Page 8 of Spring UnVeiled
“I have.”His voice was very defensive.“We talked just a few weeks ago and she didn’t say anything about a baby.”
“I’m sorry, Dad.”Kylie blew her nose.“I knew you’d be disappointed in me and I didn’t want to tell you.”
“And you thought he’d never find out?”Gen accused.“You know better than to keep anything from your father…or me.”
“Ky, you know I love you no matter what.”He exhaled a long breath.“Vivi, what hospital are you taking her to?”
She couldn’t speak.
It was as though he’d punched her heart.
He’d called her Vivi.She hadn’t been called that name in years.The last time she’d heard it, the last time he’d said it, he’d begged her not to file divorce papers.Oh, Vivi, don’t do this to us.
All she could manage to do was stare straight ahead and mindlessly drive toward the hospital over on the mainland.
Kylie’s huge round eyes stared at her, frightened, as though she’d threatened to leave.“Mom’s a little busy driving right now.We’re headed to the Navy Medical Center in San Diego.I’m still on Tricare, your medical insurance.As long as I go to the base hospital, they’ll pay for everything.”
“That’s good, Ky.Good thinking.Where are you?”Evan’s voice was so controlled it was comforting.
Gen got her act together.“We’re about to cross the bridge.”She needed to cut her ex-husband a break.This was all new to him.“Evan, I know I’ve had a lot longer to deal with this situation but it’s happening now.”It was a good thing Gen was used to driving in heavy traffic and knew the way to the hospital as she changed lanes on the bridge.“I don’t know if you want to fly all the way out?—”
“Vivi, I’m less than ten minutes behind you.”
“You’re here?”Her daughter’s wide eyes were proof that she didn’t know, either.“How long have you been here?”
Evan chuckled.“About four hours.That’s why I was calling Kylie.I wanted to tell her the good news.I’m the new commanding officer of Group One.I’m here to stay for at least the next three years.Hopefully more.”
And the hits just keep on coming.“What happened to Captain Desmond?”Not that Gen, or anyone she knew, would miss the man.He was a dreadful person and a terrible commanding officer, in her opinion.
“We can talk about that later.”
That was his code for either her situation or his was not operationally secure.She had a plain old cell phone through a national carrier.He probably had an encrypted phone that shot directly to a protected military satellite before it bounced down to earth.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital.I need to cancel my plans with Vice Admiral Maddox.”He hung up without saying goodbye.Typical Evan.
Gen pulled up to the emergency entrance and put the car in park.She scooted around the hood in time to help Kylie out of the seat.Thank goodness she’d just finished a contraction.They slowly walked arm in arm through the automatic doors.
Someone from the outside stuck their head in and yelled.“You can’t leave this car here.This entrance is for ambulances.Pregnancies are supposed to go to the South doors.”
“I’ll move in just a minute.”Gen needed to get her daughter checked in and up to the OB/GYN floor.
When the doors opened again, it was as though everyone in the emergency waiting room sucked in a breath at the same time.The air around them seemed to spark with awareness.Gen knew without a doubt that Evan had arrived.
“Captain, are you hurt?”The woman at the triage window looked beyond them, ready to deal with one of the most senior officers in the area.
Gen let out a sigh.It wasn’t Evan, after all.He was a commander, not a captain.She didn’t have to face him just yet.
An arm snaked around Kylie.Four gold stripes were inches from Gen’s face.“Ky, sweetheart.”His gaze fixed on her huge stomach then he glared at the woman behind the glass.“My daughter needs a wheelchair.”
“Yes, sir.”The woman couldn’t move fast enough.
“Sir, I’m just going to wait over here.If you need anything...”The gold braid on the lieutenant commander’s shoulder indicated he was Evan’s aide.
“We have ambulances coming in.Get these civilian cars out of the way.”The man yelled again.
Evan looked to his aide.“Has the driver moved the car?”
Shit.“I need to move my car,” Gen announced.
