Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
My eye rolling is involuntary and I can’t help but ask, “You talking from experience, Doc?”
“I am.” Her voice is soft and her smile turns so wistful my heart aches a little for her.
“Want to talk about it?”
She shakes her head quickly and lets a brighter smile shine through. “Nothing to talk about.”
Movement behind Josie catches my attention and I see Kathy heading our way. I groan audibly enough that Josie looks over her shoulder, then back to me with a wink. “Better buckle up.”
“Please, please don’t make me talk to her, Josie,” I implore.
Josie’s eyes may be twinkling with amusement, but I also see empathy within them. She knows Kathy was never going to be of interest to me and she succeeded in making her point. She also doesn’t want to see me suffer, and that’s the mark of a good friend.
She opens her mouth as if she’s perhaps going to say to me, “I got your back,” but instead a large hand clamps down on her shoulder and Alex Crossman is there, turning Josie to face him.
“It’s Sutton…something’s wrong with her,” Alex says in a full-blown panic.
Alex Crossman is the captain of the Cold Fury and our undeniable leader. He’s calm, assured, and anchors the team solidly. Right now, he looks like he’s about to splinter into a million fragments, because if something’s wrong with his wife, Sutton, it’s probably pregnancy related, as she’s ready to drop at any time.
It’s amazing to watch as Josie morphs into an almost unrecognizable creature. Those brown eyes of her lose the twinkle of amusement and harden into orbs of pure focus and concentration. Her spine straightens and her shoulders square as she pushes the bottle of water she’s holding at me. I grab it without thinking, still mesmerized by Josie’s transformation. Her voice is sharp and crisp when she asks, “Where is she?”
Alex doesn’t even respond but turns and pushes through the crowd. Josie follows and I’m right behind her. He leads us through the throng of people spread all throughout his house. No one seems to notice that anything is wrong and I’m guessing that’s a good thing.
I also have to wonder what it is about Cold Fury women going into labor at hockey parties. Just a month and a half ago, Gray Brannon-Evans, our team’s general manager, went into labor during a large get-together at her father’s house. Brian Brannon owns the team and he cleared everyone out of his house in about five minutes when that happened. Maybe I’ll do that for Alex, but for now, I’m just following in case Josie needs some help.
Alex walks quickly with his head down, and I’m sure he’d throw a couple of elbows if anyone tried to stop him. He leads us down a hallway and through closed double doors that lead into the master suite.
Josie walks in right behind him, and when I step over the threshold, I come up short as I see Sutton on the carpeted floor. She’s on her hands and knees, back hunched and moaning in pain. I stop so suddenly that someone runs right into my backside. I see it’s Kathy, who must have followed along, sensing something was wrong.
I step aside to let Kathy in, and that’s when I see blood all over the back of Sutton’s peach summer dress.
“Fuck,” I hiss out under my breath. I note that Sutton’s cousin Olivia is kneeling down beside her with her hand resting lightly on her back. Olivia’s fiancé and my teammate, Garrett Samuelson, is standing a few feet away with a matching look of panic on his face.
Josie surveys the situation and jumps into action.
She points to Garrett and then looks at me. “You two, out of here. Reed, call 911 and get an ambulance here.”
She then turns to Alex. “Get some clean towels.”
Not bothering to look her way, she merely commands, “Kathy, come over here and help me get her onto the bed.”
Everyone moves at once. I turn from the doorway as my hand dives into my pocket. I grab my cell phone and place the call to 911 as I step a few feet into the hallway. The low din of the party noise fades as I put a hand to my other ear so I can hear the dispatcher. Garrett steps out behind me and shuts the door.
He shoots me a worried look and I tell him, “It will be fine.”
Then I’m connected to emergency dispatch and ask for an ambulance.
—
“You shouldn’t have waited,” I hear Josie saying before I see her. I’m sprawled in a chair in the labor and delivery waiting room, my legs stretched out while I play Angry Birds to pass the time.
I glance up and she looks exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. I know that feeling. It’s how you feel after winning the Stanley Cup.