Hidden Away (KGI #3)(41)

He ushered Sophie to his truck and instead of helping her to climb up, he lifted her and eased her down onto the seat. Then he gave her an awkward pat on the leg and hurried around to the driver’s side.

He called Sam first but when he got no answer, he called his mom next.

“Mom, is Sam over there?” he demanded as soon as his mom answered.

“Garrett? You’re home?”

“Yeah, Ma, look I don’t mean to be rude, but I need Sam. Where the hell is he?”

There was a pause. “He’s helping your father and brothers look for Rusty. She didn’t come home after school today.”

Fuck. Just what he needed was Rusty’s irresponsible ass to cause trouble when everything else was going to shit.

“Sophie’s in labor. I’m on the way to the hospital with her. Sam isn’t answering his phone. He needs to get his ass to the hospital to be with his wife.”

Rusty could rot. He didn’t say it but his mom wasn’t an idiot. It was there in his voice to hear.

“Oh my goodness,” Marlene breathed out. “I’ll get him. I’ll call your father. Tell Sophie I’m on my way over right now. Tell her not to worry.”

Yeah, he was going to tell a pregnant woman not to worry about pushing a bowling ball out of her uterus.

“I gotta go, Ma. Find Sam for me. I’m going to take care of Sophie.”

He tossed down the phone and glanced over at Sophie, who had a tight grip on the door handle.

“It’s going to be all right.” He hoped he wasn’t lying. What the hell did he know about women in labor? “Ma is going to run down Sam. He’ll be there. No way would he miss this.”

To her credit, Sophie looked less worried than Garrett felt.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Goddamn Rusty,” he bit out. “She didn’t show up after school. Apparently they’re all out looking for her.”

Sophie frowned. “Oh, I hope she’s all right.”

Garrett shook his head. “She better damn well have a good reason for this and I’m thinking unless she’s in the hospital, there isn’t one.”

Sophie laid her hand on his arm. “I’m fine, Garrett. Really. I’m having contractions, but I’m pretty sure she isn’t coming anytime soon.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one comforting you?”

She smiled. “Well, yeah, I wouldn’t turn down sympathy or a little petting. I am a little nervous about all of this. I think I’ve been in a state of denial over the actual labor process. This stuff hurts!”

Garrett grimaced and then took her hand, squeezing to reassure her. “Sorry, sweetheart. I’m an insensitive jerk, but then I think you already knew that. Is there anything I can do to make it better?”

“You could have the baby for me.”

“Oh hell no,” he muttered.

She laughed. “What a baby. You took a bullet without whining.”

“Yeah, well that’s different.”

“How about just getting me there as quickly as possible. Maybe I’m far enough along to have an epidural right away.”

“I can do that.”

He drove as fast as possible without wrapping them around a tree. It was about a thirty-minute drive to the hospital. He made it there in twenty.

“Don’t make a big deal,” she pleaded as he roared into the parking lot. “No big entrance at the E.R. Just park and we’ll walk into the hospital’s front entrance.”

“Isn’t this an emergency?” he demanded.

She gripped his arm and was silent for a moment. Then she took a deep breath and exhaled. “No, it isn’t an emergency. I don’t want to look like a moron. Just park and help me inside. They’ll take me up to the right floor.”

Garrett frowned but he did what she asked, although he did make a new parking place right up close to the front entrance. They could kiss his ass or tow his truck. He wasn’t making her walk all the way across the lot no matter what she said.

He jumped out of his truck and walked around to open the door for Sophie. She put both her hands out to brace on his arms, but again, he just plucked her from the seat and eased her down onto the pavement.

“Good?” he asked.

She nodded and took a step forward toward the entrance. The doors slid open and she stopped and held on to his arm for a long moment.

“Okay, granted I’m no expert on having babies, but are you sure this baby isn’t coming soon? Those contractions seem to be awfully close together.”

She blew out and started forward again. “They’re irregular. Some are close. Others are spaced ten to fifteen minutes apart.”

“And you’re relying on the kid to realize they’re supposed to be regular?”

Her sides shook with laughter as an elderly woman in a volunteer uniform hurried over.

“Are you in labor, dear?”

Sophie grimaced and nodded.

“Stay right here with your husband. I’ll call for a wheelchair.”

“Yeah,” Sophie said as the volunteer hustled away. “Be a good husband and stand here without losing your mind.”

“I’m so going to kill Sam for this. I took a bullet for you. He should at least have to be here for the delivery.”