Her Cowboy Savior (The Winchester Cowboys Series Book 2), page 2
Her eyes closed. “So she’s healthy?”
“Yes, the doctor said she’s just fine.” God, Haley was so weak, drifting in and out. But maybe that was normal. Her head was bandaged, and her face had been cleaned up, but there was still some blood on her jaw. “Are you in pain? Do you hurt anywhere?”
“I don’t think so,” she said.
“Good.” He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Just close your eyes. I’ll be here with you. You’re safe now.”
He hoped that was true. He hoped there wasn’t a sinister reason for her hastily packed bags.
Her nurse checked on her several times over the next half hour, and Haley gradually became more cognizant of her surroundings.
Eventually the nurse came back and said, “Okay, your ambulance is here. You’ll be leaving as soon as someone gets here to take you down.”
“What about my baby? I can’t go without her!” Haley looked anxiously from the nurse to Carson and back again.
“She’ll be going separately, Haley. Don’t worry. You’ll see her at St. David’s. Everything’s going to be fine,” the nurse said.
Haley reached for Carson’s hand and squeezed it so hard it hurt.
A few minutes later, he followed the young man pushing Haley’s gurney out of the big recovery room and down a hallway. The elevator was crowded on the way to the ground floor, and they all hugged the wall.
Haley looked at the orderly. “Are we going to get my baby now?”
He shook his head. “Nobody told me anything about that. I just got the call to come get you.”
Haley turned to Carson. “I don’t like this. I don’t want to go without my baby girl.” Then she grimaced in pain and grabbed her head. “Dammit! My head’s killing me.”
The gurney reached the ambulance, and Carson said, “I’ll check on the baby, don’t worry. She’s going separately, remember? And then I’ll meet you at St. David’s. It’s going to be fine. Relax and close your eyes. You need to stay calm and let these people take care of you, okay?”
She grimaced and touched her temple. “Thank you. I guess I’ll see you in a little while, huh?”
He patted her calf as they folded the legs on the gurney and slid it into the ambulance. “You bet you will.”
Moments later, the vehicle moved away from the building. Carson hurried back inside the hospital to ask about the baby. Discovering that the little one had already been whisked off to the NICU at St. David’s, he rushed to the parking lot and got into his truck.
After searching for St. David’s address, he entered it into Google maps and headed for the expressway.
At the hospital, he got Haley’s room number at the information desk and rode the elevator up. He found the room and went over to Haley’s bedside.
She looked even more exhausted than before, and she had her eyes closed.
He said, “Why don’t you rest while I go take a look at that little one of yours?”
The corner of her mouth lifted, her eyes opening with sudden interest. “She’s here already?”
“Yep. She actually got here before you did.”
“Great! You can tell me what she looks like. I don’t remember.”
“Do you remember being in labor? It didn’t take very long for you to deliver her, but it was at least a couple of hours.”
She looked away, her eyes narrowed in thought. “Everything’s just gone. I remember a woman leaning over me and calling. ‘Haley! Haley!’ I figured that must be me. I think I was in the hospital. Then everything’s all scrambled up in bits and pieces until I saw you.”
“That’s okay. You and your baby are fine now.” He grinned. “I’ll bet she has your red hair.”
Haley reached for a lock of her hair, pulling it forward so that she could see it. Her eyes widened. “I do have red hair!”
He chuckled. “But you don’t have very many freckles.” Then he remembered something from when he’d been in the hospital with a badly broken thigh, back when he’d rodeoed. He pulled the overbed table closer and took a rectangular mirror from the drawer. “Here you are. Feast your eyes on this.”
She held it before her. After studying her reflection for almost a minute, she said, “I don’t recognize myself at all.” When she turned to look at him, her eyes were red with tears.
He took her hand. “The doctor said to give it a little while, and that your memory could return at any time. It’s just the knock on the head you took that’s caused your memory loss.”
She grimaced. “It’s so frustrating!” Then, as if she’d used up the last of her energy, she sighed and closed her eyes.
He stood there holding her hand until her breathing slowed and she seemed to sleep. Then he left the room and went in search of the NICU.
The nurse let him in and showed him the NICU incubator with the little sign that said “Wilson”. Carson stared in awe at the tiny baby girl inside. She had a little oxygen tube at her nose and a small IV line in. He couldn’t believe how little her diaper was. It looked like it would fit a doll.
Was she so small just because she was four weeks premature, or because her momma was such a tiny person too? Now that Haley’s baby bump was gone, she looked even more petite.
He smiled his thanks at the nurse, then looked closely at the tiny infant.
She didn’t look squinched-up like other newborns he’d seen, probably because her mom’s labor had gone so quickly. She had a perfect little nose and tiny pink lips. He wondered about the color of her eyes. And she did have tiny wisps of red hair like her mother. He stared at her for long moments, taking in every detail.
When he’d soaked up enough of the baby’s sweetness, he returned to Haley’s room. She was still asleep, so he took a seat in a nearby sleeper chair.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. It had been a long day, and it wasn’t nearly close to over.
He dozed until he heard a soft voice say, “Carson? Is that your name?”
His eyes shot open, and he rose to his feet, his mind still somewhat groggy. “Yes, that’s right. I’m Carson.”
“Did you see her? My little girl?”
He moved to Haley’s bedside and clasped her hand. “I did, and she’s beautiful. Do you feel up to going for a little visit? I can ask.”
She looked more alert now and nodded. “I’d love that. Imagine,” she said softly, “I’m a mother.”
“She’s tiny. You’re going to love her.” He hoped that was true. After all, she didn’t even remember being pregnant.
He stopped at the nurse’s station and told them that Haley wanted to visit her daughter. It took about thirty minutes, but eventually Haley’s nurse opened the door and pushed a wheelchair up to the bed. She helped Hailey sit up and then get into it. “We’re only going to make a short visit this time, okay? You need to be in bed. But I know this is important.”
Haley’s smile was like a ray of sunshine as the nurse pushed her up to her daughter’s incubator. “Oh my God, she’s so tiny. You weren’t kidding, Carson.”
“Can I hold her?” She asked the NICU nurse.
“Why don’t we wait on that, honey. She’s still pretty stressed from the move from the other hospital. Come back tomorrow and we’ll try it.”
Haley’s face fell.
“You can put your hands inside and touch her. Just be gentle.”
Haley slowly reached through the portal holes and touched her baby with her fingertip. Then she stroked her little arm. The little girl opened her eyes and looked at her mom.
Haley said, “Oh, Carson—her eyes are blue, but a light blue. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” Haley looked at him with adoration in her eyes.
“There was never a prettier baby.”
Haley gazed down at her. “She sure is.”
“Do you know what you’re going to call her?”
She looked up at him, her eyes solemn. “I’m sure I must have had a name picked out, but now I have no idea what it was.” She brushed a fingertip across the baby’s brow. “Poor little thing.” She bit her lip and looked down at her daughter again. “Your momma’s a mess right now, honey.”
Carson watched as Haley talked soothing nonsense and caressed her child. Finally, when he could tell that she was tiring, he asked, “Are you hurting?”
She nodded. “I have a terrible headache. I woke up with one, but now it’s really bad.”
Her nurse said, “We need to get you in bed. We can come back in the morning. I’ll check and see if you can have some pain medication, Haley.”
When Haley was safe in bed again, he darkened the room and took her hand. “Go ahead and sleep. I’m staying the night, so don’t worry about being alone.”
She smiled. “Thank you, Carson. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you being here.”
Soon, the nurse came in and gave her some pain medicine, and moments later, she was sound asleep.
Carson tiptoed out of the room and headed for his truck. Before setting off on his errand, he did a quick phone search for bookstores. He found one not too far away and backed out of the parking space.
The store was huge and a bit overwhelming. Thankfully, he found an employee who guided him to the right section. It only took a minute to make his selection, and he was soon through the checkout and back inside his truck.
He’d passed a fast-food place on the way to the bookstore, so he stopped for a burger and fries on the way back, eating so quickly he hardly tasted them. He didn’t want Haley waking to find him gone.
He felt better once he was back on the road. It was after dark when he returned to the hospital, and empty parking spaces were in short supply. He eventually found one and hurried back to Haley’s room.
She was still asleep when he returned, so he sat in the chair and heaved a deep sigh. Leaning back, he closed his eyes. Then he remembered that he hadn’t touched base with his family. He texted his mom and gave her an update on Haley and the baby.
A moment later she replied:
That’s such good news! I’m so glad they’re both okay. I’ll pray that Haley gets her memory back, though. That must scare her to death.
He sent:
Mom, I’ve been thinking about something. Do you think Haley could come home with me to convalesce? She’s not strong enough to go home by herself yet, and she’s got the baby to take care of, too. And, besides, I’m worried about her going back to Houston. I’ve looked at how she packed, and I think there’s a chance that she was running away from someone. I could be wrong, but as long as there’s a chance of that, she needs to stay away. The doctor thinks her memory problem might not last long, and I hope he’s right. What do you think? Can she stay with us?
After a moment, she sent:
I haven’t asked your dad, but I’m sure he’ll want to help this young woman. Of course, bring her here. We’ll look out for her until she can take care of herself.
He breathed out, realizing that he’d been holding his breath.
Thanks a million, Mom. You’re the best!
He saw movement out of the corner of his eye as Haley reached for the bedrail.
“Carson?” She raised her head. “Oh!” She rubbed her forehead.
He rose and went over to her. “Is your head still hurting?”
“Yes. Maybe not quite as badly, but it really hurts. Lifting it wasn’t a good idea.” She reached for his hand, and he clasped it firmly.
“I’ll call the nurse.” He pressed the call button again. When the voice came through the remote, he said, “Haley’s just awakened from a nap, and the medication she took earlier hasn’t helped her headache. Is there anything else that she can take, or can she have more of the medication?”
“I’ll have her nurse check for you,” the voice said.
Haley smiled. “Thanks, Carson.”
He held up the bag from the bookstore. “I brought you a surprise.”
Her eyes brightened. “What is it?”
He handed it to her. “I thought this might help.”
She opened the bag and drew out the book, then grinned at him. “A book of baby names. This is great!”
He smiled, little tingles flittering through him at her happy expression. “We can’t keep calling your little one, ‘the baby’. She needs a name. And they’re going to need something to put on the birth certificate.”
She rubbed her forehead. “I want to start looking through it right now, but my stupid head hurts.”
“Hey, how about this. You’ll also find a small notebook and a pen in the bag. I’ll read off the names to you and write down anything you like. Then you can go over them all and make your choice. Okay?”
Her tense frown relaxed. “That sounds perfect.”
He took the items from her and sat in the chair. When he began calling out names, Haley closed her eyes, probably so she could concentrate. He liked that the book also gave the meanings of the names. Haley mostly stayed quiet, only stopping him occasionally to make a choice.
The nurse came in after a while and he halted, underlining the name he’d stopped at.
“You can’t have any more medication, Haley. It’s not time yet. But I’ve left a message for your doctor and let him know that it isn’t helping your pain. I asked him if he would like to prescribe something else,” she said.
Haley sighed. “Thank you.”
When the door shut behind her, Haley said, “Can you read back the choices I’ve made so far? There was one that I really, really liked.”
He began reading them back slowly.
“There! That one. Aria. Did you write down what it means too?”
“No, but let me go back and look. Hang on.” It took a moment, but then he found it. “Here it is. It’s Italian. It means ‘air’, but it also means ‘song’ or ‘melody’.”
A smile lit up her face, and she sighed. “Yes, that’s the one. I love it, don’t you?”
He nodded. “It’s beautiful. And I think it fits a petite little thing like her.”
“Should she have a middle name? Aria’s so wonderful, I don’t want anything to spoil it.” After a pause, she said, “Aria Wilson. That sounds so nice.”
“Do you want to look at middle names just in case?” he asked.
“I suppose I should. Read out all the names again.”
He started at the beginning.
When he came to the end, she said, “None of those sound right with Aria.”
She sounded disappointed. Then he remembered something that Jill’s sister had used to choose her baby’s name. His heart panged at the thought of his ex-girlfriend, and he forced himself to focus on the present. “We could use a website I know of to help pick a good name. Hang on.”
He had to think a minute to remember the name of the site. He and Jill had played around with it some too. It took a few moments, but then he found it. “Okay, I’m going to enter ‘Give me ten options for a girl’s middle name for Aria Wilson.’”
“This is exciting,” Haley said.
Immediately, the site generated the options, and he slowly read them to Haley.
She clapped her hands. “Oh, I like Grace and Faith. Can you do it again?”
He asked for ten more options and read them off to her.
“This is hard. I think I like Willow too. Aria Willow Wilson. Let me think about these. Can you read all three names to me? I think they’ll sound better in your voice.” She smiled. “You have a very nice voice.”
He grinned. “Aria Grace Wilson. Aria Faith Wilson. Aria Willow Wilson.”
“Oh, I like them all.” She looked off into space, and her lips moved as if she was saying them silently to herself. Finally, she said, “Help me decide. Which is your favorite?”
“Hm.” He rubbed his chin for a few seconds. “I think I’d have to say Aria Faith Wilson, because it will remind her to have faith in God. I was raised to have faith, and I hope she will be too.”
Haley’s eyes softened. “That’s a really good reason.” She took a deep breath and said, “My baby will be Aria Faith Wilson.”
He set the book aside and went to her bedside. She reached for his hand, and he clasped it firmly. “That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful baby.”
Haley smiled, and he said, “I have something to tell you. I spoke with my mother earlier, and I’d like you and Aria to come stay with my family while you convalesce. You’re going to be weak when they release you—and remember, the doctor said that your headaches could last for several weeks. I live on a cattle ranch out in the country. It’ll be a nice, quiet place to get better. My mom and dad are happy to share their home with you. Besides, my mom loves babies. You’ll have to fight to get your hands on Aria, believe me.”
Haley smiled. “I hadn’t really thought about what comes next. Thank you, Carson. That’s so kind of you and your family. And, yes, I’ll come stay with you.” Her eyes clouded. “I don’t remember anything about Houston or if I have family there. Is there a way to find out?”
“Your phone’s locked, and there wasn’t an emergency contact listed on it. And there wasn’t any contact information in your purse, either. I looked.”
“Oh man. This is bad.” Her voice shook.
He squeezed her hand. “We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry.” But he was worried. Was she running from something? He had to figure out a way to find out. And fast.
Chapter Three
Ten days later, Haley glanced at Aria and breathed a sigh of relief. She’d been doing so well in the NICU that her doctor had said that she might be able to go home soon. She’d been off oxygen for a while and she was eating well, although she was getting fed every two hours.
As Haley fed Aria her bottle, the NICU nurse walked over and said, “I’m amazed at how easily Aria was able to suck on the bottle nipple from the very beginning. Preemies often have a problem with that. They’re just too weak. Your little one latched onto her bottle with a vengeance from the very beginning despite being so small.”
Haley smiled, and kissed Aria’s forehead. “She’s a little tuffy, that’s for sure. I’m so proud of her.”
Carson had gone home briefly again yesterday morning to shower and change clothes, but he’d returned after lunch. He’d done nothing but care for her and Aria since the day her daughter had been born. They’d taken turns going into the NICU to see and touch her. Of course, now they could hold her and rock her.
