Chapter Two
Hands on her hips, Teresa surveyed the living room. So much more space than her tiny apartment in Virginia. Already though, after hours of moving the furniture back and forth, she’d settled on the plan she liked best and determined when she was ready to house hunt to buy, she did not want a corner fireplace. When the house was empty, she thought the fireplace was adorable, until she’d moved in and tried to arrange furniture around it. For now, she was very content. Off to one side was a nook that most likely had been intended for a computer area or perhaps homework, but it was perfect for a toy area for Emma.
“More,” Emma’s voice carried from her high chair. The precious girl was talking up a storm lately. From time to time in almost full sentences. Teresa was going to hate it when those cute little communications were gone. Though she looked forward to hearing all about what was going on in that sweet baby’s mind.
“More juice?”
“Yes.” Emma waved her empty sippy cup at her mother.
“What’s the magic word?”
“Peas.”
Close enough. “One cup of juice coming up.” Reaching into the fridge, she paused at how light the juice container felt. “Foo.”
“Foo,” Emma repeated.
Glancing at her daughter merrily grinning from her seat, Teresa was reminded once more that she needed to be seriously careful about what she said out loud. She also realized, in her determination to unpack quickly and make their new rental feel like a home, she’d overlooked her grocery list. Setting the cup on the tray, she took her daughter in for a moment. Big green eyes and dirty blonde hair, with a dimple on one cheek, her daughter flashed a smile that melted Teresa’s heart every time. “Mama’s going to get your shoes and we’ll head out to the grocery store. We need more milk, and juice, and bacon.”
“Bacon!” Emma shouted gleefully.
“Not now, sweetie. That’s for breakfast tomorrow.”
“Morrow.”
“Yes,” she couldn’t not smile back at her daughter, “tomorrow.”
Another second passed and Emma waved her hands by her ears, signaling all done. It had taken Teresa a bit to realize that her little girl had been picking up sign language from one of her language development television shows. So far Emma had taught her mother, food, more, and all done. Teresa had already known how to sign I love you, and every time she did it to Emma, the toddler would grin and whisper back, Mama!
In a new home, it took Teresa longer than usual to gather up socks and shoes for Emma, but once she had the baby all ready to go, Teresa grabbed her bag and keys and was out the door. Of course the question was where to go. Having moved to not just a new home and city, but a whole new state with a different staple of stores, she hadn’t had time to scope out where to get groceries.
“Well, how do you like that?” Teresa glanced at her GPS, delighted to discover a major grocery chain only a couple of blocks away. At first, she thought perhaps it would be a good idea to drive around just a bit after picking up the groceries. Get a better idea of what’s around, and let Emma enjoy the ride before naptime. Then it struck her that driving all around her new town of Spring in sweltering weather with milk in the car wasn’t one of her finest ideas.
“Shall we take a short drive now?”
“Yes.”
Glancing over, she watched Emma’s reaction from the camera screen. “Okay. Let’s take a drive.”
“Drive.” Emma waved her favorite stuffed toy.
For the next short while, Teresa drove up and down the nearest major street, glancing left and right at traffic lights, occasionally taking a detour into one of the neighborhoods, pondering where she might want to actually buy a house. Of course, unlike this house that she rented based on the pretty street, mature trees, and ease of reaching the park and ride, she understood that the next move would be based on schools. Glancing over at the camera, soon it would be time to turn the car seat to forward facing. How had the last almost two years gone by so fast? Elementary school had seemed so far away when Emma was born, and now, it seemed to be creeping up too fast.
A horn tooted lightly behind her and she realized she’d been lost in thought and not paying attention to the light. Stepping quickly on the gas before the car honked again, she lurched forward only to hear a loud smacking sound seconds before she was spinning in the intersection. Emma let out a screeching cry, and Teresa shook her head to clear her mind, another bang came from the opposite side, sending her car sliding across the pavement. Her head snapped left then right, hit something hard and blinking she could hear Emma but the camera was gone.
Blinking again, the car seemed to be rocking, or was it spinning? “Emma,” she called out, but her voice sounded too low even to her own ears, while Emma’s crying grew louder. “It’s, o-k-aye,” she managed to force out before her voice drifted off and someone turned off all the lights.
Some days Cooper wondered why he bothered getting out of bed. What should have been the simplest of submissions had once again been nixed by the permit department in city hall. There was no missing when someone was messing with him merely because of who he was. If he’d been smart, he would have waited for Tess and have her go downtown as the project manager. Even though this was a Baron project, perhaps a different last name on the person delivering the plans would have rendered a better result.
“So now what?” Katrina stood over his shoulder.
“I add one more change to the design, then wait for Tess to start work and hand this off to her.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She dropped a file on his desk. “This is the report Gibbs sent. I went ahead and printed it off so you can highlight what stands out for you.”
Stretching out his hand to draw the folder closer, he nodded. Katrina had worked with him long enough to know that despite being a member of the technology generation, he still liked to highlight and study on old-fashioned paper. Later he would convert his notes to a computer file. “As soon as Tess starts, we’ll get her in the loop. What I’m hearing from Gibbs isn’t jiving with the referrals. This company has a stellar reputation.”
The phone in Katrina’s adjoining office rang. “Excuse me.” Hurrying away, her heels clacking on the hardwood floor, Katrina reached across her desk to answer the phone. Another minute and she dinged his speaker. “You’d better take this call. It’s County Hospital.”
His heart started bouncing in his chest, slamming against his ribs. Reaching for the phone, his mind ran through a long list of who could be hurt: his grandfather, or grandmother, or mom and dad, or any of his siblings, or cousins. Stabbing at the phone, he didn’t bother stalling. “Hello.”
“Cooper Baron?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, good. Then you know Teresa Gordon?”
“I do.”
“You’d better hurry down. There’s been an accident.”
Accident. “Is she all right?”
“The doctors will explain when you arrive.”
“On my way.” Already on his feet, he stepped back, dropped the phone into the cradle and crossed the room in only a few long strides. Pausing just long enough to lean into Katrina’s office. “Teresa’s been in an accident. I’m on my way to County.”
Katrina looked up from her screen. “Is it serious?”
“They didn’t say.”
“Keep us posted, please.”
With a curt nod, he turned on his heel and rushed out of the building. The first thing to come to mind was why the heck was the hospital calling him? Surely she had someone closer, someone who had seen her in the last ten years. Of course, when he’d known her she’d been in the foster system. An only child, there was little surprise she didn’t have a lot of family, or any family, but surely she had someone? He probably broke several traffic laws including a few orange lights, as his grandmother called them, but he made it to the ER in record time.
Trotting across the parking lot, he hurried into the building, immediately scanning the signs for the reception desk. Spotting the young woman clacking away at the keyboard, he pivoted and rushed to her. “Someone called me and told me to hurry down. I’m here for Teresa Gordon?”
It took a very long moment before she stopped typing and looked up. “Your name?”
“Cooper Baron.”
One brow lifted as she returned to typing, then nodded and pointed over her shoulder. “If you’ll go through those double doors, someone inside will direct you and bring you up to date.”
Never before had he had to rush to the ER for anyone. It suddenly struck him how blessed he’d been, and how worried he was for a woman he had not seen in at least a decade. Stopping at another desk, he looked from one person to another before interrupting. “I’m here for Teresa Gordon.”
A brunette seated in front of a computer pushed to her feet and gestured for him to follow her. “You’re just in time. We were wondering when someone was going to show up.”
“How is she?”
“Not good. Someone ran a red light, t-boned her car. She’s yet to regain consciousness. There seems to be some internal bleeding. She’s about to head into surgery. A few more minutes and you’d have missed her.” The woman drew back a faded blue curtain and for a brief moment Cooper’s heart stopped.
White as a sheet, Teresa didn’t look anything like the bright young woman he remembered. Visions of his Princess Tess giggling over ice cream at the Alamode as she tried to get his thick head to absorb basic physics principles, or her long dark hair bouncing in a ponytail as she trotted down the steps of Keaton hall, flashed in contrast to the woman lying in bed now. The memory squeezed at his heart. Her shoulder length chestnut hair was pushed back and clumps of dry blood still painted several strands surrounding a white bandage along her temple. “Head injury?”
“There doesn’t appear to be anything serious. No sign of brain swelling.”
“Then why is she unconscious?”
“She’s pretty banged up. Sometimes it’s just nature’s way of helping the body heal.”
Before he could think of another question, two men came up beside him. Moving IV bags, and other equipment, without thinking, he snatched her untethered hand. “You’ve got this, Tess.”
Another moment and one orderly cleared his throat. “We need to get her to surgery.”
“Of course.” Forcing himself to release his grip on her, he took a step in retreat. In a flash they had her on her way out of the ER.
His gaze lingered on the disappearing gurney. As crazy as it sounded, his heart ached for the sweet young girl who had become a confidant and his best cheerleader in high school.
“Mr. Gordon?” A young man holding a small box came to a stop by the nurse.
“Baron,” he clarified. “Cooper Baron.”
“Oh. Sorry. Here are Miss Gordon’s personal belongings.”
He stared into the box he’d been handed. A shoulder strap handbag, a small plastic bag with a few pieces of jewelry, and a cell phone with a smashed screen didn’t take up much space.
He must have looked more than a little stunned as the first nurse lightly touched his arm. “The doctor is very optimistic.”
Optimistic? The words internal bleeding came rushing back to the forefront of his mind. Surely there must be someone else who needed to be called. He’d have Katrina check who her emergency contact was on the paperwork she’d given to personnel. In the meantime, it looked like he was responsible for Teresa’s belongings.
“If you’d like to put that in your car, then you can head up to the fifth floor.”
“The waiting room?”
“Pediatrics. It was the best place for your daughter.”
His what?