He almost missed Evan’s hand shoot out to cover his cup before she could pour him water. “I’ll just have ice water, thanks.”
Sasha faltered, just for a second, before nodding and continuing around the table. Most likely she was going to finish with the tea before getting Evan’s water. Exactly what he would have instructed her to do.
“It’s rare to see someone be both an ass and a dick at the same time,” Kelly quipped from across the table. She had never gotten along with Evan, but no one knew exactly why.
“I don’t see how this is any of your business, K,” Evan said. “I just don’t like hot tea.”
“You’re missing the entire point. If that’s the case, why did you come today at all?”
“I assumed there would be a discussion at some point about group business. I wanted to be part of it.”
“In that case, you let her prepare the tea and you don’t drink it. Were you raised in a barn?”
Sasha had made her way to Cole and though she’d appeared calm from across the table, up close he could tell she was trembling. Because of Evan or something else?
Cole reached out and lightly brushed her wrist as she served him. He wanted her to know she was doing great and how proud he was. She relaxed under his touch.
“Excellent job, little one,” he whispered, and she slipped into the kitchen, her demeanor calm once again.
He would pull Evan aside after and talk with him. Though from the look and sound of it, Kelly was doing a good job setting him straight. He let them go at each other for a bit, but knew he had to put a stop to it before Sasha returned.
“Kelly, Evan,” he said, purposely leaving off their titles. “Sasha will be back any minute, and I strongly suggest you cease the bickering now. I will take it very personally if you stress her out in any way.”
“Sorry, Cole,” Kelly said, throwing one last glare at her nemesis across the table. “You’re right.”
Evan huffed but didn’t say anything.
“Do we need to step outside?” Cole asked the young Dom. “You will not cause her stress.”
“I assure you, Master Johnson, I wish her no harm.”
Cole gave him a curt nod, but the air still hummed with tension when Sasha reappeared. Daniel took over the conversation, changing the subject by asking for volunteers to work the melanoma fund-raiser.
Minutes later, Sasha was serving everyone smoothly and Daniel had several positions filled. Cole rolled his shoulders and relaxed into his chair. Now, hopefully, he could simply enjoy his tea and the slave who served it.
A strangled cry from the far end of the room made everyone jump. Jeff pushed his chair back from the table and fumbled in his pockets. His hands shook.
Nathaniel reached out to touch him. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Dena,” he said in an anguished whisper. “She’s bleeding.”
• • •
Within minutes, Cole was driving Jeff to the hospital. Sasha was in the backseat and Daniel followed behind in Jeff’s truck. Nathaniel had left to pick up Abby and Julie. Though it felt like the longest trip he’d ever taken, Cole couldn’t imagine what it felt like for Jeff.
Jeff either stared straight ahead or checked his phone for news. The never-ending refreshes confirmed there were no updates. Sasha was just as quiet. She sat huddled in the backseat, blowing her nose occasionally.
Halfway to the hospital, Jeff slammed his fist against the dash. “Damn it. Drive faster. She’s by herself.” His voice broke. “I have to be there. She can’t go through this alone.”
He was already going twenty miles over the speed limit, but Cole pushed down on the gas pedal and went even faster. After what seemed like hours, he finally pulled up to the Emergency Department. He wasn’t sure the car had come to a complete stop when Jeff unbuckled his seat belt, opened the door, and jumped out.
He took his time parking, not really wanting to face what he knew they would likely find when they made it inside. He remembered all too well the vacant stare Dena had the time she talked about losing their first pregnancy to a miscarriage.
Sasha seemed to share his thoughts. She moved slowly, a deliberate delay on her part. “It’s not fair,” she said as they approached the main gate. “They just want a child.” She sighed. “Look at what happened the last time. They shouldn’t have to deal with this again.”
Cole slipped his hand around hers. “I know it’s easy to look at the negative, but let’s not speculate. We’ll know what’s happening soon enough.”
Once inside, a nurse gave them directions to a waiting room. Cole dropped onto a couch, expecting Sasha to do the same, but instead she slid to her knees at his feet. They were the only people waiting at the moment, but that could change any second.
“You can sit next to me if you want,” he told her. “I’m not going to insist on any formal protocol in a hospital.”
“Let me sit here. Please. I can’t explain it, but I feel more peaceful like this.”
“As long as you’re comfortable and you’re aware that you can sit by me any time you want.”
“Yes. Thank you, Sir.”
She sat cross-legged on the floor at his feet, randomly flipping through magazine pages. He didn’t think she was actually reading anything, just trying to keep her mind occupied.
“I should have thought about bringing your knitting,” he said. “I was just so focused on getting Jeff here.”
She peered up at him with tear-filled eyes. “It’s okay. I was working on something for Dena. I don’t think I could get any more of it done under the circumstances.”
He reached down and wiped her tears away with his thumb. He wished more than anything he could tell her everything was going to be all right, but he was terribly afraid it would be just the opposite.
Daniel and Julie peeked inside the waiting room. Nathaniel and Abby were behind them.
“There you guys are.” Daniel sat beside him. “Heard anything yet?”
“Nothing,” Cole answered.
Sasha moved closer to his leg so Julie could sit next to her. “I can’t decide if it’s good or bad that there’s no word yet.”
“Maybe it won’t be much longer.” Julie folded her knees up in front of her and wrapped her arms around them. “I think if it was bad, Jeff would have known as soon as he got here.”
Sasha faltered, just for a second, before nodding and continuing around the table. Most likely she was going to finish with the tea before getting Evan’s water. Exactly what he would have instructed her to do.
“It’s rare to see someone be both an ass and a dick at the same time,” Kelly quipped from across the table. She had never gotten along with Evan, but no one knew exactly why.
“I don’t see how this is any of your business, K,” Evan said. “I just don’t like hot tea.”
“You’re missing the entire point. If that’s the case, why did you come today at all?”
“I assumed there would be a discussion at some point about group business. I wanted to be part of it.”
“In that case, you let her prepare the tea and you don’t drink it. Were you raised in a barn?”
Sasha had made her way to Cole and though she’d appeared calm from across the table, up close he could tell she was trembling. Because of Evan or something else?
Cole reached out and lightly brushed her wrist as she served him. He wanted her to know she was doing great and how proud he was. She relaxed under his touch.
“Excellent job, little one,” he whispered, and she slipped into the kitchen, her demeanor calm once again.
He would pull Evan aside after and talk with him. Though from the look and sound of it, Kelly was doing a good job setting him straight. He let them go at each other for a bit, but knew he had to put a stop to it before Sasha returned.
“Kelly, Evan,” he said, purposely leaving off their titles. “Sasha will be back any minute, and I strongly suggest you cease the bickering now. I will take it very personally if you stress her out in any way.”
“Sorry, Cole,” Kelly said, throwing one last glare at her nemesis across the table. “You’re right.”
Evan huffed but didn’t say anything.
“Do we need to step outside?” Cole asked the young Dom. “You will not cause her stress.”
“I assure you, Master Johnson, I wish her no harm.”
Cole gave him a curt nod, but the air still hummed with tension when Sasha reappeared. Daniel took over the conversation, changing the subject by asking for volunteers to work the melanoma fund-raiser.
Minutes later, Sasha was serving everyone smoothly and Daniel had several positions filled. Cole rolled his shoulders and relaxed into his chair. Now, hopefully, he could simply enjoy his tea and the slave who served it.
A strangled cry from the far end of the room made everyone jump. Jeff pushed his chair back from the table and fumbled in his pockets. His hands shook.
Nathaniel reached out to touch him. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Dena,” he said in an anguished whisper. “She’s bleeding.”
• • •
Within minutes, Cole was driving Jeff to the hospital. Sasha was in the backseat and Daniel followed behind in Jeff’s truck. Nathaniel had left to pick up Abby and Julie. Though it felt like the longest trip he’d ever taken, Cole couldn’t imagine what it felt like for Jeff.
Jeff either stared straight ahead or checked his phone for news. The never-ending refreshes confirmed there were no updates. Sasha was just as quiet. She sat huddled in the backseat, blowing her nose occasionally.
Halfway to the hospital, Jeff slammed his fist against the dash. “Damn it. Drive faster. She’s by herself.” His voice broke. “I have to be there. She can’t go through this alone.”
He was already going twenty miles over the speed limit, but Cole pushed down on the gas pedal and went even faster. After what seemed like hours, he finally pulled up to the Emergency Department. He wasn’t sure the car had come to a complete stop when Jeff unbuckled his seat belt, opened the door, and jumped out.
He took his time parking, not really wanting to face what he knew they would likely find when they made it inside. He remembered all too well the vacant stare Dena had the time she talked about losing their first pregnancy to a miscarriage.
Sasha seemed to share his thoughts. She moved slowly, a deliberate delay on her part. “It’s not fair,” she said as they approached the main gate. “They just want a child.” She sighed. “Look at what happened the last time. They shouldn’t have to deal with this again.”
Cole slipped his hand around hers. “I know it’s easy to look at the negative, but let’s not speculate. We’ll know what’s happening soon enough.”
Once inside, a nurse gave them directions to a waiting room. Cole dropped onto a couch, expecting Sasha to do the same, but instead she slid to her knees at his feet. They were the only people waiting at the moment, but that could change any second.
“You can sit next to me if you want,” he told her. “I’m not going to insist on any formal protocol in a hospital.”
“Let me sit here. Please. I can’t explain it, but I feel more peaceful like this.”
“As long as you’re comfortable and you’re aware that you can sit by me any time you want.”
“Yes. Thank you, Sir.”
She sat cross-legged on the floor at his feet, randomly flipping through magazine pages. He didn’t think she was actually reading anything, just trying to keep her mind occupied.
“I should have thought about bringing your knitting,” he said. “I was just so focused on getting Jeff here.”
She peered up at him with tear-filled eyes. “It’s okay. I was working on something for Dena. I don’t think I could get any more of it done under the circumstances.”
He reached down and wiped her tears away with his thumb. He wished more than anything he could tell her everything was going to be all right, but he was terribly afraid it would be just the opposite.
Daniel and Julie peeked inside the waiting room. Nathaniel and Abby were behind them.
“There you guys are.” Daniel sat beside him. “Heard anything yet?”
“Nothing,” Cole answered.
Sasha moved closer to his leg so Julie could sit next to her. “I can’t decide if it’s good or bad that there’s no word yet.”
“Maybe it won’t be much longer.” Julie folded her knees up in front of her and wrapped her arms around them. “I think if it was bad, Jeff would have known as soon as he got here.”
