CHAPTER SIXEEN
Amber~
Heather looked terrible. Her skin was pasty. Her hair was limp and greasy. There were circles under her eyes. Amber stared at her in shock, almost afraid to enter her sister’s hospital room.
“Amber.” Despite her appearance, Heather’s voice was strong. She struggled to sit up.
“Don’t move,” Amber ordered. She pressed her twin back against the pillows. “How are you doing?”
“I’m exhausted is how I’m doing.”
Amber pulled up the chair and sat on the edge leaning forward. “Patrick said you lost a fair amount of blood.”
“So they say. I was on a saline IV overnight.” She waved a bruised hand at Amber.
“Oh.” Amber swallowed hard. She did not know how to respond.
“I’m okay. Really.”
“Promise?” Amber took Heather’s hand in hers.
“I’m just worn out. They call it labor for a reason. And even though childbirth is not an illness, I had nurses in and out all night keeping me awake.”
“Hospitals are not restful places,” Amber agreed. “I haven’t seen the babies yet. Patrick took Calvin to see them, but I wanted to see you first.”
“They are beautiful,” Heather assured her. “A little small, and the doctors are muttering about jaundice, but as soon as we put a little weight on them, we should be able to take them home.”
“Will I be allowed to hold them?”
“Probably not,” Heather’s voice was sad. “I held them when they were born, and they let me have each of them in turn once last night to try to bring my milk in. But otherwise they are in incubators, hooked up to monitors.”
“Oh.” Amber looked around the room. A vase of red roses occupied the window ledge. The curtains had been opened to reveal a bleak Washington State winter. The lack of sun did nothing for Heather’s complexion. “Can I do anything for you? Would you like coffee or something?”
“No coffee for nursing moms. I could use a drink of water and my jug is empty.”
Amber was delighted to have something useful to do. She filled the jug at the bathroom sink and topped up Heather’s glass.
“Thanks, Sis. I don’t know if it’s being in labor or what, but I am continuously thirsty.” Heather pulled at her hospital gown. “Pat brought my case, but I don’t know what became of it. I packed a pretty nightgown, but they put me in this god-awful gown for the labor, and once I had the IV, they wouldn’t let me take it off.”
Amber opened doors. A little red suitcase stood on the floor. “I could help you change. Do you want a shower?”
“I do.”
Amber fished out a bag of toiletries. “Do you want to brush your teeth?”
“Yup. I didn’t have the energy to even ask for my toothbrush last night.”
It didn’t take long to help Heather shower and put on her own soft blue nightgown and warm slippers. Amber made her sister sit in the chair. “Do you want to dry your hair? Or shall I braid it for you?”
“A braid will be easier.”
Over the years, they had done each other’s hair so often that putting a French braid in Heather’s damp hair took almost no time at all. “Bed.” Amber guided Heather back to the bed and tucked her up.
“I feel better. There is nothing like being clean. Thank you.” Heather relaxed against the pillows that Amber had fluffed up. “Tell me about your big date.”
Amber held out her left foot. “I wore your boots to the dance,” she said. “Lance carried me to his truck both ways.”
Heather’s face set. “They are your boots, Amber. Your Christmas present. Did you have fun? Is he a nice guy?”
“We started by having fun. But Lance had to rescue me from a snake who pulled a knife on me. So, yeah, he’s a good guy.”
“OMG. A for real snake?”
“Yup. These two creepy guys sat at our table while we were dancing — Lance is pretty good and he showed me how to line dance — and we were having a blast until we went back to our table. The snake shifter – he said his name was Blondie – followed me to the restroom. He was waiting for me when I came out. He asked me to dance and when I said no, he grabbed me.”
“I hope you hurt him.”
“Some. I stomped him good with the heel of my boot. He’ll have a bruise on his instep this morning. And I broke his nose. And then Lance stepped in and broke his wrist.” Amber paused. “Lance told me I was doing a fine job, but he had to help because of Blondie’s knife.”
“Uncle Pierre was so right. Trust a snake to pull a knife. What is it with those creepers? I hope you called the cops.”
Uncle Pierre Benoit was the head of their clan and the authority on all things shifter, but Amber was not so sure he knew much about snakes either. There were no snakes on Yakima Ridge.
“One bad snake is not definitive, Heather. The sheriff was in the bar having a drink with his wife. He arrested Blondie. Oh.” It was Amber’s turn to clap her hands over her mouth. “I was supposed to go in to make my statement today.”
“You better call and tell them why you can’t. I guess that put a damper on your evening.”
Amber nodded. “I was a bit rattled, pun intended, so I asked Lance to take me home early. Just as well, as I had left my phone behind and I missed your call as well as Patrick’s.”