Free Wanted: Parents for a Baby! by Laura Iding

up to look into her eyes, and she had to fight the urge to throw herself into his arms. “My car is only three blocks away. Emma needs you more than I do.”
    He hesitated, and then gave a brief nod. “All right. Take care, Cassandra.” He leaned over to brush her mouth with his in a kiss so brief she thought she imagined it. “I’ll call you later.”
    Speechless, she watched him stride off toward his car, lightly pressing her fingertips to her tingling lips.
    He’d kissed her. She had no idea why, but he’d kissed her!
    And she knew, without a doubt, that he’dcall her, too, the minute he had an update about Emma’s condition.
    She was definitely in over her head, because there was no denying she couldn’t wait to talk to Ryan or to see him again.
    * * *
    Ryan forced himself to concentrate on driving, instead of reliving their brief but electric kiss. What had possessed him to kiss her like that? It was as if his hard-won control had abandoned him. He’d wanted desperately to kiss her, so he had. In a public place no less.
    What if someone had seen them?
    But even the thought of Shana-like rumors rippling through the hospital wasn’t enough to make him regret his action. How could it?
    Every cell in his body wanted to kiss Cassie again, a proper kiss, deep and intimate. The type of kiss that could lead to more.
    But he couldn’t turn his back on his patients either. Matthew was apparently stuck in a touchy delivery so Sheri had called him for help. He didn’t mind, because waiting could prove deadly.
    Well, he minded leaving Cassie, but his needs weren’t important right now. If Emma ended up with aspiration pneumonia, she’d end up staying on the ventilator longer.
    Not to mention that if the bacteria grew in her lungs and transferred into her bloodstream, the overwhelming infection could kill her.
    He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. No way was he about to let that happen.
    Ryan made it to the hospital in ten minutes and as he strode into the neonatal intensive care unit the staff gaped at the fact that he was wearing casual clothes, but he ignored them, heading straight over to Emma’s warmer.
    â€œI’m sorry to call you back in, Dr. Ryan,” Sheri said, looking flustered. “I pulled up her chest X-ray on the computer monitor, the way you asked me to.”
    â€œI don’t mind,” he assured her. He washed his hands at the sink and then turned toward the nurse. “Can I borrow your stethoscope?”
    â€œSure.” Sheri handed it over and he took the time to listen to Emma’s lungs before giving the stethoscope back and taking a seat at the computer.
    â€œThere’s a small amount of atelectasis in the base of her right lung,” he said, battling a wave of helplessness. “Her breath sounds are diminished in that area, too. I’m going to order respiratory therapy treatments for her aswell as antibiotics. Roll her onto her left side a bit, so that her lung can expand.”
    â€œAll right,” Sheri agreed. “Anything else?”
    He stared blindly at the computer screen for a long minute, wishing there was more he could do for Emma. But at this point there wasn’t. All he and Cassie could do was to hope and pray the baby girl would continue to fight.
    He’d failed to save his wife and son, but he was determined not to fail Emma.
    No matter what.

CHAPTER SIX
    W HEN HER PHONE RANG , Cassie tossed her mystery book aside and shot off the sofa. A whole hour had passed since Ryan had left her to go to the hospital and she was anxious to know what was going on. “Hello, Ryan?”
    â€œYes, it’s me. I’m leaving the hospital shortly, but wanted you to know that Emma’s condition has been stabilized for now. The next twenty-four hours will be critical for her, though.”
    She momentarily closed her eyes, letting out a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you