Chapter 15 #2
Yet even back when he’d thought they were broke, Trevor had never been tempted to go for easy money. Part of that was his faith. The other part was his older siblings would have slapped him upside the head if he’d gone down that path.
“Still high,” Jimmy murmured. “Slightly better, but still too high.”
“I’m sure it will come down soon,” Bailey said.
Trevor forced a reassuring smile. “Of course it will. Especially now that you’re safe.”
She held his gaze for a long moment. “If anything happens to me, I want your family to raise my daughter.”
Her plea knocked him off balance. Why not her brother, Miles? Because he was currently in Alaska? Maybe she didn’t think her brother was capable of raising a child on his own, especially a newborn.
“Of course. Don’t worry about that. You’re going to be fine.” He didn’t even want to imagine a world that didn’t have Bailey in it. Not that he was in control. All he could do was to lift Bailey and her baby in prayer.
“Promise me . . .” She closed her eyes and turned away. He glanced at the portable monitor above her head, noting her blood pressure had dropped about ten points.
Not enough. He couldn’t tear his gaze away. Her blood pressure hadn’t dropped low enough to get her out of the danger zone.
The rig slowed and swayed slightly as they pulled into the hospital ambulance bay.
Within seconds, Jimmy had pushed the doors open and was getting Bailey disconnected from the monitors.
Trevor would have helped, but the female EMT had already joined them.
He held on to Archie, staying out of the way until they had pulled Bailey from the rig.
When he jumped down, giving Archie the hand gesture for come, he heard his name. “Trevor? How is she?”
Turning, he saw his brother-in-law Griff striding toward him. He wasn’t sure how Griff had known where to find him, but having family there brought a sense of relief. “Not great. Her blood pressure is too high.”
“Hey, she’s going to get through this.” Griff gave him a one-armed brotherly hug.
“I pray you’re right.” He glanced over to where the EMTs had disappeared with Bailey.
She was in God’s hands and those of the talented medical staff now.
“Todd White is the one who tried to shoot Bailey and likely the one who ran her off the road.” He winced.
“I should have had Archie search for shell casings. We could match them to the ones you sent to the lab.”
“Funny you mention that; Kendra is at the scene with her K9, Smoky, now.” At his arched look, Griff sighed. “Hey, I tried to get her to stay at the ranch, but she insisted. I wanted to interview you and Bailey before heading the police station.”
“You may have to wait on Bailey’s statement, but I’ll tell you what little I know.” Trevor quickly filled Griff in on his taking shortcuts through town to reach Bailey. “She managed to get away from White. I couldn’t believe it when she ran toward me. He fired at us but thankfully missed.”
“Attempted murder for sure,” Griff muttered darkly. “Has she told you anything more?”
“Not yet.” He hadn’t even thought of questioning her. “She was already in distress by the time I was finished disarming White.”
“Okay, then, I’ll hold off for now.” Griff clapped him on the shoulder. “You did good getting there so fast. Next time, you might want to wait for backup. Sounds to me like the guys at Plymouth Properties don’t mess around. The FBI is officially taking over this case.”
Waiting for backup wasn’t an option, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Risking his life hadn’t mattered as much as getting to Bailey’s side. “I’d like to check on her. Tell Kendra I’ll see her later.”
“Will do.” Griff stepped back. “I’ll pray for Bailey.”
He nodded, giving him a look of gratitude. “Thanks. Come, Archie.”
When he entered the emergency department, he found Bailey’s room without difficulty. There were three staff members around her bed, new faces as the night shift had left hours ago. He hovered in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt but listening in.
“Okay, her blood pressure seems to be coming down.” The man who spoke stood off to the side, clearly the doctor in charge. His name tag identified him as Dr. Swanson. “The OB will be here soon.”
The news was somewhat reassuring. Trevor stepped out of the way so the doctor could leave. Then he slid into the room, Archie at his heel.
He raked a gaze over Bailey, deciding she looked better. Calmer and more relaxed. Maybe the news of her improved blood pressure gave her a sense of peace.
“Excuse me.” One of the nurses moved past him. He approached the empty side of the bed and reached for Bailey’s hand.
“Trevor.” She smiled. “Thanks for everything.”
“Of course.” He leaned over to brush a kiss on her forehead. “I’m glad to see your blood pressure has improved since the ambulance ride over here.”
“That was stressful,” she admitted. “My OB doctor, Dr. Collins, will be here soon.”
“I’m glad.” He used his foot to hook the chair closer. Then when he caught her gaze on Archie, he bent and lifted the seventy-five-pound dog and placed him on the cot beside her. Having Archie nearby had helped earlier. Why not give him a chance to work his magic again?
“You’re a good boy, Archie.” She buried her fingers in his fur. “I wouldn’t be here if not for you. Both of you,” she added. “The moment I saw Todd White, some of my memories returned.” She frowned. “Not everything, but some things.”
He tensed. “So you remember our friendship?”
“Yes. But even more so I remember how I was planning to divorce Clark before he died.” Her gaze held reproach. “You said I was happily married, but that wasn’t true.”
The news shocked him. “I had no idea things weren’t good between you.”
She grimaced. “Probably because I didn’t tell you.
Or my brother. I knew something was going on with him, but I never expected all of this.
” She sighed. “He wasn’t the man I thought he was.
He didn’t even seem to notice me half the time; everything was about the stupid pub.
Then Clark was killed. And I discovered I was pregnant. ”
He cradled her hand in his. “I shouldn’t say this, but I never liked Clark.”
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “I could tell. He wasn’t terrible, though. He didn’t hit me or anything. Although he did steal from his employer, putting me in danger.”
“He wasn’t good enough for you.” Trevor hesitated, then added, “I’ve always cared about you, Bailey. Despite the fact that Miles told me you were off-limits.”
Her eyes flashed. “Miles had no right to say that.”
He shrugged. “He was wrong to say that. Because these past few days have only made me care about you more.” He didn’t want to press; she’d been through a lot and didn’t even have her full memory back. “I plan to stick around for as long as you’ll have me.”
“You don’t need to do that,” she protested.
“I want to stay.” He searched her gaze, trying to gauge her reaction. “Unless my being here makes you uncomfortable.”
“No, of course not. It’s just . . .” She flushed and looked away. “I’m pregnant. You couldn’t possibly be interested in me.”
“You’re wrong, Bailey. I’ve always been interested in you.” He flashed a crooked smile. “You’re beautiful, smart, and amazing. But I understand you have bigger problems on your mind right now. Your baby must come first.”
“Oh, Trevor.” Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. “You have no idea how long I had a crush on you. But you always kept your distance, as if you weren’t interested.”
He was glad Miles was in Alaska and couldn’t interfere. “I kept my distance because of your brother. And then because you got engaged to Clark.”
“Miles needs to mind his own business.” She scowled. “He liked Clark, said he’d have enough money to take care of me, and look how that worked out?”
“Easy, don’t get upset.” He eyed the monitor over her head. “We can talk this through later. For now, let’s just make sure your blood pressure stays low.”
“I care about you, Trevor.” She tightened her grip on his hand. “Will you please kiss me?”
“Uh, sure.” He bent to kiss her cheek, but she turned so that his lips landed on hers. Tiny sparks of desire flashed in his eyes as he deepened their kiss. When the overhead monitor beeped, he broke away, the tips of his ears turning red when the nurse ran into the room.
“What’s going on?” The nurse eyed them suspiciously. “Your pulse jumped up.”
“My fault.” He hoped she hadn’t seen their kiss. “I, uh, it won’t happen again.”
“I hope that’s not true,” Bailey murmured after the nurse left. “Because I want nothing more than to kiss you again.”
“Bailey.” He sighed, shaking his head. “We need to keep your pulse and blood pressure under control.”
“Okay, but, Trevor? If we had kissed before I met Clark, I can promise you I’d never have married him.” Her solemn gaze held his. “I hate to admit I didn’t love him the way I should have. If I’d have known . . .”
Her admission touched a chord deep in his heart. He smiled gently. “It’s okay, Bailey. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. You are going to have a beautiful baby girl that we will both lavish with love. This was God’s plan for you, so don’t look backward. Let’s just focus on the future.”
“God’s plan.” She nodded thoughtfully. “I learned a lot about faith and prayer from you, Trevor. I remember now I didn’t pray regularly before this. I hope you continue to teach me how to be a good Christian like you and your family.”
“Absolutely.” He bent to brush a chaste kiss on her cheek.
“I have a favor to ask,” she said after a moment.
“Of course. What do you need?”
She gnawed on her lower lip for a moment, then asked, “If I get discharged from the hospital again, is it okay if we head to your ranch? I don’t want to go home just yet.”
He couldn’t help but grin. “I’d love nothing more than to take you home with me. Like I said, we have plenty of room. And lots of people to help keep an eye on you.”
A knock at the door had him turning to see a female doctor entering Bailey’s room. “Hi, Bailey.” She greeted her warmly. “I heard you’ve been having some blood pressure problems.”
“Dr. Collins, I’m glad to see you.” Bailey didn’t release his hand, causing the doctor to eye him curiously. “This is Trevor Sullivan and his K9, Archie. I—we . . .” Her voice trailed off.
“We’re together,” he quickly interjected. “I love her, and I want to be there for her throughout the rest of her pregnancy.”
“I love him too,” Bailey said. “And I want him to be my partner through this.”
“That sounds great.” Dr. Collins didn’t seem the least bit fazed by their announcement. “I’m glad you have someone to support you through this, Bailey. Now, let’s check your blood pressure again and then listen to your baby’s heartbeat.”
Trevor stayed at Bailey’s side while the OB doctor performed her exam. When Dr. Collins finished, she nodded thoughtfully. “I think your blood pressure is under control for now, but I’m concerned that this is your second visit in a matter of hours.”
“I was in danger and had to run away from a bad guy.” Bailey glanced at him. “Trevor and Archie saved me. I’m sure that’s the reason my blood pressure went crazy high.”
“Danger?” Dr. Collins’s gaze narrowed on him. “Will she have protection moving forward?”
“We caught the gunman, so there’s no need to worry on that front.
If you think she’s stable enough to be on bed rest at home, then I’ll take her to my family’s ranch where we can ensure her safety.
We’ll make sure she stays on bed rest.” He paused, then added, “If you think Bailey needs to stay here, that’s fine too. Whatever you deem best.”
“Hmm.” Dr. Collins looked reassured at the thought of Bailey being safe from harm.
“We’ll watch her here for a few more hours.
If all goes well, she can be discharged.
But I want to see her twice a week moving forward.
If her blood pressure continues to go up and down, then we’ll need to induce labor. ”
Bailey’s brow furrowed, but her fingers clung to his. “That’s fine with me. As long as we do everything possible to protect my daughter.”
“That’s the plan.” Dr. Collins patted her arm. Archie lifted his head and thumped his tail on the mattress of the gurney. “Sounds like you have a lot of protection around you now.”
“I do.” Bailey’s smile warmed Trevor’s heart. “The best protection ever.”
When the doctor left the room, he sank into the chair at her side. “Rest now,” he said softly. “Archie and I will be here when you wake up.”
“I love you, Trevor,” Bailey whispered.
“I love you too.” He stayed until her eyes slid closed, succumbing to exhaustion. He raised his head to look up at the ceiling, silently thanking God for bringing him into Bailey’s life when she needed him the most.