The sound of the deep timbre of his voice vibrating her ear made her chest tighten. For a few moments, she couldn’t process thoughts, and she certainly couldn’t speak. “Hello?” he prompted.

“Um, it’s me.”

Aidan sucked in a sharp breath on the other line. “Emma…” The way he said her name caused her to shiver. It hummed with a mixture of both pleasure and pain. “God, it’s so good to hear your voice.” She remained motionless, unspeaking and unblinking. He was paralyzing her with just his voice. “Please say something. Please talk to me, Em,” he begged.

Snap out of it a voice deep within her screamed. She shook her head. “I’m not calling because of all that. It’s your dad. We’re at the ER at Wellstar.”

His tone changed over in an instant. “Wait, what happened to Pop?”

“I don’t know yet. He had chest pains and collapsed at the VFW. They’re running tests. He’s conscious and breathing on his own.”

“Fuck. I’m an hour away below Atlanta.” He growled in frustration. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Okay,” she replied. She hung the receiver up before he could say anything else.

She turned her attention back to Patrick’s door. A slow eternity seemed to tick by as Emma waited for news. She paced back and forth outside. Every time another doctor or nurse entered, her heart shuddered to a stop. Wringing her hands, prayers rolled through her mind continuously.

After trying unsuccessfully to get two nurses to give her an update, she leapt at the next person to come out of the door. Twisting her fingers into his white coat, she held on for dear life as the tears pooled in her eyes. “Please, please you have to tell me what’s happening!” she demanded.

The doctor brought his hands to hers, and instead of shoving her away, he took them tenderly in his own. She glanced up into a pair of soulful brown eyes that radiated with empathy. “What’s your name, sweetheart?” he asked.

“Emma.”

A warm smile cut across his handsome face—one that in any other situation might have caused her heart to beat a little faster or even a stirring below her waist. His jet black hair fell in waves across his forehead, and his pearly white teeth contrasted against his dark skin. “Emma, I’m Dr. Nadeen. I need for you to take a deep breath and calm down, okay?”

She shook her head wildly. “But I—he—”

“Mr. Fitzgerald is going to be just fine. We have him stabilized while we’re running some tests. But it doesn’t appear that it is anything life threatening. He’s in good hands. I promise.”

The news caused her knees to buckle, and she would have dropped to the floor if Dr. Nadeen hadn’t wrapped his arms around her. “Whoa, now.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Come with me.” With one arm firmly around her waist, he led her to the room across the hall from Patrick’s.

“No, I need to stay with him,” she protested as he eased her down onto the bed.

“You can see everything that goes on from here.” He knelt down in front of her and brought his fingers to her wrist. “Your pulse is racing. You’ve got to calm down. Can I get one of the nurses to call your husband?”

Emma winced. “I don’t have a husband.” When he started to open his mouth, she shook her head. “Or a boyfriend.”

“I know you’re worried, but you have to look out for yourself and your little one.” His gaze dropped to her belly. “How far along are you?”

“Twenty-three weeks,” Emma replied.

“Ah, and do you know what you’re having?”

“A boy.” Her hand went to her abdomen. “A very active boy from the way he’s kicking right now.”

He chuckled. “That means he’s strong.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if it’s so much a strong child or a strong willed child. He likes to let me know when he thinks it’s time for us to eat.”

He opened his mouth, but he was interrupted by a nurse poking her head in. “Dr. Nadeen, we need you in Room Three.”

He glanced over his shoulder and nodded. He then turned back to Emma. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”

She smiled. “It was nice meeting you, Dr. Nadeen.”

“No need to be so formal. I’m Alpesh, but you can call me Pesh.” He grinned. “Now I want you to lie back and put your feet up for a bit. Just take it easy, okay?” Jerking his thumb across the hall, Pesh said, “He’s going to be fine, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want you worrying in your condition.”

Emma couldn’t help laughing. “My condition? I’m only pregnant.”

He wagged a finger at her. “I mean it. I don’t want to see you up again until I come back. Got it?”

“You’re awfully bossy,” she replied as she swung her legs up on the bed and smoothed her top down.

“They teach us that in medical school,” he quipped before he headed out the door.

Emma shook her head before taking her phone out of her purse. There was little rest between fielding texts left and right. Julia, Aidan’s second oldest sister, was on her way in from Alabama while Becky and Liz were packing up to cut short their Disney trip.

A nurse peeked her head in and caused Emma to jump. “I’m sorry. Dr. Nadeen said I should—”

The nurse smiled. “It’s okay, honey. I was just wondering why Dr. Nadeen had put down this room was occupied, but there was no chart.” With a knowing look, she replied, “But I can see why now.”

“He’s very kind.”

“He’s one of the best we have—the best doctor and the best bedside manner.” She winked at Emma. “And by far the best looking.”

With her cheeks warming, Emma replied, “That’s nice.”

“Take care then.”

“Thank you.”

The nurse hadn’t been gone long when Pesh reappeared in the doorway. Emma quickly tried to hide her phone. Especially considering the sign that warned no cellular devices was right next to her.

She gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I had to let everyone know how he was.”

Pesh laughed. “It’s okay, Emma. I’m not going to call security on you. I’m just glad to see you stayed put and aren’t back to pacing.” He strode over to the bed.

Clumsily, she pulled herself into a sitting position. Her eyes honed in on the plastic bag in Pesh’s hand. When she gave him a puzzled look, he opened the bag to reveal a Coke, a bottle of water, a pack of peanut butter crackers and a bag of Doritos.