Page 3 of Saving You

That was theirs.

His hands were shaking as he started to run. They’d had it for years, and he knew there had been a couple of drop-offs before his time, but never when he’d been on shift. He answered the call as he hurried through the door and came to a skidding halt at the sight of an infant behind the glass.

The SafeHaven box was temperature-controlled and looked like a little plastic hospital cot. He could see the baby wasn’t crying. They were sucking on their fist, wrapped loosely in a blanket. When Ridge began to move again, they turned to look at him.

Realization slammed into him as he pushed the button on the wall to open the box. It slid out toward him, and before he was even aware he was moving, he had the baby in his arms. The dark eyes held his. Three weeks ago, this baby had been bald and newborn.

Now, she had a tuft of black hair and was bigger and even more aware, but the mark on her cheek was the same. And so was that stare as she met his gaze.

“Oh fuck,” came a voice from behind him. “A baby.”

Ridge spun to see his captain leaning in the door, bleary-eyed and confused.

“I missed the call. How long was it in there?”

“Not more than a couple minutes,” Ridge said. “Mark.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “I know this baby.”

Mark’s brows furrowed. “What the fuck do you mean you know this baby? How do you know a baby?”

Ridge touched the birthmark on her cheek. “I delivered her.”

“You’re shitting me. This is the call? The ‘I’m shitting a bowling ball, how am I pregnant’ call?”

Ridge looked down at her. His heart felt like it was breaking. He thought she would be okay. “Yeah.”

Mark walked past him and grabbed whatever was left in the box. “There’s a note.” Ridge didn’t look up, but he heard paper unfolding. “Hey, Lumberjack,” Mark read aloud. “What the fuck? Anyway, uh…sorry I couldn’t do this,” he read without any real tone except boredom and annoyance, “yada yada, I wasn’t expecting a baby, blah blah. I got someone to tell me what station you worked at. I figured you could look after her. Sorry for the trouble. Ashlynn. Wow, man.”

Ridge swallowed heavily as he watched the baby’s eyes start to close. He rocked her back and forth. “EMTs on the way?”

“Yeah,” Mark said. He stepped in close and touched the hair on top of her head. “Shame about her face.”

Ridge felt the urge to clock him in the fucking mouth. “She’s perfect. Shut the fuck up.”

“Sorry,” Mark said. He didn’t sound it. He was a perpetual bachelor and would probably never understand loving something so small or how something could be so perfect, even if they didn’t look the way he expected. “The wagon will be here soon. We don’t need to worry about this shit tonight.”

Ridge’s grasp tightened on her. “I think I’ll ride along.”

“That’s unnecessary.”

Ridge looked up at his boss. “You don’t need me tonight. I was there when she was born. I want to make sure she’s okay before the DCS agent shows up.”

Mark looked torn, but after a beat, he shrugged. “Yeah, alright. Go nuts, bud.” He handed Ridge the note, then walked off.

Ridge stood there staring at the little face, wondering if this time, it meant something. If the fact that she was there in his arms was a sign of something…bigger. He didn’t know how it could be. Likely they’d contact Ashlynn’s family and find a home for her with her blood relatives. That’s how it should be, anyway.

He shifted the baby in his arms to get to the note, and he glanced over at what Mark had skipped. His heart hammered against his chest.

…they told me at the hospital she can’t hear. I don’t remember what they called it. You should probably get her tested, and I’m sure there’s some kind of medicine or ear drops or something they can use but I couldn’t afford to see the doctor after I was discharged. My parents kicked me out and I’ve been crashing with a friend, but they won’t let me stay with a baby. I just turned nineteen. I’m sorry. I hope you don’t think I’m a monster, but I can’t handle a baby. I can barely handle myself. This is the only thing I could think of. This wasn’t supposed to happen, but I figured you could look after her until someone finds her a good home. Or maybe she could live with you? I don’t know. Sorry for the trouble.

-Ashlynn

He looked back down at the baby. There was no chance in hell he could keep her. How could he? He wasn’t a foster parent. He wasn’t in a relationship. He was barely put together himself. But somehow, thinking he was going to have to hand this baby off felt like ripping off all four limbs.

He’d do it, of course. What choice did he have?

But something in his gut told him this wasn’t over. And he supposed if he was good at anything, it was being a stubborn bastard when it came to the things he wanted.

CHAPTER ONE

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