Page 44 of One Unexpected Gift

“Skylar,” he moaned as if in agony.

“Nick? Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry... I hate to... bother you...” he trailed into a low moan again. “You’re the first... person I thought to call.”

At first she was flattered and then reality slapped her in the face. “You're hurt.” With her nursing degree, of course he’d call her first. “What happened?”

“I just... my head...”

“Nick. Where are you?” Chances were he was out riding recklessly and hit a tree. Even wearing protective gear like he claimed to do, a dirt bike could be a dangerous machine. “Are you alone?”

Of course he was alone or someone else would be on the phone. Another irresponsible thing to do, go riding alone, and another sign Nick didn’t belong in her life.

“Home.”

“Dear Lord, you drove home? You could have a concussion. Broken bones.”

“I didn’t... ahh.”

She heard him wretch in the background. A concussion and throwing up meant he needed to see a doctor. Stat. “Nick!”

Nurse mode set in. This was why he called her. She looked down at her now sleeping baby and scanned the house. Olivia was in school, and Owen and Bryce were at work. Drew was on a book tour this week. She had no one to watch Gabby.

She had two choices. Ignore Nick’s call for help and keep her secret safe or help him and bring Gabby.

“Shit.” She fixed her bra and pulled down her shirt. “Nick,” she said into the phone hoping he hadn’t passed out and could hear her. “I’m on my way.”

It took her two minutes to make sure her diaper bag had everything Gabby would need, then she scooped up her keys and phone and rushed to her car. Thankfully Gabby didn’t wake up, even with the extra jostle to her car seat. Once buckled in, Sky called Charlie.

She answered on the fourth ring. “Where does Nick live? I need his address.”

“Oh. Horny little thing ain’t ya?”

“I’ll explain later. Where does he live?” Sky backed out of the driveway headed toward the main road.

“Shit. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. I’m on my way to his house if I knew where he lived. I don’t have time for questions.” She’d apologize for being snappy later. Right now, her number one concern was making sure Nick was safe.

Charlie must have sensed the urgency and rattled off the address. Sky plugged it into her phone’s GPS. “Thanks.”

“Update us when you can.”

“Will do.”

She followed the directions to the other side of town. Sky didn’t know what she expected to find, but a family-style farmhouse was not it. She would have called Charlie back confirming the address if she hadn’t seen his Wrangler and truck in the driveway.

Without a second thought, she unhooked the car seat and carried it to the front door. “Nick? It’s Sky.” She knocked and got no reply. “Nick,” she called again.

She tried the handle and sighed with relief when the door opened. The gray sectional sofa looked like it had been recently vacated. A blanket sat wadded up in the corner and a half-empty glass of water and a bottle of pills were turned over on the coffee table.

Great. Another sign Nick was so very bad for her and Gabby. Right now that didn’t matter. Right now she was a nurse who had a patient to tend to. She’d check out the prescription later. “Nick,” she called, setting Gabby’s carrier on the floor while she searched for him.

His kitchen was tidy and empty. She headed down the hall, the floorboards creaking under her. A light shone from a doorway, and she rushed to it. Nick sat on the bathroom floor, his back against the wall and his head between his knees.

Sky dropped to the floor next to him and felt his head. It wasn’t warm with fever and he wasn’t shaking from chills.

“Skylar,” he moaned and leaned against her. “My head.”

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