Chapter One
The hospital’s electronic doors whooshed open as Penelope Quinn rushed toward the emergency room.
She’d been at Cork & Knife, having dinner with friends in downtown Misty River, when she’d received a terrifying call from her older brother, Theo. Breaking every speed limit between the restaurant and the hospital, she’d made it here in just twelve minutes.
Immediately upon reaching the ER’s waiting room, she spotted Theo. Her tall sibling stood like a tree in a field of linoleum and chairs. He’d married his sweet-natured blond wife, Aubrey, three years ago. And ten days ago, Aubrey had given birth to their first child. A snowy white burp cloth rested over his shoulder and he held his new baby, Madeline, against it as he turned toward Penelope. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Tell me more about what happened.”
“One of Aubrey’s legs swelled up and then she started having chest pain. She was dizzy, coughing, struggling to breathe. I called 911. As soon as the ambulance took her, Madeline and I got in the car to come here. That’s when I called you.” Worry had turned his even features pale and bleak. His hand appeared rigid against Madeline’s tiny, rounded back.
“Did they tell you what caused her symptoms?”
“They think a blood clot formed in her leg and traveled to her lungs. It’s called a pulmonary embolism, and, apparently, a woman’s at greater risk for it after delivering a baby.”
Penelope flinched. A blood clot had killed Aubrey’s dad a few years ago. If something happened to Aubrey...
Nothingcould happen to Aubrey. She was a brand-new mother and the cool, quiet breeze of their passionate, emotional family. The only outcome of this emergency: Aubrey recovering and returning home to be a mother to Madeline, wife to Theo, website designer to her employer.That’s it. That’s what must happen.
“I need to go back and check on her,” Theo said. “But I don’t want to expose Madeline to even more germs than I am already.”
“Exactly. I’ll take over with Madeline so you can focus on Aubrey.”
“I forgot to bring her diaper bag. I’m sorry. She’s sleeping now but I’m sure she’ll be hungry soon.”
“Don’t worry about a thing.” Without Aubrey to calm this terrifying situation, it was up to her and her brother to keep it together. “I’ve got this.” It was what people said to pump themselves up when they suspected, like Penelope suspected now, that theydid nothave this. “I’ll drive Madeline back to your house and get her situated.”
“Take my car. It has the base for the baby seat.” He fished his keys from his pocket and handed them, and then his daughter, to her.
Penelope carefully settled her niece’s warm weight against her.
“Oh, and I also called...” His attention latched onto a point behind her. “Good. Here he is now.”
“Who?”
“Eli. I called him after I called you.”
Nooooo. That one word magnified and lessened in volume within her skull like a tornado siren. The very last person she wanted to deal with at present was her brother’s friend, fighter pilot Eli Price. He’d been deployed to Syria for five months. Then the Air Force had given him a month off, which he’d spent with family in his home state of Montana. No one had told her he’d returned to Georgia.
It would have been better for her peace of mind had he set himself up with a home, a lawn, a dog, and citizenship overseas.
She braced herself and slowly swiveled to look. A smattering of people inhabited the waiting room. All the female heads in the place, even the ailing ones, were also tracking Eli’s progress.
He’d dressed his lean six-foot frame in a simple black polo shirt and jeans. He was thirty years old and, already, hard proficiency marked his forehead, the set of his eyebrows, and the positioning of his straight nose. His jawline formed a wide, very determined V. Yet, his deep-set brown eyes and his lips were soft in the most irresistible way. His dark blond hair, which he kept as long as Air Force regulations allowed, looked as if it would soon be in need of a trim. Charmingly so.
His intelligent gaze took her measure. “Penelope.”
“Eli.” She pretended interest in smoothing the burp cloth beneath Madeline’s face.
The two men exchanged a brief, masculine hug and stepped apart. “Thanks for coming,” Theo said.
“I’m glad you called.”
“I’m not sure what’s going on or how long Aubrey will be here.” Theo motioned between himself and Penelope. “Our mom and dad and Aubrey’s mom were all here for Madeline’s birth and for several days afterward. But our folks are back in Boston and Aubrey’s mom is back in Arizona. I figured Penelope might need a hand with Madeline.”
“Right. I’m happy to help.”
God love you, my very excellent brother. But I do not need the help of this particular man when caring for Madeline.
