Once Upon A Half-Time: A Sports Romance - Sosie Frost Page 0,157

and yanked on my hand. She looked at the cut and hmphed. “Sure, she can go to the hospital…and waste her money. Not like her Daddy gives her good health insurance at that hand-me-down job of hers.”

Lindsey stomped her foot. “Well, I can’t have a bridesmaid with a giant bandage on her hand for pictures! Or worse…an oozing, festering, puss-filled wound! We can’t Photoshop staph infections out of the photos, Mom!”

That did it. Now I felt woozy. I clutched the sink and swallowed, hard. If I got sick, at least no one would blame me. I did love the free excuses.

I pointed to Bryce. “Rick’s working tonight. We’ll go to the hospital. He can patch me up.”

Bryce refused to look at me, blocking me out of his vision with his raised palm. “I’ll give you a lift to the ER. Just…cover that up.”

Lindsey busted into gear, grabbing my purse and pushing me out the door. She paged Rick, but when he called to ask about the emergency, she grabbed the phone from me and hysterically screamed for help.

Rick knew better. He texted me on the sly. I one-handedly told him I was fine, but if he wanted to meet us in the ER, I’d love to have someone relatively competent in my corner.

We got to the hospital, but Bryce couldn’t leave the air-conditioned car for fear of a complete panic attack. I thanked him as Lindsey hauled me inside the ER, screaming to any nurse who would listen about her destroyed paper flower bouquets and the maid-of-honor nearly slicing a finger off. At least she got us into a room pretty quick.

Rick found us after only a couple of minutes. He immediately ordered Lindsey to sit down and shut up—in the way only a lifelong friend could tame the beast. He patted the bed for me. I hopped up, and his eyebrow arched.

“Good thing it’s slow tonight.” He stuck the blood pressure cuff on me and shook his head. “Linds, are you demanding blood tributes from your bridesmaids?”

“For your information.” Lindsey pouted in the chair. “This accident is going to cost us the whole night. I don’t have enough white tissue paper for the rest of the bouquets, and we’re way behind for the wedding preparations.”

Rick wasn’t listening. He looked at me. “Wow…how much blood did you lose? Your blood pressure is low. And your heart rate is a bit…high.”

Uh-oh.

I shrugged and lied. “I must just be stressed.”

This was a problem I hadn’t thought about. Rick charted the numbers, and I kicked myself for being stupid enough to come to a hospital.

I had discovered I was pregnant before my missed period and confirming test. Lindsey forced her bridesmaids to wear Fitbits, and, like a total dork, I was the only one who liked the cool little device. At first I’d thought the readings were wrong or the result of a busted component, but troubleshooting forums detailed the common causes for altered vitals.

Early pregnancy raised a woman’s heart rate.

Whoops.

Rick tucked his stethoscope around his neck. He checked the wound, careful to keep the bloody rag far from his pristine coat.

“Bet people don’t normally bleed on your rounds,” I said.

“We generally try to prevent hearts from bleeding in the cath lab. This does look pretty nasty. We should do a couple stitches. Let me clean you up and get you sewed together. I’ll have someone write you a script for antibiotics.”

He wheeled a chair over and had a nurse help set out the supplies. Lindsey sighed and grabbed her phone. Rick pounded on the computer to enter my information.

“Birthday?” he asked.

My mouth dropped open. “You jerk.”

“Kidding.” He winked. “August…?”

“Don’t make me wipe blood on you.”

“Thirteenth. On any meds?”

“Nope.” I flinched. “Well, a vitamin.”

“One-a-day?”

Sure. That was close enough. The pre-natal vitamins were taken once a day. I nodded.

“I’ll whoop your butt if you’re taking drugs. Alcohol?”

“I wish.”

He chuckled. “Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant?”

He meant it as a joke, but I stiffened. The world faded in that instant, and I stared at my best friend. He probably deserved to hear the truth regardless of his medical degree or willingness to stitch me up.

But Lindsey was right behind me. The lights got too bright, and the blood and panic and truth twisted in my stomach.

I couldn’t lie.

Not this time.

Lindsey couldn’t see my lips moving from where she sat. I shook my head no.

But I mouthed the words I hadn’t admitted to anyone yet.

“Yes.”

Rick didn’t scream, throw a fit, or Hulk-smash and rip off his