Go Baby Grow

Chapter 10 – Hello, I Love You

Wednesday, April 21st

Monday's initial driving lesson had been basic. With Owen at the driver's seat of the pickup, he explained how to reverse, move forward, brake, and accelerate. Joking with Olivia, he explained that steering was like playing Mario Cart. He quizzed her on the information he shared, and she'd repeated everything back to him correctly. The two returned to the house triumphant and happy. Owen was relieved to see Olivia smile and Olivia, although she would not admit it aloud, was thankful to spend time with her dad.

By Wednesday, everyone except Owen was struck by the bug Ryder had shared. Lucas' issues on the previous Monday, as far as Owen could determine, were the result of a pediatric migraine. After laying low on Tuesday and nibbling on some lunch, Lucas was the first to catch the gastroenteritis bug from Ryder. Amelia, pregnant and unable to take any meds to help with the symptoms, was a close second place. She and Lucas had taken over the Master Bedroom and bath, leaving Owen the guest room. Tuesday night had been so horrible that Lucas slept in the bathtub and Amelia slept on the bathroom floor.

The bug made the twins more tired than anything else. Owen, with Nolan's help, set up a computer in Ria's bedroom. With Annabelle as a roommate, the two periodically dozed and watched movies around the clock. Occasionally, something they ate didn't stay down, but they were spared the worst of the illness.

Ryder, who bore the brunt of the illness, was still fighting the vomiting and other intestinal symptoms on Wednesday. His greatest concern was that his pre-conditioning for the Academy was now behind schedule. Meanwhile, Olivia was in full denial. She refused to admit she was sick even though she'd been throwing up throughout the morning. She was the last to fall and simply wanted to be left in peace. Nonetheless, Owen checked on her periodically and tried his best to help.

After helping one of the twins, Owen came into the Master Bedroom to change his clothes…again.

"Hey," Amelia moaned sleepily from the bed as he headed to the closet.

With a tender smirk, Owen lowered his brows with concern, "My poor Mia. What can I get you? Does anything sound good?"

Stifling nausea, Amelia shook her head and put her hand over her mouth. "No. I was wondering if you could take Luke's temp. I think his fever finally broke."

"Sure," Owen smiled as he proceeded to the bathroom and grabbed a thermometer. He returned and slipped it under Luke's armpit, waiting for a result. "And how are you?"

"Miserable. Headache, body aches, barfy, tired," Amelia described. "But thankful for you. How are you holding up, Florence Nightingale?"

With a chuckle, Owen responded, "I'm pretending I'm a resident."

"Which means you're exhausted, unshowered, and near the end of your rope?" she teased with a weak voice.

"Pretty much," Owen smiled as he smoothed out Amelia's bedhead.

"How's everyone else?" Amelia wondered with a feeble tone.

"Sick. Still sick. Not much forward movement… just projectile movement," Owen kidded as he removed the thermometer and studied it.

"That's funny, but it's going to make me lose it," she teased sleepily. "Maybe Ry can study the projectile movements for his physics placement exams at the Academy."

"Ah, there's the dark-humored Mia I know and love," Owen commented with a grin. "And, yes, Luke's fever has broken. 98.6."

"Hallelujah," she sighed. "What about me?"

"I can take your temp, but just looking at you tells me you're not there yet," Owen sympathized as he lowered his head. He studied her as she closed her eyes and worried that she was dehydrated. He pulled up the skin on the top of her hands and was dissatisfied with how slowly it returned to normal. "Mia?"

"Hmm?" she murmured with closed eyes.

"I want to start an IV. You're dehydrated," he concluded.

"You worry too much," she smiled.

"I'm a trauma guy, Mia. I know what I'm talking about. I'll be right back," he responded insistently.

When Owen returned a few minutes later with the supplies he needed, Lucas was waking up. He sat up as he watched Owen rub alcohol on the top of Amelia's hand and inquired, "Whatcha doing?"

"Mommy is dehydrated. That means she needs more liquid in her body, so I'm giving her an IV," Owen explained.

"It looks like it's gonna hurt," Lucas commented with apprehension.

"Not the way I do it," Owen smiled. "Here we go, Mia," he warned. He slid the needle in perfectly and taped it up. After tapping the tube, he was satisfied that the IV was flowing. "You'll feel so much better in a few minutes."

"I feel better," Lucas shared, proud of his recovery.

"I can tell," Owen grinned. "Probably a good idea to take it easy, though. How about if you go in your room and play with Legos or read books?"

Lucas wiggled out of the bed and tried not to run to his room. When he arrived there, he called out for Owen. Within seconds, Owen arrived and saw Ryder sprawled out on Luke's bed. "Why is he in my bed?" Lucas inquired with interest.

"I'm not sure," Owen shrugged. He walked over to Ryder and nudged his shoulder, "Hey, Ry."

"Wha?" Ryder moaned.

"Why are you in Luke's bed?" Owen questioned with curiosity.

"Because I barfed all over mine," Ryder explained without moving or opening his eyes. "Dad, my body is f #$ed up. You need to do something."

With a controlled sigh, Owen advised Lucas to pick some toys and take them to the Master Bedroom. "Ryder needs your bed for now, Buddy. I'll clean up his room as soon as I can."

Willingly and without complaint, Lucas did as Owen requested and dragged a huge Rubbermaid of Legos into his parents' bedroom.

"Where should I start, Ry? Help you or clean your room?" Owen pondered aloud.

"My mouth feels like I've been drinking sand, my head is pounding, my ears are ringing, and I'm burning up," Ryder described without answering the question.

"When did you pee last?" Owen inquired for medical purposes.

"Geez, Dad. I'm a big boy now. Do you really need to know that?" Ryder grumbled.

As Owen threw his stethoscope onto his ears, he emphasized, "Actually, yes. Since last night?" He listened to Ryder's heart and furrowed his brow.

"No. Sometime yesterday," Ryder disclosed.

"You need to be admitted," Owen concluded.

"Huh?" Ryder moaned.

"Your dehydration is severe. I need you to be monitored more closely than I can do here," Owen said. "Do you think you can walk?"

"No," Ryder responded. "Honestly… I crawled in here."

"Let me call Nolan. Otherwise, I'll get an ambulance," Owen frowned as he grabbed his phone.

"Dad, I can't go to the hospital. Won't it ruin my entrance to the Academy?" Ryder fretted.

"Ryder, this isn't up for debate," Owen declared. Nolan's phone went to voicemail, so Owen knew what he needed to do. Before he called an ambulance, he started an IV on Ryder and went to tell Amelia his plans.

"Mia?" he spoke softly. Lucas looked up and smirked at his dad.

"Hmm," she sighed.

"I'm admitting Ryder. He's sluggish, headachy, and hasn't urinated," he explained, leaving out the increased heartrate and low BP.

Amelia's eyes flew open. Her brows gathered toward her nose and she simply uttered, "Owen."

"He'll be fine. In fact, he'll get more attention at the hospital than I can give him here," Owen reassured her, downplaying his concerns.

"He can't be there alone," she commented anxiously.

"Mia, you can't hold things down here and you're certainly not going to the hospital. I'll call my mom and see if she can help," Owen promised. "He'll be in good hands at the hospital."

"What about Lissa?" Amelia asked, not considering the babies.

"Three babies at home? No… we need to keep this out of Nolan's house," Owen commented.

~~~~~~~~~~~~'

"Grey Sloan, we're one minute out," the paramedic announced.

"We're ready for you," April responded. "The Chief already called with vitals and details. Any changes?"

"Temp 102, rapid heart rate, low BP, no urine. Conscious but weak," the paramedic shared. "Pulling around the corner now, Grey Sloan."

April pulled a resident outside with her and explained as they ran, "The Chief's son is incoming. 18. Dehydration from gastroenteritis. You run this."

With hesitation, the resident nodded. The ambulance backed up and the paramedic shouted the bullets.

"Hey, Ryder. Not sure we've met. I'm Dr. Alfaro," Mike Alfaro introduced himself. Looking at April, he inquired, "Last doses of any meds?"

"Chief said he had Levsin and Zofran two and a half hours ago. He's been on both for 36 hours," April shared.

"Let's push Compazine 4 grams/minute and watch for dystonic reactions," Alfaro ordered correctly. "Nurse, make a note for another dose of Levsin in 90 minutes, Zofran in 3 hours. What's his latest temp and BP? Let's get a heartrate monitor and pulse ox on him STAT."

April caught Alfaro's eye and smiled. "Great job. Keep going," she nodded. Leaning down to Ryder, she queried, "How are you, Ryder?"

"Ok, I guess. There's a lot of shit going on. Can't keep track of it," he admitted.

April smiled, "You don't have to. I'm doing that for you." She swept his hair off his forehead and glanced at the monitor. "Dr. Alfaro, how would you like to proceed with cooling the fever?" she prompted.

"I need a CBC, liver function and UA. See if the patient can provide a sample before catheterizing," Alfaro called out the orders he'd already determined were necessary. Adding a response to April's question, Mike called out, "Let's get some cool towels around his groin, underarms and neck."

"You mean room temp, right doctor?" April corrected respectfully.

"Yes, thank you, Dr. Kepner," Alfaro responded.

Maggie and Derek stampeded in, having heard from Amelia that their nephew was alone in the ER.

Derek began a basic neuro as Ryder stated, "Hey, Uncle D. Bored and looking for work, huh?"

"Something like that," Derek smiled. "Follow my finger." Ryder's eyes followed Derek's finger back, forth, up, down, further away and closer.

Derek shined a light in Ryder's eyes and Ryder complained, "Dude, I hate that thing. Whatever you're testing for is fine."

"He looks good. Clear from neuro," Derek added with a nod.

"Did I page for neuro?" Alfaro inquired with confusion.

"No," Derek smirked. "His mom did. From bed. At home." Derek turned to Ryder and placed a hand on Ryder's shoulder, "I'm calling your mom and confirming all is well. Any message you want me to pass along?"

"Like a dying wish?" Ryder joked. "Tell her my dogs get everything – all the money, the bedroom, all of it."

Derek shook his head and patted Ryder's shoulder. He looked up at April and stated, "Seems to be stabilizing and returning to normal." April smiled and nodded.

"Ryder, I need you to be quiet while I listen," Maggie advised as she studied his heart rhythm. Turning to a nurse, she requested, "Let me see the BP and heartrate recordings, please." She studied them and smiled. "Your dad was wise to send you in. Everything is going to be fine," she promised her nephew.

Again, turning to April, Alfaro wondered, "Did I page cardio?"

"No, but they're all related. One comes in, they all insist on coming to their own conclusion," she shrugged.

"Doctor, here are the labs," a nurse stated as she walked in the room.

Maggie began to reach for them, but Alfaro gently reached over her and grasped them. "I'm running the call, Ma'am." He reviewed the results and stated aloud, "No signs of liver or kidney concerns. Clear for infections. Ketones are present, but within the ranges I'd expect." He handed the paper to April, who agreed.

She passed the lab report to Maggie and requested, "You'll let Mom and Dad know?"

"As long as I have Ryder's consent," Maggie said. "Ryder?"

"I don't care. Tell them whatever you like as long as you don't mention to them that I'm pregnant," he laughed.

"Your secret's safe with me, Ry," Maggie chuckled.

Maggie stepped out to the nurses' station, still shaking her head and grinning at Ryder's quick wit. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and called Amelia. Immediately answering, Amelia began, "Maggie. How is he?"

"He's cracking jokes and flirting with nurses," she teased.

"Oh, thank God," Amelia exhaled. After a beat, she added, "I mean… well, you know what I mean."

"I do," Maggie chuckled. "Alfaro is running the call and doing great…"

Interrupting, Amelia called out, "Alfaro? He's a resident. Where's Kepner?"

"She's right there next to him, Amelia. This is a perfect case for a resident," Maggie pointed out.

"If the patient wasn't my son, perhaps," Amelia argued. Owen, who walked into the room when he heard Amelia's phone ring, sat down and patted her shoulder. He mouthed Can I? as he nodded toward the phone.

"Maggie? It's Owen," he announced.

"Owen, you'd be proud. Alfaro hasn't missed a beat. Ryder is stabilizing. He's still very tired and weak, but he has a sense of humor."

"That's our boy," Owen smiled as he caught eyes with Amelia. "What are his stats?"

"I don't have them here. Labs came back without concern for infection. No liver or kidney issues detected. His heartrate is slowing but is still high. That's to be expected. My guess is we'll keep him overnight for observation," Maggie shared.

"Meds?" Owen asked as if he were entering the exam room.

"They added Compazine. 4 grams/minute," Maggie informed him. Derek walked up and pointed at Owen's name on Ryder's chart. Maggie nodded and Derek motioned that he'd call him. "Listen, Owen, Derek is here. He's going to call you. I need to head into a surgery. I promise to check on Ryder when surgery is over."

She ended the call and said to Derek, "Thanks. I felt like a resident being grilled."

"He can be that way," Derek smiled. "Great job in there, Pierce."

Derek called his sister, who had managed to reacquire her phone from Owen. She answered, "Maggie says he's fine."

"He is. Sarcasm levels are normal, flirty eyes less that regular appearance but I anticipate improvement, jokes about bodily fluids plentiful," Derek reported.

"Thanks, Derek," Amelia sighed.

"And how are you? I hear the whole family is down," Derek shared.

"Everyone but Owen. He's been running the Shepherd Hunt Hospital with finesse," she reported with a smile toward her husband. "Olivia is the latest casualty – she came down with it this morning. Luke's fever broke about the same time and he's sitting her playing with Legos on my floor."

"Make sure none of them stay on the floor. Those are miserable to discover with your feet," Derek joked.

"Don't I know it," Amelia agreed.

"You're getting better, then?" Derek pressed, not having received an adequate response.

"Here, talk to Owen. Now that I know Ryder's fine, I need to rest," Amelia told her brother as she handed the phone over.

"Derek. Thanks for checking on him. Is my mom there yet? She should be in the waiting room," Owen wondered.

"I can check. Why don't I get an update on Ryder, check in with your mom, and call you back," Derek proposed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

Derek headed first to the waiting room, guessing that Evelyn might be worried. He found her and she stood bravely, grasping his hands and asking is Ryder was ok.

"He's going to be fine. They're working to lower his fever and seem to have stabilized his nausea and vomiting. All lab tests came back reassuring," Derek shared. "Shall we go see him? They are just about to move him to a room."

"Oh, please, yes," Evelyn agreed readily. As they walked, she spoke to Derek about Ryder's upcoming move, "I'm so proud of him. Can you believe he's attending the Naval Academy? Not just anyone is accepted there."

"So I've heard," Derek went along with her joy. Her pride was evident, and Derek found it endearing.

"He's grown to be such an incredible young man. He wants to be a pilot, and I know he can accomplish that," Evelyn continued.

Derek showed her in to the Trauma Room and she proceeded quickly toward her grandson. "Oh, Ryder, look at you, honey. Your cheeks are all rosy and they have you all hooked up." She placed her hands on his cheeks and bestowed a grandmotherly expression of concern.

"I'll be ok, Gramma," he assured her. "Did Dad make you come down here?"

"Make me? I wanted to," she smiled. "You can't be alone at a time like this, sweetheart."

Ryder shrugged and looked around the room, "I have all these wonderful people taking care of me, Grams."

"Yes, you do. And I'm here, too," she stated firmly.

"We're taking you up to the fifth floor, Mr. Hunt," a nurse advised as she entered the room with an orderly.

"Doc," Ryder called to Alfaro, who was charting. He held up his fist to fist bump and added, "Thanks, man. I'll put in a good word for you with the old man."

"I'll come check on you in a bit," Alfaro promised as his fist met Ryder's. He nodded and made a phone out of his hand as he winked. Ryder had asked him to call Julie and had explained how he'd probably have to go through Adam because she was grounded. Alfaro promised to do his best.

After Ryder and Evelyn were led to Ryder's room, Alfaro followed through and spoke to Adam about Ryder's hospitalization. Purposely vague, hoping to score Julie a get-out-of-jail-free card, Alfaro assured Adam that Ryder would fully recover. He stressed, however, that Ryder had undergone a difficult ordeal. With the advice of a doctor behind his decision, Adam decided to allow Julie to head to the hospital. He offered to drive with her. A sailor from the base was also at the hospital, so he'd visit him while Julie sat with Ryder.

When Julie arrived in Ryder's room, she was not sure of Ryder's condition. All her father had shared was that Ryder had been ambulanced to the ER and had been admitted for complications from gastroenteritis. Having been grounded, Julie hadn't even known Ryder had been ill. The news scared her and she was grateful her father showed some humanity and allowed her to go visit her friend.

Ryder's door was open when Julie approached, but the curtain was pulled. She walked in and knocked on the wall, "Ryder?"

"Hey, JJ," he answered weakly. When Julie came around the curtain, Ryder introduced her to Evelyn, "Julie, this is my Grams. Gram, Julie."

"Hello, dear," Evelyn smiled as she extended a hand. "Are you the friend who is also headed to Annapolis?"

"Yes, ma'am," Julie stated as she shook Evelyn's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am."

"Julie, call me Grams," Evelyn insisted.

"Yes, Ma'am," Julie responded out of habit. She still called Owen 'Dr. Hunt' and Amelia 'Dr. Shepherd.' Her father's expectations for how she referred to her elders were well engraved.

"I think I'm going to go grab a bite to eat," Evelyn mentioned casually, wanting to give the kids time alone without pointing it out.

After Evelyn left, Julie sat down next to Ryder and attempted to take in the sight of all the monitors and IVs. Her worry was written all over her face as she placed her hand on Ryder's upper arm and left it there.

"Kiss me," Ryder grinned playfully as Julie looked at him.

Pulling her head back and scrunching up her face, she replied, "Excuse me?"

"I almost died today," Ryder quipped.

"You did not, you smartass," Julie laughed.

"Kiss me anyway," Ryder pled.

Julie stood up and hugged him, clearly navigating away from a potential kiss. "I was worried about you but now I see you're making a complete recovery."

"But a kiss would bring it along even further," he winked.

She placed her hands on his cheeks and leaned toward him. Ryder closed his eyes and anticipated her lips. After rubbing her nose against his, she shifted and kissed his forehead.

"There. You've been kissed, Frog," she giggled. "Now why haven't you turned into a Prince?"

"You're a tease," Ryder smiled as he grasped her hand. "And I'm really glad you're here."

"Me too," she grinned as she sat back down and kept her hand in his.

Ryder dozed while Julie stared at him. Although she'd been assured he would make a full recovery, Julie's mind wandered. What would I do without this dope? He's always quick to laugh and share a smile. Although he hides it, his intelligence amazes me. He even sees me as worthy.

After twenty minutes of pondering and focusing her eyes on Ryder, he awoke and sensed he was being watched. He opened one eye and smiled when he saw her.

"I'm going to need your help catching up on training for Plebe Summer," he stated.

Julie smiled softly and promised him, "Don't worry – I'll kick your ass down the track and get you in gear."

Moving randomly from topic to topic, Ryder shared, "My mom's having a baby."

"Seriously?" Julie exclaimed with surprise. "That's cool and everything, but she can still do that?"

"Have sex? Yep, Owen's insatiable," Ryder joked.

"I meant bear a child, Ryder," she shook her head. "And, please… never put a picture of your parents having sex in my head again."

Laughing, Ryder assured her, "Ahh, another item to add to my list of 'ways to bug JJ.'"

"When is the baby due?" she inquired.

"End of October," Ryder shared with a distant look in his eyes. "I won't be here. It's weird to imagine that. It's not like I can hop a plane home."

"Only for a death, but not a birth," Julie commented. "Kind of strange, isn't it?"

"I won't get to hold my brother or sister until he or she is two months old," he added sadly.

Julie squeezed his arm and offered, "I'm sorry."

"You know, they've told us over and over that attending the Academy means making sacrifices. I never thought it would mean not being here for a new baby," he admitted.

Maggie simultaneously knocked and walked in. "Hey, Ryder," she offered in a chipper tone. When she saw Julie, she stopped walking toward her nephew and added, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm interrupting the two of you."

"Not at all, Ma'am," Julie insisted. "Should I step out?"

"Not necessary," Maggie assured her. She extended her hand and introduced herself, "I'm Dr. Pierce. Ryder's Aunt Maggie."

"Julie," Julie shared as she stood and shook hands. "Lovely to meet you."

Maggie smiled as she approached Ryder and listened to his heart. She pressed buttons on the monitor and studied the numbers that appeared. She felt for the strength of his pulse in both his neck and wrist, then nodded conclusively and announced, "You're doing great. Do you mind if I check your femoral pulse?"

"I dunno. Where's that?" Ryder inquired.

Halfway up your upper leg. I can reach under the sheet…" Maggie began to describe.

"Sure, whatever," Ryder shrugged.

"It's steady and strong," Maggie told him as she located it. "Are you feeling better? Any new symptoms or questions?"

"I feel tons better. I stopped barfing and my guts have calmed down, my headache is gone, but I'm still really tired," Ryder reported.

"That's to be expected," Maggie smiled.

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to…" Adam stated apologetically as he entered the room.

Interrupting, Maggie smiled and reassured him, "You're fine. Not a problem at all." She held her gaze a few seconds beyond a normal glance before stepping toward him and introducing herself.

Adam, dressed in perfectly pressed khaki slacks and a short-sleeved, button down, navy shirt complete with insignias, reciprocated and grasped her hand, "Captain Adam Caldwell. Pleased to meet you, Doctor." He smirked and glanced toward Ryder, returning his focus to Maggie as he asked, "How's the patient?"

"Great. He's responding well to the meds, his fever is down. I'm pleased," Maggie shared. Again, their eyes met and lingered slightly.

With a gentle, authentic smile, Adam nodded and said, "Glad to hear it." He proceeded toward Ryder and patted his shoulder. "No more of this, Son."

"Tell me about it, Sir," Ryder quipped. "I told Julie she'll need to push me so I can catch up on pre-training."

"If anyone can do it, it's Julie," Adam grinned as he winked at his daughter. For her part, Julie wondered, Who is this man and what did he do with my father?

"How's the sailor you visited, Dad?" Julie inquired.

"Good. Pretty serious but hopeful," Adam shared hesitantly.

Maggie realized she was still standing in the middle of the room. Lingering, she anxiously considered what to do or say. She wondered if she should slip out quietly, add some words that sounded as if she'd intended to be standing there all along, or consider some other option. Before making a decision, her pager sounded and gave her the perfect reason to excuse herself. The message read, Call Amelia.

"Amelia," Maggie whispered nervously from the nurses' station.

"How's my boy?" Mama Bear asked.

"He's great. Great heart rate, pulses are strong and steady. Once he's rehydrated and rested, I'm sure we'll send him home," Maggie disclosed. "But do you have a minute?"

"Sure. You sound antsy," Amelia observed.

"Some guy is visiting Ryder and I just made a complete fool of myself," Maggie whispered.

"Who? What guy?" Amelia questioned.

"Captain Somebody. Tall, slender, very handsome. Dressed in a Navy outfit," Maggie described.

"Oh, Adam!" Amelia chuckled. "Yeah… he is handsome."

"He walked in and I was standing there. I held my gaze too long more than once. Do you think he noticed?" Maggie worried.

"I wasn't there. Hard to say," Amelia giggled.

"It's not funny, Amelia," Maggie insisted, sounding like a little sister.

"Actually, it's hilarious. You should go for it, Maggie. The poor guy hasn't had sex in years," Amelia quipped.

"I'm sure he thinks I'm a fool. When he went over to chat with Ryder, I froze in place and stood there," Maggie shook her head. "What's wrong with me?"

"The allure of the handsome Naval officer swept you off your feet and closed off the blood flow to your brain," Amelia laughed heartily.

"You find my embarrassment hilarious, don't you?" Maggie commented. As she concluded her sentence, Maggie felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Pretty much," Amelia admitted.

"I'll call you back," Maggie responded as she turned and discovered Adam and Julie standing behind her. "Doctor… I mean, Captain Caldwell."

"Thanks for keeping an eye on Ryder," Adam offered with sincerity. "He's like a son to me."

"Oh, he's my nephew," Maggie responded as she downplayed his compliment. The second the words left her mouth, she was certain she hadn't come across as intended.

Adam slightly lowered his brows in confusion and offered a blank stare with the edges of his mouth hinting at a smile. Hesitating, he nodded and extended his hand. "Wonderful. He's obviously dear to both of us."

"Absolutely," Maggie smiled as she shook Adam's hand. Alex, charting about five feet away, had been listening in. He peeked up and caught sight of the handshake that neither party seemed to conclude.

"Well…" Adam chuckled. With a firm nod, he repeated, "Thank you." He let go and turned to Julie, putting his arm around her. "Let's go, Itsy Bit," he encouraged.

Julie smiled. Since her acceptance to the Academy, he'd referred to her as Julia and constantly pushed her. Hearing her childhood name and actually receiving physical affection from her father felt like a dream.

Once the Caldwell's were out of sight, Alex harassed Maggie. "Hot for Captain, huh?"

"No," Maggie emphasized a bit too enthusiastically. "No. Absolutely not."

"Right," Alex chuckled as a sly grin swept across his face.