To Tame a Wild Firefighter (Red Hot Reunions Book 2) (21 page)

Mick ran a clawed hand through his hair. “So she’s going to be okay?”

“As far as we know,” Jake said, resting a calming hand on Mick’s back for a moment. “The doctors were worried at first because the labor was trauma-induced, but the baby seems to be fine and Bridget’s going to come out on the other side with nothing more than a few bumps and bruises.”

Mick heaved a sigh, relief and anger coursing through him simultaneously, leaving him feeling at odds with his own body. He couldn’t believe Bridget had fallen down the stairs at her hotel at two-thirty in the morning. What the hell had she been doing walking around in the dark at that hour? She should have been asleep, taking care of herself. She had an innocent life depending on her, for God’s sake.

“But she’s not up for visitors, even extended family,” Naomi said, casting a glance around the empty waiting room before adding in a whisper, “I told them we were relatives so the nurse would give me all the dirt. Apparently they had to sedate Bridget. A few minutes ago we could hear her melting down all the way out here.”

Mick shook his head, feeling awful for his harsh thoughts. “She’s in a lot of pain?”

“She’s in a lot of…distress,” Jake said diplomatically.

“She’s out of her damned mind, is what she is,” Naomi added, obviously not in the mood to exercise diplomacy. “Any woman who would throw herself down a flight of stairs to induce labor isn’t playing with a full—”

“What? Wait a second,” Faith cut in, squeezing Mick’s hand tighter. “They think she did this on purpose?”

Naomi’s eyes went wide. “She
said
she did it on purpose. After the baby went into distress, she started crying, saying she didn’t mean to hurt anyone, she was just trying to make sure the baby came on time.”

Mick frowned. “But you said…” He trailed off as the importance of Naomi’s earlier words hit with full force. He’d been too upset to register the truth immediately, but now…

Eight weeks early. The little girl was at least
eight weeks early
, which meant…

“The baby isn’t mine,” Mick said, wondering why that didn’t make him feel more relieved.

“No.” Jake put an arm around Naomi. “But Bridget wanted you to believe it was.”

“But it’s obvious the baby is premature,” Naomi said, eyes welling with tears. “The poor thing is so tiny. We saw her as she was wheeled down the hall, so little but with a full head of hair and the most beautiful little hands.”

Jake hugged Naomi to his chest, silently offering her comfort. Mick knew this had to be hell for Naomi. Her own daughter had been born premature, but too premature for Grace to have a hope of survival. Naomi had rebounded from her grief, but her expression left no doubt this night was hitting her hard.

“I’m so sorry,” Mick said. “I’m sorry to drag all of you into this, and out of your beds in the middle of the night and—”

“Oh, stop it,” Naomi said, sniffing as she blinked her tears away. “We’re happy to be here. And I’m glad this is off your plate, but I have to admit I’m worried about the baby. That woman isn’t ready to be a mother. I shudder to think what’s going to happen to that sweet little girl.”

Mick nodded. “I’m not nearly as relieved as I thought I’d be.”

“It’s scary,” Faith agreed. “I mean, I’m guessing the real father wants nothing to do with the baby or Bridget wouldn’t have come looking for you, so…”

A moment of silence fell, during which all of them looked helplessly at each other. This was a terrible situation, but there was nothing any of them could do. Bridget was the birth mother and Mick had no legal rights now that it was clear the baby wasn’t his. It had been just over nine months since he and Bridget slept together. The only way he could possibly have been the father was if the baby had been delivered full-term.

“Guess we’ll just have to say a rosary,” Naomi said, tilting her head back to look up at Jake. “But I want to stay for a while. I’d like to get another update from the nurse and know the baby’s still doing well before we leave. I’d sleep better.”

“Of course.” Jake leaned down to kiss Naomi’s forehead with such obvious affection it made Mick’s chest feel tight.

It got even tighter when he turned to see Faith looking up at him with the same loving, unguarded expression Naomi had when she looked at Jake. If there had been any doubt in Mick’s mind that he’d found his forever girl—which there wasn’t—it would have vanished in that instant.

“You want to stay too?” she asked, proving she was one in a million. “I don’t mind.”

“Yeah. I’d like to know the baby is out of the woods,” Mick said. “And Bridget, too. I should call her parents and let them know what’s happened. They live in D.C., but they can probably get a flight in by tomorrow evening.”

“That’s a good idea,” Naomi said, pulling her cell from her purse. “I’ll step outside and call Maddie.”

“Maddie’s here,” Maddie said, rushing breathless into the room. “I’m sorry, I was stuck in traffic from hell. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

By the time Naomi had filled Maddie in on all the news, the nurse had returned to the waiting room.

“How is she?” Naomi asked, fingers twined together so tight her knuckles turned white. “Is the baby still okay?”

“She’s doing fine,” the nurse, an older woman with tightly curled gray hair and kind blue eyes, said. “She’s stable and sleeping. She’ll need to stay in the NICU for at least the next month, but that’s probably for the best. It will give the mother time to decide on an adoptive family.”

Mick frowned. “Bridget’s putting the baby up for adoption?”

The nurse’s gaze flicked from Mick to Naomi and back again. “I assumed you knew.”

“No, we didn’t,” Naomi said. “But that’s great news. We’re glad the baby’s going to have a stable family. That’s best for everyone involved.”

The nurse nodded, but the expression on her face made it clear she was worried she’d said too much. She backed away with a tired smile. “All right then. The mother should be able to receive visitors this afternoon, if you want to go get some rest and come back then.”

“Thank you, we will.” Naomi waited until the nurse left the room, before turning back to the rest of the family. “Well, that’s amazing news. You think her parents are going to be okay with Bridget putting the baby up for adoption, Mick?”

Mick nodded. “I’d imagine so. They’re both older. They had Bridget when they were in their forties so I’m sure they’re not up for raising an infant at this point in their lives.”

“But they might want to try, anyway,” Naomi said, nibbling on her thumb as she paced back and forth across the room. “I mean, she’s their grandchild. But if they knew the adoptive family was going to be really great…financially stable and committed and so excited to raise a child…”

Jake’s posture changed, going from relaxed to alert as he turned to meet Mick’s gaze.

The moment their eyes connected, Mick understood what Jake had already guessed. Naomi and Jake were on the waiting list at an adoption agency, but Naomi clearly saw this as an opportunity to cut her waiting time and have the baby she’d been dreaming about in her arms within weeks instead of months.

“You want to adopt my ex-girlfriend’s baby,” Mick said, not knowing how he felt about the possibility. On the one hand, he knew the little girl in the NICU couldn’t ask for a better mother than Naomi, but on the other hand…Bridget’s baby would be his niece. It was an uncomfortable thought.

“I didn’t say that.” Naomi turned, her uncertain gaze flitting between Mick and Jake.

“You might as well, babe,” Jake said wryly. “We all knew where that train was headed.”

“It’s a nice idea,” Maddie said. “But what if Bridget wants an open adoption, and wants to be a part of the baby’s life? It isn’t fair to do that to Mick. The sooner he gets that girl out of his hair for good, the better.”

“Right, right.” Naomi nodded, but Mick could see the disappointment she was trying to hide. “I wasn’t even thinking about that. Forget I started plotting. I’m sure Bridget will find a great adoptive couple on her own.”

But not a couple who had been there the night the baby was born, Mick thought. Not a couple who had obviously forged an instant connection to the little girl they’d seen wheeled by on her way to the NICU. Mick couldn’t deny that it felt like there was an element of fate at work here, and he didn’t want to be the reason a family that was meant to be didn’t end up together.

He glanced over at Faith, not surprised when she made a “why not?” face.

“I mean, I was prepared to be a stepmom,” Faith said softly. “I think I can handle being an aunt, even if Bridget is planning to stick around.”

“Are you sure?” Mick asked. “Look how much trouble she’s caused in less than twelve hours.”

Faith shrugged. “I’m not scared of a little trouble. Are you?”

Mick squeezed her hand, so grateful that this fearless, wonderful, loving woman was his. “Nah. Not with you around to back me up.”

“Always.” Faith smiled, that smile that made Mick feel like the sun was shining, even at four o’clock in the morning on a cold February night.

“You should go for it,” Mick said, turning back to Naomi, whose eyes immediately lit up.

“Really? Are you sure?” she asked, barely waiting to see Mick’s nod before turning to Jake with a hopeful look. “What do you think, babe?”

“You already know what I think,” Jake said with a smile. “Let’s go home and get some rest, and we can come talk to Bridget this afternoon.”

Naomi’s breath came out in a rush. “This is really happening, isn’t it?”

“Don’t get your hopes up too high,” Maddie warned. “She might want to pick someone else.”

“Right, of course,” Naomi said, but Mick could tell she’d already started decorating the nursery, a fact Faith clearly recognized, as well.

“You think she’s going to be disappointed?” Faith asked a few minutes later, as they crossed the parking lot to her truck.

Mick shook his head. “No. I think it’s going to work out. I have a feeling about it, you know?”

Faith sighed. “I have a feeling I’m going to be too beat to go into work at noon today. You want to drive, and I’ll call Ben to see if he can cover my shift until five o’clock so I can get some rest before I go?”

Mick took the keys, but didn’t move to open the truck right away. Instead he pulled Faith into his arms, feeling even more connected to her after the night they’d shared—every part of it, from making love for the first time, to the ride to the hospital, and everything since.

“I have something important to ask you first,” Mick said, running his hands up and down her back.

“What?” Faith asked, leaning into him.

“Well, I’ve noticed that we don’t like to spend time apart,” he said. “I mean, we’ve spent every night you weren’t working together since we got back from New Orleans, so…it makes sense for you to move in with me, right?”

“Are you crazy?” Faith asked, surprising Mick until she added, “You’re moving in with me, where there are no pans banging at four in the morning or sisters eavesdropping downstairs. Not to mention, more room for Captain Snugglepants.”

Mick grinned. “That probably makes more sense. The Captain does like his space.”

“And I like you,” Faith said. “If I didn’t have to be rested for work, I would take you home and ravage you all over again.”

“Oh, yeah?” Mick pulled her closer, his body responding to her words despite the fact that he was exhausted. “Well if Ben can cover for you until five, you’d probably be fine as long as you got to bed by eight or nine this morning…”

Faith’s tongue slipped out to dampen her lips. “And it’s just a little after four, so that
does
give us almost four hours…”

Mick growled his next words against Faith’s neck. “Do you have any idea how many times I could make you come in four hours?”

Faith shivered, but Mick knew the cool breeze wasn’t to blame. “I’m imagining it right now, so let’s hit the road, Whitehouse. I’ll call Ben. If he can’t do it, I’ll call Brandon, he owes me a favor after all the time I’ve bought him burritos.”

Mick pulled away, gazing down at her, not quite ready to let her go. “Is it okay that I love you like crazy?”

She blushed. “As long as it’s okay that I’m ridiculously hot for your body.”

“That’s one of the things I love best about you,” Mick said, leaning down until his lips hovered inches from hers. “Can I move my things in while you’re at work?”

“I would be mad if you didn’t,” she said with a content-sounding sigh. “I like coming home to you.”

“And I like that you called yourself an aunt back there,” Mick said. “Because I’m going to marry the shit out of you as soon as possible.”

Faith giggled. “You’re so fucking romantic.”

“You better believe it, baby,” Mick said, and then he kissed her, his grin vanishing as her tongue swept through his mouth and her arms tightened around his neck and her heart thumped in time with his, every beat a promise confirming this was for real, forever.

Mick Whitehouse had it bad, so bad he couldn’t think of anything better than a life spent with the girl in his arms, a girl he was going to love with everything in him and never, ever let go.