her sister could speak whooshed out, and she wished all her jealousy and misgivings could go with it. But her heart felt heavy as she took Katie from Mike and watched him slip into the ambulance and take Kelsey’s hand.
“Momma?” Katie rubbed her eyes and looked up at Sarah, puzzled.
“Momma’s resting.” Sarah patted the child’s head. “You’ve got the car seat, Mike. Come on. I’ll ride with Kelsey.”
Mike tossed a set of keys at her. They fell to the ground at her feet. “Take Kelsey’s car,” he said. “The seat’s in it.”
“But…”
“I’m not leaving her.”
Now he wasn’t leaving her. Sarah was tempted to say something snarky, but the EMT crouching on the other side of the gurney leaned out and pulled one of the doors closed. “We’re wasting time here,” he said.
“Come on.” Lane picked the keys up and tossed them in the air, nodding toward Kelsey’s gray-primered Camry. “Let’s go.”
“Let’s?”
“You’re in no shape to drive. Besides, my truck’s at the ranch, remember?”
Sarah sighed and headed for the car. She bent and slid the sleepy Katie into the car seat, struggling to fasten the belt and shoulder straps as the child slumped like a sack of potatoes. She was used to taking care of Katie, but since they never left the yard she wasn’t well versed in car seat technique. As she tried to fasten the shoulder straps into the buckle, Katie woke and widened her eyes.
“Momma?”
“Momma’s going on a ride in the big truck,” Sarah said. “We’ll go meet her, okay?”
“Momma!” It wasn’t a question now, it was a demand. “Want Momma!”
“Honey, we’re going to get her, okay? Just hang on.” Sarah tried to shove the buckle closed, but Katie struggled and set up a wail. “Hurting me, Aunt Sarah! Hurting meeee!”
Sarah felt the hot pressure of tears behind her eyes. Tucking her hands under her niece’s armpits she hoisted her a little higher in the seat and slid the buckle home. She muttered some comforting nonsense Katie usually loved, but the child screwed up her face and let out a wail that rose in deafening concert with the ambulance siren as the vehicle pulled away from the curb.
“Mommaaaaaaaa!” She flapped her arms like a helpless baby bird. “Aunt Sarah is hurting meeeee!”
Sarah unhooked the buckles and sat back, feeling as helpless as a three-year-old herself. There was no other way the buckle could go, was there? She bent down and picked up her niece, cradling the child against her chest. Katie calmed almost immediately, lapsing into heartbroken hiccups.
Sarah bounced the child gently. This she could handle, but how the hell was she going to get to the hospital?
“Here.” Lane had scooted into the backseat and was holding the straps on either side of the car seat apart. “Put her in. I’ll help.”
Katie held out her arms to Lane, grunting in protest when Sarah tightened her grip.
“Ride,” she said. “Want ride.”
“Oh, fine.” Sarah set her in the seat and watched in wonder as Lane slid buckles and tightened belts like a pro. Katie smiled at him the whole time.
“Like tacking up a horse,” he said, grinning up at Sarah. “Nothing to it.”
Chapter 32
Katie banged her chubby legs against the seat, flailing her arms as Lane piloted the Camry through the wide, banked curve of the highway entrance. Trapped by the car seat, she looked like a baby bird trying to fly.
“There’s nothing closer than Casper?” he asked.
“No.” Sarah gripped the shoulder harness with one hand, the door handle with the other. “When Katie got a fever last month, Kelsey had to drive her all the way to town. It takes almost an hour.”
“Forty-two minutes.” Lane accelerated onto the highway and they all rocked back in their seats. Katie made a happy gurgling sound.
“Kid’s got the need for speed,” he said.
“So do we.” Sarah clenched her hands in her lap.
“We’ll get there.” He reached over and patted her thigh, but she was too preoccupied with Kelsey to feel more than a faint spasm of lust from his touch. “At least we haven’t caught up to the ambulance yet. I’m kind of surprised. That thing’s an antique.”
“It’ll be a miracle if it doesn’t break down before it gets to the hospital. When I was a kid they could barely keep it running. I can’t believe it’s still going, but when it’s all you’ve got…” She grimaced, spreading her hands hopelessly.
“Can’t they get a grant or something?”
“Lane, you’ve seen Two Shot. It’s not exactly prosperous.” She clenched her hands tighter. “You think