Page 42 of Before the Storm
“Would it be okay with you if I named my little girl Janelle?”
“Oh my.” Janelle placed her hand over her chest. “I’d be honored.”
“Thank you for everything,” Sam said.
“We better get going.” The paramedic squeezed Janelle’s shoulder. “We’re also always looking for good people at our station if you ever want to go through the training.” He smiled. “Take care.”
Phoenix stood next to her, resting his hand on the small of her back. “Being a good Samaritan feels pretty damn spectacular, doesn’t it?”
“I was so freaking scared when I saw that cord. I know what it’s like to have a baby be born dead. That’s all I could think about.” She turned, throwing herself into his arms, and burst into tears.
“Oh, sweetheart.” He held her so tight, running his hands up and down her back. “I’m so sorry that brought all that back up for you.”
“Nope. I’m not going to do this.” She sucked in a deep breath, taking a step back. “While that was one of the most painful things I’ve ever had to go through, deep down, if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be here today. I wouldn’t have found my freedom and I never want to feel trapped again.”
“I’m in total awe of you. Of your strength. Your compassion. Your empathy. But mostly your ability to persevere under pressure. I’m a badass soldier and I was totally panicking out there. Watching you take charge like that, I can’t help but want to shout from the rooftops, that’s my girlfriend.”
She cocked her head. “Girlfriend?”
“Too much of a commitment for you?”
“I think I’m the one who should be wondering if it’s too much of one for you.” She smiled. “Three people here have warned me that you’re a bit of a player. Although, I’m not exactly sure what that means.”
He laughed. “Come on, girlfriend. I’m taking you out to dinner.”
“Not until I shower.”
“Fair enough.” He took her hand and led her to the main doors.
The second they stepped outside, someone with a camera shoved it in front of their faces.
She blinked.
“Are you the woman who delivered a baby a little while ago?” A female reporter shoved a microphone in her face. “Are you Janelle Kodi? Can you make a statement for us, please?”
“Not now.” Phoenix pushed his hand up. “Give us some space.”
“Samatha, the mother, stated that Janelle is a real hero. All we want is a few words,” the reporter said.
“Leave us and the mother alone. There are other more important stories out there.” Phoenix wrapped a protective arm around Janelle.
“Seriously, Phoenix.” The woman lowered her arm. “Why are you cockblocking me? It’s a great feel-good story. It’s uplifting. My viewers will eat it up.”
“Because all you want are ratings,” he said.
“Of course that’s part of it,” the reporter said. “But this is one of those stories that makes the community come together. It erases all the bad shit. Come on. One statement.”
“It’s not up to me. It’s up to Janelle.” He turned. “Do you want to?”
“I’d rather not,” she said.
“There you have it.” Phoenix shrugged. “With that, we’ll be on our way.” He stepped around the reporter.
“Was that mean?” Janelle asked. She had no desire to be on camera. She understood there was local news and national news, but she didn’t want to risk her face being plastered anywhere. It’s why she never got on social media.
“Not at all. That reporter is a pain in the ass anyway.” He gripped her hand. “I was thinking instead of going out, we could hang at home. Eat pizza and watch a movie.”
“And maybe some other stuff.”
