Protected by the Bear Read online

  “There’s a pregnant woman in the back section. The overhead bin had trapped her, but I’ve moved it. She’s got a dislocated shoulder, so I thought it would be best if someone held her while I put it back in place. And, Bear, you might want to check her out. She told me she’s had some cramping during the flight.”

  “Charlotte, you want to go with Ash while I finish up here and I’ll be right with you?” asked Bear.

  “Sure,” said Charlotte.

  Ash shone the light so Charlotte could see the way. “Her name’s Chloe,” he said.

  “Hi, Chloe,” said Charlotte, kneeling next to her. “I’m Dr. Renner, but I prefer to be called Charlotte.”

  “Hi,” said Chloe.

  “My cousin’s going to be right with us, but Charlotte’s going to hold you steady while I fix your shoulder. Like I said, it’s going to hurt, but you’ll feel a whole lot better after,” said Ash.

  Charlotte got behind Chloe and held her while Ash knelt beside the young woman.

  “Charlotte had a baby about six months ago,” said Ash, thinking he’d try and take Chloe’s mind off what he was about to do.

  “That’s right,” said Charlotte. “A little girl who’s growing by leaps and bounds every day.”

  Ash nodded to Charlotte, hoping she could see him in the dim light. He wanted to let her know he was about to put Chloe’s shoulder back in its proper position.

  “On the count of one, two…” Ash didn’t get to three—he never did. That way, a patient wasn’t expecting what he did next. He popped her shoulder. She screamed and then tears ran down her face. Ouch, her scream had been so awful he’d felt a pain in his shoulder too. First time that had ever happened to him.

  “It’s okay, Chloe. It’s okay, honey,” said Charlotte.

  Bear made his way back to them.

  “Chloe, this is Bear, who I was telling you about,” said Ash.

  “Hi, Chloe,” said Bear, squeezing her hand.

  “I’m getting cramps a lot more now,” said Chloe. “I thought it was the ginger ale I’d spilled on my jeans when we landed, but I think my water broke when we crashed.”

  “Let’s take a look. When’s your due date?” asked Bear.

  “October 24th.”

  “And how bad are the cramps?”

  “A whole lot worse than period pain,” she said, gripping Ash’s hand.

  “Let’s get your jeans and panties off so I can see if you’re dilated,” said Bear.

  Bear unzipped her jeans and she lifted her hips and let him slide them off. Next, he pulled down her panties.

  “Can you both shine the flashlights down between her legs for me?” said Bear.

  Both Ash and Charlotte put the beams on the lower part of Chloe’s body.

  “You’re in the best hands,” said Charlotte. “Bear’s a great doctor.”

  Bear examined her. “Yep that was your water that broke and you’re close to being fully dilated.”

  She started to cry and Ash squeezed her hand. “It really hurts now, but I don’t want the baby to be born here,” she said.

  “Chloe, you wouldn’t make it to a hospital, especially with all the chaos going on out there. Just think, it will be a tale to share with your child when it gets older,” said Bear.

  “Will it be safe for the baby?” asked Chloe.

  “Much safer than trying to get you to the hospital,” said Bear. “I’ve delivered babies in cars before, so this one won’t be much different.”

  Chloe nodded, tears running down her cheeks. “The baby’s a girl, by the way.”

  “She’ll be premature and need some extra care, but she’s going to be just fine,” said Bear. “Ash and Charlotte will hold your hands and we’ll get your baby girl out in no time. Were you traveling with anyone? Your husband maybe?” asked Bear.

  “I don’t have a husband,” said Chloe. “I’m doing this all on my own.”

  ****

  Buying the wig—which she might add was now lying on broken parts of the plane—disguising herself with it and the phony glasses, had been stupid. She realized that now. Getting on the plane and lying about how far along she was had been wrong and she was paying the price for it. If she hadn’t fled, she wouldn’t have been on a plane that crashed in a snowstorm and she wouldn’t be in premature labor. Definitely wouldn’t be giving birth to the baby girl she’d vowed to protect in a plane. And she’d foolishly given them her real name. The pain had scrambled her brain. However, right now, that was the least of her worries.

  If anything happened to the baby, she’d never forgive herself.

  The contractions were worse than she’d been led to believe by the books she’d read while pregnant, but at least she had not one but three doctors with her. The one named Ash hadn’t let go of her hand. She was pretty sure she’d drawn blood from his skin when she’d felt another wave of pain invading her body. Another one was coming her way and she braced herself for it. She wanted to push down, but Bear had told her not to quite yet.

  “Nice deep breath,” said Ash. “You can do this.”

  He had a nice, calming voice and manner. If he hadn’t been around or heard her pleas for help, she would have laid here in labor with no one to help her, her shoulder pinned by the bin and her body writhing in pain. She didn’t want to think what could have happened to the baby if she’d died.

  Another contraction. They were almost constant now. She hadn’t planned on having a natural childbirth, but she guessed she didn’t have any choice.

  “Let’s just take another look here,” said Bear.

  She felt his fingers inside her and that also hurt like hell. Was it supposed to, or was something wrong with the baby?

  “You are ready to start pushing,” he said. “You want to put her feet flat and try and push down on them. Ash, why don’t you get behind Chloe and support her from the back? Charlotte’s going to coach you in pushing and tell you when to stop, okay?”

  Chloe nodded. Ash got behind her and soon she was lying back against his body. She was cold, but he felt warm and comforting.

  “Okay, nice big push,” said Charlotte.

  Chloe strained and pushed. She’d thought that might ease the pain, but it hurt even worse.

  “Okay, take a rest,” said Charlotte.

  Ash squeezed her. “You did great,” he said.

  She looked up at him. He had a strong jawline and high cheekbones. Yeah, he was cute. Guess she’d lucked out finding a birthing partner that was so gorgeous. Maybe if she focused on his face, even fantasized about him being her husband, she could get through this.

  “Okay, another push, really big one,” said Bear.

  Chloe pushed down again, holding one of Ash’s hands. He squeezed back. She looked up at him and he smiled. He had dimples and a cleft chin. She’d always had a thing for guys with both of those.

  “That’s perfect,” said Bear.

  Ash wiped her forehead with a towel. She felt cold, but she guessed she was perspiring.

  “Okay, and again,” said Charlotte.

  Chloe squeezed Ash’s hand and looked up at him.

  “Great, Chloe, I can see the baby’s head,” said Bear.

  “Have you got a name for your little girl picked out yet?” asked Ash.

  “Sophie Ann,” said Chloe.

  “That’s so pretty,” said Charlotte.

  “Another push, and the best one yet because I want to meet Sophie,” said Bear.

  Ash cradled her as she strained and pushed, strained and pushed, and soon she felt Sophie sliding from her.

  “She’s here,” said Bear.

  “Congratulations, Momma,” said Ash, and Charlotte squeezed her hand.

  Chloe looked down to see Bear, who had enormous hands, cradling the tiny Sophie.

  Charlotte put a towel on her belly and Bear carefully placed Sophie on top. She was covered in blood and mucus, but she was gorgeous. Bear clamped off the cord and then cut through it.

  “She’s small, and the tempera
ture’s dropping, so I think we need to get both of you to the hospital as soon as we can.”

  Hospital. She wasn’t planning on that. She couldn’t go there. That’s why she’d run away to a place with just over a million residents. The place she’d read where people who didn’t want to be found went to live their lives in peace. She’d planned on finding a midwife to deliver the baby with no questions asked, but the crash and the early labor had ruined everything.

  Bear cleaned the mucus and blood from Sophie’s face. She saw him glance at Charlotte and Ash. She knew what they saw and what they were thinking, but it was okay.

  “Don’t think you have to break the news to be gently. I knew the baby would be born with Down syndrome,” said Chloe.

  Ash hugged her and Charlotte squeezed her hand.

  “Okay, let’s get you two ready to transport to the hospital,” said Bear, wrapping Sophie in a blanket.

  “I can’t go there,” said Chloe.

  “Honey, it’s the best place for both you and the baby,” said Charlotte.

  “I can’t because they’ll find us.”

  “Who?” asked Bear.

  “The people who want Sophie. You have to promise me you’ll keep her birth, her existence, a secret,” said Chloe.

  “I think you’ll find we’re pretty good at keeping secrets,” said Ash. “We’re going to take you to our own hospital. We’re hiding a secret, too, so you’re going to fit right in”

  Chapter Two

  “What were you thinking?” Bear asked him after they’d helped Chloe into the back of the truck and then placed the baby beside her.

  “We have a hospital, and no one will know she’s there,” said Ash.

  “I get that part, but it’s the ‘we’re hiding too’ addition that was downright stupid,” said Bear. He pulled on his gloves and gave Ash the same look he had when they were growing up and Ash had done something impulsive that often had gotten him into trouble. Yeah, he often didn’t censor what came out of his mouth, but he’d never been one not to come to the rescue of a damsel in distress. Chloe and her baby seemed to be in as much distress as one could get. His bear’s instinct to protect no matter what had overridden both his brain and mouth.

  “Hey, you guys, you think you can handle this quickly, because I’d like to get home to my husband and daughter?” asked Charlotte.

  “Absolutely, Charlotte, you head home and we’ll take care of this,” said Bear.

  “Don’t worry too much. She probably won’t even remember Ash’s comment. See you tomorrow.” She turned and walked away.

  Ash knew Bear would be angry with him for a while, but then he’d see they were doing the right thing. Shifters weren’t selfish and when a human needed help, they had to be there for them, too. Bear got in and started the truck.

  “You okay back there, Chloe?” asked Bear.

  “I’m fine, just really tired.”

  “Just keep the baby close to your body to keep her warm. We’ll get her into an incubator as soon as we get the hospital,” said Bear.

  Ash leaned over and turned up the car’s heater to full blast. It probably would be stifling hot for him and Bear, but not for Chloe and Sophie.

  At least the snow had tapered off. There was a good chance by this time tomorrow it would all be gone, or at least most of it. One of the wonders of living in Montana.

  Bear looked at Ash and blinked. “You still able to talk without speaking?”

  “Yes, comes in handy sometimes.”

  Ash practiced it with other shifters as much as he could. When he’d been away in LA at medical school, he’d grown out of the habit, but since he was back with his cousin and the rest of the shifters, he was putting it to good use again.

  “Great, because we can talk without disturbing Chloe, and without her knowing we’re having a discussion about her,” said Bear. “Who do you think she’s hiding from?”

  “Not sure. But she seemed really scared,” said Ash. “Or maybe she doesn’t like hospitals.”

  “But she’s agreed to come along with us to ours.”

  “You think it’s the baby’s father she’s scared might find her?” asked Ash. “That makes the most sense.”

  “Maybe she’ll tell us when she’s had a good night’s sleep.”

  “And Bear, if—like us—she’s got a secret, then let’s do all we can to honor that and keep it our secret, too.”

  ****

  Sophie was beautiful and, to Chloe, she was downright perfect. She pushed back the blanket Bear had wrapped around the baby girl. Chloe touched her cheek. So soft, and she was sure her daughter was looking straight at her.

  Her daughter. She’d have to get used to using that word. She had someone small and innocent relying on her. She was a mother. She’d chosen to be one. No, their prejudice and bias had forced her to be one.

  She looked at the two men in the front of the truck. Fate had been looking after her bringing Bear onto the scene of the accident and safely delivering Sophie. It had been the most painful experience of her, life but she’d gotten through it, largely due to the help of Charlotte, but especially Ash. She’d felt so safe in his arms with him allowing her to squeeze his hand, imagining that they were husband and wife in the hospital having their first baby together. Besides his good looks, he oozed charm and a nurturing nature.

  Chloe sensed they were turning off the main road and heading down a narrow lane. Then she saw a building. The private hospital maybe. Somewhere they could rest and she could get her thoughts together before she decided on her next move. She kissed Sophie’s cheek, taking in the newborn’s scent and loving it.

  “We’re here, Chloe,” said Ash, opening up the door of the truck. “Bear’s going to get you a wheelchair. I’ll take Sophie while my cousin helps lift you out and into the chair.”

  She felt safe giving Sophie to him. He held her daughter to his chest, shielding her from the last few flecks of snow swirling around in the air.

  Bear returned with the chair and put the brake on. “Okay, Chloe, scoot to the edge of the seat here and I can lift you into this,” he said.

  She grimaced because both her shoulder and vagina hurt like hell. Guess she had the double whammy of an injury and the after effects of giving birth.

  Bear lifted her and placed her carefully into the chair. Soon she was being wheeled inside with Ash walking beside her cradling Sophie. A nurse met them at the door.

  “This is Mia. Mia, this is Chloe and her baby, Sophie.”

  “Hello, Chloe. I have a room waiting for you. And let me see this little one.” Mia pulled down the blanket on Sophie. Chloe expected her to react to the Down syndrome, but she didn’t. Instead, she smiled.

  “Chloe, I’m going to put Sophie in the nursery in an incubator because she’s premature. We’ll keep an eye on her twenty-four hours a day. Don’t you worry about a thing because she’s in good hands here,” said Bear.

  Chloe nodded. “Will I be able to see her whenever I want?”

  “You sure can. In fact, you can go in there and hold her and feed her.”

  Ash handed Sophie to him and then Chloe put her hand on Bear’s arm. “Thank you for everything you did for us tonight.”

  “Glad we could help,” said Bear.

  He walked away and Ash pushed Sophie down a corridor with Mia walking beside them.

  “That storm certainly took us by surprise,” said Mia.

  “Probably be back in the sixties by tomorrow,” said Ash.

  He stopped when Mia opened the door to a room. It was huge and looked more like a hotel room.

  “I don’t know whether or not I have enough money to pay for this…I mean, I don’t have insurance until I find a job here,” said Chloe.

  “You don’t need any at our hospital. It’s free,” said Ash. He put the brake on and helped her out of the chair.

  She looked around. With the chaos of giving birth, she hadn’t looked for her purse. That was the only place where there was information that someone m
ight be able to find her true identity and track her down.

  “My purse. I have to find my purse.”

  Ash put his hand on her arm. “It’s okay, I’m sure they’ll have a crew rummaging through the wreckage,” he said.

  Wreckage crew, as in officials who would start asking questions and put two and two together and all her running away would have been for nothing.

  She burst into tears.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” asked Ash, kneeling in front of her. He took her hand.

  “I have to get that purse.”

  “Something to do with your secret?” he asked. He looked at Mia. “If anyone comes asking about Chloe and Sophie, they aren’t here, okay?”

  Mia winked at him.

  “How about I go back to the crash site and look for it?”

  “I can’t let you do that,” said Chloe. The fact that he was even offering told her a lot about him. A kind, sweet guy who’d help out a stranger.

  “If it makes you rest any easier then sure I’ll do it. Mia will get you settled in and I’ll go and see what I can find.” He stood and walked to the door.

  “Ash,” she said.

  He turned and looked at her.

  She blew him a kiss, and he blew one back.

  Chapter Three

  Ash realized he’d totally lost his mind once he began walking through the wreckage. It was a mess—parts of the plane in some spots, luggage and seats in another. They’d taped it off, and he knew he’d be in big trouble if anyone saw him. Hopefully they hadn’t set up cameras or had police hanging around. The weather was probably in his favor.

  It was freezing cold. His hands were going numb and all he’d found so far was a paperback book and a photo of an old couple. He was close to where he’d found Chloe, so it made sense that her purse would be around here somewhere. Unless the impact of the plane hitting the ground and cars had sent it flying someplace else.

  Ash shivered. It was close to midnight. Wolves howled in the distance. He listened closer, trying to figure out if they were real ones or shifters. Real ones by their higher-pitched calls into the night air.