The first message had been delivered around 9:30am, and Ian could hear the sounds of traffic in the background.

“Ian, it’s Julia. Call me on Tessa’s phone the moment you get this. She’s being taken to the ER in an ambulance, Travis and I are following behind. Not sure exactly what’s wrong but when she called me this morning to cancel our lunch, she was in awful pain and said she was bleeding a lot. When Travis and I got to your place - God, Ian, she just fainted dead away and all the blood - it was awful. We called 911 immediately and I’d guess right now we’re less than ten minutes away from the hospital. I’ll call you after we arrive.”

Julia’s next message had come about forty five minutes later, and this time the background noise was minimal at best. She’d been struggling noticeably to keep her tone calm.

“Ian, it’s Julia again. I really hope you check your voice mail soon. Look, we’re at the ER now at University Med Center, and Tessa’s being looked over by a team. At first they thought it could be a miscarriage, but one of the interns just popped out and said the ultrasound is indicating her IUD has most likely perforated her uterus. They’ve managed to stop the bleeding but she’s going to need surgery. As soon as I know more I’ll contact you. Call me, please.”

The third and final message had been left just after eleven a.m., and there was no mistaking the annoyance in Julia’s tone this time.

“Damn it, Ian, why the hell aren’t you answering this phone? I’ve tried calling the hotel there in Vegas but no one will put me through to you. Please call me the second you get this. They’re taking Tessa into surgery now to remove the IUD and repair the damage to her uterus. That’s really all I know, they won’t tell me anymore, and it’s like an insane asylum in this place today. Travis has been here with me but he needs to get back to the office, and Nathan is up at the hotel site in Napa today. I’ll stay here and keep you updated but you need to get back to San Francisco right away. And CALL ME!”

What had happened next, in very quick succession, still had his head spinning. He’d called Julia immediately, apologizing profusely for not returning her earlier calls, and demanded an update on Tessa. When he’d learned she was still in surgery, he’d put the next steps in motion with dizzying speed - giving his management team no opportunity to argue with him when he’d announced he had to leave at once; calling to have the corporate jet made ready for a speedy departure; contacting Simon as he gathered his belongings from the suite and arranging to be picked up at the airport in San Francisco; commandeering one of the local hotel staff to drive him to the private airstrip where his plane had been waiting. During the hour long flight, he’d called Julia three times for updates, as well as badgering Jordan Reeves’s receptionist until she’d finally agreed to page the doctor. The affable OB/GYN had called Ian back promptly, and agreed to check on Tessa just as soon as the baby he was scheduled to deliver within the next half hour was born. Jordan had assured Ian that Tessa was going to be fine, that these sorts of things, while rare, were usually relatively easy to repair, and it was highly unlikely that there would be any complications.

But any reassurances Ian had been given were instantly forgotten the moment he entered the hospital. Like most people, he disliked such places, and fortunately had had to spend very little time visiting them. His anxiety only continued to increase with each step that brought him ever closer to the visitor waiting room.

Julia was busily tapping away on her iPad when he all but burst inside the room, and she sighed in relief when she saw him approach. She set her tablet aside and stood. “Ian. Thank God.”

“Where is she?” he demanded. “I need to see her right away. She’s been out of surgery how long now?”

Julia laid a hand on his arm, trying to calm him down. “About forty five minutes or so. But she’s still in recovery, so no one can see her yet. One of the nurses said the surgeon will be out to talk to us any minute now.”

Ian shook his head. “Not good enough. I want to talk to someone now. Where’s this nurse you spoke to?”

“Ian, you’ve got to calm down, okay? I realize all of this has been a shock to you, but you’re not going to help Tessa a bit by freaking out and going into boss mode. Sorry to break the news, but you aren’t the boss here,” she told him sternly.

He heaved a sigh of frustration, raking a hand through his hair. “You’re right, of course. It’s just frustrating as hell. I should have been here, Julia. I should have been the one taking care of her, bringing her to the hospital. And then to ignore all of your messages - Christ, I’ll never, ever forgive myself if she doesn’t come out of this all right.”

“Hush.” Julia took both of his much larger hands in hers. “And don’t blame yourself. Tessa seemed fine when I spoke to her yesterday. I think this happened very suddenly, so there’s no possible way you could have anticipated it.”

Ian squeezed her hand gratefully. “It’s more than that. This damned IUD of hers - I’ve been after her for months to get it removed, to consult with a doctor about alternatives. But we’ve been so busy with one thing or another, she just kept putting it off. When I left her on Monday morning, I could tell she was in a bad way but she kept insisting it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. God damn it!”

Julia gave a little start as he slammed a fist against what was fortunately a very sturdy wall. “Why don’t you sit down, hmm?” she suggested calmly. “Look, let me go try and find that nurse, see if she has an update for us. And you look like you could use a cup of tea. Maybe a nice, calming blend like chamomile?”

Ian made a face. “Hate the stuff, have ever since our old nanny tried to pour it down our throats to make us sleepy.”

Julia eased him into a chair and patted his shoulder. “OK, Darjeeling it is then. And I need a really large cup of coffee, plus the biggest piece of pie I can find. I’ll be back in a bit, all right? And,” she added with a smile, “try not to punch any holes in the wall while I’m gone, okay?”

He couldn’t help but smile a little in return. “I’ll try my best. And Julia - thank you. Thank God you and Travis were able to get to her so quickly. I owe both of you a long weekend at one of our hotels. Your choice. Unless,” he added with a wink, “you’d rather have a new pair of shoes.”