Ripple of Secrets: Rose Gardner Mystery Novella #6.5 (Rose Gardner series Book 3) (17 page)
Read Ripple of Secrets: Rose Gardner Mystery Novella #6.5 (Rose Gardner series Book 3) Online
Authors: Denise Grover Swank
The receptionist took one look at Joe and Neely Kate and pushed a button. The doors behind his desk swung open. Joe barged through them, but when I started to follow, the receptionist glared at me. “Not you. You wait out here.”
I was about to protest, but Kate grabbed my arm and gently tugged me back. “Let them do their work. Joe will tell us what’s going on in a few minutes.”
I looked at her, surprised by her gentle tone.
She gave me a wry smile. “I am capable of being nice. I just don’t tend to show it.” When I gave her a blank stare, she said, “One of the quirks of growing up as a Simmons.” She pulled me over to the seating area near the receptionist’s desk, helping me sit down.
My hands began to shake. “I need to call her husband, Ronnie.” Tears burned my eyes. “But I don’t have my phone and I don’t know his number.”
She put her hand on my shoulder. “It’s obvious Joe cares about her too. I’m sure he’ll call him. That’s part of his job, after all. You’ve had too much of a shock to handle it.”
I wondered if it would be better for Ronnie to hear the news from Joe or me, then I decided no matter who the news came from, it wouldn’t be good.
“I had a friend who bled during her pregnancy and she ended up doing just fine,” Kate said, patting my hand. “Six months later she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.”
I jerked my hand free. “Why are you bein’ so nice to me now?”
“We got off on the wrong foot. I don’t want to be your enemy. Never did.”
“Then in the future, you might want to change the way you introduce yourself to people.”
She chuckled. “Sorry. Habit.”
I still didn’t trust her, but she was the least of my worries. When my legs became steadier, I got up and began to pace, though the movement didn’t help any. I was staring at the double doors behind the desk when Joe emerged from them with slumped shoulders, rubbing his eyes. I raced over to him. Drops of blood stained his uniform which only spiked my fear. “How is she?”
He took my hands. “She had an ectopic pregnancy and her fallopian tube ruptured. They’re taking her into surgery now.”
I shook my head. “That’s impossible. She had an ultrasound a few weeks ago. They saw the baby and everything was fine!”
“Apparently, she had
two
babies. They missed the one in her fallopian tube. The doctor said they’re gonna do their best to save the other one,” he choked out, tears in his eyes. “But they have to save
her
first. It’s bad, Rose.”
“
What?
” I felt lightheaded. “But she was fine just this morning.”
“They said that’s how it happens. Sometimes there’s no warning.”
“I can’t lose her, Joe. I just can’t.”
He tipped up my chin. “Look who you’re talking about. Neely Kate is the most stubborn woman I know, and that’s saying something considerin’ how my life is chock full of stubborn women. She’s too mule-headed to kick the bucket just yet. She’s got a whole lifetime of harassment planned out for me.”
I nodded, starting to cry. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Then this Neely Kate sounds like someone I want to know,” Kate said. She’d walked up beside us without me noticing.
Joe’s body went rigid. “I think you’ve done enough.”
Her face softened. “I just want to help, Joe. That’s all I want to do.”
I could tell Joe was about to put up a fight. I put my hand on his arm. “Joe, I’m fine if she stays.”
He looked down at me, clenching his jaw. “You’ve got enough on your hands without my sister stirring up her usual shit.”
“She’s actually made me feel better. Don’t kick her out on my account.”
He stared at Kate for several long seconds, then shook his head in defeat before leading me back to the chairs.
“We need to call Ronnie,” I said, panicking that we still hadn’t called him.
Joe released a heavy sigh. “I already took care of it. I didn’t want him driving to the hospital upset, so I had a deputy drop by his shop to tell him the news and bring him in with lights and sirens.”
I started to cry. “I need to call Mason, but I don’t have my phone.”
He swallowed and his eyes filled with sorrow. “I already called him. He should be here any minute. I called Jonah too.”
The significance of what he’d done wasn’t lost on me. He wasn’t a fan of Jonah and he couldn’t stand Mason even more. “Thank you,” I said through my tears.
He nodded and averted his gaze.
I was so scared I couldn’t even think straight. “I don’t know what to do. What do I do?”
“There’s nothing to do but wait and pray.”
I had a whole lot of bargaining to do with the man upstairs.
*****
Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments
Rose Gardner Mystery #7
April 28, 2015 -
Pre-order now!
Rose Gardner Mysteries
(Humorous Southern mysteries)
TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES
TWENTY-NINE AND A HALF REASONS
FALLING TO PIECES
(novella)
THIRTY-TWO AND A HALF COMPLICATIONS
PICKING UP THE PIECES
(novella)
THIRTY-THREE AND A HALF SHENANIGANS
RIPPLE OF SECRETS
(novella)
ROSE AND HELENA SAVE CHRISTMAS
(novella)
THIRTY-FOUR AND A HALF PREDICAMENTS
(April 28, 2015)
Chosen Series
(Paranormal thriller/Urban fantasy)
CHOSEN BOX SET
(includes the 4 novels above)
On the Otherside Series
(Young adult science fiction/romance)
The Curse Keepers
(Adult urban fantasy)
Off The Subject Series
(New Contemporary Romance)
The Wedding Pact Series
(Humorous Contemporary Romance)
THE PLAYER (June 2, 2015)
Denise Grover Swank lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She writes urban fantasies without vampires and werewolves. She also writes romantic comedy mysteries set in the South. She has six children, three dogs, and an overactive imagination. She can be found dancing in her kitchen with her children, reading, or writing her next book. You will rarely find her cleaning.
You can find out more about Denise and her other books at:
or email her at
[email protected]