Jade
I’m miserably happy, fat with a baby, and madly in love with my boyfriend, who has shown me what the hell I’ve missed running away from him—my life. Unfortunately, that incredible boyfriend of mine had to fly to California yesterday for work and will be back late tomorrow. He’s got a big meeting, colossal, one that could land him many years of guaranteed work off one project. I’m antsy as hell waiting to hear from him and find out how it went. It’s funny to feel this way. For so many years, I forced myself not to care, and now I’m forcing myself to calm the hell down.
“Knock, knock,” Max pokes his head in. “Raymond said the wedding decorators will be here any minute. Can you meet them out front and show them the way to the veranda and then the reception area?”
“It’s for the Boyds, right?” I double check.
“Yes. Also, on your way back, get with Derrek and Dale and arrange their schedule. Derrek needs a week off so we’ll need to check with Dale that he’ll be in.”
I arch a brow. “You’re the boss. You do it. They’re your wine makers. I don’t even remember how to get to their science lab,” I jest.
Having a brother as your boss has its playful advantages.
He puffs a chuckle under his breath. “Lunch when you get back?”
“Only if you’re paying.” I grin.
He disappears but then springs back into my doorway. “Oh! Mom and Dad called. They’ll be flying in next week.”
“Yeah…Dad wants dinner with Zach.”
His brows quirk with a devilish swirl flashing in his eyes. “How I’d love to be there for that.”
“I’m sure,” I deadpan with a bite.
The wind rushes and sends a shiver down my spine as I push out the side entrance toward where Max said to meet the decorators. The air is bringing the end of autumn and introducing the wicked winters. I hate the cold…odd since I live in Colorado. You’d think by now I would be used to it. But not at all. Me and the cold, we don’t get along well. It’s bad for my skin, my hair, and more importantly, it’s horrid for my flip flops.
Several steps down, and my shoe smacks the back of my leg and I trip. My heart stops as I reach out trying to catch myself, but my fingertips slide across the railing unable to get a grip as I’m hurdled forward. A strangled scream breaks free as the world tumbles. I yelp as piercing pain fires over my elbow while I try grabbing my baby. A fiery pain shatters across my hip, over my body as I land on the steps. Adrenaline laced panic shoots through me as I plummet.
I hear a thud, the sound so deafening it’s numbing. The world blackens…
“Jade?” Max’s voice is panicked as he calls for me. He’s right on the edge of the ice. His hand is outstretched but I can’t reach it no matter how hard I’m stretching. “I’ve got an ambulance on the way.” He scrambles, slipping a few times, trying to get me from a different angle, but his foot falls through the ice and he leaps back. “The ambulance is on the way,” he repeats.
Warmth envelops my hand. I gasp, choking on air. A sharp sting slices across my forehead and a throb explodes as I crack an eye open.
Max is yelling at someone. “Get me a towel, dammit.” He’s blurry. The light around him is fuzzy. Terror is on his face when he looks back to me. “I’ve got an ambulance on the way,” he says again, but I can barely hear him over the splashing frigid water. I’m gripping the ice, kicking my feet. My body is in agony, on fire. Each breath feels like a million knives. I try to scream, but there’s too much pressure on my chest that only a whisper breaks free.
I’m going to drown. Terror explodes… My eyelids fall heavy and the world turns black…
Beeps and a whooshing sound peel my eyes open to an unfamiliar room.
“Fuck,” I groan trying to move my sore body.
There’s a slight chuckle across the room. Max is plopped in a chair in a white button down and black slacks. His hair is a mess, and his eyes are tired. “You take a midday nap and when you wake up your first word is fuck?”
“What happened?” I ask running my hand across rough fabric on my stomach.
“You decided to experience skydiving down the stairs.” He moves to the side of the bed and comforts me with a smile. “You’re fine. The baby’s fine. That’s what this is for.” He taps the black belt thing. “His heartbeat has been going strong. While you were asleep they did two separate ultrasounds to double check.”
Relieved, I exhale closing my eyes briefly. “How long do I have to stay here?”
“First you had to wake up. But they said after you do and as long as you’re feeling fine, they’ll keep you for a few more hours to monitor you. You hit your head pretty bad. Got a few stitches.”
“Fabulous,” I mumble. “I need my phone. I need to call Zach.”
He grits his teeth as he exhales through his nose. “I called him. Your phone is at the office. He said he’d take the first flight he can get back.”
I drop my head back. “Okay.”