Chapter Four
Chris had never been inside a maternity room before. He’d seen a lot of things in his twenty-eight years, including hard times and conditions not fit for any human being, but the inside of a birthing room had never been one of them.
The woman’s name was Denise. She was in active labor and pushing as she squeezed his hand with a grip stronger than that of any guy he’d wrestled with. The doctor was there with two nurses and equipment. Everyone seemed to know their places and what they needed to do, everyone except him. He was in a hospital, holding the hand of a woman he’d known for less than three hours, having met her at a Starbucks after she’d accidentally grabbed his espresso instead of her hot chocolate. When she’d doubled over in labor, he could have walked away, but onl
