The 23rd Deletion Bride novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: The Waiting Room

Linnea's POV

The maternity ward was full, so they put me on a gurney in the hallway.

It was the same county hospital where I had told Dalton no, with a nurse watching.

The same nurse was working tonight.

She came down the hall with a clipboard, saw me, and stopped.

"Mrs. Amory," she said.

"Carrick."

"Ms. Carrick." She smiled. "Last time you were here you were turning down a bouquet."

"This time I'm having a baby."

"I can see that. Thirty-four weeks?"

"Thirty-four and two days."

"That's early, but she's got a good chance." She checked the strap on my belly. "Is anyone with you?"

"He's coming. I called him from the car."

Another contraction took the rest of the sentence.

It started low and rolled up my back, and I gripped the rail and breathed through my teeth.

The hallway had a glass wall on one side.

Behind it was the public waiting room, with orange plastic chairs and a television bolted to the ceiling.

Cullen came through the double doors at a run, with his tie around his neck and his jacket over his arm.

He dropped everything on the floor and took my hand.

"I'm here."

"You're late."

"I was fifteen minutes away. I made it in six."

"Show-off," I said, and then the next one hit, and I stopped joking.

He stayed beside the rail, rubbing my knuckles with his thumb, and said nothing useful, which was exactly right.

Around midnight the elevator opened at the end of the hall.

Dalton stepped out.

He wore a charcoal suit and no tie, and he had shaved badly.

He stopped when he saw the gurney.

Keep reading free with an account. Start The 23rd Deletion Bride from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.