Sloan picked her up like she was nothing more than a baby and carried her through the kitchen and out the garage door. He set her down in the passenger seat and hurried around to get behind the wheel, making plans about how to get out of town the whole time. Main Street was blocked, so he’d have to make a right turn before the old post office and circle around until he could get onto the road up to the highway.

The sisters crawled into the back seat, and Kate said, “Just get us to the hospital. Don’t pay a bit of attention to the speed limit signs.”

He had to go slowly in town, so as not to hit anyone, but when he got the big car out on the highway, he floored it. The five-minute trip to the hospital took less than three, and Doc Emerson even beat them there. He met them in the emergency-room lobby and started asking questions while the nurse put Ginger into a wheelchair and rolled her through a set of double doors and back to a cubicle.

“Okay, ladies and Sloan, get out of here and go to the waiting room. I’m going to see what’s going on. I’ll be out to tell you in a few minutes,” Doc Emerson said.

Sloan led the ladies out to the empty waiting area. They all three sat down in chairs next to each other and clutched their oversize handbags to their chests.

“I told you not to let her—” Betsy started.

“You know how stubborn she is,” Kate butted in.

Connie pointed right at Kate. “She gets that from you.”

“It’s my fault. I should’ve argued with her more,” Sloan lamented. “I told her not to get on the Ferris wheel, but she marched right over there and bought a ticket, and the guy rolled her up and let the last ones on, and it was too late for me to even get on it.” He plopped down in a chair with a thud and put his head in his hands. “The kid said it was safe for pregnant women.”

“You are not to blame yourself,” Kate said. “She’s a grown woman, not a child.”

“But I talked down to her like she was a kid,” Sloan said. “She was bullied by the baby’s father, and I’m sure she’s made up her mind not to let anyone do that to her again. I shouldn’t have pushed her like that.”

The double doors opened and Sloan jumped up, but it was only a nurse. She went over to another family and said a few words to them. One of the guys in that group broke down and then the rest of the group was suddenly trying to comfort each other. Sloan was familiar with the heavy cloak of guilt landing on his shoulders, and he accepted it. No matter what the ladies said to encourage him, he knew that he could have kept Ginger from getting on that ride if he’d gone about it differently. He could have told her that he hated rides, that they made him sick, and asked her to please do something with him instead of going on the Ferris wheel. But oh, no! He had to demand that she not go, and she had to prove to him that she could do whatever she wanted and take care of herself.

He got up and started to pace back and forth, from the doorway to the other side of the room and back again. On one of his trips, he heard the other group of people talking about how lucky they’d been. On another, he got a second tidbit. Evidently, a two-year-old had swallowed something poisonous, but the doctors were able to save the child’s life. Their tears had been ones of joy, not sorrow.

If Ginger lost this baby because of him, she’d never forgive him, but worse yet, he’d never forgive himself. This time, visiting a grave like he’d done with his old teammates wouldn’t work—the guilt would stay with him forever.

He was just past the doors going back into the emergency room when they swung open and Dr. Emerson came into the waiting room. The sisters, still wearing their long white dresses, had rushed to his side by the time Sloan could get whipped around and take a few steps back to him.

“Is she all right?” Betsy and Connie asked at the same time.

“Is the baby all right?” Kate laid a hand on Doc’s arm.

Sloan just stood there, speechless, and waited for the bomb to explode.

“Her blood pressure is way too high and the baby is in a little bit of distress, so it’s best that we go ahead with the cesarean today. We’re taking her to surgery now. She’s asked to see Sloan. I’ve told her five minutes, and she informed me that if she didn’t see him, she was going home. Sassy little piece of baggage,” he chuckled. “Reminds me so much of Betsy when she was young.”

Betsy slumped into a nearby chair. “We’re gettin’ a baby today. Doc, please tell me that Ginger will be all right.”

Kate and Connie sat on either side of her and looked up at the doctor with wide eyes.

“She’ll be just fine. This would probably have happened no matter where she was or what she was doing. I’ll either come out as soon as I can to give you the news or else I’ll send a nurse, and y’all can move down to the surgery waiting room. Now, come on with me, Sloan. He’ll be back with you in a few minutes.”

Sloan followed the doctor, but he was now convinced that there was definitely something wrong. Ginger would have asked to speak to Betsy and comfort her so she wouldn’t worry before she would have asked for Sloan if everything was really all right. He was sure that he was about to be told some bad news and then be asked to break it to the sisters.

Doc pulled back a curtain and motioned Sloan forward. “Five minutes, and then you’ll have to suit up if you agree with her,” he said, then disappeared. “The nurse will be here to tell you what to do. I’m going to scrub up.”

Sloan took a step into the tiny curtained area. Ginger had an IV in one arm, and a blood pressure cuff was fastened around the other. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, taking her hand in his.

“What for?” Ginger asked. “I did this—you didn’t, and it’s going to be all right, but I’m scared. Doc says that if you put on a gown and mask, you can go into the delivery room with me. Please, Sloan. I’m terrified. If you’re there, I’ll be fine.” Her grip on his hand tightened.

“Yes, I’d love to go with you,” Sloan said without hesitating for a second.

“Okay, it’s time to gown up or get out.” An older nurse pushed the curtain all the way back.

“I’m going with her.” Sloan took Ginger’s hand in his.

“Then follow me.” The nurse started pushing the bed out of that area and down a hallway. “I’ll talk while we walk. You will get into a surgical gown, cap, and mask, and you will stand behind a screen. The surgical area is sterile, so you can’t be in that part. You won’t see us take the baby out, and you won’t be able to cut the cord. Once we do the necessary things, like weighing, measuring, and cleaning her up a bit, one of you will have a two-hour bonding time with the baby, skin to skin. If the mother is awake and able, that’s her job, but if she gets tired, then you will take over. When that time is over, we’ll get her dressed and ready for other folks to hold her. Do y’all understand all that?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sloan said.

“What is skin to skin?” Ginger asked.

“It’s a naked mama’s or daddy’s chest with the naked baby laid against it. We’ve found that it helps the baby bond and makes babies that are calmer than if we just take them away to the nursery,” she explained as she pushed Ginger into the surgery room and pointed to a small closet with an open door. “I’m going to get her prepped for this. You’ll find everything you need waiting in that room with the instructions about how to put it all on. Someone will come get you when it’s time.”

Sloan let go of Ginger’s hand and leaned over the bed to give her a kiss. “I’m still scared. What if she don’t bond with me? What if I fall asleep and drop her? Doc said I’ll be awake but kind of drowsy.”

“I’ll be right here with you until we take her home, I promise. If you get drowsy, I’ll take off my shirt and put her next to my skin,” he promised.

“If the offer still stands, I think that your name should be on the birth certificate,” she said.

“Okay, one more kiss and I’m turning her over to the surgical team,” the nurse said to Sloan.

Ginger cupped Sloan’s face with both her hands, brought it to hers, and said, “Don’t take too long. I feel better when you’re holding my hand.”

“I’ll be there as soon as they let me through the doors,” he promised.

He rushed into the small room, scanned the directions on the wall, and shook a paper gown out of a wrapper. He had no trouble with the hat since it worked like a shower cap, but how did he tie the gown when the strings were behind him?

“I’ve dismantled bombs,” he muttered. “I can figure this out.”