Ready for You (Ready #3)(11)

“Hey, Kara, do you want to go out to dinner with me tonight?” I asked suddenly, interrupting her midsentence.

Her stunned look gave way to a dazzling smile. “I’d love to, Garrett.”

“Great. Let’s get out of here.”

Chapter Four

~Mia~

I was not a fan of hospitals, specifically the department I was headed toward, but I needed a job. I couldn’t sit around anymore, and I didn’t like depleting my hard-earned savings account like a bum.

Somehow, in the last two weeks, I’d managed to interview for the position in the hospital, get the job, and move into my new house. Between learning everything that went into my new job and trying not to panic that I was now a first-time homeowner, I was exhausted.

“Hey, Mia,” Leah said, greeting me as I took my spot at the nurses’ station.

We didn’t always have shifts together since she was only part-time, but I did enjoy seeing her. We had become fast friends, especially now that I knew she wasn’t Garrett’s wife. It definitely helped that I didn’t want to rip off her head.

“Hi Leah. How are you? Did Lily get over her cold?” I asked.

During her last shift a few days ago, she’d mentioned that her daughter had come down with a cold, and she had hated having to leave her at home.

“Oh, yes, she’s doing much better. Daddy, however, is miserable.”

“Your husband got it?”

“Oh, yes, and let me tell you, men are giant pains in the asses when they are sick.”

I laughed while listening to her plunge into all the craziness she’d been through during her husband’s “horrific illness”.

“And I told him, ‘If Lily, the baby, can get over the cold, I’m sure you can suffer through.’”

“What did he say?” I asked, trying to imagine Leah’s super-hot husband sick and cuddled up on the couch.

I’d recently found out that she was married to Declan James, the ex-actor turned movie director. I’d forgotten he had moved to Richmond. Hearing her talk about a guy I’d seen in several of my favorite films was weird.

“He told me that it was much worse for him because he’s bigger. He then tried his best to convince me he needed to be taken care of by his sexy wife. Sponge baths and thigh-highs were encouraged.”

I snorted out a laugh, and Leah left to make her rounds.

Working closely with a member of Garrett’s family, even if she wasn’t related, was turning out better than I had expected. I had worried that she would try to set us up or delve into my personal life right away, asking if I was seeing anyone or wanting to rekindle my relationship with Garrett. But since starting here, she hadn’t said a word. I felt like she was actually getting to know me for me, rather than acknowledging me only because of the ties that bound us. It would be nice to have another friend.

“Hi,” a quiet voice said, pulling me from the list I was working on.

A young woman, probably in her early twenties, was standing before me, leaning against the counter. Her belly protruded in front of her, and she was rocking from side to side, breathing in and out. Dark blonde hair was thrown up into a haphazard bun on the top of her head, and sweat was trickling down her forehead.

“Hi. Do you need something? Can I get your nurse?”

I’d seen this particular woman walking the halls when I came in earlier. I’d learned it was common practice for women to do that during labor. As long as they hadn’t had an epidural, which made it impossible for them to leave the bed, they were free to move about the cabin. Several of the nurses had told me that walking could help alleviate some of the pain.

“No, no, I’m fine. It would just be nice to have someone to talk to, if you aren’t too busy?” she asked, looking down at my printed spreadsheet.

I put it aside and gave her a reassuring smile. “No, I’m not too busy. How are you feeling?” I asked, knowing she probably felt like crap.

“Oh, well, I’ve been better, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be—at least not yet. I’m Tessa,” she said.

“Amelia, but you can call me Mia,” I answered back, surprising myself. After hearing it so often now, I guessed it wasn’t so hard to acknowledge anymore. “Do you have anyone here with you?”

She shook her head as a single tear ran down her cheek. “Nope, it’s just me.”

“Well, now, you have me.”

Over the next fifteen minutes, Tessa told me about her pregnancy—the joys, the sorrows, and the hard decisions. “I never thought I’d be having a child alone, but I knew I didn’t want to give her up.”

“It’s a girl?” I asked, my voice quivering a bit.

“Yeah, that’s what they tell me. The first time I saw her on the ultrasound, I knew I’d never be able to look away again, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.”

Three hours later, Tessa gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Beth. I was able to visit before they took Beth up to the nursery. The baby was beautiful, and her mother was beaming.

“Nothing quite like it, is there?” Leah said as I returned to the nurses’ station.

“No,” I answered.

“I still can’t believe that little thing went natural. I was sure she would cave at the last minute and claw me to death, asking for an epidural. God knows I did.”