Chapter 19


    Chapter 19 The Pups Meet


    Jane


    When Linda calls me at work, telling me Riley has a fever of 103 degrees fahrenheit and they’re on the


    way to the hospital, I drop everything.


    Worry consumes mepletely. I was already dealing with the stress of coping with Paisley’s imminent


    surgery, I can’t bear to have another pup on the verge of death. It’s not as if my kids have never had high


    fevers before, but a mother’s mind never rests, and no matter how hard I try to stay calm, my protective


    instincts are thrown into instant overdrive.


    I race to the hospital as fast as I can, literally running into the emergency ward and crashing head first


    into the veryst person | wanted to see.


    Ethan catches me just before our bodies collide, “Elise!” He murmurs urgently, taking my face in his


    hands “What’s wrong?”


    Abruptly shaking off his touch, I gasp, “What are you doing here.” Of course I already know the answer to


    this question, but I have to keep up the act.


    Ethan looks as if he’s already guessed this much, “My daughter is having surgery tomorrow.”


    “I’m sorry.” I reply stiffly, “I hope she does well and has a fast recovery, but I really have to be going.” If I


    have to talk about Paisley for another moment I’ll begin to cry, and I’m still petrified for Riley


    “Are you ill?” Ethan asks anxiously, looking me over in far too much


    detail, turning me back and forth in his hands as if he’s expecting to find a bleeding gash somewhere on


    my form.


    “I’m fine. Just visiting.” I exin, pushing him away for the second time. It doesn’t escape my notice that


    he keeps reaching towards my hair, and somehow I instinctively understand that he might be thinking of


    stealing a DNA sample to test my rtionship to Paisley. I know how suspicious he is of my identity, and


    we may be divorced, but there is still a bond between us. I know how Ethan thinks, I understand how he


    does business.


    Pulling away from him for the third time, a wave of pure relief washes over me when a nurse walks up


    behind him with a stack of papers in hand. “Alpha?” She says loudly, calling his attention.


    When Ethan turns to face her, I dart away towards the room number Linda texted me on the drive over,


    careening into the room and finding my little girl sleeping peacefully on the bed. “What happened?” |


    inquire, not pausing to greet my friend.


    Lind stands on the opposite side of her bed, “The doctors are treating her for the flu and dehydration.”


    She says, “apparently it’s not unusual for the sickness toe on so fast, but they want to keep her here


    for observation.”


    “Thank goodness,” I breathe, looking around for the first time, “Where are the boys?”


    Ryder and Parker stand on either side of Paisley’s bed, causing her attention to bounce back and forth


    between them like a ping pong ball. “What was that all about?” The sleepy little girl asks.


    “We’re here with our sister. The doctor’s kicked us out so they could talk to auntie Linda, but the nurse


    they had babysitting us


    got ‘stracted, so we came ‘sploring.” Parker exins.


    “I’m Ryder.” His brother introduces himself, “And this is Parker.”


    “I’m Paisley.” The girl in the bed shares shyly, “You guys look familiar.”


    Parker grins, “We should. You already met our sister, Riley.”


    “The girl who looks like me?!” Paisley chirps excitedly.


    “Uh-huh!” Ryder confirms, “we’re triplets, least we thought we were… we think you’re our sister too.”


    “You mean it?!” Paisley rifies.


    “Of course.” Parker replies confidently. “We can bring her by to say hi when she feels better. Why’re you


    here?”


    “My heart doesn’ work like it should.” Paisley exins softly. “Does this mean you know my Mommy?”


    The boys nod vigorously, “And you know our Daddy! Riley told us she met him too.”


    “Parrently they’re ying hide ‘n’ seek.” Paisley confides, “Daddy’s it right now. Mommy told me she


    could only be my Mommy if she wins.”


    “What does that mean?” Parker wonders aloud, “Does that mean Mommy and Daddy will get back


    t’gether?”


    | “I dunno.” Paisley shrugs, sorting through her memory. “But she


    didn’ say she’de home, she just said she couldn’t be my Mommy.” All three pups exchange worried


    looks, those sounded like two very different things.


    “I want them to be together.” Ryder decides. “I wanna be a family. All of us!”


    “Me too!” Parkey and Paisley agree.


    “So let’s make it happen.” Ryder suggests. “We can get dem back t’gether!”


    “But how?” Paisley asks.


    For a moment the pups think through their options, all wearing the same pensive expression their mother


    gets when she’s faced with a difficult problem. Finally Parker raises his head. “Paisley, the nest time your


    Daddyes to visit, call room 100.” He instructs, “That’ s Riley’s room. We just have to figure out when


    Mommy and Daddy are both here, then send them to the same ce. Then they’ll have to meet!”


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    “You’re a genius!” Ryder exims, “But will meeting be enough?”


    “Hmmm,” Paisley thinks, eyeing the spilled water on her floor. “Maybe if you spill someting on the floor,


    then Mommy will slip and Daddy can catch her.”


    “What is he doesn’t?” Ryder worries.


    Paisley frowns, “Trust me, I know Daddy. He’ll catch her.”


    A few hourster the n is in action. Everything happened exactly as the pups nned and the next


    thing they knew, Ryder and Parker were hiding around a corner watching Ethan and Jane run into each


    other for the second time that day.


    Ethan


    It seems like I’m finally catching a break. For once I see Jane before she sees me. Paisley asked me to


    bring her a snack from the vending machine, and it’s just my luck that my mate it standing right in front of


    the ss case when I arrive.


    She wipes around when she catches my scent, her beautiful green eyes going wide and to my delight,


    she even attempts to run. Of course, I’m after her in an instant, her flighty movement triggering my prey


    drive before I can process what’s happening. The next thing I know she’s slipping and skidding along a


    pool of water, before falling directly into my arms.


    I take the excuse to hold her close, cuddling her to my chest and inhaling her delicious scent like a


    starving man. “Hello little wolf.” | greet her huskily.


    Trying to shake me off, Jane frowns, “I thought I made my feelings about that moniker clear, Mr.


    ckwell.”


    “You did.” | agree rakishly, “but I never made any promises.”


    Her eyes narrow. “So you’re going to ignore my wishes?”


    “You know, if you’re so concerned about propriety, I would think you might have thanked me by now.” |


    tease. “I did just save your life.”


    Shooting me a scathing look, Jane replies, “I’d hardly call slipping on a bit of water life threatening…


    especially with doctors surrounding us at every turn.”


    “Then you and I disagree.” I insist, “Still, for safety’s sake I should really walk you back. Remind me, what


    room are you visiting?”


    “I’ll tell you what.” Jane offers silkily, “I’ll go back to my room, and you go back to your daughter’s. I’m


    sure she needs you more than


    I do.”


    Her words strike a cord in my heart, and for once I concede. Though this is absolutely not a defeat. I may


    be surrendering the battle, but I’m certainly not losing the war. After all, her near-fall allowed me to finally


    collect the evidence I needed to confirm she s Paisley’s mother. In my palm rests a strand of her long


    hair. By this time tomorrow, I’ll have all the proof I need to confront my naughty little mate. We’ll see if


    she’s still so defiant then.