Page 59 of Tuck & Roll

Having already let the nurses who’d gotten Taylor out of his car think she was his wife, he continued the lie. It might be the only way he could get information about her. “Yes, I am.” He and Taylor were going to have to discuss a few things before the baby got here. Like her listing him as someone who can inquire about her condition and be with her in the room for the delivery.

She click, click, clicked at her computer, then, “A nurse will be out to see you soon.”

“Can you at least tell me if she’s alive and the baby is safe?” Being sarcastic with this woman wasn’t going to help his cause, but he felt he was well beyond his limits to take his time and win her over.

“A nurse will be out shortly. I’ll let her know you’re here.” Her smile faltered, probably thinking he’d hurt her for giving him nothing as far as information went.

“Thanks.” He walked away, taking up position in front of a big picture window. There was nothing to see but sunshine and vehicles as far as the eye could see. His phone vibrated in his pocket. “Darren. Thank God.”

“I would’ve called sooner, but she wanted to take the long way home and then she was a crying mess. I was trying to calm her down,” Darren grumbled at him.

“I’m sorry about that.” The devastation and pain on Kylie’s face as she rode off with Darren flashed through his mind.

Someone getting paged over the intercom system blared right above Tuck’s head, causing him to flinch and his shoulders to tense. Great. A dull ache started in his head, a precursor to another headache.

“Where the fuck are you?”

“The hospital. After Kylie left, I had to bring Taylor to the E.R. She started screaming and crying, thinking something was wrong with the baby,” Tuck told him.

“Sorry to hear that.”

“It is what it is.” He released a breath in a whoosh and rubbed his eyes. “I was calling to check on Kylie. How bad was it?”

“I don’t know, man, how do you think it went considering the man who said he wanted a relationship with her was naked in bed with his ex, who was also naked and she was straddling your hips?”

“It’s not what you think. I was asleep and she climbed on me.”

“Yeah, that sounds so much more believable.”

“I wasn’t naked. I wasn’t even hard,” Tuck added defensively. “Look. I had a God-awful headache last night and smoked some of Dillon’s special blend so I could sleep.”

“You smoke that around Taylor and the baby?” Darren asked.

“What? Fuck no.” Tuck was pissed he’d think he would be so insensitive. “Anyway,” he began again. “It knocks me on my ass. I was so out of it, I didn’t even realize Taylor was naked and on top of me until I woke up to the sound of a door slamming and found her there.”

Darren snorted in disbelief. “Maybe you shouldn’t be smoking that shit. It seems you don’t know a lot of things that go on when you do.”

“What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?” Tuck scowled at a middle-aged woman shushing him from ten feet away.

“Never mind.” Darren sighed heavily. “You, or Taylor, really fucked up this time. Kylie’s devastated.”

“What should I do?” The thought of not having Kylie in his life left a hole in his chest.

“I don’t know. Give her some time,” Darren suggested.

“I’m afraid to give her time.” His heart beat rapidly in his chest, echoing what he’d said.

“All I know is talking to her today is not a good idea.”

“Shit. Okay. Thanks.” He didn’t like Darren’s advice, but he’d go with it for now because it was what Kylie needed at the moment. “Keep an eye on her for me.”

Darren, not thinking his request needed a response, grunted and hung up on him. He pocketed his phone as the nurse who took Taylor back to be examined came looking for him. About fucking time.

“Mr. Tucker?” she asked.

“Yeah. You can call me Tuck.”

“If you want to follow me, I’ll take you back to your wife.”

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