Page 30 of Fire and Rain
They didn’t have time to do much more for the patient, as the helo had a tailwind. In what felt like only a handful of minutes, they were back at base, Kodiak EMS standing by with a gurney. Sean helped Trey get the litter onto the gurney, and the two of them escorted the patient to the ambulance, handing him off to EMS. And then their job was done.
Sean was on his way back to the lockers when James caught up with him.
“I had one hell of a hard time on my first rescue after the crash. When it came time to bring the helo into a hover, I got a full-on adrenaline rush. But you didn’t falter today, not for a second. Great work. I’m really glad to have you back, man.”
“Thanks.” Sean didn’t deserve James’ praise, but he didn’t say so. “I’m glad to be here.”
ChapterSix
Eden tookthe tiny bundle into her arms, her heart melting. She’d brought a meal and a gift for the new parents and couldn’t pass up a chance to hold their month-old baby. “Hi, there, little Noah. Aren’t you cute? He’s adorable, Angela—and so tiny. How much did he weigh?”
Angela smiled down at her sleeping son. “He was seven pounds twelve ounces at birth. He lost a little weight in his first week, but he has gained it back. He was eight pounds two ounces at his checkup this week.”
“Maverick weighed an ounce under eight pounds. It’s hard to believe that he was ever this little. Look at those tiny fingers. Are you breastfeeding?”
Angela nodded. “It’s going well now, though it was tough at first.”
Eden remembered those days. “Sore nipples are no fun.”
“How areyoudoing?”
“I’m better. Some days are harder than others.” Then Eden had to say it. “I’m sorry I didn’t stop by sooner. The last thing Justin and I talked about the night he died was having another baby. I needed to wait until I was sure I wouldn’t start crying the moment I saw Noah. I don’t want to spoil your joy with my problems.”
She’d said it, and she hadn’t shed a tear.
“You don’t need to explain.” Angela’s gaze was soft with sympathy. “I can’t imagine how hard this has been for you. You should do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself and Maverick.”
“Thank you.” Eden didn’t want this to be about her. “Are you getting sleep?”
“Some. When Dalton was on leave, he handled one of the night feedings so I could sleep. Now that he’s back at work, he needs his rest.”
“He’s back at work now?” Eden had heard the shower running when she’d arrived and had assumed Dalton was in the bathroom.
Angela lowered her voice. “My mother drives him crazy. He was happy to go back to work. I don’t want my mom to miss out on bonding with Noah, but I loved being home together just the three of us—a true babymoon.”
Eden knew how complicated families could be. Then it hit her. “Wasn’t Sean McKenna filling in for Dalton?”
Angela nodded. “Dalton said he was only too happy to rejoin the flight crews.”
“He’s back with the flight crews.” Eden mindlessly repeated what Angela had just told her, her thoughts scattered by an unexpected rush of adrenaline.
“Dalton was surprised, too. He thought Sean might want to stay on the ground or transfer to one of the Aids to Navigation crews after what happened, but…”
Sean was flying again, risking his life on SAR missions. He hadn’t told Eden he was back in the air. She’d thought he was still safe in the avionics shop. She hadn’t heard from him since they were together at Crab Fest.
Does he owe it to you to tell you what he’s doing?
No, of course, he didn’t, but she cared about him.
An older woman entered the living room, her short gray hair in neat, damp curls. “I’m Brenda, Angela’s mother.”
Eden did her best to snap out of it, her heart still racing. “I’m Eden.”
“Eden is the one I told you about—the one who grew up in Kodiak. She brought beef stroganoff for us for supper tonight.”
Brenda’s lips formed an O of comprehension, her gaze fixing on Eden once more. And Eden knew that Angela had told her about Justin’s death. “How kind. Thank you. You have a little one, too, don’t you?”
“Yes.” Eden fixed a smile on her face. “Maverick will be two in August.”
