“Be right back,” he said, stepping into the bathroom to clean up. By the time he’d come back, she was facedown on the bed, totally asleep. She was also topless. “Lucky me.” He grinned and slid into bed, loving how she moved toward him, even in sleep seeking his body.

He turned the lights off, but there was plenty coming in from the streetlights outside. Enough to see the beauty of her. Moonlight and stardust, Ella was all that and more.

She already had achieved that depth of sleep where she’d transformed into a soft, warm, substantial weight against him. As much as he loved how she felt, totally relaxed and unafraid, sexy and feminine, he felt bad that he hadn’t seen how exhausted she was before that evening. Especially when he’d been the one who kept her up the night before. Twice.

Thinking back, he realized he’d noticed she was tired here and there, but it passed quickly, and there’d been something else to worry about.

The woman was a caregiver down to her toes, and that’s exactly what she’d been doing. Erin had tattled on her earlier, telling Cope what Ella had been doing at the café, organizing the employees to take up any and all slack, checking by a few times a day to be sure all was well. She’d also taken to stopping in to visit Erin whenever she could break away from work. On top of that, she worked her other job, which he knew took a lot of paperwork and time, and spent time with him. No wonder she was paler than usual; distracted even.

It was his turn to take care of her for a change. Ella Tipton needed to be cherished and taken care of, and Andrew Copeland was just the man to see that it happened.

He thought of getting up to crack a beer and do some sketching, but he didn’t want to wake her. Instead, he grabbed a nearby scrap of paper and one of her pretty pens and began with the trunk of the tree that marked her spine.

Like the line of her back, the trunk was sturdy but inherently feminine. He’d seen it multiple times now, and each time he loved it more. And was convinced Brody understood Ella better than most, maybe almost as much as Cope did.

22

“Come now.”

Ella recognized Ben’s voice on the phone when she picked up. Dread filled her. “Erin? Is she all right? Is the baby all right? Where are you?”

“We’re back at the hospital. In the L and D unit. A floor below where we were before. Everyone’s okay, but—” He broke off with a curse.

“I’m on my way right now,” she assured him as she stood, grabbing her things and heading to the doors to the parking lot. “Family emergency,” she called out to the receptionist as she rushed by. Fear chilled her. It had only been a few weeks since the last scare. She’d hoped that Erin would be fine.

In the car she ruthlessly tamped down the panic and fear, focusing on her friends, knowing they’d need her to be clearheaded and in control so they didn’t have to be. Still, she was thankful the hospital wasn’t that far away and it was early enough in the afternoon she didn’t have to battle her way through the unholy mess of Seattle traffic to get there.

Once inside, she rushed to the labor and delivery unit. There was a waiting room just outside, where Brody stood in front of closed glass doors. She went straight to him, hugging him.

“Tell me.”

He kept her hand in his, the worry etched into the skin next to his eyes. “The swelling is back; her blood pressure is bad. They’re running tests to see how her kidneys are doing. She’s freaked out.” His eyes shone with unshed tears.

“How is the baby?”

“He’s kicking like a champ,” Ben said as he entered the room. She rose to hug him and noted the blond ponytail whip past, toward Brody, as Elise entered. The noise level rose as Rennie plopped herself down next to Brody and began talking.

“He?” Brody asked and they all turned.

“Surprise. I think I’d have preferred to find out another way, but we’re having a boy.” Ben’s smile was sweet, genuine and totally worried.

She stood straighter. “I’m here to help. Tell me what you need, and I’ll make it happen.”

Todd came in. “You’re a good friend.” He smiled at her before turning to everyone else. That’s when Cope flew in the door.

“What’s going on?”

“They’re checking her out to see if the cervix is thinning. She’s at thirty-five weeks, so they’d like to wait even just a week or two if they can, just to give him some more time to bake in there. But if her other tests come back and the numbers indicate danger, they’ll need to induce and get him out of there for both their sakes. She made me leave for this part.” He snorted. “It’s not like I haven’t seen the goods before.”

“No one wants their cervix probed with their husband in the room. Um, well not like this.” Elise reddened, and it lightened the mood a little.

“Hey, Red.” Cope put his arms around her, kissing her soundly. “I was gonna call you once I’d gotten the scoop. Glad you’re here.”

They settled in on the uncomfortable couches to wait. Rennie didn’t want to leave to go to her grandparents’ house. She was so very worried and upset about Erin and the baby that Brody and Elise had allowed her to stay. But Ella knew Elise must have wanted to focus on Brody to get him centered.

“Rennie, you want to come with me to grab some coffee for everyone? Hot chocolate for you, my treat.”

Rennie nodded seriously, but it was impossible to miss the calculated gleam in her eyes. Ella just waited for it.