problem. He thought you getting some rest was more important than him poking around on you. Actually, you’re doing much better than any of us expected. You were in labor a long time. Why, Beth Kirby came in after you and delivered a couple of hours before you did.”
“Beth’s here? She had her baby?” Emma asked, joy on her face. She’d loved Beth almost as much as Ryan, feeling she’d finally found a sister. “Are she and the baby all right? What did she have?”
“Mercy, if I’d known that information would’ve cheered you up, I’d have told you at once,” the nurse said.
Emma blushed, embarrassed by letting her emotions show. She hoped the nurse didn’t tell Beth she’d been so eager for news. It would shock Ryan’s sister after Emma had rejected her offer of continuing friendship.
“I—I know her.”
“Well, of course you do. She’s your baby’s aunt. She had a little boy, and both are doing just fine. You’ve never seen a prouder daddy than Jack Kirby. He hasn’t left the hospital since they came in except to buy the biggest bouquet of roses in town. These daddies, you know how they…” She broke off abruptly, a stricken look on her face.
Emma knew what had caused her to grow silent. There were no flowers in her room. More importantly, there was no proud father watching his daughter through the nursery window, hovering over the mother’s bed.
“I’m so sorry, I—”
“Don’t worry about it, please. When will you bring my baby to me?”
“After you see the doctor.”
Emma nodded, but she was anxious to hold her baby again. “Then I’d better get started on my breakfast.”
The nurse, still embarrassed, tried to respond in a normal voice. As soon as she made sure Emma had everything she needed, she hurried from the room.
Ryan stood at the nursery window, staring at the pink bundle. The baby hadn’t moved or shown any sign of life since he’d arrived. When a nurse entered the nursery, he rapped on the window and pointed to the baby girl.
The nurse smiled and moved the baby to the front row of the window. Wouldn’t she have noticed if something was wrong? Ryan wanted to be reassured that the baby was breathing.
Just as he decided to knock on the window again, one little baby fist, clenched, moved to the rosebud mouth and the baby made some sucking motions.
Maybe she was kin to him. Dinnertime had always been high on his list. A small smile slipped across his lips, until he heard footsteps in the hallway.
Steve Lambert joined him. “Little miracles, aren’t they?”
“Uh, yeah. I don’t see Beth’s baby.”
“He’s probably in the room having breakfast with his mom.”
“Isn’t Emma—I mean, it—the baby seems hungry.”
“Emma indicated she wanted to breast-feed, but I had them give the baby sugar water until this morning. Emma will probably try today.”
“What did she say when you told her last night she was going to the ranch with me?” That question had filled his mind even as he and Billy set up the nursery last night. He didn’t think she’d easily agree.
“I didn’t talk to her. She was already asleep when I got to her room last night.”
“You were here that late? What happened?”
“An emergency. Barney Landers cut himself and had to have stitches. I got to Emma’s room by seven-thirty. But she’d already had her dinner and gone to sleep. I decided not to wake her. The nurses said she was doing all right. She needed the rest.”
“Are you going to see her now?”
“Yeah. Want to join me? We’ll face her together.”
Ryan would’ve liked to say no. He thought she’d agree with the doctor more easily than she would with him there. But it felt cowardly to hide behind his friend. “Sure,” he agreed and walked down the hall with Steve.
He dreaded every step that brought him closer to Emma.
Chapter Three
Emma gathered her strength and shoved back the blanket and sheet covering her. If she kept putting it off, she would never get out of the hospital.
And she’d decided it would be better to leave before the doctor got there…if she could manage it.
The door opened and she snatched the cover back to her chin.
Dr. Lambert caught the movement. “You need some assistance to get to the facilities? I’ll call a nurse,” he said gently and picked up her call button.
“No, I—” she began, but she stopped as Ryan came into view.
“Yes, Doctor?” the nurse called from behind Ryan’s wide shoulders.
“I think Miss Davenport needs some assistance, nurse. We’ll wait outside the room until she’s ready.” The doctor turned and pushed Ryan ahead of him, closing the door.
“What is it, dear? Are you feeling sick?”
“No, I was getting up to dress and—”
“You were what? You’ll do no such thing. I told you you were to stay in bed. Well, I never!” She tucked the covers tightly around Emma, and before Emma could ask her not to mention her indiscretion, she opened the door and announced to the doctor that Miss Davenport was getting out of bed to dress. “I’ll willingly help her, sir, if that’s what you want, but the last instructions I received were for her to stay in bed.”
“Thank you, nurse,” he replied. “Let me visit with the patient, and then I’ll get back to you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Emma lay back against the pillow, figuring she’d blown it. She’d probably receive a lecture with Ryan watching. She closed her eyes and kept them closed, even when she heard the heavy footsteps.
“Miss Davenport?”
She opened her eyes, but she turned her head away, staring at that small window again. “Yes?”
“I gather you’re anxious to leave us.”
Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. Then she said, “I’m not complaining about the service, Doctor, but my baby and I are ready to go home.”
He moved to stand beside her, taking her hand in his. “I think you’d both be better off if you wait a couple of days.”
Emma took a quick glance at Ryan’s chiseled features and then looked at the doctor. “I—I really can’t afford that. I promise I’ll be careful. My baby will be—”
“You can’t go, Emma,” Ryan announced, as if
