MacKenzie Fire(22)

“I can walk,” Andie says, holding an arm out to the side like a canoe out-rigger. She’s struggling to get down.

“The hell you can,” he responds.

A nurse arrives with a wheelchair and he puts her in it like she’s made of glass.

“You can’t park here,” says Ian, his face in my window. “You want me to bring it around?”

I chew my lip. Part of me hates letting him do anything nice for me, but the desire to see my friend into her room wins out. “Yes. Do that.” I make sure the truck is in Park before I get out.

After I’ve opened the door, Ian stands in the way, holding out his hand to help me down. We both look at it at the same time. He seems bewildered that he’s even offered, and I feel kind of shocked myself. Before I can take him up on his manners, though, he pulls his hand back and stuffs it in his back pocket.

“Wouldn’t want your women’s lib card to get pulled or anything,” he says.

I grab my purse and make sure to land on his toe when I slide down out of the high seat and onto the ground.

His eyes go wide and he grunts.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I landed on your ugly poo-covered cowboy boot. Did that hurt?”

“How much do you weigh, anyway?” He tries to back up far enough to escape my revenge, but the door stops him.

I have no idea what makes me do it, but I tweak his nipple right through his jacket, giving it a good twist. “Don’t call me fat, you uncivilized bumpkin.”

His jaw drops open and he barks out a single laugh, before rubbing his chest with the palm of his hand. “Owww… son of a … you just gave me a purple nurple.” It’s clear he can’t quite wrap his head around that one.

Good. I find I like keeping him on his toes.

“Where I come from they’re called titty twisters. Remember that next time you feel like commenting on my weight.”

I walk around the front of the truck with my head held high, making my way into the hospital. I’m at the entrance to the emergency room when his voice comes sailing out of the passenger window. “Revenge is a real bitch, you know that?!”

I don’t even look back. “Bring it, Country!”

“Oh, you know I will, City!”

My whole body heats up just imagining what he could possibly mean by that.





Chapter Nine





I HAVE TO WAIT IN a little side room with Maeve for about thirty minutes before the nurses let us in to see Andie. She’s hooked up to an IV drip and some machine that’s making a lot of noise, a rhythmic whup, whup, whup.

I go over to her free side, and Maeve stands next to Mack who’s on the other side of her bed. He holds her hand and Maeve rests her fingers lightly on Andie’s leg.

“How are you feeling?” I ask.

“Better, now that I’m here.” Andie’s hair is spread out over the pillow in a tangle and she already looks tired.

I fish around in my purse until I find my brush. Moving to the head of her bed, I drop my bag to the ground and start fixing the mess. There will be plenty of pictures taken soon and I don’t want her hating me for not taking care of this problem beforehand.

“How many centimeters are you dilated?” Maeve asks.

“Three? Four? We’re not sure yet.” Andie sighs and stares at the door.

“Was that your water or pee?” I ask, trying to distract her from whatever is bothering her. “In the diner, I mean.”

Mack smiles when Andie rolls her eyes and answers. “It was my water, Candice. Geez.”

“Hey, how would I know?” I shrug as I brush out a knot in her hair. It’s clear I’m going to have to give her a cut while I’m here. Whoever did her layers needs some serious re-training. “I’ve never seen someone’s uterus blow before.”

“Blow?” Andie closes her eyes. “God, that’s disgusting.”

“Tell me about it. I’ll never eat waffles again.” I finish with her hair and put my brush back in my bag. “Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Massage by a man wearing a thong, maybe?”

“Some tea would be nice.” Andie smiles up at me.

“No tea,” says a mean-looking nurse who busts into the room without so much as a knock. “No liquids, no food.”

“Why?” I ask, offended for my friend. It’s on the tip of my tongue to call this woman Nurse Ratched.

“Just in case she needs a c-section. She can have a few ice chips when we get closer to the actual birth, but for right now, the IV will take care of her liquids.”

I frown. Ice chips? This seems like a special kind of torture. We are on the border of the Arctic Circle, after all.

“Go ahead and get yourself a coffee,” Andie says.

When I see the nurse snapping on some gloves and lubing them up as she moves over to Andie’s crotch, I nod, quickly forgetting the whole drink issue. We’ll let the IV take care of her liquids or whatever. “Yeah. Good idea. I’ll go get a coffee.”

On my way out, I look at Mack and Maeve while carefully avoiding looking at Andie’s crotchal area. “Anyone else?”

They both shake their heads, all their attention focused on Andie. I’m so busy watching them, I don’t notice Ian standing in the doorway until I bump into him just outside the room.