Page 109 of When You Blush

Chapter Twenty-Four

HARPER

Being with Blake last night was exactly what I needed after yesterday’s chaos here at work. Before I arrived at his house, I’d briefly considered just going back to Xander’s, pulling the covers over my head, and sending Blake a message that I didn’t feel well.

But I needed him. I needed him to hold me andloveme after the trauma of losing that little one. And as soon as his arms wrapped around me, and I felt his heartbeat so strong against my cheek, I knew it was the right move. Blake is my safe place.

Not to mention, the man cancook.He works magic in the kitchen. Once I had taken my shower and he’d fed me some of the best fajitas I’ve ever had—don’t tell Juliet—we curled up and watched a show before snuggling up in bed.

We didn’t even have sex, and honestly, we didn’t needto. It was still an incredibly intimate evening, and I hope we get to repeat it tonight.

Except I’d like to add in the orgasms this time.

“Jamison’s going home,” Amy tells me at the nurses' station.

My head swings up in surprise. “Really? Oh my gosh, I have to go say goodbye.”

Amy and I both walk over to Jamison’s little room, and I smile as the adoptive parents cuddle him while waiting for their final discharge papers from the doctor.

“Thank you so much,” Trevor, Jamison’s new dad, says as he sways side to side with the baby in his arms. “For everything.”

“Jamison did all the work,” I reply with a smile and slide my hands in my pockets, watching them. “We just kept an eye on him.”

“You’ve all been so wonderful,” Angie, Trevor’s wife, replies. They have been here around the clock since they were approved to adopt Jamison just a couple of weeks ago. “I’m almost scared to take him home. What if something happens, and I don’t have you there to help me?”

“Jamison is healthy,” Amy assures her. “He’s strong, and yes, he has a few challenges ahead, but the doctor would never send him home with you if he didn’t think that beautiful baby was ready or that you were more than capable of caring for him.”

“She’s right,” I add, reaching out to brush my knuckle down Jamison’s cheek. “You’re all going to do great. And if you ever have questions, call your pediatrician.”

“Can I hug you?” Angie asks with tears in her eyes, and I immediately open my arms and let her hug me close.

“You’re a great mom, Angie. You’ve got this.”

She pulls back and then hugs Amy, who also has tears in her eyes. Trevor offers me a side hug, and after we say goodbye, I leave to check on my other patients after grabbing my laptop from the nurses' station.

We have a new little girl named Amelia, who came in a few days ago. She’s full-term, but she’s been struggling with breathing and heart issues, so she’s hanging out with us for a while.

“How’s Amelia this afternoon?” I ask as I walk into her area and open my laptop to check her chart.

“Still gasping,” Cindy, Amelia’s mom, says. She looks exhausted. She’s pale, has dark circles under her eyes, and won’t look away from her daughter.

“When was the last time you slept or ate, Cindy?”

She shakes her head. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not leaving her.”

“Where’s your husband?”

“He’ll be back. He ran down to the cafeteria for lunch.”

I narrow my eyes. “Is he bringing you back something so you can switch places?”

Cindy swallows and closes her eyes for a moment. “I’m not hungry.”

Setting my computer aside, I rest my hand on Cindy’s shoulder. “You’re no good to Amelia if you’re sick, Cindy. You need to eat. You just had a baby threedays ago, and your body needs all the nourishment it can get, especially since you’re breastfeeding that little girl. I’m going to call down for a meal for you, and I’m going to insist that you sleep in that recliner. I’m not going to ask you to leave. But you need to take care of yourself, too.”

Tears fill her eyes, and she looks up at me with so much despair, my heart aches. “What if I look away for even a second, and she dies?”

“We’re doing everything possible to keep that from happening. You, us, and Amelia. She’s so strong, Cindy.”