Gage kissed Emma’s forehead and said, “Duke is going to help you get ready to leave and I’ll start carrying your massive collection of flower arrangements down to the truck.”
Emma pointed at one of two separate groups of flower arrangements. “All of those I plan to donate to other patient rooms. I have all the cards from them. I’m only taking home your arrangement of roses and the lilies Dad sent me.”
Her parents and sister had come immediately from Dallas when Duke had called them. Emma remembered waking up groggy in the hospital and feeling so relieved to see the people she cared for most in the world all gathered around her bed. She’d previously confided in her sister, Desiree, about Gage and Duke. Desiree’s reaction to finally meeting them had been entertaining to say the least. Emma’s mother and father had been a little more reserved in their opinions of the situation but not any less loving toward her because of her men.
On the last day of their stay, her father had spoken privately with her and told her that he didn’t understand how Duke and Gage could share and not get into a competition for her attention. She had done her best to reassure him.
The day after they’d returned home, her dad had sent her a gorgeous arrangement of lilies. The card had stated that her happiness mattered more than anything else and he had been able to tell that Duke and Gage felt the same way.
Gage carefully lifted the two arrangements from the shelf. “I’ll be right back.”
Once he was gone, Emma turned to Duke. “How is he doing?”
Duke sat beside her on the bed and lifted her hand into his. As he stroked her fingers one at a time, he said, “The nightmares are not happening every night anymore but he’s still having trouble sleeping. I hear him up and moving around sometimes at night. He blames himself for you being hurt.”
Emma shook her head at that thought. Gage had no control over what one obsessed woman had planned to do. “And you?”
“Bad dreams here and there. It’s just going to take time for those memories to fade,” he said, looking at his hands as if he could still see her blood on them. “How about you? You seem to have bounced back with hardly any trouble at all, and you were the one who got shot and nearly died.”
Emma knew they probably both thought that. “I process trauma a little differently than most people. I suppose it’s because of the training I’ve received as a doctor. My residency was at one of the busiest hospitals in the Dallas area. Dealing with gunshot wounds and other intentionally inflicted injuries were a daily, sometimes hourly occurrence. So was dealing with mentally unstable patients. I’ve dealt with people like Amy Patterson before.
“I gained great experience working in that environment but it also trained some of the normal stress-like reactions out of me. Those traumas were a fact of life for me. I dealt with them and moved on. My reaction to what happened may make me seem sort of callous, but I’m not hung up with questioning why this all happened, so it’s a little easier for me to move on than it would be for someone not used to dealing with trauma on a daily basis. Don’t get me wrong, it was terrifying being on the receiving end of her plan to do away with me and have Gage, but I know there’s no point in trying to reason through why it happened. I’m mostly just grateful I’m still alive.”
She recalled Amy Patterson’s furious, ice-cold eyes staring at her as she pulled the trigger. Emma pushed the memory away. “I’m ready to be out of here and back home, and anxious to get back to work.”
“Not too fast, Tiger,” Duke commented as he helped her from the hospital bed. “When we get home, we’re just going to put you right back into bed so don’t get any ideas.”
“Bed. I’ve had enough of bed. I’ve got a bucket list to work on.”
* * * *
Thanksgiving Day, the Rivers home in San Angelo, Texas…
Duke couldn’t help the undoubtedly sappy smile on his face when Emma crowed proudly as she removed the sweet potato pie from the oven. “See? There is one thing I can cook!”
Dressed in her clingy russet-colored sweater and snug, shin-length black skirt, Emma was flushed and beautiful and more precious to Duke each day. She had progressed well in her recovery, balking at times when they’d made her rest.
He sat on one of the barstools pretending to watch the football game when most of his time was actually spent watching her. They’d come so close to losing her, and at times he found himself wondering what his life would’ve been like if she were no longer in it. The thought always brought a painful burning to his chest.
The turkey sat in its roasting pan on the stove, waiting to be sliced. The scent of baked sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and freshly baked rolls filled the air, reminiscent of all the past Thanksgivings they’d enjoyed in this house he’d grown up in.
His mom exclaimed over the pie’s flaky, golden crust and applauded Emma’s efforts. She glanced at her son and winked, merriment in her eyes as Emma placed the pie on the rack to cool.
She came over to give her son a hug and whispered, “We love her, Duke. You did good.”
Emma joined them at the bar and said, “Mary, everything smells so good. Is anyone else feeling a little warm or is it just me?”
Mom patted Emma’s shoulder and said, “Call me Mom, sweetie. It is a little warm in here and you have on a turtleneck. Why don’t you and the boys take a walk outside? That should cool you down before we have dinner.”
Emma looked to Duke, and he heard Gage rise from the sofa and say, “Dad, I think I’m going to take a walk with Emma and Duke.”
“You’re sure that you don’t need any more help in the kitchen?” Emma asked.
Mom shook her head and gestured to the turkey. “The bird is resting right now. We’ll slice it when you get back. Go get some fresh air.”
After putting on their coats, Duke, Gage, and Emma headed out the door and down the front steps. The sun was bright, but the afternoon temperatures were still frigid. She hooked her arms through both of theirs and allowed them to lead her down the walk. There were people here and there, arriving or departing, loading sleepy kids for the drive home or letting them loose from their car seats to run after long drives. Christmas decorations were being put up at a couple of the neighboring houses.
Gesturing to the homes up and down the street, Emma said, “It’s like a scene from a Rockwell painting.”
Duke smiled and nodded, seeing it with new appreciation. “This is the neighborhood we grew up in.”
Emma replied, “Really? So your friends lived in these houses?”
Gage said, “Oh, yeah.” He pointed to a brown house next door to theirs. “Adam Rankin lived right next door. He was our best friend from kindergarten on. He’s in the Army and expected back from Iraq sometime hopefully before Christmas. That,” he said, smirking as he pointed to the blue house directly across the street. “That is where Jessica Silverman lived. And she—”
Crap.
Duke put a hand out to stop Gage and said, “—was my first girlfriend in sixth grade.”
“Really?” Emma said then chuckled. “Do tell.”
Duke nodded. “She broke my heart. Our relationship lasted two days. She left me.”
“She left you? For who?” Emma said with a disbelieving scoff as though the girl must have had no sense whatsoever.
“For him!” Duke chuckled and pointed at Gage. “It seems she had a thing for brooding men with green eyes.”
Emma laughed gaily, and Duke loved the sound of it and wanted to make her laugh more.
Gage said, “Yep. And we lasted for three days. She broke my heart, too. She said neither me nor Duke understood women.” Gage threw his hand in the air in a surrendering gesture.
With a giggling snort, she asked, “So, what happened? Did she just work her way down the block?”
Duke shook his head. “No. She gave Adam a go. Turns out she had a thing for blue-eyed men, too. They stuck together and got married after college. She’s expecting their second baby around Christmas,” he said,
pointing to a very pregnant blonde helping a little blond-haired boy from a minivan parked at the house next door. “Hey, Jess!”
The blonde looked up and grinned widely when she saw them and waved. “Hey, guys! Happy Thanksgiving!” Her little boy was talking a mile a minute, tugging on her hand, and she shrugged apologetically as she was dragged inside. “Take care!”
“She’s lovely.”
Gage replied, “We were better off as friends. It was doomed to failure.”
“Oh?”
Gage said, “Yeah. It turns out we have a thing for a beautiful, green-eyed brunette who loves to play doctor.”
Emma nodded and clutched their arms close to her. Duke brushed his nose against her cheekbone, kissed her temple, and murmured, “And has a pervy streak a mile wide.”
Emma gave him a crooked little grin and replied, “Which you love about me.” Duke agreed enthusiastically because it was the truth. Emma turned to Gage and asked, “You slept through the night last night, didn’t you?”
Gage sighed softly and replied, “I did. No nightmares.” Gage seemed hesitant but smiled reassuringly at her, and she paused for a step to give him a soft kiss. Gage’s fingertips feathered against her jaw with great tenderness, and Duke wished they were alone in her bedroom so they could kiss her the way he and Gage really wanted to.
Emma wrapped an arm around his waist and said, “It just takes time, doesn’t it?” Gage nodded silently. “I’m glad that talking to my friend helped.”
Emma had suggested that Gage talk with a friend of hers who happened to be a psychologist. Gage had privately told Duke that he did indeed feel responsible for Emma being shot. He’d confided that being in such close proximity to Amy when she’d shot herself had been very disturbing for him and the main cause of his nightmares.
Gage seemed lost in his own thoughts as they strolled along. Finally, he said, “I know I was not responsible for what Amy did, or what she intended to do to you. What matters most to me is that you survived. That’s my bottom line. I love you, angel.”
“I love you, too. You know, it’s been a long time since my pervy side got any attention at all,” she said as she stroked her chest over the spot where her incision had healed. They’d slept with her every night but had held off from sex because she’d been cautioned by her doctor about strenuous activity. The wait was becoming a bit of a strain for all of them. “I am recovered well enough for sex. Give me another month on the threesome but I could really do with getting laid sometime soon.”
Gage groaned, and Duke’s cock reacted to this stellar news, rising to the challenge. Unfortunately they still had Thanksgiving dinner to sit through. “That’s good news, Em, but your timing sucks.” He didn’t think his mom and dad would appreciate having to eat a cold Thanksgiving dinner because he needed to make love to Emma.
Emma burst into giggles as they continued down the block before making their way back. They returned to find his mom and dad in the kitchen, laughing and teasing over some joke as Dad sliced the meat off the turkey. It was just the five of them for the meal, which was uneventful—until dessert.
His mom served pieces of Emma’s sweet potato pie topped with real whipped cream. They waited until everyone had a piece and then dug in enthusiastically.
Over her first mouthful, Emma said with a groan, “Don’t eat it.”
His dad took a bite and suddenly sat up straight in his chair but kept chewing.
“What’s the matter, Emma?” Duke noticed his dad shudder.
Emma’s flushed bright pink. “I did something wrong. This is awful.”
Everyone kept chewing, so Duke said, “I’m sure it’s just fine,” and took a big bite. His taste buds revolted, and his eyes watered copiously, but he wouldn’t hurt her feelings for the world. He kept on chewing.
Emma struggled to swallow and took a big gulp from her water glass. “Please. You don’t have to spare my feelings. I did something wrong when I was putting the ingredients together.”
His mom swallowed and prepared to take another bite, soldiering on as Duke and Gage kept eating. At the last second, his mom wiped a tear from her eye as her shoulders shook with restrained laughter.
Emma put her face in her hands and said, “I’m so embarrassed! All I was responsible for was dessert and I ruined it!”
Duke’s mom put a hand on her arm. “Let’s see what happened.” She held up fingers as she ticked off the ingredients one by one. “…and you added sugar, right?”
“Right.”
Mom shook her head. “There was no sugar in this pie. Something else took its place. Where did you get the sugar from?”
Emma pointed toward the kitchen at the canisters lined up on the counter. “The little ceramic house sugar bowl.”
“Oh, Lord have mercy!” his mom said and began laughing. “That’s not sugar, sweetie. That’s a salt cellar.”
Emma held her napkin to her face and groaned miserably. “How stupid! I’m so sorry!” Duke stroked her shoulder, hating to see her upset over something so small, but he could see why this would be a big deal to her. She was trying to make a good impression. She needn’t have worried because she’d already accomplished that. “I’ve ruined Thanksgiving. I wanted you both to like me—”
Gage took her hand and said, “You didn’t ruin anything, angel.”
Duke’s mom said, “Sweetie, we already loved you. One little pie isn’t going to change that.”
Emma took another gulp of her water and grimaced as she swallowed then said, “Really?”
“Really.”
“Is it too late to make something else?”
“Nope. Let’s see what we can put together. We didn’t need to eat dessert so soon anyway.” Emma teared up a little when his mom added, “Welcome to the family, Emma.”
Duke and Gage smiled at each other when Emma rose from her chair and hugged his mom. “Thank you. Let’s try this again.”
The men gathered the plates, utensils, and the offending pie and carried everything back to the kitchen.
Duke heard Emma chuckle softly to his mom and ask, “I’m never going to live this down, am I?”
Mom snickered and said, “Oh, no. Not for a million years. If I’m presented with the opportunity,” she said, looking pointedly at Gage and him, “I’ll teach you how to cook all their favorite foods.”
“Subtle, Mom. Real subtle,” Duke said as he kissed both their heads, made himself a mug of coffee, and left them to their efforts.
Duke’s parents had known Ace and Kemp’s parents, who lived just a few blocks over, for many years. His mom and dad knew about Ace and Kemp’s relationship with their fiancée, Summer. When Duke and Gage had sat down and explained to his parents that they had a similar situation, his mom and dad had taken it fairly well.
* * * *
A few days later, in late November…
Emma stretched after stepping onto the hospital elevator. The metal doors swooshed closed silently, and she folded her arms over her head one at a time as she stretched from side to side. The incision had healed nicely, but she felt the ache in her sternum as she moved. She smiled, thinking that her tight, achy muscles might be a good excuse for a rubdown that night.
As she rode down in the elevator she got her mind on the task at hand. This would be her second delivery of the morning. Her mind automatically ticked through procedure and protocol for early labor. She smiled as she recalled the conversation she’d just had with one of the nurses in the labor and delivery department.
“Registration said the husband is an EMT. Mrs. Wolf has been in early labor since last night. The contractions are four minutes apart since they arrived. They said they’re checking her in and asked if we could come down and get her right now.” The nurse’s eyebrows had been raised speculatively, and Emma volunteered to go down there since she was friends with Eli and Rachel.
The elevator slowed, settled, and then the metal doors reopened with a soft swoosh. Emma was greeted by the sound of a familiar, angr
y-sounding voice.
“—flirting with my husband? I don’t think so! If I wasn’t in labor, I’d kick—Ooooh!” Rachel Wolf let out a long, low moan and then took several slow, shaky breaths. Emma followed the sound to the registration desk near the waiting room where several people sat listening with round eyes.
A pretty nurse with long blonde hair sped past, red faced, toward the emergency department. The recently hired nurse, whose name was unfortunately Barbie, had a reputation for being flirtatious. Emma imagined that she must’ve been paying attention to Eli and had come into contact with Rachel who had a reputation for being possessive.
“Did I arrive in time for the smackdown?” Emma asked as she located Rachel and Eli in registration. Eli was talking softly to Rachel as he attached the hospital bracelet around her wrist.
Rachel looked ready to spit nails. Between deep breaths, she said, “That woman…was flirting with Eli! Right…under my nose.”
“Angel, she saw me dressed in my uniform and probably thought I was here working. I’ve never seen her before. I don’t think she made the connection until it was too late.”
The administrator behind the computer caught Emma’s eye and made a face like she was glad she wasn’t the one getting an earful. Emma chuckled as she squatted down to look at Rachel. It was obvious she was in pain as another contraction started and Rachel said, “I know that, but I’m not in the mood for bullsh—Oooh!”
Rising, Emma nodded at Eli, who appeared concerned as he stood and looked at Emma. “We thought they were Braxton-Hicks contractions, then during the night they started getting more regular and more painful.” Emma walked with them as Eli pushed Rachel’s wheelchair toward the elevator.
“Don’t worry, Eli. We’re ready for her upstairs. We’ll monitor her and see if the contractions stop. If not, at thirty-seven to thirty-eight weeks, she’s far enough along.”
Rachel breathed deep as the contraction passed and softly said, “I want my epidural.”
Rainier, Heather - Their Divine Doctor, A Holiday Ménage [Divine Creek Ranch 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 15
