Final Sharp Turn

by Faye Byrd

  Final Sharp Turn

  Book Three

  Of the

  Sharp Turn Saga

  Faye Byrd

  Copyright © 2017 Faye Byrd

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  All trademark references mentioned in this book, including movies, movie characters or television shows, are the property of the respective copyright holders and trademark owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons is entirely coincidental.

  Edited by: Fran Walsh

  Image Creator: Ceara Therrien

  Pre and Post readers:

  Cheryl Edmonds

  Sara Perry

  Cecilia Melton

  Table of Contents

  1 Roundabout

  2 Full Speed Ahead

  3 Changing Lanes

  4 One Lane Road

  5 Rest Area

  6 Pavement Ends

  7 Tow Away Zone

  8 Keep Out

  9 Wrong Way

  10 Exit Only

  11 Bump

  12 Baby On Board

  13 Construction Zone

  14 Stop

  15 Epilogue—Speed Limit 70

  Acknowledgements

  Links

  1 Roundabout

  Easy

  I jerk awake, sitting up in bed, my eyes scanning the dimly lit room around me. My hand goes to my chest as my heartbeat calms with the realization that it was only a dream. I lie back against my pillow, blowing out a breath. This isn’t a first for me, and it probably won’t be the last.

  As a mother, it’s hard to accept that you didn’t realize the nurse handed you the wrong baby. Though I know realistically I’m not at fault, it doesn’t stop my mind from displaying awful scenarios when I’m not in control of my thoughts. In this particular dream, Trystan charged in the next day, demanding I return his son. The look of pure hatred he displayed was enough to bring me to awareness.

  The weight of his arm across my midsection reminds me of who he is and where we are in life. Together. A solid family unit. Both parents. Both boys. Over the past three months, our lives have been completely dismantled and rebuilt. Much like what Cameron is facing once his transplant starts, though his will be physical instead of emotional.

  My heart aches for what my baby is facing, but without it, he can never live a happy, healthy life. And it starts today. The first step in the process is the birth of Violet and subsequent collection of her life-saving cord blood.

  The alarm clock blares, scaring me half to death, and by the time I recover, Trystan has already hit snooze and is pushing closer. Only when he realizes his nose is rooting into my side, he lifts his head. Though his features are hidden in the minimal light, I can picture his concerned expression.

  “What’s wrong?” he mumbles, rubbing his bleary eyes.

  “Nothing,” I reply, brushing my fingers through his thick hair. “No, not nothing. A bad dream.”

  He pushes into a sitting position beside me. “Want to talk about it?”

  Do I?

  This is something Trystan and I have never discussed before. How did we allow it to happen? How were we so preoccupied that we were handed the wrong babies and never blinked an eye?

  Are we ready for that conversation now?

  I reach over and turn on my bedside lamp, squinting at the sudden light. “What happened, Trystan?” I ask, pinning him with questioning eyes. “How did we not recognize our own children?”

  “Whoa,” he says, scooting lower and angling to face me. “Where is this coming from? Is that what your dream was about?”

  “You can’t possibly tell me the thought hasn’t plagued you,” I say, feeling slightly insecure.

  He rubs harshly at his eyes, taking a moment before releasing a sigh. “My story is worse than you think. I missed his birth, so it’s most likely the first time I saw him, he was already Blake.”

  “You … missed his birth?” I repeat, more to myself than him. I’m stunned, really. Trystan is an exceptional father, and I cannot imagine him skipping out on something so important.

  “Hey,” he says, affronted. “She was only in labor for two hours, and I got stuck on the Interstate behind a fatal wreck on the way to the hospital. By the time I made it, he was already here, and Kennedy had sent him straight to the nursery so she could nap.”

  “Oh my,” I say, even more shocked than before by her behavior. “I’m so sorry, Trystan. I can’t imagine a mother not wanting her newborn, especially her firstborn, right there with her.”

  He shakes his head, his jaw tightening as he looks away. “That should’ve been my first clue.” After a moment, he collects himself and looks back to me with a soft expression. “So what about you? Did you even for one second suspect you had the wrong baby?”

  My eyes burn as tears threaten. “No. When Cam, well I guess Blake, was born, his APGAR score was low. His breathing wasn’t very strong. I held him for maybe a minute before they took him away.” I turn to him then, the guilt eating me alive. “His little bracelet came off his arm and landed on the bed. I told them, of course, but they were rushing him from the room.”

  He locks our hands together giving me a supportive squeeze. “Did you tell Investigator Masters that part?”

  I nod, my eyes falling to our clasped hands. “When they returned him two hours later, he had on a new bracelet, and they gave me a new one, also. He was bathed, and his color was improving, so I was just thankful my baby was okay.” I give him a sad smile before looking back to our hands. “Was Blake okay when you first saw him?”

  Trystan reaches over and tilts up my chin, cupping my cheek. “He was perfect, Easton.” He wipes away a tear that trails down my cheek. “I don’t want you to ever think this is your fault. Even if you’d insisted you had the wrong baby, they probably would’ve treated you like a crazy mother.”

  “Maybe if I hadn’t accepted the pain medication, my mind would’ve been clearer,” I say, unable to deny the guilt that is buried deep inside me.

  He leans closer and presses his lips against mine for a brief moment. It’s a gentle reminder. “Knowing everything you know right now; would you go back and change it if you could?”

  “Never,” I say, shaking my head adamantly.

  “Then that’s it. You can’t let it bother you,” he replies, brushing his thumb over my lips. “I’m not a very optimistic guy, but in this instance, I’d say everything happened for a reason.”

  Unable to control my love for him, for this—everything we’re lucky enough to have—I throw my arms around him and bury my face in his delicious-smelling neck. A chuckle rumbles deep in his chest as he returns my affection with an embrace that makes me feel invincible.

  “I love you, Easton,” he says, his lips close to my ear.

  “I love you,” I reply, taking a deep breath. “Are we ready for this?”

  He pulls away and meets my eyes with the gentlest expression. “We’re more than ready. Not only do we get to welcome a new niece into the family, but we’re also blessed with her being the match our son needs.”

  My uncertainty fades, bolstered by his confidence. “I can’t wait to meet her,” I say, a rush of giddiness moving through me.

  “And on that note,” Trystan says, tossing the she
ets aside. “My family needs breakfast before we can go.”

  “Don’t forget to cook enough for Weston,” I call after his retreating form.

  He pauses and turns to me with a smirk. “Don’t you worry, I’d never forget Weston.”

  I giggle and toss a pillow.

  His laughter echoes from the hallway as it drops to the floor.

  We arrive at MUMC at precisely ten in the morning. Cooper and Kari were admitted at six, but they insisted we stay home until later in the day. This isn’t exactly what they meant, but we’re not very good listeners anyway. With the boys in Weston’s capable hands, there was nothing to keep us from showing up.

  In lieu of going into labor on her own, Kari is induced so the hospital can have complete control of the timing. With her actual due date only three days away, she’s considered to be full-term, and the birth is expected to go smoothly.

  This time when we step off the elevator onto the maternity floor, we take a right toward the labor and delivery department instead of a left for the OB/GYN offices. As we walk, I’m barely able to tamp down my excitement to welcome my first niece into the world and be a support system for her superstar mom, Kari.

  Trystan grabs my hand and grins. “Calm down, baby. We likely have hours before we can get too excited.”

  “I know, but you have to remember, this is new to me. I’ve never been in the delivery room with someone else before,” I say, swinging our hands between us.

  He tilts his head in acknowledgment. “Me either, and I probably won’t be this time. I don’t mind staying until it’s close, but when the main event comes, I’ll probably excuse myself.”

  I wrinkle my nose. “Yeah, I can see that. It would be a little weird.”

  “A little?” He lifts one dark brow and shakes his head. “No fucking thank you.”

  I bump into his side. “You should probably watch that since babies are born here and all.”

  As we reach the nurse’s station, our conversation trails off and we’re directed to Kari’s birthing room. The nurse handling the desk is very nice, smiling widely as she passes along the route we should take. We thank her profusely and continue.

  Before we even enter, I can already hear Blaine and Carson in the room. Trystan taps the door lightly as we walk through. All eyes turn to us.

  Kari grimaces. “What are you guys doing here so early?”

  “Did you really think we’d stay away?” Trystan asks, holding out a fist to his brother. “Never.”

  “What’s up, man?” Coops says, returning Trystan’s bump and eyeing me behind him “Easy, my girl. Give me five!”

  I chuckle under my breath as I humor him and continue to Kari, offering a small hug, doing my best not to make her any more uncomfortable than she already is. “How’s it going?” I ask as I pull away to sit on the edge of her bed.

  “Meh,” she says, giving me a so-so wave of her hand. “The contractions are pretty light, which is good, but it also means I haven’t progressed very far. Dr. Anvi should be in soon to break my water since the meds didn’t kickstart me as much as they’d hoped.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her,” I say as she tenses, breathing through a contraction, which I can see reflected on the monitor beside her. I offer my hand, but she waves me off, her breaths slowing.

  “They’re not very painful right now,” she says, relaxing her muscles. “I expect Dr. Sen to join her once he realizes you’re here. There are a few papers that require your signature for the cord blood donation since it already has an intended recipient.”

  “Oh? Why didn’t he just call and ask?” I reply, grabbing her cup of ice chips and handing them over. Her lips are dry, and this is the least I can do.

  “Thanks,” she says, slipping a piece between her lips and sighing. “I’m not sure. I did my part earlier this morning, but it’s my understanding this is usually handled by a banking center, so maybe they weren’t aware of all the required signatures. Either way, I informed Dr. Anvi you’d be here later this morning.”

  “Hey, babe, how’s it going?” Cooper asks as he and Trystan join us at the bed.

  “Everything’s fine,” Kari replies with a weak smile.

  He throws his thumb over his shoulder. “Trystan and I were gonna take the boys to the cafeteria. You cool with that?”

  My eyes seek my guy, and I wink. “Are you planning to have the boys here during the birth?”

  “Nah,” Cooper says with a wave of his hand. “I know some people do, but we think that’s a tad too much. Mom and Dad’s flight arrived last night, so she’s going to pick them up when she visits later and bring them back after Violet’s born.”

  “They can always hang with Uncle T,” Trystan says, squatting in front of Blaine. “How does that sound? We can go do stuff while we wait for your sister to be born.”

  Blaine fist pumps, and I have to wonder if it’s a natural instinct for boys. “Yeah!” he exclaims. “Uncle T is way funner than Grandma.”

  Trystan high fives him and chuckles as he stands. “Sounds like a plan.” He looks to Cooper for the final okay. “You cool with that?”

  “What? You’re not staying?” Coopers asks, mock offended.

  “Hel-heck no! That’s a little TMI for me.”

  “I second that notion,” Kari says, her giggle turning into a grimace.

  Cooper swoops in, the caring and devoted husband, not a side of him I’m accustomed to. He’s so serious as he coaches her through the contraction and then almost demands to stay when she tries to shoo him away afterward. It’s a cute and touching moment, and I envy it.

  I feel Trystan’s eyes burning my skin and look to where he’s standing. They’re on me, but his far-away gaze tell me he’s probably envisioning us in this very position. The same as me. Though it won’t be soon, as we’ve made sure to only have protected sex since our encounter in my office, it will become a reality.

  Cooper stands and clears his throat, bringing Trystan and me from our shared vision. “Let’s go, bro. I want to get back sooner rather than later.”

  Trystan walks over and leans down to place a kiss on my cheek. As he pulls away, he murmurs, “Soon, baby.”

  I’m left with all kinds of butterflies as I watch him grab Blaine’s hand and lead him from the room, while Cooper plants Carson on his hip. Kari and I both let out audible sighs.

  “Girl,” she says, lolling her head to face me. “I cannot wait to add Violet to that crew. Seeing Cooper holding our baby daughter is going to send me into an emotional spiral.”

  The next little bit passes amid girl talk and a contraction or two before a nurse sweeps into the room, gaining our attention. Only she pauses halfway, her eyes wide and focused on … me. My brows furrow as I study her face. She seems familiar, but I can’t quite place where I’ve met her before.

  Kari breaks the awkward moment. “Oh, hi, Brandy. You here to check my progress?”

  Brandy? The name doesn’t stand out specifically, but I know I’ve seen her before. She wasn’t one of the nurses at Cam’s birth that I recall, but maybe at some point she was on shift and came to my room during my stay.

  Brandy’s eyes jump to Kari, and she gives her an obvious fake smile. “Of course. Maybe your friend would like to step out for a moment?” she suggests, glancing at me and back to Kari.

  “Um, is it necessary?” Kari asks, giving me a weird look. “I don’t have anything she hasn’t seen before.”

  Brandy turns on all the fakeness then. “Of course not!” she says with an extra dash of excitement. “She’s completely welcome to stay in the room. This is the family birthing center, after all.” Her words are forced, and I have to wonder what I ever did to garner this reaction.

  I sit aside in one of the empty chairs placed around the room as she does all the necessary checks. As Kari previously stated, it looks like things aren’t progressing much at all. She’s only three centimeters dilated, and she’s been here for almost six hours by now.

  Brandy notes her chart a
nd gives Kari a more genuine smile. “When Dr. Anvi comes in, she’ll most likely break your water.”

  I stand, rejoining them now that she’s finished with her assessment. “Could you also inform her that I’m here?” I ask, holding out my hand. “I believe she has some paperwork for me to sign. I’m Easton Wilder. Nice to meet you.”

  “Hello, Easton,” she says, giving me a very minimal shake. “I’m aware of who you are. Hopefully, this birth won’t come back to haunt me three years later.”

  “Excuse me,” I say, tilting my chin and giving her the stink eye.

  Before she can respond, the men enter the room, talking among themselves. They pause when they catch the tension between Brandy and me. “Everything okay?” Cooper asks, walking straight to Kari’s side.

  “I … think so,” she replies, glancing to where we’re standing.

  Trystan joins me, his arm coming around to rest his hand on my hip. “Is there a problem here?” he asks, looking Brandy over. “The temperature in this room has dropped ten degrees since we left.”

  Brandy looks away and shakes her head. “No. No problem.”

  As she tries to slink away, Trystan stops her with a touch to the arm. “Hey, you look familiar.” He points, moving his finger as he ponders where he knows her from. “You were my ex-wife’s nurse when our son was born.”

  “I assist in the delivery of hundreds of infants a year. I’m sorry, I don’t remember yours specifically,” she says, not once meeting his eyes.

  “Did you not just make a snide comment to me about that very day, though?” I supply, crossing my arms.

  “I apologize,” she says, meeting my gaze head-on, though I see no sincerity whatsoever in her eyes. “The unending interviews must be getting to me. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, especially when I have no helpful information. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She curtly turns and leaves the room.

  Trystan watches her go and then turns to me. “What was that all about?”

  “Apparently, she’s not very happy with us,” I reply with a shrug.