Page 5

Her words were light, as was her tone, but he saw the fear lurking in her green eyes. She rubbed her forehead; the action left her bangs mussed and spiky. Her hair was the color of corn silk and fell past her shoulders. She wore it tied back in a ribbon. He’d noticed that completely feminine adornment the minute she’d walked into the elevator. He hadn’t known that women still wore ribbons in their hair.

“I don’t suppose that in addition to flying helicopters you have a weekend hobby of delivering babies?” she asked.

She was half teasing, half hoping. He read the truth in her pinched face. He was all she had. If nothing else, he had to make her believe everything would be all right. He moved across the small space and crouched beside her. Perspiration dotted her forehead and her upper lip. Her eyes were wide, her mouth trembling. He wanted to make her feel better, but there was little he could do except reassure her.

“No training at delivering babies, but I’m a real quick study.” He took her hand in his and squeezed. “You have my complete attention, Heather.” He gave her a quick smile. “You don’t know me from a rock, but I promise that I’m great in a crisis. Together we’ll get through this. Okay?”

She nodded. “Do you mind if I scream?”

“Do you need to?”

“Not right now, but I might later.”

“Then go for it.” He gave her fingers another squeeze to reassure her, then reached for the phone. “I’m going to check on their progress. With a little luck, they’ll get the elevator fixed long before you’re ready to have your baby.”

“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you to ask them to hurry,” she said, then folded in on herself with a wave of pain.

Jim forced himself to look calm. He’d had a little bit of first-aid training when he’d been in the navy, but none of his classes had dealt with childbirth. Sure, he’d seen it on television, but he had a feeling that the programs hadn’t been totally forthcoming about all that took place during a delivery.

He swore silently as he picked up the phone. The line connected instantly with the maintenance room. A man answered.

“I know,” he began hastily. “You two are ready to get out of there, but it’s going to be a little bit longer. It’s not the fuse like we first thought. That number two elevator is a temperamental girl, and we don’t want to rush this.”

“I don’t give a damn what kind of problems you’re having,” Jim said, his voice low. “The woman with me has gone into labor. She’s in a lot of pain, and we need to get her to a hospital before she has her baby right here.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, followed by an explosion of cursing. Jim held the phone away from his ear.

Heather smiled. “Wow. You got his attention.”

“Are you surprised?”

She shook her head. “I just hope he can do something.”

Jim did, too. Heather had shifted herself into the corner of the elevator. Her feet were flat on the carpet, so she could brace herself against the wall. He didn’t want to think for what. Weren’t first babies always late and very slow in coming? He could only hope that was true and that this would prove to be one of those long, drawn-out labors. Not that he wanted Heather to be in pain, but there was no way he could deliver her child.

“Okay,” the maintenance guy said into the phone. “We’re going to try a couple of things to get the elevator down to the ground floor so that we can pry open the doors. In the meantime, we’re calling an ambulance. How’s she doing?”

“I don’t know,” Jim said. He glanced at Heather. “Didn’t you say that you’d just seen your doctor? Is she still in the building?”

She nodded. “Dr. Sharon Moreno. She’s on the top floor.”

“Her doctor is in this building. Sharon Moreno. Top floor. Please notify her. We’re going to need help here.”

“Will do.”

There were a couple of clicks, then silence. A second later, the maintenance guy was back. “She’ll be down in five minutes to talk to you.”

Jim turned to Heather. “They’re getting your doctor. Can you scoot over this way so you can talk to her? The receiver won’t reach to where you’re sitting.”

Heather pushed a strand of blond hair off her cheek and tucked it behind her right ear. “You talk to her. I don’t want to move. Everything hurts.” She breathed slowly and steadily, her eyes closed.

Again, she tensed in pain. She was so thin he would have sworn he could see her belly rippling with the force of her contraction. He ached to do something to help her. Instead, he could only sit there, waiting for the doctor.

She groaned softly and wrapped her arms around her belly. “It hurts,” she breathed shakily. “I’m scared, Jim. I know you don’t want to hear that, but I am.”

“I understand.” He reached down and took her hand in his. “It’s okay to be scared. I’m right here with you. I’m not going anywhere.”

Her mouth twitched. “You couldn’t even if you wanted to.”