Page 7

PATIENCE

P atience shifted out of Quinn’s way as he moved toward the rear door. It didn’t look damaged by the accident, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t.

“I’m going to pull it open now. Brace yourself in case the car shifts. You too, Patience. If it rolls, back out of the way.” Quinn waited for their nods, then reached inside to unlock the door, then yanked on the handle. Relief filled Patience as it opened easily.

“Okay, Felicity. Put your hands on my shoulders,” Quinn said as he reached for her.

Patience clung to the open driver’s door as he mostly lifted Felicity in his arms. As he settled her into the backseat, Patience crawled into the front seat and pulled the suitcase from the floor on the passenger side.

“You shouldn’t have gotten in the car. I would have grabbed it,” Quinn growled. Taking it from her, he opened it to pull out the blankets. One was obviously handmade; the other was a baby-pink fleece.

Grabbing them from Quinn, she sighed. “It’s fine.

Now, how about you give us some space? I need to check on our patient.

In fact, why don’t you call about the status of the ambulance?

” Damn. The man was more caveman than she thought, and she wouldn’t lie that it turned her on.

But now wasn’t the time for any of his posturing.

A baby was coming and nothing would stop her.

“Fine.” He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he just nodded and moved away as he pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket.

“Wow, you snared a grumbly one, too,” Felicity remarked.

Patience nodded, but didn’t correct her. Quinn wasn’t hers, not yet. Probably never, if he had anything to say about it.

“I need to check on the baby. Are you okay with me taking off your leggings?”

“Quinn said you’re a doctor?” Felicity asked after her next contraction eased.

“Not quite.”

Felicity’s brow wrinkled with concern or pain. Patience wasn’t sure which.

“I’m almost a doctor, one semester away from graduation. I have helped deliver over twenty babies, though. My parents are both doctors. I helped them for the last four years. Before you ask, no, not here. They work with Doctors without Borders.”

If Felicity didn’t want her to help, she’d understand, but it would be a problem. Nothing was going to stop this child from being born. Timing the contractions at just over a minute apart, Patience figured Felicity would probably be fully dilated.

“Okay. Not like I have much choice, but I trust you.” Felicity huffed through another contraction.

“Lean back and try to get comfortable, okay? Do you know the sex of the baby?” Patience waited for her to settle, then lifted her coat and sweater up to reach for the waistband of her leggings.

Surprised to find them dry, Felicity must have changed after her water broke.

As she dragged them down her legs, she felt Felicity tense with another contraction.

“Yes, a girl.”

Patience quickly pulled the leggings off and slid them under Felicity’s butt as she shifted her feet to rest on the car seat. She waited for the contraction to subside, then spread her legs.

After sucking in a breath at the sight, she schooled her expression and smiled as she met Felicity’s gaze.

“I hope you’re ready to meet your daughter.”

Tears slid down Felicity’s flushed cheeks. “Not like I have much choice,” she said through gritted teeth.

Patience nodded. She looked around for Quinn. They’d need something to cut the cord. It wouldn’t be sterile, but they’d have to worry about that later.

“The ambulance is about ten minutes out, then they have to get down here.” It was like her thoughts had summoned him.

“We don’t have ten minutes. Do you have anything we can use to cut the cord? The baby will be here anytime. She’s crowning now.”

“It won’t be sterile, but I’ve got a knife.” Quinn reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded knife. “I’ll hold on to it until you need it. I don’t want you cutting yourself.”

Patience rolled her eyes, then turned back to her patient. “Okay, Felicity. On the next contraction, you need to push. You’ve got this.”

Felicity’s expression went from horrified to determined.

She scrunched up her face as the next spasm started.

Patience hated that she wouldn’t be able to do an episiotomy.

As the baby’s head emerged, her heart squeezed in her chest. It didn’t matter how often she’d help her mother deliver a baby; the miracle of birth always took her by surprise.

“You’re doing great. Her head’s out. Relax, breathe.

One more push and you’ll be able to hold your daughter.

Does she have a name?” Patience could feel Felicity’s distress and determination, but her breathing was too rapid.

Distraction would only do so much to help.

Childbirth was never easy, but these conditions were exceptional.

“Clara Elizabeth,” Felicity grunted as the next spasm hit.

“Okay, push. Hard. You’ve got this.” Patience put as much command in her voice as she could.

Quinn shoved a blanket underneath her hands as she gently eased the baby’s shoulders out. Then she was holding baby Clara.

Patience checked Clara’s airways, and a moment later, the baby let out a sorrowful cry. Quickly wrapping her in both blankets, she placed her in Felicity’s arms as the ambulance sirens approached. Thank God .

“Your daughter is beautiful. They’ll check her at the hospital. You should both be fine now that help is here. But we still have to deliver the placenta. Can you push one more time for me?”

Felicity nodded and pushed as Patience pulled the placenta out and put it on the discarded leggings. They’d want to check it at the hospital. But her job was done. The paramedics could cut the cord.

Moments later, the cavalry arrived with a stretcher. Patience quickly conveyed what she knew.

“Okay, ma’am, we’ll take it from here. You did great. She was lucky to have you.” The other two medics were speaking to Felicity and lifting her onto the stretcher.

Patience nodded and stepped out of the way, but Felicity reached for her hand.

“Can you come with me to the hospital? I…”

Patience looked up at the medic she’d been speaking with. His name tag said, John. When he nodded his agreement, she answered. “Of course, I’ll come.”

With a tremulous smile, she gave Patience’s hand a brief squeeze before releasing it as they wrapped her and the baby together in the silver heat blankets.

“I’ll follow you to the hospital and take you home when you’re ready.”

She turned in surprise to find Quinn right behind her, Felicity’s suitcase in his hand. How could she have forgotten about him? “You don’t have to. I can get a ride share…”

His growl cut her off. “What did I tell you earlier?”

It felt like days, not just over an hour since they’d first argued in the Ready Room’s parking lot over her taking an Uber.

“Fine, but I don’t know how long I’ll be there.” She still didn’t understand this man. One minute he was trying to get rid of her, and the next he was doing everything he could to help.

“It doesn’t matter, however long it takes is fine. I promised to get you home, and I will.”

The stubborn set of his jaw told her there was no use arguing with him. Besides, did she really mind spending more time with him?

“If that’s what you want.” It might have been snarkier than she intended, but his smirk said he saw right through her.

“Now you’re catching on, little girl.”

Then he grabbed her arm to help her up the embankment as they followed behind the paramedics.

After they got Felicity and the baby stabilized in the ambulance, Patience climbed in and sat next to the medic.

Quinn nodded. “See you at the hospital.”

The ambulance driver shut the doors. As they pulled away, Patience expected to see Quinn jump into his truck to follow them, but he didn’t move as they drove away.

She watched through the ambulance window as his figure got smaller.

Her brain told her he was just making sure they got off okay, but a tightness in her chest said it was more.

The man was a conundrum. Did he like her or not?

She wasn’t brave enough to ask him outright.

But when she caught him watching her when he thought she wasn’t looking, his heated gaze said he was all in.