Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37508 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37508 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
“Thank you, Thatch.”
“Don’t thank me, babe. It’s what I’m here for. Now, get her ready, and we’ll take her as soon as I get there.”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”
With that, I hung up the phone and put it back on the table. I needed to put on some clothes, so I lifted her into my arms and carried her over to the sofa. “Stay right here, and I’ll be back in a flash.”
“Don’t go, Momma.”
“I’m just going to put on some jeans, sweetie. It’ll only take a second.”
I hated to leave her, even for a second, but I wanted to be dressed and ready when Thatch got there. I darted into the bedroom and slipped on some jeans and a pullover, and I quickly pulled my hair up as I made my way back to Baylor. She was still whimpering, but the second she saw me coming toward her, she turned up the waterworks.
I grabbed a blanket and wrapped her up in it, and I was standing at the door when Thatch pulled up. I darted outside, and he jumped out and opened the passenger door for me. Seconds later, we were in his truck and on the way to the hospital.
It was crazy, but one little paper star was about to change the course of our lives in ways I couldn’t begin to imagine.
11
SKID
“I’ve looked over the X-rays, and her wrist is definitely broken.”
“I was afraid of that.”
“It’s a significant break.”
The doctor’s voice faded somewhere in the background as he pointed to the X-ray. All I could focus on was Laken. Her face had gone pale, and her fingers were clutching Baylor like she was afraid she might lose her.
The thought of Baylor undergoing surgery terrified her. I saw it in the way her jaw tensed and her eyes blinked. She was scared out of her mind, but she was doing her best to hide it.
“The break is in her growth plate,” the doctor explained, tracing the line on the X-ray. “The fracture is unstable at the joint, so we will need to use pins to hold the bone in place. That will help it heal properly.”
“When will you do it?”
“The orthopedic surgeon will be here in a few hours. We will do our best to keep her comfortable until then.”
“Okay.” I could tell she had more questions, but she simply nodded and said, “Thank you.”
When the doctor left, she didn’t move. She just sat there holding Baylor’s hand. The sweet thing was pretty drowsy from the meds, but every now and then, she let out a little whimper, and damn if it didn’t cut right through me. And I had no doubt that it got to Laken, too.
I stepped to the side and sent Dad a message, letting him know what had happened. He and Jenna offered to come wait with us, but I told them to hold off until we knew more. I shoved my phone back in my pocket and turned my attention back to Laken.
I hated seeing her upset, so I crouched down beside her and whispered, “She’s gonna be okay. They’re going to take good care of her.”
“I know. I just hate this so much.” She wiped the tears from her eyes as she whispered, “She’s just so little. What if…”
“Don’t go there,” I cut her off. “She’s gonna be fine. You did everything right. You got her here, and they’re going to fix her up as good as new.”
“I hate seeing her hurting.”
“She’s tough like her momma.” I gave her a wink. “She’ll get through this just fine. You wait and see.”
She didn’t respond. She just buried her face in my chest and sighed. I pulled her close, holding her tight as I listened to the monitors beep and Baylor’s soft breaths. I held her for a moment longer, then released her and whispered, “I’m going to check on our girl.”
She nodded and watched as I stepped over to Baylor and sat on the edge of the bed. “Hey, kiddo. How ya doing over here?”
Baylor blinked up at me with eyes that were way too tired for someone her size. She poked her bottom lip out with a pout as she mumbled, “I wanna go home.”
“I know, and we’re gonna get you home real soon. But first, the doctors gotta help your arm feel better.”
She looked up at me with those big, brown eyes, listening to my every word like it was gospel, and it damn near gutted me. “And you know something cool… When arms break like yours did, they heal back twice as strong. I don’t know why. It’s just the way bones work, but when your wrist is all healed up, it will be super strong. You’ll be a regular Wonder Woman.”
She didn’t respond, but the story did earn me a slight smile. And right then, that was enough. But that smile quickly faded when she muttered, “My star. I broked it and da tree.”