Bad Boy's Kiss (Firemen in Love Book 2) (37 page)

I had to call someone. The hospital? Max?

No, what could he do? Something was seriously wrong with me. I needed medical attention, fast, or I just knew something would happen to the baby.

I discovered the phone buried under a bunch of napkins. I hurried to dial 911, pressed send – and then the car began to move again.

I gazed out the side window and realized what was happening, but too late. I'd come to a stop on the edge of a cliff, and my car was teetering over the side, ready to slide down into the dry creek bed below.

“What is the nature of your emergency, please?”

“Help me,” I screamed.

The car tipped and then fell. I clutched the wheel and closed my eyes and prayed we would be okay.

Through all this, the pain never stopped. I couldn't see, couldn't think. Everything was a blur, a nightmare, almost surreal.

The car flipped on its side, taking me with it. Down the embankment next, sliding, helpless to stop or save myself now.

The top of the car scraped against a tree trunk. There was the sound of metal crunching, the smell of smoke coming from somewhere.

Then the car collided with a tree hard and I was sure, in those last few seconds of consciousness, I was going to die.

Chapter 29 - Max

“Man, that is
quite
a wild story, Max. It would make such a badass movie.”

Chris tossed his basketball at the hoop they'd set up in the corner. The shot totally missed, and the guys all laughed at him.

“Jake's right,” said Logan. “I'd pay to go see that. Hell, I might even read the book.”

“And here I always thought you were illiterate,” another guy teased.

It felt good to be back here at the Bastrop fire department. I used to think it was pretty boring here, 'cause there just weren't that many fires to fight in a small town except during the dry season. Now, I savored the peace and quiet.

It was my turn to shoot the ball, but I wasn't really feeling it. I couldn't stop thinking of Anna.

You bet I wanted to call her, but I was terrified of bothering her. One wrong move, and she'd decide she was done with me forever.

“So whatever happened with you and your girl? Anna, right?”

I sighed. “She's not my girl, like I told you last time. She doesn't want nothing to do with me. Needs space, she said.”

“Ouch. That's not good.”

“No, it ain't.”

The radio went off, and all of us hushed as the dispatcher's voice came through.

“We've had reports of a vehicle fire off highway ninety five. A witness said there appeared to be a pickup truck in the woods with flames coming out of it. He was unsure if the vehicle was occupied at the moment.”

Seconds later, another 911 call came through.

“We just received a call from a woman who only said 'help me' before hanging up. We traced the call to highway ninety five, shortly past the Samson Avenue exit. Any available unit, please respond.”

Samson Avenue... That was where Anna's favorite fast-food joint was. And she got off work not long ago, too.

An awful feeling shot through me then. I felt it in my very soul, and somehow knew, without a doubt, that Anna was in trouble. It was her in that truck. I
knew
it!

“I'm going,” I shouted as I raced out the door to a waiting engine. Chris and Jake followed, giving each other confused looks as they buckled themselves into their seats.

“Max, what the hell? Why are you freaking out like this?”

I didn't answer. My phone, where was it? There! Anna's name was the first in my contacts list.

I tapped her number and listened to the phone ring over and over again, all the while speeding down the highway and zipping around cars that wouldn't move out of my way fast enough.

“C'mon, pick up. Pick up, please!”

But she didn't. She could have been ignoring me, but I doubted it. Oh, Lord. This was bad,
real
bad.

“Max?”

“I think it's Anna. I gotta get to her.”

“What? How do you know?”

“I don't for sure, but I can just tell somehow.”

Chris's brow scrunched as he stared out the window. “No matter who it is, we need to reach the scene fast. If there's a vehicle fire in the woods, the whole place could turn into an inferno in minutes.”

I floored it, hurtling down the highway at eighty miles an hour, furious that the piece of crap truck couldn't get up any faster than that.

“Down there!”

I slammed on the brakes. Sure enough, there was that tell-tale orange glow of something burning down in the ditch.

“Truck can't get down there, and it looks like it's spreading quick. We might not have enough water for this one.”

Ambulance sirens wailed in the distance. They'd be here soon, but there was nothing they could do until we got the fire out of the way. I grabbed my tools and an extinguisher, then skidded down the embankment without waiting for the guys.

“Max, don't go alone. It's dangerous.”

“I don't care!”

It was too dark to see at first, but as I approached, pure terror filled my heart. There was Anna's Toyota Tacoma, lying on its side, with flames spewing from the hood. The fire had spread around the truck, too, so getting to it wouldn't be easy.

I cut a path through the burning brush toward the car, praying that she wasn't in it, that she'd gotten out and was safe. But when I spotted her slouched over in the front seat, eyes closed, I flipped out.

“Anna! Don't you die, damn it,” I hissed.

I tried opening the door normally, but no dice. Instead, I shattered the glass with a hammer, reached in to unlock it, and pulled her out.

She stirred as I lifted her over my shoulder, then began to choke on the smoke.

“It's me, Anna. You're gonna be okay. You and the baby are going to get through this.”

“M-Max? I... It hurts.”

“You're going to the hospital. They'll patch you up. Just hold onto me, okay?”

She weakly put her arms around my neck.

“No, I mean...” She coughed violently. “My stomach. I think... The baby.”

Sweat beaded on my brow as I sprayed down the fire. Every time I put out the flames in front of me, more popped up to the sides. The guys were working fast as they could to unravel the hose and get down here, but they weren't going quick enough.

“The baby? What's wrong with him?”

“I don't know. It just hurts. I'm scared, Max.”

“I'm here for you. I'm here, and I'm never gonna leave you again. Please, stay strong for me.”

It wasn't easy getting up the hill with a pregnant woman on my back, but I did it. Just in time, too. An ambulance pulled up alongside our truck, and out rushed two paramedics.

“Is she injured? Set her down here,” one said.

“She was in a bad wreck.” I gently placed her on the stretcher. “And she's pregnant. She says her belly hurts. Please, don't let anything happen to either of them.”

I watched tearfully as they loaded her into the ambulance. I never felt so helpless before. Being in that wheelchair was nothing compared to this.

A hand came down on my shoulder. “You need to go with her,” Chris said.

“Yeah, I do. Thanks, man.”

He gave me a grim smile as I climbed into the ambulance with her. I was grateful to see that the paramedic had stabilized her and given her something for the pain, but even that didn't help much. She let out a horrible cry every few seconds that rattled me deep.

“She's gone into labor,” the guy said. “Maybe the stress of the wreck did it. We need to get her into delivery, stat.”

What followed was such a blur of activity, of doctors running everywhere, people yelling, bright hospital lights, the odors of blood and antiseptic, that I barely remembered much of it.

They wheeled Anna into the emergency room. After a quick look-over, they determined she had no serious injuries from the accident, but that baby had to come out
now.
Doctor Ferris, the one who was supposed to deliver the kid, couldn't be summoned in time.

“We'll need to do this via C-section rather than vaginally,” he informed me as I held her hand. “The latter could take time we don't have. The sooner we get the baby out, the better.”

Anna cried. “But I didn't want it to be like this.”

“You want the baby to be safe, don't you?” I kissed her head. “So do I. If anything happened to either of you, I dunno what I'd do.”

She nodded and opened her mouth to say something, but only another yelp of pain came out.

“We're going to sedate you now,” the doctor said, and gave her a shot of something.

Then the nurse told me it was time for me to leave the room. I wanted to stay by her side, but I understood.

“I'll be here when you wake up,” I promised. “Don't be scared. I love you.”

She winced at another contraction. “I... Love you too.”

Then she fell unconscious with a smile on her face.

Chapter 30 - Anna

Coming out of anesthesia was a strange thing. My eyes felt heavy, and I got the feeling I'd been asleep for a very long time although I knew I couldn't have been.

The pain was gone, and my womb was empty.

I pried my eyes open and felt my belly, surprised that there was nothing in it. I lifted up my gown. A long line of stitches held together the incision they made to get the baby out.

“The baby,” I muttered. “Where's my baby?”

Then the door to my room opened. A nurse came in, followed by Max – with a tiny bundle cradled safely in his arms. He beamed as it wriggled, and a little arm poked out of the blanket.

“Congratulations on your baby boy,” the nurse said, smiling. “He's six pounds, four ounces. A tiny little guy, but he's perfectly healthy.”

She left us alone, for which I was glad. Max brought my baby to me without a word. Then he gently placed the child in my arms, and I fell in love right away.

“He's perfect,” I murmured.

“Looks just like you, doesn't he? He's got your eyes, nose, lips... He's even sporting a full head of hair already.”

“I guess you're right.” I gazed up at him. “Thought you said being handed a baby was your worst nightmare.”

“Before you, it was. Now, it ain't so bad as I thought it'd be.” He chuckled. “I could do without the stinky diapers and puke, though. What are you naming him?”

I had a long list of names prepared, but I still hadn't chosen one even now. I thought I would pick one before I went into labor, at least, but life didn't turn out how I'd planned.

I gestured for Max to sit, so he took the chair beside my bed. When he held my hand, that “just right” feeling came back to me.

“You saved me from that accident. If you hadn't shown up when you did...”

“Shh. Don't get worked up over it. You two are safe now.”

“You rescued us, so I think you deserve to pick the name.”

His eyes widened. “Me?”

“Let's hear what you got.”

“Hmm... How about Luke? That was my grandpa's name and I've always had a thing for it.”

“Luke,” I repeated. “I think that will do just fine.”

Baby Luke gurgled his approval. Then his eyes fluttered shut and he conked out for another nap on my chest.

Max watched him snore peacefully for a while. Then he squeezed my hand and got down on his knees.

“Please give me another chance,” he blurted. “I need you in my life, Anna. Without you, I'm useless. You bring out the best in me, and you're the most wonderful woman I've ever known.”

I hesitated. He had saved me, yes, but was that enough to make up for the things he'd done?

“I know you're pissed at me, but I told you I'd make it better, didn't I? Well, I did. I got you your farm back.”

“You... W
hat?
”

He explained the story to me about how he gave the buyer his life savings in exchange for the house, and how he'd make payments on the rest until it was totally mine again.

“You did this for me? But you didn't have to.”

“Yes I did. I couldn't stand to have you living in that box of an apartment any longer, especially not with Luke. You loved that farm and everything that went with it. That's where you belong.” He looked the other way. “And I want to belong there too, if you'll have me.”

“You'd give up your bachelor life in Waco? You would stop being a playboy, just for one woman? I'm afraid you'll get bored. You'll regret it and move on to something new. I can't handle that kind of pain again.”

“I would never, ever regret you. You're the only woman who's interested me in months, I swear.” He reached into his pocket. “I'll prove it to you. I was waiting for the perfect time to give you this, and us chatting in a hospital room ain't what I had in mind, but it'll have to do.”