what looks to be a contraction, Dr. DeMario instructs the receptionist to alert the hospital and then turns to me.
“Are you her ride?”
“Yes, I’m her sister.”
“Good. If you could take her, I’ll meet you at the Labor and Delivery unit at the hospital. She’s having premature contractions and looks to be dilating. I’d like to see what we can do to delay delivery.”
“You need to…call…Fletch,” my sister gasps.
“As soon as I get you in my truck,” I announce, taking her arm. “Let me know when this one goes down and we’ll hustle.”
I manage to get her in the passenger seat and notice she’s looking rather pale.
“Are you okay?” I ask, concerned.
She turns those pretty hazel eyes on me. I was always jealous of that color growing up. I ended up with the much less interesting drab brown eyes.
“I’m scared,” she admits.
I totally get that. Heck, I’m scared now, and I’m not having any contractions. I cover her hand with mine.
“You’ll be fine. You’re the strongest woman I know, bar none, and, like everything you do in life, I have not a second’s doubt you will rock this too.
“What if he’s not ready? If his lungs aren’t developed yet?”
“Stop. In one week no one would’ve blinked an eye if you’d gone into labor. Even if the doc can’t slow this down, you’ll be fine, and so will the little peanut.”
I let go of her hand and start the truck, before adding, “I’m not worried about you two, but I’m not so sure about Fletch though. I think he might lose his shit.”
Nella snickers beside me and I’m grateful she at least still has her sense of humor.
Instead of trying to reach Fletch, who is out in the field, I decide to get ahold of Sully. He’s probably still behind the wheel since he answers after only one ring.
“Pippa?”
His voice is loud over the hands-free.
“I have to take Nella to the hospital. Can you get hold of Fletch?”
“Leave it to me,” he says and abruptly hangs up.
“Charmer,” Nella mumbles. “Where did he go off to anyway? Did he call you?”
“I had my maternal screening today,” I explain. “I bumped into him in the waiting room and told him he didn’t need to hang around.”
“You sent the man packing?”
“Well, I’m sure he has better things to do than hang around a waiting room in an OB-GYN office.”
It takes me a moment to realize she’s studying me and I dart her a quick glance.
“What?”
“It’s him, isn’t it?”
How the hell does she do that?
I try to keep my face impassive but my nonresponse is probably confirmation enough for my sister. I hate to admit I’m relieved when another contraction hits her, keeping her occupied while I look for a parking spot at the hospital.
When we find the labor and delivery department, we’re immediately hustled into a room. At Nella’s request, I stay with her and am directed to a chair while the nurse helps her change into a hospital gown and starts an IV to administer fluids. Then she straps sensors onto Nella’s belly to monitor contractions and the baby’s heartbeat.
“Can you roll on your left side? I’ll put a pillow under your hip for support. If you can keep this position, it can help slow down contractions. Dr. DeMario should be here shortly.”
We don’t have to wait long for the doctor. After introductions and another contraction, DeMario explains the plan.
“This is magnesium sulfite,” he clarifies as he hangs a smaller bag onto the IV pole and inserts a line to the port. “I’m hoping it’ll slow contractions. You’re almost thirty-six weeks, at which point your baby’s lungs should be mature enough to take that first breath, so if we can delay birth by those couple of days it would be preferable.”
“Yeah, of course.”
Nella nods her head at DeMario as he leaves the room and then her eyes come to me. She’s worried, I can tell from the tight line of her mouth and the hand she reaches out to me.
I take her hand in both of mine and lean forward as her eyes slowly well up.
“You’ll be fine. Fletch is gonna be here soon, Sully will make sure of it, and it is all going to be fine.”
I hope I sounded convincing enough, because I’m really worried too.
Sully
I’ve been waiting at the trailhead where the HMT trailer is parked for about half an hour when Fletch emerges from the woods.
On my way here, I got in touch with Dan back at the ranch. He was going to hook up the small trailer and head here to pick up Fletch’s horse, King. My initial plan had been to let Fletch take my truck and I’d take King to join the others. But when talking to my teammate it became clear it wouldn’t be a good idea for him to be behind the wheel.
One glimpse at the expression on his face as he leaps off his horse tells me getting Dan over here had been the right call. My friend is teetering on the edge.
“Let’s go.”
He bangs his fist on my dashboard a few times.
“Easy, man, I’ll get you there.”
“Nella’s not answering her goddamn phone.”
She may not be able to. I can’t recall seeing a cell phone on her, but now may not be a good time to point that out. Instead, I pull up Pippa’s number on my phone and dial. It rings five times and I’m about to hang up when she answers.
“Hi.”
Her voice is no more than a whisper and it sounds like she’s moving around.
“Just checking in,” I tell her. “How are things?”
“Sorry, I had to step out of the room. She’s dozing a little.”
“She’s in a room? What’s going on?” Fletch jumps in barking out questions.
“They have her on IV medication to try and slow down contractions. She’ll be fine, but Fletch…” She pauses to make sure she has his attention. “…You’re gonna have to rein it in. My sister’s scared and the last thing she needs is you going off the rails.”
I can tell she’s trying to keep her tone level, but there is no mistaking the sharp edge to her voice. She’s making it clear she will do what it takes to protect her sister, even from her husband.
Fletch hears it too and balls his fists and clenches his jaw, but still manages to promise he’ll hold it together.
“Pippa? What room are you guys in?” I ask, breaking the tension.
“Room three in labor and delivery.”
There’s a small wobble in her voice which doesn’t escape me. The better part of the past hour and a half I’ve been pissed at her, but the sound of that tremble has an effect on me.
“Okay, hang tight, sweetheart. We’ll be there in less than half an hour.”
I can’t believe she’s fucking pregnant. That was like another knee in the nuts, but this one really knocked me on my ass. I’m angry, but what really floors me is how much the idea of her with someone else hurts.
Not that I have any rights to her—I did a good job fucking that up—but I care about the woman. I just don’t trust myself with her.
When you spend near eighteen years bouncing around from one high-octane assignment to another, always looking over your shoulder for the enemy, disconnected from everything that is familiar, bearing witness to atrocities that defy any form of humanity, it does something to you.
Your mind may be able to process—to categorize and file away—but the soul can’t leave it behind. It becomes a shadow you carry with you, and no matter how much light you force into your life, all it takes is one moment of weakness for that darkness to creep in.
I know, I’ve seen it happen to many good men. And I’ve also seen the devastation it can leave behind.
Five years ago, my good friend, brother-in-arms, as well as brother-in-law, Nick, couldn’t ward off that darkness any longer. In a moment of rage, he beat my sister so badly we weren’t sure if she was going to survive. When he realized what he’d done, he took his gun, shoved it in his mouth, and pulled the trigger.
My then sixteen-year-old niece, Sloane, was the one to find both of them. Isobel made it, but both she and her daughter now have their own dark shadows to carry around.
I will not risk that. I can’t chance causing that much damage. Not to anyone, but especially not to someone like Pippa.
“Did you know she was pregnant?”
The words are out there before I stop to think about it.
Fletch’s head jerks around.
“Pippa?”
“Hmm,” I hum, watching him from the corner of my eye.
“Yeah, Nella told me. Apparently, Pippa only found out herself last week.”
“She seeing someone?”
Fletch’s eyes narrow on me. I’m being too transparent, but I can’t seem to help myself.
“Not that I know of. It upset Nella that she wasn’t sharing who the father is. Turns out she’s already halfway through her pregnancy and didn’t know it. May have been some guy on the road. How fucked up is that?”
Halfway through her pregnancy? That’s four-and-a-half months and puts the time right around…
Sonofabitch.