brides for brothers 15 - a randall hero Read Online Free PDF Page B

he did, Emma let out a most unladylike burp. He stared down at her. “Was that you, Emma? My, you did that well.”
    The nurse laughed. “That happens with some babies. She did just fine. Now put her back in her bassinet and she’ll go to sleep.”
    “She will?”
    The nurse nodded.
    He gently laid the baby back in her bed. She squirmed and wiggled several times and then went to sleep.
    “You did a good job,” the nurse said.
    “Thanks.”
    After she left, he eased down in the soft chair beside the bed and leaned his head back, suddenly tired. It was more comfortable than the truck last night. But now he didn’t get to hold Lucy.
     
    L UCY STRUGGLED TO WAKE UP. It seemed there was something she should do, but she couldn’t remember what. She put her hand on her stomach to make sure the baby was okay.
    Her eyes popped open. Her womb didn’t feel as though her baby was there. She sat up, breathing hard. What had happened?
    Then she remembered she’d had the baby, her little girl, and everything was all right.
    She saw the baby sleeping in a little bassinet. She leaned back in her bed. Then she looked to the right and saw John asleep in the chair beside her bed.
    He’d stayed.
    He’d promised he would. But she didn’t know if he’d keep his word. Now she knew he had. She rested against her pillow, studying him. He was a handsome man. But more important than that, he’d taken care of her, protected her and given her hope that she might be safe. She knew that that wasn’t true, but for a short time he’d given her something she desperately needed.
    What should she do now? She knew she shouldn’t stay in one place for long. Cecil could find her. And he knew where Harry lived.
    John had said Harry wouldn’t return for six weeks, which meant she was on her own. As much as she had relied on John, she couldn’t any longer.
    She decided her first chore was to get up and go to the bathroom. Sitting on the side of her bed, she gathered her courage and put her feet to the floor. When she stood, she almost fell, grabbing the side of the bed.
    “This is harder than it looked,” she muttered to herself. It wasn’t that far to her initial goal. Forcing herself to move, she tottered to the bathroom, grabbing anything to give herself balance. The return trip wasn’t much better. She collapsed on the bed, relieved as she settled back on the pillows. Recovery was important, she knew, but she wanted to rest a bit before she tried to get up again.
    “Lucy? Are you all right?” John asked, surprising her.
    “Yes, I just made the trip to the bathroom. But I didn’t intend to wake you up.”
    “I was just napping, waiting for you to wake up. I fed Emma a bottle earlier. She did a good job.”
    “I hope I get to feed her the next one. I haven’t done that yet.”
    “You will, Lucy. I took her to show to my parents, also. They fell in love with little Emma.”
    “That’s very nice of them.”
    “Mom has it all arranged. She’s giving you my sister’s old room and there’s a little room next door for Emma.”
    “No! No, John, I can’t move in with your family. It would be too dangerous. M-My husband may come after me.”
    “I know that, Lucy. My dad and I will protect you, and Mike—the sheriff—came down to the hospital to assure you of his protection, too. You’ll be safe with us.”
    “I can’t do that, John. You’ve given me so much support when I needed it, but I can’t continue to rely on you.”
    “What do you think you’re going to do? Go back on the road? Your car won’t work without a new radiator, and Emma is too little to be out on the road. You can’t recover that quickly, either.”
    “I don’t know what I’ll do, but…I couldn’t live with myself if I brought trouble on your head.”
    “You don’t know the trouble you’ll cause if you take Emma away from my mother.” John grinned at her. “She’s been wanting a grandbaby so badly. They thought I’d hidden my girlfriend’s