Roommates Box Set #4-6

5. Jude

5

JUDE

“Where are they?” Mason grumbled at breakfast. We were back on the patio where we’d had the wine tasting last night, but it was a very different scene. Huge platters of eggs, bacon, and other assorted foods lined the bar. And there were a dozen or so newcomers… the tour group from Japan that our hosts had mentioned yesterday. They’d evidently gotten in late and looked tired and a bit out of it.

The other change was that although Sierra and her guys were here, Alyssa, Spencer, Raphael, and Flynn were not.

“They probably just slept in,” Kylie said. She meant to be reassuring, but it just made Mason glower more. Fortunately, the force of his grumpy gaze was directed at the platter of eggs in front of him, not her.

“I’m sure they’ll show up soon.” I clapped Mason’s broad arm, but he didn’t look up. I exchanged a glance with Parker. We both knew why Mason was acting like this. Didn’t mean I agreed with it, though. Neither did Parker or Kylie.

“Good morning,” Sierra called out, looking across the little field next to the inn. I followed her gaze and saw Alyssa and her men emerging from the woods. Evidently spotting the newcomers, Alyssa took a step away from Spencer, who’d had his arm around her, and Raphael who’d been holding her hand. But it was hard to miss the careful way she was walking and her messed-up hair. Plus the twigs in Spencer’s. All four of them looked like they’d had a very good morning, in my opinion. I resisted checking out Mason’s reaction.

Perhaps to take some eyes off of the foursome, Parker went over to talk to some of the tourists. They’d been delighted to find out he spoke a little Japanese and were treating him like an American movie star… not even realizing that there was a real movie star here.

The proprietors, Mark and Kay, had their hands full with such a big group, so they’d seemed relieved when we’d done our best to make the tourists feel welcome. They also were still worried about the storm that was supposedly on its way. It was quite sunny at the moment, though.

After breakfast, Parker suggested a game of volleyball. There was a net set up in the clearing next to the inn, and soon we had two teams with a mix of American and Japanese players. It was fun, despite the language barrier. I spoke no foreign languages, and though our new friends spoke some English, they seemed pretty shy about using it. They’d only arrived in the US the day before and were still pretty jet lagged.

In the middle of the second game, the wind picked up, and clouds moved in. Several people left to get jackets, and as the sky darkened, the game disbanded.

Kay had food ready for us, and we ate lunch on the patio again. Mason was less grumpy, fortunately. He was a competitive guy and enjoyed playing volleyball though he’d reined in his killer instincts for the most part.

After lunch, Alyssa and her men went back to their room to take a nap. Kylie and I grinned at that—it wasn’t really hard to figure out what had tired them out. We stayed out on the patio where Parker was fawned over by the tourists. He was good with them… talking to all of them and including them. That was probably why he’d been a good teaching assistant at the university.

At one point, Tristan and Drew emerged from the inn’s lobby with a bunch of board games they’d found in there, and we got several groups playing at the tables. It was fun getting to know people from another country. In Denver, we were well used to keeping guests entertained at the nightclub, but that was mostly the drunken American kind. I enjoyed representing my country to the group. It seemed to calm them down because a few seemed a little apprehensive about the darkening skies.

When the skies opened up, the rain bounced along the edge of the patio, but we stayed dry in the sheltered area. Kay brought around a big tray loaded with soft drinks and iced tea. It seemed too heavy for a pregnant woman. I moved toward her to help at the same time Tristan did.

As we neared, Kay let out a cry and the tray dropped to the ground. Glasses hit the concrete below us and shattered. Liquid and glass shards sprayed in every direction.

Kay clutched her stomach and sank toward the floor. Alarmed, I leaped toward her, glass crunching under my shoes. I grabbed her arm before her knees hit the ground. Then Tristan was on her other side, and we lifted her away from the mess at her feet.

She was moaning in pain which was scary as fuck. I hoped we weren’t hurting her as we lowered her to a chair, but it wouldn’t have done her or the baby any good to get cut by the glass.

“Find Mark,” I ordered, and Sierra, Carter, and Drew all dashed off in different directions.

Kylie hurried to Kay’s side. “What hurts?”

Kay didn’t answer, she just moaned, her arms around her stomach. Her skin was deathly pale, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. I was far from an expert, but it didn’t look like it did in the movies. Something seemed very wrong.

Tristan thought so too, and he turned to the gaping onlookers. “Are any of you doctors?”

Parker repeated the word in Japanese, but everyone shook their heads looking on with worry.

Mason appeared next to me. “Flynn,” he said gruffly.

“What?” I asked, not following.

“Alyssa’s… friend. He has medical training.”

“Isn’t he a veterinarian?” Tristan asked, but Kylie had already run off toward the rooms.

“Kay!” Mark hurried up with Sierra and Carter behind him. “What is it?”

“I’ll call 9-1-1,” Tristan said, his phone already out.

Mark nodded as he looked at his wife’s face. Then Kylie hurried up with Flynn and the others in tow. We stepped back and he moved to her side, immediately checking her pulse and talking to her in a low voice. His calm and professional demeanor, so different from his usual devil-may-care attitude, was reassuring.

Kylie grasped my hand as we watched Flynn speak with the woman and check her vital signs. Tristan reported that an ambulance was on its way, and Flynn said, “Good.”

But Mark wasn’t as pleased. “It’ll take too long. I’ll drive her.”

He bent to pick up his wife, but she put her hand weakly on his chest. “No.” Her voice was so faint it was nearly impossible to hear it over the rain. “Our guests.”

“Don’t worry about that,” I said. “We’ll be fine.”

That was good enough for Mark, but Kay still wouldn’t let him pick her up.

Kylie knelt down and took her hand. “You have to go to the hospital. We’ll help out here..” She looked into the pregnant woman’s eyes. “We run a nightclub back in Denver. We serve drinks and food… there’s even live music. We’ll take care of everything here. We just want you and the baby to be safe.”

After a long moment, Kay nodded, and Mark wasted no time in picking her up. “Thank you,” he said to Kylie. “My dad lives an hour away. I’ll tell him to come over. If you folks could just hold down the fort until he gets here, we’d appreciate it.”

“We’ll all help,” Carter said, and his deep rumbly voice seemed to assure the scared couple.

All eyes were on them as Mark carried his wife over to a pickup truck. Flynn got there first and opened the passenger door. It sounded like he was offering to come with them, but it only had two seats, and Mark refused.

Flynn walked back over to us as the pickup roared to life and headed out in the storm. “We’ll help too,” Flynn said as Alyssa moved to his side. “What’s first?”

I looked at Kylie who was surveying the broken glasses and pooled liquid. “How about we clean up this mess?”

“You’re the boss.” I gave her a mock salute. She could do this—and so could we.