“Reese?” Kate said softly as she approached. “Honey?”

Reese looked up, her eyes hollow pits of pain. “Mom?”

Kate slid onto the vinyl sofa beside her daughter and put an arm around her waist. “They told me downstairs that Tory was in delivery. Any news?”

Reese shook her head. When she spoke her voice was rusty, as if she hadn’t used it in a long time. “What are you doing here?”

“Bri brought me. She and Caroline are outside in the hall.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Reese whispered. “They’ve been in there half an hour. Shouldn’t they…shouldn’t something have happened by now?”

“I’m sure they’re all busy, honey.” Her voice was gentle now as she slowly rubbed her hand up and down Reese’s back. “It doesn’t mean a thing.”

Reese met her mother’s gaze. “I don’t want Tory to die. I don’t care about anything else—god, not even…” her voice broke, her eyes flooding with tears. “She’d hate me if she knew.”

“No, honey,” Kate murmured. “She wouldn’t. Tory would understand. I know she loves you that much, too.”

“But she’s all I can think about—”

“It’s natural for you to fear for your lover’s life. There’s nothing to feel badly about.”

Reese cleared her throat, making an effort to focus. “Did you say Bri was here?”

“Just outside with her girlfriend.” Kate stood. “Shall I get them?”

“Yes. Thanks.”

A minute later, Bri and Caroline entered.

“Hey,” Bri said quietly, stopping a few feet from Reese, her hands in her pockets.

Caroline leaned down, kissed Reese on the cheek, then settled close to her on the couch. She rested one small hand lightly on Reese’s forearm. Gently, she asked, “Any word on Tory and the baby?”

“Not yet.”

When Caroline linked her fingers through Reese’s, Reese held on gratefully, then met Bri’s eyes. The young officer looked worried but steady, and Reese found her familiar presence a comfort. “Thanks for bringing Kate.”

“No problem.” Bri didn’t know what the hell to say. It made her insides turn to water to see Reese looking so scared and trying to pretend she wasn’t.

Caroline must have seen the edge of panic in Bri’s expression, because she held out her other hand. “Sit down, baby.”

Bri reached for Carre and did as she was told. The three of them were sitting pressed together in silence when K.T. appeared in the doorway. Reese jumped to her feet and rushed across the room. The surgeon murmured something and Reese sagged, then steadied herself with a hand against the doorjamb. After a second’s hesitation, K.T. put a hand on the back of Reese’s neck, leaned close, and spoke into her ear. Reese nodded, squared her shoulders, and disappeared around the corner.

“Oh fuck.” Bri stared at Carre. Her voice was high and tight. “What do you think is going on?”

“It will be okay, baby,” Caroline said gently, putting an arm around Bri’s waist. She kissed her temple. “Nothing will happen to Tory.”

Bri closed her eyes and leaned into Carre’s certain strength. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered.

“Me, too,” Caroline murmured. And I always will be.

Tory was the only patient in the small recovery room. Reese stepped inside, a yellow cotton cover gown over her uniform, and swallowed hard when she saw how pale and still her lover appeared.

“Tor?” she whispered softly.

Tory moaned faintly and opened her eyes with effort. Her pupils were dilated and unfocused. “Reese?”

With her free hand, Reese smoothed Tory’s damp hair back from her forehead. “We have a baby daughter,” Reese informed her gently. “K.T. says everything went fine.”

Tory and the baby are stable. Tory bled heavily but the hemorrhage has stopped for now. If we can keep her pressure down, she might make it without a transfusion. The baby was a little slow to breathe but she seems okay now. The neonatologist is evaluating her.

“What…was…her…Apgar?”

“I don’t know, love. The pediatrician has her right now.”

“Have you…seen her yet?” Tory blinked, and her eyes seemed clearer.

“I’m going to go see her in a few minutes. The doctors have to check her out first.” Reese leaned over and kissed Tory’s forehead. “You did great, Tor.”

“Might have been better…if I’d waited a bit longer,” Tory said with a weak smile. “You okay, sweetheart?”

“Yeah, fine,” Reese said huskily. “I love you.”

A nurse approached with a practiced smile.“I’m sorry. Dr. King needs some rest. You can come back in a little while.”

“All right,” Reese replied, although she made no move to leave. She was uncertain if she would be able to force herself away from Tory’s side. She wasn’t yet convinced that something wasn’t going to happen to take her away. “You’ll be okay?”

Tory smiled again and squeezed Reese’s hand harder. “I’ll be fine. Go see our daughter…come back…and tell me.”

“I love you,” Reese whispered again.

“Love you too,” Tory murmured as she closed her eyes.

In yet another sterile ante room, Reese scrubbed her hands and donned a green gown.

“Can I help you with something?” a dark haired, middle-aged nurse in pale blue scrubs asked just a bit suspiciously.

“I’m looking for…uh…baby…uh…baby girl King.”

“And you are?”

From behind them, a deep alto voice answered, “The other mother.”

“Oh,” the nurse exclaimed brightly, her smile genuine.“She’s in the isolation room with Dr. Newman.”

“The isolation room?” Reese repeated. Now the knots in her stomach tied themselves into yet another layer.

“Relax, Reese.” K.T. put her hand on Reese’s shoulder. “It’s standard, especially with a baby this small. Come on. I’ll take you back.” She hesitated a second. “Unless you don’t want me to.”

Reese met K.T.‘s eyes. “I owe you. And I think Tory would like you to see the baby.”

K.T. blushed, an almost reportable event where she was concerned. When she spoke, her voice was low and thick. “I’d like that. I was too busy earlier to do more than hand her off.”

A minute later the two of them stared wordlessly into the heated, plastic-enclosed bassinette at the tiny red face, nearly obscured by the small knit cap on her egg-sized head and the cotton receiving blanket dwarfing her miniature body. An IV ran into her impossibly small foot, which was taped to a wooden tongue blade no bigger than a Popsicle stick for support.

Reese blinked and then unself consciously wiped at the tears that suddenly appeared on her cheeks. “She’s beautiful.”

“Yes. She is.” K.T. cleared her throat. “I’ll check with the pediatrician and give you an update in a minute or two. Congratulations, Reese.”

“Thanks,” Reese said, her eyes still fixed on the baby. When she looked up, K.T. was gone.

When Tory awoke, the first thing she was aware of was the sharp pain in her abdomen. She drew a surprised breath. Then she remembered. C-section. Incisional pain. Okay. Not too bad.

She opened her eyes. Reese was in a chair by her bedside, her head back, eyes closed. There were circles under her eyes. She wore jeans and a scrub shirt. She was gorgeous. “Sweetheart?”

Reese jumped, her lids flew open, and she blinked. Then she grinned, a blazing smile that set every worry in Tory’s mind at ease.

“Is she all right?”

“She’s great,” Reese exclaimed, sitting forward and taking Tory’s hand. “She weighs almost four pounds. The doctor says her lungs are mature, and she’s absolutely perfect.”

Tory bit her lip but she couldn’t stop the tears. Reese eased onto the edge of the bed and put her arm behind her lover’s shoulders. She kissed Tory’s forehead, her eyes, her lips. “You want to go see her?”

“God, yes.”

Reese rang the bedside bell and when a nurse appeared, she asked for a wheelchair. Very carefully, the two of them helped Tory from the bed and into the chair.

“Ready?” Reese asked as she leaned down and smiled at Tory.

“Let’s go lights and siren for this trip, Sheriff.”

Reese laughed. “Anything you say, Dr. King.”

Reese squatted on her heels, scarcely breathing. There were some things in life so beautiful they hurt to look at. Tory’s face as she gazed at the baby in her arms was one of them.

When Tory finally raised her head, her eyes were filled with wonder. She reached out her free hand and stroked Reese’s cheek. “Can you believe it?”

“No,” Reese whispered. She edged closer, resting one hand on the baby’s back as Tory cradled her. “I can’t. If I look at her too long, I’m afraid something is going to explode inside of me, the feelings get so big.”

Tory brushed her fingers through Reese’s hair. “I love you so much.”

At that moment, the infant’s eyes, unfocused but a brilliant blue, opened wide.

Tory stroked the baby’s cheek. “Hello, Regina.”

Reese grinned. “Hey, Reggie.

EPILOGUE

August, Provincetown, MA

Nelson looked up as the door opened, then frowned in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Chief?” Reese appeared equally confused.

“I thought you were going to get the baby.”

“Oh!” Reese grinned. “We are. But they aren’t signing her out until after morning rounds, so I’ve got a few hours. Bri around?”

He hesitated. “Took Caroline to the airport.”

“Right,” Reese said quietly. “She leaves…what? For Boston now, then tonight for France?”

“Uh-huh.” He cleared his throat. “I already said my goodbyes early this morning. Hate to watch the plane take off.”

Reese checked her watch. “You think I have time to catch them? Things have been so busy since Reggie was born, I completely forgot Caroline was leaving so soon. What with Tory needing to be at the hospital so much of the time, and then the pediatrician telling us that the baby was going to be able to come home two weeks sooner than we thought, I don’t know which end is up.”