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He handed Chase the baby and then left the room. The door swung shut behind him. Faith took a deep breath—her first since the attack—and her shoulders dropped. Anna looked so small next to Chase’s broad shoulders. She still wasn’t wearing any clothes, and Faith handed him a blanket. “Here, she’ll get cold. Do you want me to wrap her?”
“I’ve got it.” He laid her down on the table next to Faith and quickly swaddled the baby. Chase winked. “All those years of babysitting alongside you when we were teenagers paid off in the end.”
She chuckled. “I knew you’d thank me one day.”
The smile melted from her face as she studied him. Chase’s hands were huge against Anna’s tiny form, but his movements were gentle and caring. He’d never gotten close to marriage or kids, but Faith had sensed a subtle shift in him lately. A desire to settle down, maybe?
“You’ll make an amazing dad, Chase.”
Surprise sent his eyebrows winging upward. “You think so?”
Faith’s heart tumbled in her chest. She hadn’t realized he had doubts about himself in those areas. Chase always seemed…well, so confident and self-assured. Then again, his father had abandoned the family when Chase was eight. That had to have left a mark.
She placed a hand on his arm. “I know so.”
Before she could say any more, the door to the exam room opened and Maggie bustled in. Chase’s mom wore blue scrubs and her dark hair was pulled into a high ponytail. She carried an ice pack in one hand. Worry etched lines in her forehead, but she plastered on a smile. “How are we doing in here?”
Chase tucked Anna into the crook of his arm. “We’re waiting on Dr. Whitcomb to examine Faith, but he gave Anna a clean bill of health.”
“Well, thank goodness for that.” Maggie yanked several paper towels from the wall dispenser and wrapped them around the ice pack before handing it to Faith. “Put that on your head, hon. It’ll help with the swelling. Any dizziness? Nausea?”
“No, I’m just exhausted. It’s been a long day.” Now that she knew for sure Anna was okay, the adrenaline was seeping out of her system. Every muscle in her body ached, and her head was pounding.
Maggie nodded, her expression sympathetic. “I’ll do my best to hurry Dr. Whitcomb along so you guys can get home. Don’t worry about breakfast tomorrow morning. I’ll pick up something for all of us on my way over.” She wrapped her arms around Faith in a motherly embrace. “I’m so glad you’re okay, hon.” Maggie backed off, reaching for her son. “All of you.”
The move caused a fresh wave of emotion to swell inside Faith. She didn’t want to think about what could’ve happened. The danger hadn’t been restricted to herself and Anna. The kidnapper had a gun. He could’ve shot Chase when he arrived to rescue them. It was a terrifying realization and one that cut too closely to a familiar scar on her heart. Faith had already lost her husband. She couldn’t imagine losing her best friend too.
God, please watch over all of us. Especially Chase and Anna.
Things weren’t over. Faith knew that without a doubt. Any man desperate enough to attempt kidnapping her from a public place wasn’t going to slink back into the shadows. It wasn’t a matter of if he would try again…
It was a matter of when.
