Free Claiming Emma by Kelly Lucille

so fast and with such relief Emma had to bite her lip or laugh again.
    "Can you go check in with Margo and see if she needs anything else filled in?"
    "Fuck yeah," he said with way more enthusiasm than he had ever shown for work before and then winced when he realized he dropped the f bomb on the sales floor.  With a shrug of apology and one last look at Noah's scowling face he turned and was G.O.N.E. gone.
    Emma still felt like laughing hours later in Noah's truck just thinking about that meeting.  It was tied right up there as the funniest moment of the day with Noah changing Lucy's diaper.  An action he had done under protest.  But he had done it, and Emma would never forget the look of discomfort, or the way he paid meticulous attention to her directions while he did it.  His hands impossibly careful as if he was handling a bomb that could blow up in his face at any moment.  It was cute, hot and made her want to jump his bones almost as much as the earlier kiss in the greenhouse had.
    Now they had left Lucy with Margo and Paige, to go spend some time with Hannah before hitting the grocery store for coffee and Lorie's Diner for Dinner.
    "What has you laughing?" Noah asked as he pulled the truck into a parking space at the clinic and turned off the engine.
    "Just remembering your meeting with Josh," she said with a flash of a smile when he grimaced.  "And your first diaper change."
    This time he looked pained.  At the look on his face Emma burst out laughing and opened her door to get out.  "I cannot wait to tell Hannah about today."
    "Tell Hannah?" he asked catching her arm before she could jump out of the cab.
    Emma shrugged.  "Nicki says it's good to talk to coma patients.  It helps make them feel not so alone, so most days I come and tell her about my day and Lucy."  She scrunched her nose.  "Though I have to say it's not usually todays level of entertaining."
    Then she slipped out of the truck with a last teasing smile his way, and he followed her into the clinic, saying nothing, but his eyes had warmed noticeably when they rested on her.
    Nicki met her at the nurse’s station.  The look on her face had Emma moving to her fast.  "What is it?  Hannah?"  she asked, her voice going breathless.  Noah came right up behind her, his hands going to her arms to hold her steady, his inscrutable eyes on the Doctor.  He saw it too.
    "There is no change in Hannah's condition," Nicki said quickly and Emma sagged in relief, thankful that Noah was at her back, the feeling of relief was so intense she might have hit the floor if he wasn't there to support her.  The relief was short lived because Nicki went on.  "Her mother is here with her lawyer and the Sheriff," Nicki went on her face pinching at the mention of the sheriff.  "They are taking Hannah."
    "What?!"  Emma was so shocked by that she almost missed Noah's reaction.
    "What the fuck?" he asked, his hands, and every other part of him that Emma could feel at her back tightening.  Then he gently placed Emma to the side and was headed for Hannah's room with a thunderous scowl on his face.  Emma was still reeling from the information Nicki had just given her.  Noah had processed it and if his ground eating stride was anything to go on, he was pissed.
    Emma watched him go, then turned worried eyes to Nicki.  "Can they do that?"
    Nicki looked almost as unhappy as Noah.  "Legally...yes.  Hannah is still a minor."
    Then Emma felt her entire body lock.  "Lucy?" she whispered.
    Nicki bit her lip.  "They didn't mention her, and everyone knows Hannah asked you to take care of her if something happened to her, but...I don't know."
    Emma sucked in a breath and tried not to panic.  Hannah was a minor.  She shook off her worry and focused on the now.  "You would think the baby would be the first thing they asked about," she muttered to herself.
    Nicki answered her as if she asked a question.  "Yes, it is."
    First things first.  Stop Noah from going to jail,