Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
“I’d like to know exactly what tests,” Indie said firmly.
“Oh, you don’t need to know,” the nurse said. But as she turned to leave with Hope, Spencer stepped into her path. He acted like it wasn’t intentional.
But Indie knew better.
He smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You know, I have such respect for all of you nurses. You do an amazing job of taking care of your patients. As well as their families. It’s not just about your nursing skills, either. It’s all the empathy and kindness you show.”
There was a hard look in his eyes, but she wasn’t sure that the other woman would see it.
“Well, yes, of course,” the nurse said. “This job is really a calling.”
“Of course it is,” Spencer said. “And the last thing you’d want is to increase the anxiety of new parents, right? Whose baby is vulnerable and precious and in your care?”
The nurse glanced around, swallowing heavily.
“I know.” Spencer snapped his fingers. “You could tell Indie what tests Hope needs. Then she wouldn’t feel anxious. And I’ll come with you, just to make sure that Hope is fine.”
“Well, that’s against regulations,” the nurse blustered.
“I’m sure it will be fine,” Slade said coldly. “And if it’s not, whoever had a complaint can speak to me.”
“Well, yes, of course. Fine.” She told Indie what tests they were running and why as she got Hope ready to transfer.
Indie still felt slightly anxious. She always did where Hope was involved. But she also knew that Spencer would keep Hope safe. He winked at Indie as he left with Hope and the nurse.
Quaid put his shirt back on, staring at the door. Then he turned to her. “You don’t like her.”
Indie shrugged as she moved over to Rock, who lifted her onto his lap again.
“No. Don’t do that. You tell me the truth,” Quaid commanded.
“I feel bad for saying it, but no. She’s . . .”
“Patronizing,” Rock rasped. “Disapproving. Rude.”
Indie nodded. “Yes. Those things.”
Slade let out a low rumble and tension filled her as she watched him get up. Was he angry?
His fists tensed, then relaxed. Finally, he glanced at her, then let out a deep breath.
“Then you’ll never see her again,” Slade told her before leaving the room.
“Where is he going?” she asked anxiously.
“To take care of you,” Quaid told her as he crouched in front of her. “She won’t be looking after Hope again. And, next time, I want you to tell us straight away if anyone upsets you or makes you feel uncomfortable. You hear me?”
She stared down at him as relief hit her hard. “I hear you.”
“Good girl,” Rock whispered, making a shiver run through her.
Ten minutes later. Slade stepped back into the room.
“What did you do?” she asked.
“I just made it clear that we didn’t want her looking after Hope or you,” he said.
Taking care of her. Of them.
How would she have coped without them?
“I have a question,” she blurted out.
“What is it, Boo?” Slade asked, coming over to sit with them again. Quaid was still crouched in front of her.
“What will she call you?” she asked before she lost her nerve.
“Call us?” Quaid asked.
“Yes. What do you want Hope to call you all? I mean . . .” Yep, her nerve was gone.
“We’re her daddies,” Slade said, sounding upset.
Shoot.
Upsetting them was the last thing she wanted.
“She might be Billy’s biologically,” Quaid said. “But that does not make him her father.”
“No, no, I know that. I just didn’t want to make any assumptions.”
“You are ours. She is ours. Make all the fucking assumptions you want as long as they’re the right ones,” Slade told her.
Right. Like that was easy.
“Anything that involves us taking care of the two of you, loving you both, owning you both, isn’t an assumption. It’s fact.” Quaid glowered at her.
Crap.
Right.
“So you’re all going to be Daddy?” she asked.
Slade’s lips twitched. “Daddy one, two, three, and four?”
Rock snorted.
To her surprise, she found herself smiling.
“We might need to figure that out exactly,” Quaid said. “We could be Daddy S, Daddy Q, Daddy R, and Daddy Nutter.”
“Daddy Nutter?” she asked.
“Spencer,” they all said, making her giggle.
Yeah, she really didn’t know what she’d do without these guys.
Indie held Hope, rocking back and forth in the chair.
Thank God, she was doing better now. It had been three weeks since Hope was born, and they still had a long road to go, but she was doing really well.
Indie hummed quietly as she rocked, her eyelids growing heavy. Shoot. The lights in NICU were usually kept dim and it was so quiet that it could make her sleepy. She was definitely starting to suffer from a lack of sleep. And it was making the guys anxious.
She was worn thin. The hospital environment wasn’t the easiest place to get any rest in. But more than that was her worry over Hope. She was finding it hard to function when she wasn’t near her baby.