Chapter 34
“Reminder: hospitals are not good places for impromptu games of hide-and-seek.”
Sloane
I rock Adele but she doesn’t stop crying. “Come on, sweetie pie. You need to calm down.”
Adele does not agree with me. I rub her back, but it has no effect.
I stand and pace around the room. “Do you want me to sing to you? Daddy’s the singer. Not me. But I’ll give it a try.”
I hum, but every lyric I’ve ever known escapes my mind.
I dig my phone out of my pocket and open my music app. I nearly fumble the phone when AC/DC blares. Adele wails even louder. I close the app and throw my phone on the changing table.
“I don’t blame you, sweetie pie.”
I bounce her as I meander around the house. Usually, she’ll calm down when she’s moving. Maybe I should put her in her stroller and go for a walk. Good idea. We’ll go for a walk.
But when I set her in her stroller, I notice her face is flushed and her neck is stiff. Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no.
I place my hand on her forehead. She’s burning up.
I don’t hesitate. I dig my… Crap. Where is my phone?
“Stay here, sweetie pie.” I rush to the nursery and snatch my phone from the changing table.
I dial Jessica as I hurry back to Adele.
“He—”
“Adele’s sick. What do I do?”
“Sick how? Is she throwing up?”
“I think she has a fever. Her face is flushed.”
“Did you take her temperature?”
“Her neck is stiff, and I haven’t changed her diaper in hours.”
“I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
I hang up without saying goodbye and bundle Adele into her coat before racing outside to the dad-mobile. Lucky for me, Zane keeps the car here when Adele is home.
“Call Zane,” I shout once the Bluetooth is connected.
“Hey, sweetness. What’s up?”
“Adele. Sick. Hospital.”
“Slow down. What’s happening?”
“Adele has a fever. I’m on my way to the hospital.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
I drive to the hospital and park the car in front of the emergency room. Zane is waiting for me with his mom in front of the doors.
He wrenches the rear door open and picks up Adele. I follow him inside.
Jessica trails after us. “I spoke to Dr. Allens. She has a room for us.”
Zane marches to the room where the doctor is waiting for us. “This must be baby Adele.” She motions to the bed. “Lay her down. I’ll examine her.”
A nurse rushes into the room. “Let’s give the doctor room to work.”
She tries to herd us outside but Zane doesn’t move. “I’m not leaving my baby.”
“You must be mommy?” she says to me.
Before I have a chance to answer, Zane does. “She’s not the baby’s mom. She’s the nanny.”
Pain lances through me. Is that what Zane thinks? I’m merely the nanny? He didn’t say I’m his girlfriend or his partner. He said nanny. Someone who isn’t a member of the family.
“I’ll… ah…” I motion toward the door but no one’s paying any attention to me.
I back out of the room. But once I’m in the hallway, I don’t know where to go or what to do. Should I stay? I don’t feel welcome here. But Adele is sick. I don’t want to abandon her.
She’s the nanny.
Zane’s words echo in my mind. No matter how much I want to stay, I’m not welcome here. Zane doesn’t need me.
Maybe I should go home. Home. I’ve been searching for a home my entire life. I thought I finally found one. But maybe I was wrong. I’m not Zane’s girlfriend or his partner. She’s the nanny.
I head for the exit. Shit. Zane’s car is still parked in front of the entrance to the ER, blocking everyone. I quickly move the car and give the keys to the nurse at the desk.
I wring my hands as I stand in front of the exit, trying to decide what to do. I don’t want to leave until I know Adele is going to be okay. But I’m the nanny. I’m not welcome here.
I notice Jaxon, Kai, Miles, and Eli piling out of Rhett’s truck. My decision is made. I’m not staying here with the Raider family. I thought I was one of them. I thought I found a family.
She’s the nanny.
I’m such an idiot. I thought Zane had changed his ways. I should have known better. People don’t change. Look at my mother.
Miles waves as he approaches me. Escape! I need to escape!
I race toward the front entrance but Stuart is coming in that way. I spin around. There must be another exit.
There! An employee only hallway. I’ll hide there until the Raiders are all gathered together in the waiting room and then sneak out the front.
I peek through the window of the door to make sure there’s no one in the hallway before pushing it open.
“We’re still waiting on the lab results.”
“The lab should have had those results by now.”
Oh no! Someone’s coming. More than someone, by the sounds of it. I scan the area.
Storage closet. Perfect. I rush to it. It’s unlocked. Finally. Something’s going right for me. I enter and shut the door behind me.
I don’t dare switch on the light. Instead, I stand perfectly still in the middle of the closet and wait for the people to pass me.
Shoes squeak on the tile floor as they pass. I blow out a breath. Phew. That was a close call.
I reach for the doorknob but the door opens and the light switches on.
“Ah!”
“Ah!”
We both scream in surprise.
The nurse grasps her chest. “What are you doing in here? I told Robert he wasn’t allowed to play hide and seek anymore.”
Robert? Who’s Robert? Wait a sec. I don’t care. I go with it.
I shrug. “You know Robert.”
“Go on.” She motions me into the hallway. “Get out of here before Dr. Stick in the Mud sees you.”
She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I rush down the hallway and out the front door. But when I start for my vehicle, I realize I don’t have one. I’m stranded.
“Thanks for picking me up,” I say when I climb into Parker’s car ten minutes later.
“Not a problem.”
Parker and I have been friends since I arrived on the island. Unfortunately, we don’t have a chance to meet up often since she works crazy hours operating her bakery.
“How’s Jeremy?”
Another reason we haven’t had much chance to meet up. She fell in love with a billionaire who was visiting the island for Christmas. Lucky girl.
“I’ll tell you all about him if you tell me why I had to pick you up from the hospital when you obviously aren’t injured.”
I sigh. “What are the chances you don’t already know?”
She shrugs. “I know Adele is sick since Jeremy was having a meeting with Eli when Eli found out.”
I forgot her boyfriend and Eli are partners. They founded Apparoo, a multi-billion-dollar company that develops apps for your phone.
“What I don’t know is why the little baby girl you love is sick in the hospital and yet you’re calling me for a ride.”
I study the passing scenery as tears well in my eyes. “It’s a long story,” I manage to say before the damn breaks and tears pour down my face.
She pats my arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to make you cry.”
“You didn’t.” I sniff. “Zane Asshole Raider did.”
“Asshole? Strange middle name.”
“Don’t be funny. It’s not funny. Nothing’s funny. Nothing will ever be funny again.”
I sob and she stops on the side of the road to pull me into her arms. It’s awkward since we’re in the front seat of the car, but I cling to her anyway. I’ll accept whatever comfort I can get.
She rubs her hand up and down my back until I’ve exhausted all the tears I have. I’m sure I’ll cry more later, but for now, my tear ducts have dried up. I pull away and lean against the passenger seat.
“Where am I driving you?”
I groan. I have nowhere to go. This is what I get for dating my boss. Have I mentioned lately what an idiot I am?
“I have an idea.” She puts the car into gear and drives toward Smuggler’s Rest.
“I’m not staying with you and Jeremy. No offense, but all your lovey-dovey stuff will turn me into a homicidal maniac.”
“Turn you into a maniac? You’re not already one?”
“Not a homicidal one.”
“Good point. But you’re not staying with me and Jeremy. I have the perfect place for you.”
“I’m not committing a crime, so I can spend the night in jail. I don’t care how nice the jail cells are since Eli invested in them.”
She giggles. “The mayor will tan your hide if she finds out you’re in jail again.”
“Technically, I promised I wouldn’t spend another night in jail for a decade. It’s been more than a decade.”
“You sound like a Raider.”
I gasp.
“Shit. I didn’t mean to bring him up. Pretend I didn’t say anything.”
I slump in my seat. “Work tomorrow is going to be fun. The whole town will know by then.”
“By then? The whole town knows now.”
I growl. “You’re not helping things.”
“I’m being realistic.”
Ugh. Why did I beg my mom to stay in Smuggler’s Hideaway when I was twelve? I should have let her follow her boyfriend to Belize. I could have learned Spanish.
Anything would be better than living in a town where everyone pities me because the man I love thinks of me as his nanny.