“Just having you here is all I could need,” she said, smiling.
His gaze dropped to her crooked smile beaming at him, and he decided he’d do whatever he could to keep that smile on her face.
19
Sixty-two-D-one. Sixty-five-D-one. Fifty-eight-B-two.
Jumping into the ambulance, Rory pulled out of the station after the ladder truck. Shania checked the GPS and radioed their ETA.
“Police are at an apartment building on Sanderson and Thirty-First Street. There’s a report of a small child alone on a third-floor balcony.”
“Shit,” he cursed under his breath. “Where are the parents?”
“Your momma keep up with you every second of the day? You and that big-ass family?” she asked. “Hell, I’m not making excuses, but I’m telling you kids can get in weird-ass predicaments in the blink of an eye.” She sighed. “God, I hope this isn’t a neglect case. I hate those. They pull at my heart.”
He tossed his tough-as-nails partner a sympathetic gaze before carefully moving through an intersection. She was right. With six kids in his family and five in the King family next door, the eleven kids were hardly watched every second of the day. Probably why Sean and Tara are so responsible. They had to be.
“Oh, Christ.” He parked just behind one of the police vehicles, his gaze sweeping the scene. A multi-storied brick apartment building filled the entire city block. The outside was dotted with small, metal-railed balconies. Upon closer examination, he could see they were more of a place to set a plant, not hold a person. In fact, only a window, and not a door, led to the space. On one, a small, diapered toddler sat screaming. No adult from the apartment was visible. The rail would hold the child in place as long as he remained seated, but the railing was not very high.
“Ladder thirteen, move in.”
“Team two, go from inside.”
“Get the ladder up there.”
“Team four, underneath.”
As the captain yelled the orders, the firefighters efficiently extended the ladder, maneuvering it to the balcony. Still crying, the toddler grabbed onto the short rails and stood, wobbling on his stubby legs. Rory watched as a firefighter scrambled up the ladder to the child. Heart in his throat, he watched as the firefighter lifted the child in his arms, tucking him close.
As soon as he was within reach of another firefighter, they safely transferred the child, allowing the first firefighter to return to the top to unhook the ladder from the railing. The police had just gained entrance to the apartment, one of them lifting the window to peer out, making sure the child was safe.
Rory raced to the bottom of the truck and took the child from the firefighter’s arms. The child was cold, screaming, face red with tears and snot running down his cheeks, chin, and chest. Bobby threw a blanket around the child, and Rory shifted his hold to keep the child wrapped. Moving to the back of the ambulance, he stepped up and lay the child on the gurney. Pulling out his stethoscope, he began listening to the little boy’s lungs which, by the ear-splitting screams, appeared to work well. Shania leaned over and unfastened the wet diaper.
Another call came over the radio, this time from the police inside the apartment. “Requesting twenty-three-D-one. Apartment three-forty-two. Unconscious female. Possible overdose.”
He looked up sharply toward Bobby. “Is another EMS responding?”
“Looks like EMS two is on its way. ETA four minutes.”
“Shania, take over here, and I’ll get inside,” he said, pushing to a stand.
Her hand snapped out toward him, and as he turned toward her was struck by the mad-as-hell expression on her face.
“I was all ready to go momma on this little tyke, but now that I know his real momma might be inside passed out drunk or high… I’m ready to kick some ass,” she bit out on her way out of the ambulance.
“Don’t get fired… or arrested!” Bobby called out after her.
“Okay, you take this one until EMS two gets here and can get inside to transport if needed. I’m going after Shania to make sure she’s still with us tomorrow and not in jail.” With that, Rory gently slid past Bobby, allowing him to continue to assess the child. As he jogged toward the building, he called out to James. “See if we can get a name for the child. Bobby’s got him while I go inside.”
Passing one of the police officers, he added, “Depending on what we find up here, you may have to call Child Protective Services.”
He took the stairs two at a time, seeing that Shania had already made it to the apartment. Heading inside, he jerked at the smell of feces, urine, and garbage. “Jesus…” A glance around showed a garbage pail with dirty diapers spilling over the sides, food on the counters, dirty dishes piled in the sink, and trash all over. A young, barely-conscious woman lay on the sofa, pills on the coffee table along with other drug paraphernalia.
Shania was listening to her heart and had an oximeter on her finger and a blood pressure cuff on her arm.
“Damn, girl, you work fast,” he commented, kneeling next to her.
“When I’m as pissed as I am, I can get things done,” she retorted. She brushed the girl’s straggly hair back from her face.
He knew she was concerned about the child, but for all her talk, she was also concerned about the young woman lying in front of them. He turned to one of the police officers standing nearby. “Do we know if this is the child’s mother?”
“According to the neighbor, she is. Marcia Burton. Child’s name is Matthew. Says the mom calls him Mattie.”
“EMS two is here,” came the announcement on the radio.
“We need transport in apartment three-forty-two. Female, early twenties, possible overdose. Pressure seventy over forty. Pulse thirty-eight.”
He heard a noise in the hall and stepped to the side as two other paramedics from his station that had just come onto duty came into the room carrying a portable stretcher.
“Good, she’s little,” Richard said, nodding down to the stretcher in his hands. “This board will do the job.”
“You need another pair of hands? We’ve got the child in our vehicle.”
“Nah, we’ve got it,” Richard said, offering Rory a nod.
He called out to Shania, “Heading down.” She stood and gave the medical information to the EMT assisting in the room. Jogging back down the stairs, he knew she would soon follow, probably irritated she couldn’t give an old-fashioned ass-kicking to the woman who’d neglected her son.
He and Shania were back in their ambulance and made the call to transport the child to the hospital. “Check to see if CPS will meet us at the hospital.”
“Already talked to them,” Bobby said. “A hospital social worker will meet us there and stay with the child until CPS gets someone there.”
“Good on you,” Shania grinned, sitting on the gurney with a now-quiet Mattie.
Rory glanced into the rearview mirror. “Looks like that dry diaper and warm blanket are doing the trick.” The child was lying on his back, smiling up at the keys Bobby dangled above him. The ambulance soon pulled outside the ER, and when Rory opened the back of the ambulance doors, he reached his hands up and took little Mattie from Bobby, carrying him through the automatic doors. By the time the paperwork was completed and signed off, CPS had someone there to meet them. She had the police report and declared emergency custody.
Rory waved as they walked back out, the sight of the now-smiling child in his mind. He wondered if the mother was conscious enough to miss her child yet.
“That was a good one,” Bobby said as they made their way back to the station.
“Good one?” Shania barked. “There’s a scared, neglected, hungry child with a druggie momma. What the hell good is that?”
“The good is that we got him out. He was rescued from death, and now someone who can take care of him will be able to, and his mom can have a chance to get her shit together,” Bobby argued.
Rory looked over at Shania and spied a smile playing about her lips.
Shooting a grin at Bobby, he backed into the bay at the station. Once the ambulance was cleaned and re-packed, he pulled out his phone, seeing a text from Sandy.
Got the flowers. How sweet! How about dinner at my place again?
He’d ordered flowers to be delivered to her office and hoped she liked them. He typed back an acceptance but thought about his living arrangements. When he moved out of his parents’ house, he’d moved in with a few other first responders. No one had the same shift so most of them were never there at the same time. It worked but now seemed more like a combination of a frat house and Army barracks.
An hour later, he was sitting in the break room, scanning through affordable housing, growing more frustrated. Hearing his name called, he twisted his head around to see Blay and Bill walk into the workroom.
“What brings you to the station?”
“There’s training this afternoon. Our captain needed a couple of volunteers to come, so we figured it was a way to get off the truck for a few hours.” He nodded toward Blay, then glanced up as Bill peered over his shoulder.
“I thought you had a place to stay,” Bill said. “Didn’t you move out of your parents’ house when you made paramedic?”
“Yeah, but now I’m trying to find something on my own. Tired of living with a bunch of stinkin’ guys.”
“Sure it isn’t because you’re dating Sandy?”
He opened his mouth to warn Bill off again, but Bill quickly said, “No, no man. I’m not trying to stir up shit. But let’s face it, she’s got money, so it’s gonna naturally make you want something more.”
“Have you ever actually been to her place?” He pinned Bill with his glare, seeing the man open his mouth and close it several times. “That’s what I thought. And if you had been, you’d know she lives a simple life. So yeah, I’m starting to look for a place of my own because I’m out of the fuckin’ Army and don’t want to feel like I’m in a barracks.”
“Sorry, man,” Bill said. Sighing heavily, he added, “Look, Rory, we got off on the wrong foot and I’m sorry. I’ve known Sandy for a couple of years, and she, me, and Harper used to hang out all the time.”
“That’s it, isn’t it? You’re feeling left behind and taking it out on the women. Grow the fuck up, man. Harper’s married, and I plan on me and Sandy seeing how far this thing we’ve got going on will last. And if I have anything to say about it, it’s going to last a long fuckin’ time.”
Bill nodded slowly. “I hear you.” He looked over at Blay and said, “I’ll meet you downstairs.” He made it to the door, then turned and looked over his shoulder toward Rory. “And for whatever it’s worth, I’m glad Sandy has a good man in her life.” With that, he rapped his knuckles against the doorframe and headed into the hall, his boots sounding on the stairs.
“Good for you, bro,” Blay said. “Proud of you.”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “Well, if you hear of any cheap places that aren’t in rat-infested neighborhoods, let me know. Because right now, my real estate endeavors aren’t looking too promising.”
Throwing his head back, Blay laughed. “Yeah, I’ll keep you in mind. By the way, I think my mom and your mom are itching to have a big family get together. I’m already having to clear my calendar, and I’m just giving you a warning you’ll have to, also.” He turned to walk out as well, then twisted his head and called out, “Hey, at least your girl has already met the families at Sean’s wedding. You can avoid that embarrassing introduction time.” Laughing, he continued down the stairs.
Remembering Harper, Carter, and Kimberly’s introduction to the families, Rory breathed out a sigh of relief. Blay was right. Thank God Sandy and I don’t have to go through that. A wrinkle settled in his brow as he realized that his mom had met Sandy as Harper’s Maid of Honor—not his girlfriend. Thinking of his mom’s reaction when one of her children found a significant other, he sucked in a deep breath. Great… just fuckin’ great.
20
“Where on earth did that man of yours get sunflowers this time of year?”
Sandy looked over the tall vase of beautiful yellow flowers and grinned at Todd. “I have no idea, and I hope he didn’t spend much, but they’re gorgeous!”
“They are beautiful,” Barbara said. “I wonder why he got sunflowers?”
“He said they reminded him of me.”
Todd and Barbara stared at each other, clutched their hands together, and “awwed” at the same time. Laughing, Sandy looked down as her phone rang. “Oh, dear, it’s my dad.”
“Time to leave,” Todd quipped, and with Barbara’s hand still in his, they headed out of her office, shutting the door behind them.
“Hey, Dad,” she greeted.
“Sandra, how are you?”
“I’m good. Busy. How’s Martha?”
“She’s itching to have you come for dinner. She was going to call, but I told her that I would since I haven’t talked to you in a while.”
Martha was her father’s wife, one he married long after Sandy’s mom walked out when she was a child. For all the tales of a wicked stepmother, they were completely wrong when it came to Martha. She was as nurturing as Sandy’s mother was not. And considering that for years she’d been left to her grandmother’s loving-but-strict care, Martha was like a breath of fresh air when she entered their lives. As an adult, she and Martha were friends, but as much as she was working, she hardly had time for anyone anymore.
“Well, just let me know when you’re available, and I’ll clear my schedule,” she said.
“Your Aunt Judith said that you might have a date to bring along to the dinner.”
Stunned, she jerked, her mind racing as she tried to imagine where she and Rory had been that her stuffy Aunt Judith would have seen them. “Um…”
“He’s quite the catch, Sandra. I didn’t think you acted like you cared for him much, but with his portfolio, he’s very up-and-coming.”
Blinking, she stared at her sunflowers, trying to discern who her father was talking about. Before she had a chance to ask, he continued.
“Anthony’s father has given him a lot of responsibility with that new building. I put the bug in their ear that they should consider you for the interior designer. Glad to see they took my advice.”
Her face grew hot, and she wondered if it was possible to explode from an overload of irritation. “I can’t believe you told the Partridges to hire me! Dad, how will I ever be taken seriously in this business if you stick your nose in where it’s not wanted?”
“Now, hold on, Sandra. I only mentioned to them that you were an interior designer. I didn’t tell them to hire you. They did that on their own. Anyway, it seems like it finally brought you and Anthony together.”
If her head had not exploded yet, she was sure if the conversation with her father continued, it might. “Dad, I’m not dating Anthony. If Aunt Judith saw me, it was because we had a working luncheon. I’m not interested in Anthony, but I am dating someone else. So, if Martha wants to extend the invitation to him as well, that’s fine. If not, then I’ll work a visit to see you two when I can. But for now, I need to get back to work. Love you, Dad. Goodbye.”
She was not surprised that five minutes later her phone rang again. This time the caller ID let her know her stepmother had been filled in by her dad. She sighed heavily, although she knew that Martha would be much more receptive to her dating news.
“Hi, Martha. Before you try to subtly find out what’s going on, I’ll give you the scoop. Yes, I’m dating someone. No, he doesn’t belong to the same country club that Dad does. In fact, he doesn’t belong to any country club. Yes, he’s wonderful. No, he doesn’t work in business. He’s a paramedic. And yes, I really, really, really like him.”
Laughter burst forth through the phone, and she relaxed, hearing Martha’s appreciation of her rendition. “Oh, Sandy, I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Look, Martha, I don’t mind bringing him to dinner, but I’m not going to have Dad grill him about his family
, or his bank account, or his portfolio, or his career. So, either Dad—”
“I’ll talk to your father. Honestly, Sandy, it’ll be fine. Your dad just wants you to be happy.”
“Okay, then let me know when you want us to come. But I’m warning you, Martha, if Dad doesn’t behave himself, we’ll skedaddle out of there. I don’t care what Grandmother taught me about a lady always staying through the whole meal.”
“Oh, sweetie, I only wish your dad and I had met earlier! By the time I got to be your mother, your grandmother had filled your head with so many old-fashioned rules, and I felt like for the few years I had with you before you went to college, I was doing nothing but trying to undo all that she did!”
“Well, I wish you and Dad had met earlier, too. But just because I would’ve had you in my life longer.”
She heard the quick intake of breath from Martha. “Oh, honey, you’re going to have me crying. Now, I can’t wait to meet your man, so I’ll text you dates and we’ll get this set up very soon.”
Disconnecting, she smiled, her gaze drifting back to the sunflowers on her desk. She couldn’t imagine that it would be difficult to have dinner with Rory’s family sometime since she’d already met them all at Sean and Harper’s wedding. But thinking about dinner with her dad had her worrying her bottom lip.
After a quick knock on her door, it opened, and Todd popped his head through. “Are you heading to Partridge Tower this afternoon? Barbara said she was meeting a client there, and I thought you might want to go as well.”
She jumped up and grabbed her coat and bags. “That sounds perfect. It’ll give me a chance to check on things and see how the offices we designed are progressing.” Heading out the door, she fired off another text to Rory.
Get ready for dinner with my parents.
Receiving a wide-eyed emoji in return made her laugh as she slid behind the wheel of her SUV.
Rory: Hope City, Book 7 Page 15