Page 445 of The Winslow Brothers

Remy clears his throat and climbs to his feet just inside the doors. “We’re okay, but we’ve just delivered a baby. We need immediate medical attention.”

There’s mumbling outside and then another yell from the firefighter. “Yes, sir, understood. EMS is on the way! Stand back, please, while we work on getting this elevator switched over to the generator so we can get you guys out!”

Remy steps back and to the side, very pointedly blocking the baby and me from anything that could come from the direction of the doors, and I listen as they get started on getting us out of here.

The baby works her mouth at the fabric at my chest, and my abdomen contracts painfully about every minute or so. I know that my body is attempting to birth the placenta now—thanks to Dr. Maddox and Google-style prenatal education—and that now is the time when some medical professionals would be a really good idea.

I need to be monitored for hemorrhage, and the doctors need to check us both to make sure everything is okay. But I feel tired and weak, and staying awake and alert to the baby on my chest is about all I can do.

I hear hustle and bustle outside the doors, and then finally, the elevator jolts and eases up to the floor. I can hear Remy explaining the entire situation to the firefighters, and I can even almost see a couple of paramedics as they approach. But the details are hazy, my mind a fog, really.

Paramedics are around me now. I can feel their hands as they move up and down my arm to insert an IV, lift me onto the gurney, and wheel me out of the building through the same door I entered what feels like a lifetime ago. Remy trails behind steadily, and I wish with all my might I could find the strength to ask him to come to the hospital. I need to say more—to thank him.

“Remy?” I call for him, my voice a pathetic whisper. “Remy?”

It feels like it takes an hour for his response, but when I feel his hand grip mine and I look up and into the blue of his eyes, relief fills my chest. “I’m here.”

“I’m so tired,” I tell him.

“Then close your eyes and rest,” he says and reaches out to brush loose strands of hair out of my face. “You and the baby are in good hands now.”

“Will you…will you stay?”

“Of course, babe.” His smile is so warm and cozy I want to wrap myself in it like a blanket. “Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

I want to say more, but I can’t hold my eyes open enough to speak, and the last thing I hear is the doors of the ambulance closing behind my gurney, Remy’s hand on mine the entire time.

Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,my mind whispers his words. Words that I’ve heard before, on one particular day, many, many years ago.

Twenty-Eight Years Ago…

Friday afternoon, the first week of school…

Maria

“Okay, ladies! I know it’s the weekend, but I need full focus for another hour, okay?” Emily, the captain of Hidden Hills’ varsity squad, shouts loud enough for all of us to hear over the football team practicing on the other end of the field. “It’s time to practice the first two stunts of our routine. Chrissy and Kate, I want you to be bases! Eden, you’re backspot. Maria, you’re going to fly!”

Oh boy.My hands shake, and I run clammy fingers over the material of my shorts.

“Let’s go, ladies! You can do it!” Emily exclaims as she stands off to the side, ready to watch me and three senior girls attempt a basket toss that kind of makes me want to puke.

Yes, I’ve done this type of stunt before, but I think the pressure of being the only freshman on the varsity cheerleading squad is starting to get the best of me.

“You ready, fresh meat?” Chrissy asks, and I push a smile to my face to cover my nerves.

No, not really.“Uh… Of course.”

“Well, let’s do it, then, girlfriend!” Kate chimes in.

I position myself between them, and with my head down, I inhale a deep breath.

You can do this.

I try to picture my little sister Isabella in the hope that I can draw some strength from her enthusiasm for all things cheerleading. The girl lives and breathes cheer. It’s always been her dream for us to cheer on the varsity squad together. And although, it’ll be another three years before that dream can even come to fruition, I figured I’d get used to it—establish myself on the squad before that.

And it doesn’t hurt that cheering affords you a front-row seat to Remy Winslow playing football either.

“Ready!” Eden shouts from behind me and claps her hands together. “Okay!”

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