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“Thanks.” He took the phone, powered it down, then stomped on it with his heel.
Her stomach cramped, and she turned away to head to the closest bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing her palms over her belly, waiting for it to pass. Thankfully, after a few minutes, she felt better.
Yet she sensed the physical discomfort was a warning. All this stress wasn’t good for her or the baby. She needed to find some level of peace.
She propped herself up against the headboard, closed her eyes, and prayed. She didn’t know exactly what to say but silently repeated the few prayers she could remember from church.
“Harper?” She opened her eyes to find Steele hovering in the doorway. “Is everything okay?”
She was about to nod, then hesitated. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I had some cramping earlier. It’s better now, but I’m a little worried.”
Concern furrowed his brow as he stepped into the room. “Should we go to the hospital?”
“Not yet, but if it continues, then yes. I don’t want to take a chance on something bad happening.”
“You say the word, and we’ll go.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m sorry things didn’t turn out as well as you’d hoped today.”
“You told me not to do it.” With a grimace, she realized she sounded petulant. “We learned Jake isn’t paying someone to do attack me. He hadn’t even known about the baby. If he had been in contact with someone outside of the safe house, he’d have known about my condition. And he did give you an address.”
“Yeah, but Raelyn called to say the place was empty.” Steele’s tone indicated he thought Jake had led them astray on purpose. “The crime scene techs are going over it anyway, just in case.”
She feared this nightmare would never end. On the heels of that thought came another strong cramp.
Or was it a contraction? Fear rose like a lump in the back of her throat.
“Harper?” Steele reached over to cover her hand with his. “Is this another cramp?”
“Yes.” She held his gaze. “I think we better go in.”
“Right away.” He shot off the bed and called to Brock. “I need you to drive the SUV to the lobby entrance.”
“What’s going on?” Brock asked.
“Harper needs to get checked out at the hospital. Hurry.”
She spent a moment smoothing her hands over her belly, then slowly swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Maybe this wasn’t anything to panic about. She’d read parts of the pregnancy book she’d gotten from the library and remembered something about Braxton Hicks contractions. She didn’t remember if they started within the seventh month of pregnancy, though. She wished she’d brought the book with her.
Brock covered the distance between the hotel and Trinity Medical Center in record time. The nurse at the front desk of the emergency department took her immediately back to a room. Steele stayed at her side.
The nurse glanced at him warily. “Ms. Crane, would you like your significant other to say in the room while you change into a hospital gown?”
“No, he’s not...” She hesitated, unsure what to say. “Steele, will you please wait outside?”
“Of course.” He flashed a reassuring smile, then stepped back into the hall.
By the time she’d changed, the cramp had subsided. The nurse asked her dozens of questions about her pregnancy and her recent health history. A kind female physician joined them.
“I’m Dr. Faye Finnegan,” she introduced herself.
“Related to Rhy Finnegan?” Harper asked.
The physician laughed. “Yes, I’m married to Colin. But let’s talk about what you’re going through, shall we?”
Harper answered more questions as Dr. Finnegan listened to the baby’s heartbeat. Finally, she said, “I’m going to ask one of the OB specialists to come talk to you. From what I can tell, your baby is fine.” Faye searched her gaze. “I noticed the officer outside your door. I suspect you’re undergoing a bit of stress.”
She let out a weary laugh. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“I know you’re aware that’s not good for you or your baby.” Her gaze held compassion. “I also know you’re doing your best. I’m sure this situation is outside your control. We’ll see what the OB has to say, but my best advice is to practice relaxation techniques.”
