Page 48 of The Un-Apparent Heir

“London,” Lucy replied. “I’ve been gone from the States for more than a decade. Home is London.”

“And you’re up here?”

“My husband is a Scot,” I replied. “Born here. So, our kids will be, too. We have a wee bairn, as you’d say. He’s twenty months now.”

“Oh, you’ve got your hands full.”

“We do, yes.”

The doors opened to the maternity ward. A nurse must have been tipped off because she was waiting to rush Lucy away. The man stuck with her.

“I’ll wait until your husband gets you here if you’d like.”

“You’re too kind,” Lucy said as the nurses gathered her paperwork and took her skyrocketing blood pressure. “What is your name?”

“Niall,” he said.

“And why are you here?”

“My mam’s sick. This is a good distraction.”

“I hope she is better soon,” Lucy said.

“Thank you.”

“Are you the grandfather?” Another nurse approached. “Father?”

“Just a friend,” Lucy said.

“You cannot come back with her.”

“I’ll leave you then. Her husband is on the way.”

“Thank you, Niall. Bless you and your kindness,” Lucy said.

The man faded into the distance. Lucy would never forget him—not in a million years. The nurses popped her on a bed in triage and checked her cervix.

“You’re in transition. This baby is coming now,” the nurse said. “We will get you a room by then if we can.”

Lucy grinned and bore the pain.

“I am sorry we cannot get you any pain relief now, love,” a nurse said.

“It’s okay. Last time, the baby came so fast, I gave birth at home. This is infinitely better.”

“So, yer a pro then?” Another nurse said.

“I can only hope my husband parks the damn car so he doesn’t miss it.”

Almost as if on cue, Winston arrived.

“Oh, good, you made it up here,” he was breathless. “Parking was a bloody nightmare.”

“Deep breaths,” Lucy said.

“That is what I am here to tell you,” Winston kissed her forehead. “I am so sorry.”

“A nice stranger helped me up,” Lucy said.

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