The Good Luck Sister (Wildstone #1.5)(25)

The helicopter jerked as they abruptly changed directions and she lost sight of the billboard. She gripped the dashboard and twisted to look at Dylan. “What—”

“Hold on.” His face was still carefully blank as he worked the controls. “We’re going back.”

Because she’d taken what she now realized had been his nerves as him no longer wanting to be with her. She was an idiot. “Dylan—”

“Your sister’s in labor and needs you.”

She sucked in a breath. “Is something wrong?”

He didn’t answer, just concentrated on flying them back.

“Dylan—”

“Mick called and got Penn. Said we needed to get to the hospital right away.”

“Hurry,” she whispered.

“Roger that.”

Thirty minutes later, they were on the ground and racing toward the hospital in his truck. She was filled with fear and panic.

Still concentrating on the road, Dylan reached over and squeezed her hand. “It’ll be okay.”

“You don’t know that,” she whispered, her throat thick with tears.

They hit the maternity ward at a dead run and Tilly grabbed onto the counter like it was a lifeline. “Quinn Hennessey,” she managed. “She’s in labor and—”

“You Tilly?” the nurse asked, standing up.

“Yes.”

“Finally.” The nurse took her at a brisk near run down the hallway and shoved a pair of scrubs at her. “Quickly now,” the nurse said and then had Tilly wash up before leading her into a labor and delivery room.

Quinn was in the bed, hunched over her bent knees, huffing and puffing like a locomotive. Mick was at her side. A doctor was telling Quinn to keep breathing.

Both Mick and the doctor looked beat to hell.

“I am breathing!” Quinn yelled. “And the next person to tell me to keep breathing is going to die!” She caught sight of Tilly in the doorway. “Took you long enough! Get over here and hold my damn hand. I needed to push an hour ago!”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I’m not doing this without you!” Quinn huffed and puffed and grabbed onto Quinn’s hand with superhuman force, threatening bones and ligaments. “I’m sorry. I know I’m yelling but I can’t stop! Mick, get down there with the doctor to catch this baby because she’s coming in hot!”

Tilly brought Quinn’s hand to her chest and squeezed. “You’re okay?”

“Hell, no, I’m not okay. I’m about to push a bowling ball out my hoo-ha!” she yelled, and then she began pushing.





Chapter 10




Dear Heart, please stop getting involved in everything. Your job is to pump blood, that’s it.

—from “The Mixed-Up Files of Tilly Adams’s Journal”



An hour later Tilly was sitting in the chair beside Quinn’s bed, holding the newborn with marvel and more emotion that she wanted to admit to. “Baby Ashlyn,” she whispered. “Wow. I can’t believe you’re here.”

And then she burst into tears.

Quinn looked at Mick, who was on the bed with his wife, holding her against him.

Mick got out of the bed, bent to kiss his wife, and left them alone.

“What’s up?” Quinn asked.

“She’s just so beautiful,” Tilly sobbed.

“She’s patchy and blotchy and bald,” Quinn said. “Now tell me what’s wrong.”

Tilly laughed in horror at Quinn’s description. “She’s your baby.”

“And I love her more than I can say, but she’s not why you’re crying like your heart’s broken.”

“I think I blew it with Dylan,” she managed.

“You couldn’t possibly. He loves you, ridiculously.”

“I misread some cues.” Tilly drew a deep breath and tried to get ahold of herself. “I assumed he was going to take off again, only it was the opposite.”

“Are you speaking in English?” Quinn asked. “I was in labor for twelve hours and haven’t slept in over twenty-four. I’m also starving and sitting on a blown-up doughnut. So you’ve got to cut right to the chase for me.”

“She’s trying to tell you that I’d planned a proposal, which she somehow took for me dumping her,” Dylan said from the doorway.

Tilly’s heart stopped at the sight of him. So far today, she’d panicked on him, assumed the worst, let him get her here, and then ditched him without a backward glance.

He didn’t look mad though.

He glanced at Quinn in question and was nodded in. He moved straight to Tilly and looked down at the baby with a warm, genuine smile that softened the features of his face.

“Do you want to hold her?” Tilly asked and when Dylan nodded, she rose and gently set the baby into his very capable arms.

Dylan bent low and said something soft and inaudible to the baby and then gently handed her back to Quinn. “I need to borrow your sister a moment, do you mind?”

“Does it have anything to do with the ten proposals we’ve had in town since you put up the billboard?” Mick asked, coming back into the room, slipping his phone into his pocket.