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Her heart pounded so fast, she felt it hammering in her throat. If something happened to Kayla, she’d shatter into a heap of broken pieces. That little girl had to be okay.
She just had to.
By the time she made it to JP’s house—only fifteen minutes after ending the call—she was a trembling mess of worse-case scenarios and what-ifs.
What if Hannah was seriously ill?
What if she should have told JP to drive her straight to the emergency room?
What if she took too long getting there?
What if Kayla di—
“No!” She shouted out loud as she ran up the driveway. She could not, would not, allow herself to think along those lines. She needed to stay calm, rational, and coherent to assist JP and her sick niece.
JP wasted no time throwing the door open before she reached the porch. One look at his alarmed face and all her fears evaporated, replaced by a calm countenance. The man was a wreck. Bloodshot eyes, disheveled hair, and an aura of complete panic met her at the door. Shirtless, he clutched Kayla to his chest. “Thank God, you’re here,” he said as a greeting. “I’m freaking the fuck out. She’s so hot.”
“Come sit on the couch,” she said as she put a hand on his arm to usher him back inside. He listened and headed straight for the couch as though on auto pilot. As she followed, she realized he wasn’t wearing anything other than a snug, snug pair of boxer briefs.
The universe hated her.
As they sat, she set the bag of supplies she’d stopped for down on the coffee table, then held out her arms. “May I hold her?”
“Yeah. Yes, of course.” He handed Kayla over but scooted closer as though he couldn’t bear to be away from his baby when she wasn’t feeling well.
Hannah lost a little piece of her heart right then.
Their knees bumped and a zing of electricity buzzed across her skin. Only the needs of her burning-up niece could have distracted her from a nearly naked JP’s so close to her.
“Gosh, she really is hot.” Her little chest moved up and down in a rapid rhythm as she thankfully slept in Hannah’s arms. Heat radiated from her, and a yellow crust had formed around her nose. “Poor baby,” Hannah whispered. “We’re gonna get you feeling better.”
“Okay,” she said, focusing on JP. “Does she have a pediatrician?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Uh, yes. I took her to one a few days ago. I had medical records but, you know, wanted to make sure she was healthy on my own.”
Well, that was smart.
“Great,” she said. “They will have an answering service and an on-call doctor they can connect you to. Why don’t you give them a call? Tell then exactly what you’ve seen and done so far.”
“The pediatrician.” He slapped a hand to his forehead. “You’re right. Christ, why the hell didn’t I think of that?” Frowning, he snatched his phone from the back of the couch and quickly scrolled through his contacts.
As he held it to his ear, Hannah turned her attention to Kayla. The baby slept, but the occasional whimper slipped out, nearly making Hannah want to cry along with her. She’d gotten sick twice when Mary Anne had been alive. Once with an ear infection and once some kind of stomach bug. Hannah had been the one to deal with both episodes due to Mary Anne’s weakness.
The first time, she’d been just as panicked as JP. Who knew an ear infection could give a baby a fever and make them scream like a banshee? The second time around, she’d promised herself she’d remain calm and rational. That decision lasted as long as it took for Kayla to vomit up everything she’d ingested in the past day. Having a sick baby was truly terrifying and had given her a new definition of helpless.
Poor JP seemed out of his mind with worry as he nodded along with whatever the doctor said. The phone call only lasted a few minutes, and when he hung up, JP no longer looked seconds from fracturing.
He set the phone down then rubbed his scruffy chin. “Thank you so much for staying calm and thinking of that. Um, could I ask you one more favor?” He didn’t meet her gaze as he asked.
No matter what went down between them a few days ago, she’d do anything he needed for Kayla. No questions asked. Truth be told, she’d probably do anything he needed for him as well. Or his siblings. Even knowing them for such a short time, she felt the loss of them in her life like a physical ache. “Of course, JP. Whatever you need.”
“Um, okay.” He blew out a breath, which seemed to expel most of his anxiety. “The doctor said it sounds like nothing more than a simple cold. I can take her in tomorrow to get checked out, but for tonight she said to give her acetaminophen for the fever and make sure she’s drinking some pedia-something to keep her hydrated. She also recommended some bulb thing to clean out her nose as well as a vaporizer in her room. She also said we could run a scalding hot shower and hang out in the steamy bathroom for a while before we put her back to bed. If the fever rises despite the medication, then we should take her to the emergency room.”
