Joint Forces (Wingmen Warriors 7)

The door shooshed closed. Ball cap backward over his dark curls, his son slouched against the wall between the rolling tray and window. His clothes hung off his wiry body, which wouldn't in and of itself be annoying except for the fact the boy wore his cargo shorts so low it was a miracle the things stayed up.

And being angry about his teenager's clothes made him wonder how the hell he would handle it all over again sixteen years from now. "Hey, pal. Where've you been? Were you working overtime at the restaurant?"

"Nope. Just hanging out with Shelby and Murdoch. Listening to tunes. Eating pizza." His guilty gaze skated to the hospital bed. "Sorry I wasn't around sooner, but Mom's okay, right? Mrs. Dawson wasn't holding anything back when she came home and told me, was she?"

"Your mother's going to be fine. Only a sprain and some stitches. She'll be on bed rest for a couple of weeks, but no long-term problems." Relief still pounded through him, fears giving way and making room for questions. "Why didn't you have your cell phone on?"

"I dunno. Battery ran down, I guess." He swept his ball cap off, adjusted the fit and tugged it on again. "That's probably good for her, huh? Resting."

"Yes."

"So, everything's okay? With everything, I mean."

Suspicion nipped. "Everything what?"

"Uh, you know, the baby. Uh…" He rushed to add a little too quickly, "Mrs. Dawson told me.">"Thank you." She definitely could use a friend today more than anything the hospital offered.

Canvas bag swinging from her shoulder, Julia rushed inside and swooped over for a quick hug, already lighting toward the closest chair before Rena could blink.

The leggy blond plopped into a seat beside the bed, one foot tucked under her, casually, just like her unassuming jean overalls. "Are you okay? Really? It scared me to death when I got to the support group meeting and heard what happened. I mean, God, just hours ago we were picking up Chris's car at the shop, talking about the guest speaker for tonight's meeting."

"I'm fine. Really. Just achy and shaken, but okay. I hope the meeting went ahead without me."

Julia waggled her hand. "The speaker talked, but who could listen? We were worried."

A regular at the base support group meetings for parents of special-needs children, Julia attended because her son had been born with Down syndrome. The weekly gatherings had forged a friendship with Julia that went beyond their husbands' shared profession.

The friendship between the two women had deepened into an unbreakable bond the evening Julia waited with Rena for news about J.T. Heaven only knew what it had cost the woman to stay that night, since Julia had lost her first husband to a crash.

Rena's fingers clenched around the sterile white blanket. She could never repay the gift of her comforting presence. Of course, Julia insisted friendship was priceless.

"Oh, before I forget." Julia leaned to scoop her oversize canvas bag from the floor and rummaged inside. She pulled out a lemon-yellow gift bag. "Present for you."

"You didn't need to do this. But thank you."

Julia's blue eyes twinkled as she thrust the bag forward. "Open it."

Rena grasped the top. The bag clanked and she tucked a cradling palm underneath before she peeked inside to find… "Nail polish?" Lots of it. In a rainbow assortment of colors. "How fun!"

And unusual, but then Julia Dawson was one of the most refreshingly unconventional people she'd been blessed with knowing.

"Soon you won't be able to see your toes." Julia wriggled her toes in her Birkenstocks, blue sparkly nails glinting. "So you might as well enjoy them now."

The bag clanked to Rena's lap. "Word got around about my pregnancy that fast?"

"Bo's a walking megaphone. Half the squadron's out there checking up on you and congratulating Tag."

Great. Just what she needed, more tension heaped on him before their discussion. "How thoughtful."

"Are you sure nothing's wrong?" Julia straightened, her sandaled foot swinging from under her to the floor. "Should I call the nurse?"

"No need. I'm fine. Just worried about J.T."

"He's holding up well. Although he's worried about you, too, and driving the police crazy with his push for more manpower checking out the accident. They're convinced it was probably a drunk driver."

"Hmm." That explained why J.T. hadn't been in to see her yet. His absence hurt more than she wanted to admit when she should be grateful for the temporary reprieve.

"I hadn't told him about the baby yet," Rena blurted. Why had she spilled that? At least Julia could be trusted not to gossip.