“What’s wrong?” Ryker’s voice was soft. “You look upset.”
“I’m not. It’s just... I feel safer here at the hospital with you and the FBI agent standing outside my door. I’m not sure I want to leave.”
His brow furrowed. “I’m surprised to hear you say that, especially after the way Seth managed to get in here.”
“But he was a hospital employee and I think Tony will be hypervigilant from this point forward.” The poor guy was beating himself up as much as Ryker was, both of them shouldering the guilt over Seth’s attack.
Seth was the bad guy here. A man callous enough to roughly hold down a pregnant woman.
Ryker stared at her for a long moment. “Do you want me to ask the doctor to keep you here overnight?”
“No, she won’t do that, not if it’s not medically necessary to keep me. Besides, I can’t take up a bed some other woman in labor might need.” Olivia forced a smile. “I’m being overly emotional about this. I’ll be fine.”
“You’re being honest,” Ryker countered. “And I can’t blame you for feeling safer here than in a motel with me. I’ve done a poor job of protecting you.”
“No! That’s not what I meant at all.” She tugged on his hand. “Stop putting words in my mouth. Aaron and I are alive right now because you put your life on the line for us, more than once.” Her eyes misted. “I owe you a deep debt of gratitude.”
“Don’t.” His voice was low and gravelly. He reached up to wipe away a stray tear with his thumb. “I can’t stand seeing you cry.”
That made her chuckle. “Guess you haven’t spent much time around pregnant women, huh?”
“No, I haven’t.” There was a brief pause before he added, “I dated a single mom, but she and her young daughter were killed while I was in Afghanistan.”
She sucked in a harsh breath. “Killed? How? Why?”
“Carjacking gone bad.” His tone held a note of bitterness. “We had only been seeing each other a few months, but her death hit me hard, haunting me for a long time. Mostly because if I had been here with her, she and her daughter would be alive today.”
“Oh, Ryker.” She suddenly understood him a little better. Losing his girlfriend and her child must have been the impetus for him to come searching for her and Aaron. He’d assigned himself as her personal guardian angel. “You don’t know that for certain.”
“Yes, I do.”
She sadly shook her head. “Ryker, you could have been anywhere other than Afghanistan. Try to place your trust in God’s plan for us. I’m sorry your girlfriend and her daughter died, but you must know they’re in a better place now. You need to have faith.”
“It doesn’t seem fair that Cheri and Cyndi had to die so young. Why would God do something like that?” His expression betrayed his frustration and angst.
“I know it’s not always easy to understand God’s plan. All we can do is pray for strength and guidance. We need to place our worries in His hands.”
“Maybe.” His tone held a note of doubt.
She squeezed his hand. “I am.”
Ryker’s gaze turned curious. “Is that what you’ve been doing while you’ve been here in the hospital?”
She was surprised by his question. “Of course. I’ve been praying nonstop since the moment Willa brought me into her church, welcoming me and Aaron with open arms. Praying brings me a sense of peace, as if God is assuring me that He’s watching over us.”
“I’ve never in my life prayed with anyone, until you.” Ryker’s soft admission tugged at her heart. “I hope God continues to grant me the ability to keep you and your baby safe.”
“He will.” She didn’t doubt it for a moment. “And I’m happy to hear you saying that. It means a lot to me that you’re discovering the power of prayer.”
Her heart swelled with hope and love. Liv cared about Ryker so much, but reminded herself not to overreact. Having just learned about Ryker’s past, she understood that she and Aaron were nothing more than a poor substitute for Cheri and Cyndi, the woman and little girl he’d once loved.
Still, she was blessed to have Ryker with her now. To have him staying at her side through the birth of her baby. Although, it was looking more and more like she wouldn’t be having this baby today.
A knock at her door brought her out of her reverie. “Come in.”
Ryker turned, putting himself between the doorway and her bed, but his protection wasn’t needed. Her nurse popped into the room.
“Time for me to take your vitals.” As the nurse busied herself with the blood-pressure cuff, she glanced down at Olivia. “I hear Dr. Regner is planning to discharge you in a few hours.”
“Yes. Apparently my baby is being stubborn and wants to stay inside a bit longer.” She rubbed her hand over her belly, avoiding the monitor strapped there picking up the baby’s heartbeat.
“Well, that happens sometimes.” The nurse listened to her blood pressure, took her pulse then stuck an electric thermometer under her tongue. “Dr. Regner is preparing the discharge paperwork now, so if all goes well, you’ll be out of here in time for dinner.” The nurse winked. “Maybe you can get your husband to take you out someplace fancy.”
Since her admission, the staff had assumed she and Ryker were husband and wife, and neither one of them had said or done anything to correct them. It seemed a bit dishonest, but Olivia didn’t want Ryker to leave, so she played along, forcing a smile. When the nurse removed the thermometer probe, she said, “Maybe I will.”
“Absolutely. I’ll take you anywhere you’d like to go,” Ryker agreed, lifting her hand to kiss her knuckles. A shiver
