He glanced down at his phone, and reread Suzie’s text. She was a smart woman, and she was his.
“Oh, hell!” Kit exclaimed, his eyes still turned skyward. The cougar by his side stopped and looked up too, and Kit was certain the cat was silently registering the same shock. “I never thought I’d see such a sight.”
Way above them, silhouetted against the snow-laden clouds, three dragons were soaring through the air. When they were above Kit and Ollie, Kit lifted his hand and waved in a salute. The largest dragon puffed out a plume of smoke, and the three dragons drifted off further into the distance.
“If we don’t find Louise with their help, we are likely never going to find her,” Kit told Ollie.
Ollie gave a brief nod, his cat eyes large and amber as he turned his attention back to the trail they were following. Kit returned to scanning the horizon, as much as the poor visibility allowed. He looked from left to right, and front to back, hoping he would see Louise. As the snow grew deeper around them, his concerns escalated. Hypothermia would become a real problem for her soon. She was completely unprepared for this weather. He knew because the first thing he’d done when Ollie told him Louise had left, was to send him back inside to check what she had taken with her. The answer worried Kit. If Ollie was right, she had walked back out of town in the same state she had arrived in. Underdressed and unprepared.
Kit picked up the pace, and the cougar jogged along by his side. “We need to find her soon, Ollie.”
The cougar gave a plaintive yowl and inched in front, his nose to the ground, but the tracks were disappearing. They were blind down here, searching for a woman who might be anywhere.
Beside him, the air shimmered and Ollie fell into step with Kit on two legs. “The tracks are gone.”
“I figured as much. Look, we could go faster, but our best chance is the dragons. They can see so much more than us. So we pace ourselves, and keep looking, and wait for any news.”
“Agreed,” Ollie replied. “But I feel so useless.”
“I’m used to it,” Kit admitted.
“Really? I thought, being a doctor, you had more control than most people.” Ollie gave Kit a sideways glance before returning to looking around them.
“Most of the time. But then there are the times when there is nothing you can do. I am not a god, I can’t work miracles. And that is hard, seeing the faces of parents and knowing there is nothing more I can do.”
“Huh. I never thought of it like that,” Ollie said.
“It’s tough.” Kit sighed. “Just like this. It’s out of our hands, if Louise really doesn’t want to be found, there are so many places she could hide.” Kit didn’t want to upset Ollie or make him panic, but they had to consider that Louise was beyond their help. No matter how much Kit wanted to find Louise, he could not risk Ollie’s life, or that of the three dragons.
“She came here because of me,” Ollie said.
“Is that what she told you?” Kit asked.
“No, but there is no other reason for her to come to Bear Creek.”
“She left Storm in Bear Bluff. Is there someone there she might have come to see? A person she might be heading toward now?” Kit asked.
“No. I told you, she doesn’t know anyone here. But she knew about the hospital in Bear Bluff. When we I first moved here, I broke my arm, and she came to see me in hospital, wrote on my cast and everything.” Ollie smiled softly, but there was a sadness in his eyes. “Why couldn’t we be mates?”
“Because that is not the way of it,” Kit said gently. “Fate has the right woman lined up for you.”
Ollie huffed in response. “A woman I may or may not find. While Louise was there, a warm, real human. And what about her? What about Louise? She gets to choose, but she can’t choose me?”
“I understand what you are saying, Ollie. But it’s not my choice, and it’s not yours.”
“Really? Because I have been thinking, and I’ve decided to screw fate. I’m going to take care of Louise and the baby.” Ollie’s face was firmly set. “I am going to make a choice.”
“And what happens when your true mate walks into your life and turns it upside-down?” Kit asked.
“I don’t care,” Ollie insisted.
“Believe me, Ollie, you will.” Kit stopped and turned to face Ollie, placing his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “You don’t think I haven’t asked myself these same questions? You don’t think I’ve skirted around these same decisions?”
Ollie shrugged, looking mutinous. “I don’t know.”
“Well, I have. And let me tell you, until yesterday when Suzie walked into my life, I thought I could do things my own way. I’ve fostered children because I so desperately wanted a child of my own. But nothing fills the void. Not until she walks into your life and rips your heart from your chest.” He put his hand over his heart. “And then she puts it back in, but it’s different, the whole world is different, and you don’t want to go back.”
“But what about Louise?” Ollie asked.
“You can be there for her, you can be everything you need to be for her. But don’t ever make a promise you can’t keep. Ever. And let me tell you, this is one you cannot keep.”
Ollie opened his mouth to speak, but before he did, Kit’s phone beeped in his pocket. The two men locked eyes and shared a moment of hope as Kit plunged his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
“Did they find her?” Ollie asked.
Kit lifted his eyes to meet Ollie’s. “Yes. She is unconscious.”
Kit lifted his head and looked skyward. The thrum of wings heralded the arrival of a dragon, and in its talons, it held the limp body of a human.
“Louise!” Ollie yelled.
“Shh, we don’t want people looking this way.” Kit looked around quickly; thankfully, they were on an empty stretch of road. With the added shroud of snow blanketing them, there would be little chance of anyone seeing a dragon.
“Is she dead?” Ollie asked as the dragon placed the woman carefully on the ground. In an instant, Kit was by her side, checking her vital signs, while Harlan shifted into his human form just above the air and landed in the snow with a plop.
“Can’t risk leaving any tracks,” Harlan explained. He looked up and waved at the two dragons circling above them. “How is she? We can get you close to the hospital if you need us to. But not all the way, it’s too risky.”
Kit nodded. “We need to get her warm. Can you take her back to my house? I have a full medical kit and a warm fire. Her pulse is strong and her breathing is normal. She looks exhausted.”
“Are you sure about the hospital?” Ollie asked nervously.
“Let’s get her warm and dry first, and we can make a decision if we need to.” Kit nodded at Harlan.
“Your call. And anyway, since we could not land too close to the hospital, if that is your next move, we need to make a plan. You’ll need someone with a car to pick you up on the outskirts.”
Kit nodded. “I have people I can call on if we need to do that. Or I can drive.”
Harlan shook his head. “I’ve seen the road going up to your house. A small avalanche has blocked it about a mile from your house.”
“Damn it,” Kit cursed. “OK, please take Louise with you. We can run home. I’ll text Suzie and let her know to expect you.”
“Sure.” Harlan walked away from them, and shifted, his dragon wings dipping down and lifting him off the ground in one fluid movement. It was impressive how well-controlled the dragon shifter was. But then he’d had a long, long time to master the art of being a dragon.
Kit tapped Ollie on the shoulder. “Are you OK?”
“I think so.” He watched the dragon as it carried off Louise. “I’m not sure which shocks me more.”
“Yeah, the dragon does it for me,” Kit admitted. Quickly sending a text to Suzie, to warn her about Louise’s arrival, he then shifted into his bear and took off at a run toward his house on the hill. As his short bear legs devoured th
e ground, he thought over how he planned to get Louise to the hospital if that was what they had to do.
There were several people he could call. But there was another idea he wanted to run past Harlan, although the dragon shifter might not like it. But it would at least mean he would be able to go into work tomorrow too.
His bear grinned to himself. Dragon shifters. I never thought I’d see one, let alone four.
Me neither, Kit agreed. But he sure was glad Suzie had one on speed dial.
Chapter Thirteen – Suzie
“You need to rest, I can do what needs to be done,” Suzie ordered Fiona. She gave the dragon shifter her most commanding look, which worked. Making Suzie feel uneasy. “Are you OK?”
Fiona put her hand to her back. “A few twinges, that’s all.”
“You have to let me know if you think the baby is coming,” Suzie ordered.
“I will, Mom,” Fiona answered, but her usual bite had left her voice.
Suzie couldn’t get hung up on worrying about Fiona, not now. Kit’s text had been short and to the point: she needed to make the house warm, and get lots of blankets, and boil lots of hot water. Damn, that sounded like the ingredients for a home birth.
As if she knew something was happening, Storm decided it was a good time to fill her lungs, and let it out in an ear-splitting cry. “You carry on, I can cope with Storm,” Fiona said, getting up awkwardly from the sofa.
“I’ll warm a bottle for her,” Suzie said, adding it to her mental list of things to do. “I just need to get those blankets first.
Suzie left the room, running upstairs to search for the linen closet. There she rummaged inside until she found some thick blankets and some fluffy towels. With her arms full, she took them to the sitting room and spread them out to air in the warm glow of the fire.
Fiona was rocking Storm in her arms, while watching out of the window for the dragons to arrive. Suzie ran into the kitchen and filled the kettle, got the bottle out of the fridge, and set it on the side. Fresh coffee was next on her list, she was sure everyone was going to need some.
As she put the fresh water into the pot, a shout from Fiona made her start. “No, not the baby,” Suzie murmured. Everything was happening at once. But she would cope; she knew how to deal with a crisis.
“Are you OK?” Suzie asked, bursting into the sitting room.
“I’m fine, stop fussing.”
“Then why did you call me?” Suzie accused.
“You have to come and see them.” Fiona beckoned to Suzie, who joined her at the window. “There. What a sight.”
Fiona’s voice was filled with such pride, it brought tears to Suzie’s eyes. All her opinions of the older woman melted away. There was a warmth inside Fiona that she hid away, but now Suzie stood in its glow, and it was like being next to a field of lava.
“You must be so proud,” Suzie said. Her words were such an understatement, but what more could you say?
“I am. And happy. So happy.” Fiona looked at Suzie. “I wish you the same happiness, Suzie. I truly do.”
“Thank you, Fiona.”
Fiona glanced at Suzie sideways, and then reached for her hand and squeezed it, while she held Storm cradled in the other arm. “It’s my hormones. I’m sure once I have the baby I’ll return to normal.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Suzie grinned. “Whichever way it turns out, I’m sure we will get through it.”
Fiona burst out laughing. “I do have a reputation to defend.”
“And I will help you do that, Fiona. I’m so happy to have had a chance to learn more about this part of your job. It’s not easy, is it?” Suzie asked.
“Most things in life that are worthwhile are never easy. But that is what makes them truly worth doing.” Fiona let her hand drop. “Come on, this little one’s mommy needs our help.”
“She does.” Suzie stopped and asked Fiona, “Do you think we should keep Storm from Louise? She gave her up, and I don’t think it’s our place to push them back together if it isn’t what Louise wants.”
“I’ll go and sit in a bedroom with Storm.” Fiona agreed. “At least until Kit has had a chance to assess Louise.”
“OK, I’ll bring her bottle as soon as I can.” Suzie watched anxiously as the dragons landed, while Fiona walked off with Storm in her arms, climbing the stairs awkwardly. As soon as she heard the bedroom door close, Suzie went to the front door, where she met Harlan and his two adopted daughters. “How is she?”
Harlan held Louise in his strong arms, and carried her to the house, with Sapphi and Ruby close behind. “Kit says her vital signs are strong. We need to keep her warm until he gets here.” He carried Louise to the sofa, where he carefully set her down.
Suzie busied herself plumping up pillows and covering Louise with blankets. “Her clothes are wet. I’m going to get her out of them.”
“I’ll go check on Fiona,” Harlan said quickly, turning away. “To give you some privacy.”
“She’s in the bedroom with the baby,” Suzie said, pointing. She looked up at Ruby and Sapphi. “Hi, would you go to the kitchen and pour some coffee?”
“Sure,” Sapphi said, and she and Ruby left the room, leaving Suzie alone with Louise.
“Hey, Louise,” Suzie said, stroking the young woman’s cold, pale cheek. She was as white as the snow, and just as cold. “I’m going to remove your clothes. I hope that’s OK. If I don’t take them off, you are not going to warm up.”
There was no reaction from Louise. After a moment of hesitation, Suzie set to work. First she pulled her stretchy sweat pants off, Louise’s soft abdomen reminding her that this young woman had not long ago given birth. With no response, Suzie gently took Louise’s hands out of her sweater one at a time, and then gently lifted her head and eased the sweater off. Then she repeated the process with her wet T-shirt. Her undergarments would have to stay on.
Grabbing another couple of blankets, which were warmed by the fire, Suzie covered Louise up, and then stroked her hair, talking to her soothingly.
“Come on, Kit,” Suzie said out loud, her eyes straying to the doorway, where she longed to see her mate appear, with Ollie at his side. What if something had happened to them?
“Coffee?” Sapphi said, placing a cup down on the table next to the sofa.
“Thanks,” Suzie replied.
“How is she?” Ruby asked coming to sit down next to Suzie on the floor next to the sofa.
“I don’t know. She’s breathing OK.” Suzie watched the steady rise and fall of Louise’s chest.
“Can I take her pulse?” Sapphi asked.
“Sure,” Suzie said.
Ruby looked more closely at Louise. “She’s about the same age as Sapphi.”
“She is very young,” Suzie agreed.
“I can’t imagine having a baby at my age,” Sapphi said quietly. “I want to train to be a nurse, not a mom.”
“Sometimes things happen that we don’t expect,” Suzie told the two girls, while still looking longingly at the door.
“I can go and look for them if you want,” Ruby told Suzie, as if reading her mind.
“No, they’ll be OK.” Suzie smiled at Ruby. “Are you looking forward to Fiona’s baby arriving?”
Sapphi rolled her eyes as she sat with Louise’s wrist in her hand. “Yes, so we don’t have to put up with all the drama. You would think that since Fiona has been alive for so long, waiting a few more days for a baby to arrive should be like the blink of an eye.”
“She’s worried something is wrong,” Ruby said kindly. “But Sapphi is right, she is an emotional wreck.”
“She’s got you two to look after her, though,” Suzie said easily. “And Harlan.”
“Yeah, we’re doing what we can, but the one thing she wants is this baby to be out in the world.” Sapphi cast a knowing look at Ruby, who smiled sadly.
“What’s that for?” Suzie asked. It was her job to pick up on the vibes a family threw out.
“Nothing,” Sapphi replied
, but Suzie caught the lie.
“You are worried she’s going to think more of this baby than of you two?” Suzie asked.
“It will be her flesh and blood. And Harlan’s,” Ruby admitted.
“Hasn’t Harlan got an adopted daughter too?” Suzie asked, remembering Fiona telling her about Harlan, a man who had adopted a human child when she was young and raised her himself.
“Yep. Chrysi,” Ruby said.
“And does he love any of you any differently?” Suzie asked. Weird family dynamics were her specialty.
“No, I guess not.”
“So why would either Fiona or Harlan love this baby any more than they love you?” Suzie looked from one girl to the other. “I’ll tell you a secret, I’ve known Fiona for some years, and I know how much having you in her life has made her happy. And Fiona is not the easiest person to make happy.” She raised her eyebrows in her best I know what I’m talking about kind of a way.
“Thanks, Suzie.” Then Ruby looked up. “They are here.”
Suzie got up and went to the door, flinging it open as a bear and a cougar lumbered wearily up to the house. “I think we're going to need some more coffee.”
“I’ll get it,” Ruby offered.
“Sounds good,” Kit said. “Is Louise awake?”
“No, she’s not, but her breathing seems normal.”
“And her pulse too,” Sapphi said, letting Louise’s wrist drop, then she got up and went with Ruby to fetch the coffee.
“OK, let’s see if we can wake her up.” Kit went to Louise, and Suzie stood back with Ollie.
“How are you doing?” Suzie asked Ollie.
“OK, I’ll feel better once Louise wakes up and we know she’s OK,” Ollie said.
“She will be. She’s a strong woman. We already established that.” Suzie tried to comfort the young man who stood before her, exhausted and wet from the snow.
“I just want to make it right for her,” Ollie admitted.
“It’s not always up to other people to make things right. Louise has to make her own choices, and supporting her in those choices is the best thing you can do,” Suzie counseled.
Doctor Daddy Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 8) Page 8
