Sudden Summer (Silver Ridge Ranch #2)

Birdie

Storms in East Texas were nothing new. In fact, the early spring ones were some of my favorites to watch roll through as a child. But now that I worked in a hospital, I knew the truth behind these storms—they always brought chaos.

I’d delivered two babies already this shift. Which would be unremarkable, except for the fact that we still had four moms laboring, and the OBGYN on call had already delivered three babies today. We were a small country hospital, and a volume of births like this was unheard of.

I still had a few hours left in my shift, and I was feeling dead on my feet. Slamming back the room-temp coffee I’d poured for myself three hours ago, I willed the caffeine to sink deep into my exhausted body and work its magic.

“No.” Her hand rested on my arm. “We need to do a safety check.”

My heart skipped a beat. “You’re worried about…”

She nodded. “The boyfriend. When I was placing her IV, I found concerning bruises. When I asked what happened, she brushed it off. But when I went in to fix her monitors a minute ago, she started crying, saying she wanted an epidural. This man flat out told her no. Said he was paying the bill and his mom never needed one, so she shouldn’t either. ”

My eyes went wide. “Alright. Grab some intake forms. I’m pretty sure he’s already filled them out, but I’m going to send him out here to ‘give us more information’.

It’ll hopefully give us enough time to make sure she’s okay.

” I waved to Declan, the security guard assigned to the Labor and Delivery floor this shift.

“Hey, you guys okay?” he asked.

“We’ve got a dad who we think might be putting our patient in an unsafe situation,” I explained. “I’m going to go into room 3 and send him out for some paperwork. Just keep an eye out in case things get heated.”

“Yeah, you got it.” Declan walked back to his position against the wall, his arms folded and his eyes trained on the door of the room I was about to walk into.

Forcing my best smile on my face, I opened the door. Mom was on her side facing away from me, the dad was sitting under the window with his face in his phone.

“Hi, Alexis. Nurse Kayla said you might be ready for an epidural?”

“Oh…” Her eyes closed as she shook her head. “No. I think I can make it without one.”

“Damn right, you can.” Right. I could definitely see where Kayla’s concern was coming from. He finally looked up from his phone. Alexis tensed, her hands curling around the handle bar of her bed. My hand rested on her hip as my eyes tracked the contraction and her baby’s heart rate.

“You can get up and move around, if that would help.” I looked around the room. “We can have one of the nurses bring in a birthing ball, and we can put you on telemetry so the baby can still be monitored remotely.”

“She doesn’t need all that. My mom works here, and said she labored in the hospital bed for only a few hours. Lexi can manage the same.”

“All women are different,” I interjected. I’d tried being my nice, bubbly self, now it was time to lay down the law. “And no offense to your mother, but she isn’t the one here laboring today. My concern is with Alexis and her comfort throughout this process.”

“I said she’s fine. We don’t need any more fancy shit. If I’ve got to pay for it, then she can deal with whatever I say.”

I shook my head. Men like this guy drove me absolutely crazy. My molars ground together as Alexis shifted in the bed, holding onto her belly as another contraction crested.

“You’re doing so good, keep breathing just like that. The baby is looking—”

“Jesus, Lex. Can you fucking stop with all that moaning bullshit? You’re so fucking dramatic.”

That was it. I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt, but he was crossing every line and setting off every alarm in my head. “Sir, you need to step out into the hall for a moment, please.”

He stood up from the small chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not going to do that.”

“And now I’m not asking. My concern is for your girlfriend and the baby—both of whom are under my care right now. You need to step into the hall or I will be calling security.”

“Listen, lady. Go get another provider. A real doctor. If he says I have to leave, then I’ll leave.”

“I’m so sorry, Birdie.” Alexis shook her head as she blew out a ragged breath. “It’s probably just better to get Dr. Witten. I’m so sorry.”

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for. If you want me here, I’m here. If you want Dr. Witten, I’ll go talk to him right now. But it’s your decision, not anyone else’s.”

“Listen, bitch. You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.

” Big hands pushed against my arm, my body jerking to the side before I could respond.

My feet tripped over each other, sending me flying into the storage cart on the other wall.

Pain exploded through my side, and the edges of my vision darkened as a large body rushed into the room.

Declan was suddenly in front of me, wrestling my patient’s boyfriend to the ground. Once he was restrained, Dec pulled him up off the ground and marched him out of the room.

“Oh my God! Are you…are you okay?” Alexis asked.

“I’m fine. I’m fine, I promise,” I tried to answer as I caught my breath.

Kayla and another nurse, Erica, came rushing into the room.

They started checking over Alexis while I slipped out into the hall.

My back rested against the wall, and I let my head hang down as my hands braced against my knees.

I must have been out there for a while, because I watched Dr. Witten’s shoes hurry by me to enter my patient’s room.

“Are you okay?” He asked, his hand rested gently on my shoulder a minute later. I couldn’t catch my breath. The adrenaline dump was so severe my legs were shaking, threatening to drop me to the floor. And all I could think of was how badly I wished my best friend was here to catch me.

“I’m good. I’m okay.” I straightened my back and forced myself to take a deep breath.

“You’ll need to fill out a report and finish out your charting, but then I want you to go home.

” I opened my mouth to argue, but he just held up his hand and continued.

“It’s only a few hours early. I’ve already called Dr. Carthill to cover for you.

She should be here in an hour and she said the storms have already passed us, so she’ll be safe coming in and you’ll be safe heading out.

Go to the break room and just decompress, okay? ”

I nodded, unable to find the words. The entire walk back to the break room, I forced myself not to hold my side. It was searing hot with pain—the corner of the storage cart jammed into me with such force, I wasn’t sure there wouldn’t be blood when I checked myself over in a minute.

Ouch. Finally, I was inside the small room.

Alone. Still, I went to the small bathroom and locked the door behind me.

There was no reason to worry any of my coworkers.

The man would already be banned from the hospital, I’d never see him here again.

My concern was for my patient. That she would have the resources necessary and the support once the baby arrived to leave the hospital and go someplace safe.

I would deal with my bruised side on my own.

Hissing as I pulled up my scrub top, my eyes caught the line of angry, red skin, dotted with little specks of blood. Shit. Reaching over my shoulder, I grabbed the first aid kit attached to the wall and balanced it on the edge of the small sink.

A minute later, with antibiotic ointment and a fresh bandage applied, I fixed the first aid kit back onto the wall, washed my hands, and splashed some water on my face before finally returning to the break room.

I slipped my phone, which I’d used to take a few photos of my injury before bandaging myself up, back into the pocket of my scrubs.

The room was still mostly unoccupied, except for Kayla who now sat at one of the small round tables with her lunch out in front of her.

“Damn, that was wild,” she muttered as I walked behind her to get to the computers.

“I have some resource pamphlets I want you to give Alexis after she delivers. We need to make sure she has somewhere safe to go. If she is to be discharged after the standard twenty-four hours, given her delivery is normal, we should try and keep her here an extra night or two. It might give us more time to help her line something up.”

“Already on it.” Kayla’s fork waved in the air, two pieces of ziti stabbed and holding on for dear life as she pointed it towards me. “All you need to do is write up the report, then get home and take care of your side.”

“What? My side is fine.”

“Alexis told me he pushed you into that cart. Your side is not fine.”

I turned my back to her so she wouldn’t see my eyes roll. “It’s fine now. Just knocked the wind out of me, is all. I’m glad Declan got in there when he did; it was scary how fast he escalated things.”

“If he was willing and unafraid to do that to you, imagine what she’s gone through.”

“I know.” I shuddered. “I hope the help we give her is enough. No one deserves to live in fear of that.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I grabbed it, knowing I’d need to attach the pictures I took from the bathroom into my report.

A message from my best friend, Beau, was waiting for me.

Made you dinner. Should I keep it warm, or are you stuck at the hospital?

It’s just a steak and some potatoes.

If I eat dinner out there, can I stay the night?

Three dots appeared immediately. And just like every time I saw him typing to me, my heart fluttered in my chest.

It was a useless crush. One I’d been harboring for almost thirty years.

Since our first day of kindergarten, actually.

Beau Ford had marched right up to me at the dollhouse I was playing with, and told me cows didn’t belong in the living room.

I crossed my arms and told him on my ranch, they did.

I could still remember the way his eyes narrowed at me while he contemplated my push back.

And then he asked me if I’d ever seen a real cow.

My family was poor. I lived in the city of Silver Springs, and the only places I usually ever went was to school and then straight home.

So, yeah, I’d seen some passing in pastures occasionally on trips to the doctor’s office in Bell Ridge, but I’d never seen one up close and personal.

As I added more cows to the living room, he just laughed and started telling me all about the ones that lived with him.

In the pasture was where they belonged, according to him.

When all was said and done, Beau invited me to his family’s ranch that day.

Everything okay?

Yeah, of course. Just a long day at work.

You know you never need to ask. My home is yours. What time are you coming out?

I’ll be there in an hour. Just finishing up now.

See you then.

Relief instantly washed over me. I loved that our friendship felt safe. I loved that our friendship felt like home.

The report took me longer than I wanted, but I didn’t leave a single detail out of it. By the time I finished charting, Dr. Carthill had stopped in, and we’d completed our turnover without incident.

I pushed open the door to the break room, ready to get in my car and start the half hour drive out to the Silver Ridge Ranch.

My eyes were locked on a text that had just come in from my mom, asking for more money to help her out while she was on a trip to Napa Valley.

My stomach rolled, and a shadow appearing had me jumping back, my hand slamming over my heart.

“Shit. Sorry, Birdie.”

“No, Dec. Ah…It’s no problem. I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be standing right out here.”

“I wanted to make sure I caught you before you left. I’m going to walk you down to your car. Make sure you get on your way safe.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary—”

He held up his hand. “It is.”

“Why?”

“Just because we trespassed that asshole from the hospital doesn’t mean he left, or that he won’t come back. I’d like to make sure you’re safe. I feel awful that I didn't get into that room in time to stop him from hurting you.”

My hand landed on his arm. “That wasn’t your fault. I saw things escalating, and I didn’t remove myself. That’s on me. But you’re right, I could probably do with someone being by my side until I get to my car. Thank you for thinking of that.”

We walked silently down the stairwell and out to the parking lot. My eyes scanned around the cars, but even though my nerves were frayed and I felt like I might scream if someone walked by me right now, I sucked in a breath of fresh air, trying to keep my composure.

“This is me,” I said as Declan and I made it to my car. “Thanks again for walking me out.”

“Sure thing.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you back in tonight?”

“No, I have a few days off. Probably for the best. I feel like I might jump out of my skin right now.”

Declan nodded. “Yeah, okay. If you’re still feeling nervous when you get back, just call up and if I’m on, I’ll walk you in. I’m sure any of the other guys would, too.”

I reached out, my hand landing on his arm and giving a small squeeze. “I’ll be just fine. Thank you again.”

He nodded, his arms remaining folded over his chest as I unlocked my car and got inside. I wanted to fall apart right then and there, but I swallowed it all down, knowing in just half an hour, I’d be at the one place I’d always felt safe, with my favorite person.