Turning into the large entrance of the hospital, I slammed on the brakes so hard my car shuddered. My tires squealed and left black marks on the pavement. Flinging open the door, I lunged out of the seat, not even bothering to shut the door behind me. I was lucky I remembered to take the keys.
A security guard stopped me before I made it to the sliding doors of the hospital, holding up his hand.
“Sir, you can’t leave your car there. The parking lot is across the street—”
I interrupted him, shaking my head. I tossed my keys in his direction. “Look, kid, I trust you. Park my car and bring me the keys.”
“I can’t do that!”
Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed a wad of cash. I had no idea how much it was, but to this kid standing in front of me, blocking my way, masking his youth by pretending to be forceful, I was certain it was a fortune. I shoved the money into his hand, smirking as his eyes widened at the sight of the cash.
“Sure you can. Think of it as a reward for a job well done. Park my car and bring me my keys.” I pushed past him.
“Where are you going, sir?” he shouted.
I glanced over my shoulder as I hurried away. “The maternity ward!”
I tapped my foot as I waited for the elevator. My heart beat frantically, hands clenching and unclenching at my side, thinking about the call I received while having lunch with a client and Graham.
“Hello?”
“Richard, it’s Laura. I need you to come to the hospital.”
Ice flooded my veins. “What?”
“Katy’s gone into labor.”
I was on my feet, rushing out of the restaurant without another thought. I heard my name being called, but I ignored it. I jumped in my car, speeding toward the hospital. Katy wasn’t due for another three weeks. The baby was early. I had to get to her immediately.
The doors opened, and I cursed under my breath as I waited for people to exit. Didn’t they know I was in a hurry? I pressed six on the panel, then hit the ‘door close’ button, even though people were still filing in. My head fell back on my shoulders, as I inhaled a deep breath and counted to ten. I endured the slow ascent upward, trying not to snarl at people as they got off on other floors. I pushed the ‘door close’ button constantly, ignoring the frowns sent my way.
When the door opened on six, I burst out of the elevator, running to the desk. A nurse entering some information into the computer ignored me.
“My wife—”
She held up her hand, stopping me, and continued to type, not at all concerned with my panic. I wanted to scream, but I fisted my hands and held my tongue. Katy constantly told me I needed to learn patience. A few seconds later, she looked up with a bright smile.
“How can I help you?”
“My wife—I got a call—she’s having the baby today!”
“And the name?”
I stared at her, my brow furrowed. “We don’t know the name. The baby hasn’t been born yet.”
She scowled and opened her mouth, but I kept talking.
“How would I know the name? We didn’t want to know the sex. We wanted it to be a surprise. But she’s gone into labor early. I got a call. I need to find her.”
“Your wife’s name, sir.”
I sucked in a deep breath. Well, that made more sense.
“Katharine—but I call her Katy. She likes that better.”
She arched an eyebrow.
I said nothing in return, just glared. What the hell else did she want?
A hand fell on my shoulder, and I startled, looking down to see the amused face of Dr. Suzanne Simon. She patted my shoulder. “Calm, Richard. Katy is fine.” She smiled at the nurse. “VanRyan, Shelly. It’s Katy VanRyan.”
The nurse named Shelly grinned and threw me a look that made me think she was laughing at me. “I wondered. She warned me.”
I looked between the two of them. Warned? Who warned her? About what exactly?
Dr. Suzanne squeezed my arm. “Come with me, Richard. I’ll take you to Katy, and then I’ll explain everything.”
I nodded, following her down the hall, my stomach tense and my nerves tight.
“What did she mean, ‘she warned me’?”
Suzanne glanced up with a knowing look on her face. “Katy said she had a feeling you’d be a bit less in control than usual today. ‘Freaked out,’ I think were her words.”
I opened my mouth to protest, then shut it with a snap. As usual, my wife was right. I was rather freaked out right now. I needed to see Katy so I could calm down.
Suzanne stopped in front of a door, regarding me patiently. “Katy is fine. The baby is fine. You need to be composed and strong for her, all right?”