Free Special Delivery (Mountain Meadow Homecoming 1) by Laura Browning Page B

woken once during the night wanting to be fed, then again just after dawn. Feeling her nestled against her, tiny mouth pulling at her breast, had filled Holly with awe. This tiny, perfect human being trusted and depended on her totally and completely. Holly had vowed then and there to try to be the best mother she could every single day.
    As far as Holly could tell, things were going fine. Somehow the smell of sweet, sweet baby was already erasing the pain of labor and birth. She smiled as she thought of changing her first diaper. Even that was something new and wonderful, another way to bond with her baby.
    Icy patches still dotted the roads where trees shadowed the curvy highway. Holly was glad to see Jake was so careful. From the rear seat, she studied the back of his head and the part of his profile visible in the rearview mirror. She would have been in real trouble if not for him. The whole experience drove home just how isolated they were.
    Maybe now was the time to ask for help. Filing for assistance was bound to leave a paper trail and make it easier for Spence to find her, but maybe it was time he did. She knew people here now. They could help her stand against him and all the influence the Dilby money could buy. More than anything, she had to remember Tyler and Noelle were what mattered. Maybe she could work from home and keep books for more than just Mr. Crawford. If she could get her own computer, she could work on taxes, too. That would support them if they could find someplace inexpensive to live in town, maybe rent a couple of rooms instead of trying to take on a house.
    She’d ask Doc. Maybe Jake, too. They’d both grown up here, so they could help. Her gaze settled on Jake again. Those broad shoulders of his made her want to run her hands across them. Mr. Hot Cop was good inside and out. Sharing the experience of Noelle’s birth proved it. She would never forget the wonder on his face when he laid the baby on her belly. Why couldn’t Spence have been like Jake? Spence’s care and consideration had evaporated the moment he’d taken her to bed.
    Jake watched her in the mirror, and she blushed, fidgeting with the baby’s snugly wrapped blankets. Holly had slept with Spence one miserable time. She couldn’t be sorry. Noelle was the result, and she wouldn’t trade anything for her little girl.
    The storm had forced her to put her trust in Jake. She wasn’t quite ready to test these feelings, but she’d already seen how well he related to Tyler. She’d thought then he was just a cop with a big heart, but between delivering Noelle, and helping her the past day, she realized something basic had changed between them. She could depend on him, but more than that, he made her breathless.
    When their gazes met again, they held for just a moment, and Jake looked away first to watch the road. He was as unsure as she was. Good. She’d had cocky and seen how empty that was.
    Holly smiled at her tiny daughter, resisting the urge to once again unwrap her to examine the delicate fingers and tiny toes. For the first time since she’d told Spence about her pregnancy, Holly hoped things might return to normal. She wasn’t going to run scared anymore. Mountain Meadow was the place she was going to stay, and let Spence bring on his worst.
    They arrived at the emergency entrance of the small regional hospital. Holly protested when an orderly brought a wheelchair out for her.
    “It’s standard procedure,” Jake reassured her. After helping her out, he placed Noelle in her arms. He and Tyler followed as they wheeled her in. Jake spoke to the receptionist, then crouched next to Holly.
    “Doc will be here in a couple minutes. Then they’ll get you settled in a room.”
    Holly clutched his arm. “Jake, I don’t have enough money. The baby and I are fine. Won’t they be able to just check us out and let us go home?”
    “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Doc. Don’t worry about Tyler, though. If Doc says you need