Page 73 of Triplet Babies for Pucking Christmas

Her brows knit together. “And you are…?”

“Her friends,” I offer quickly.

Troy crosses his arms. “Her family.”

“Her…people,” Jamie says, shrugging.

The nurse looks unimpressed. “So, you’reallfamily?” Her gaze flicks to the puppy, then to the baby. “And what exactly is going on here? Why do you have a dog and a baby in a hospital?”

Jamie shifts, cradling the puppy like it’s a fragile heirloom. “The dog’s emotional support. For, uh, morale.”

“Yeah, morale,” Troy mutters. “And the baby is…the baby.”

The nurse’s lips press into a thin line. “Neither of those are allowed in the patient ward.”

Jamie groans. “Come on, cut us some slack. It’s been a rough night.”

“I’m sorry, but hospital policy…”

“Wait.” I dig into my jacket pocket, pulling out my wallet. “How about a couple of tickets to the game this weekend? Good seats. Front row.”

Her eyes narrow, but there’s a flicker of interest. “Hockey?”

“Chicago Icebreakers,” I say, sliding the tickets across the counter like I’m brokering some shady back alley deal. “What do you say? You hold the baby for a bit, let us back there, and we call it even?”

She looks at the tickets, then at Jamie, who’s now holding Noah up like an offering. “This feels...borderline illegal.”

Jamie grins. “Only borderline. Come on, it’s a win-win.”

With a reluctant sigh, she grabs the tickets. “Fine. But if anyone asks, I didn’t agree to this.”

When we finally get back to Savannah’s room, she’s awake but looking groggy. Her eyes flutter open when we walk in, and she blinks at us like she’s trying to figure out if we’re real or part of some fever dream.

“You guys,” she mumbles, her voice scratchy. “What…what are you doing here?”

“Saving your ass, apparently,” Jamie says, dropping into a chair beside the bed. “Again.”

Troy stays near the door, arms crossed, his face unreadable. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a bus,” she admits, propping herself up slightly. “What happened?”

Before we can answer, the doctor walks in. He’s in his mid-forties, with the kind of calm, no-nonsense demeanor that makes you trust him instantly. His badge readsDr. Marcus Hill.He gives us all a quick once-over, then focuses on Savannah.

“Well, Ms. Brooks, it’s good to see you awake. You gave us a bit of a scare.”

She nods weakly. “Sorry about that.”

Dr. Hill glances at us, clearly debating how to address the three oversized guys crowding the room. “And you are…?”

Jamie points to himself. “I’m Jamie.”

“Troy.”

“Jared,” I add quickly, stepping forward. “Her, uh, people.”

The doctor raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment. “All right then. Ms. Brooks, you were dehydrated and overexerted, which caused you to faint. But before I could even get through the full rundown of your vitals, you were already asking for them.”

Savannah’s cheeks flush. “I was just...making sure they knew I was okay.”

---