I shook my head. “That’s impossible. She had an ultrasound a few weeks ago. They saw the baby and everything was fine!”
“Apparently, she had two babies. They missed the one in her fallopian tube. The doctor said they’re gonna do their best to save the other one,” he choked out, tears in his eyes. “But they have to save her first. It’s bad, Rose.”
“What?” I felt lightheaded. “But she was fine just this morning.”
“They said that’s how it happens. Sometimes there’s no warning.”
“I can’t lose her, Joe. I just can’t.”
He tipped up my chin. “Look who you’re talking about. Neely Kate is the most stubborn woman I know, and that’s saying something considerin’ how my life is chock full of stubborn women. She’s too mule-headed to kick the bucket just yet. She’s got a whole lifetime of harassment planned out for me.”
I nodded, starting to cry. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Then this Neely Kate sounds like someone I want to know,” Kate said. She’d walked up beside us without me noticing.
Joe’s body went rigid. “I think you’ve done enough.”
Her face softened. “I just want to help, Joe. That’s all I want to do.”
I could tell Joe was about to put up a fight. I put my hand on his arm. “Joe, I’m fine if she stays.”
He looked down at me, clenching his jaw. “You’ve got enough on your hands without my sister stirring up her usual shit.”
“She’s actually made me feel better. Don’t kick her out on my account.”
He stared at Kate for several long seconds, then shook his head in defeat before leading me back to the chairs.
“We need to call Ronnie,” I said, panicking that we still hadn’t called him.
Joe released a heavy sigh. “I already took care of it. I didn’t want him driving to the hospital upset, so I had a deputy drop by his shop to tell him the news and bring him in with lights and sirens.”
I started to cry. “I need to call Mason, but I don’t have my phone.”
He swallowed and his eyes filled with sorrow. “I already called him. He should be here any minute. I called Jonah too.”
The significance of what he’d done wasn’t lost on me. He wasn’t a fan of Jonah and he couldn’t stand Mason even more. “Thank you,” I said through my tears.
He nodded and averted his gaze.
I was so scared I couldn’t even think straight. “I don’t know what to do. What do I do?”
“There’s nothing to do but wait and pray.”
I had a whole lot of bargaining to do with the man upstairs.
*****
Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments
Rose Gardner Mystery #7
April 28, 2015 - Pre-order now!
Other books by Denise Grover Swank
Rose Gardner Mysteries
(Humorous Southern mysteries)
TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES
TWENTY-NINE AND A HALF REASONS
THIRTY AND A HALF EXCUSES
FALLING TO PIECES (novella)
THIRTY-ONE AND A HALF REGRETS
THIRTY-TWO AND A HALF COMPLICATIONS
PICKING UP THE PIECES (novella)
THIRTY-THREE AND A HALF SHENANIGANS
RIPPLE OF SECRETS (novella)
ROSE AND HELENA SAVE CHRISTMAS (novella)
THIRTY-FOUR AND A HALF PREDICAMENTS (April 28, 2015)
Chosen Series
(Paranormal thriller/Urban fantasy)
CHOSEN
HUNTED
SACRIFICE
REDEMPTION
CHOSEN BOX SET (includes the 4 novels above)
On the Otherside Series
(Young adult science fiction/romance)
HERE
THERE
The Curse Keepers
(Adult urban fantasy)
THE CURSE KEEPERS
THE CURSE BREAKERS
THE CURSE DEFIERS
Off The Subject Series
(New Contemporary Romance)
AFTER MATH
REDESIGNED
BUSINESS AS USUAL
The Wedding Pact Series
(Humorous Contemporary Romance)
THE SUBSTITUTE
THE PLAYER (June 2, 2015)
About the Author
Denise Grover Swank lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She writes urban fantasies without vampires and werewolves. She also writes romantic comedy mysteries set in the South. She has six children, three dogs, and an overactive imagination. She can be found dancing in her kitchen with her children, reading, or writing her next book. You will rarely find her cleaning.
You can find out more about Denise and her other books at:
www.denisegroverswank.com
or email her at [email protected]
Ripple of Secrets: Rose Gardner Mystery Novella #6.5 (Rose Gardner series Book 3) Page 13
