Stumbling into Love
Page 30
Then time returns to normal and chaos ensues.
“Get a fucking ambulance, and get it here right fucking now!” Wesley shouts to whomever he’s talking to on the phone; then he drops to his knees in front of me. “Are you okay? Are you hurting? Are you in any pain?”
“No pain, but what if the accident shook the baby loose?” I say, knowing rationally that that is ridiculous and impossible.
“I don’t think that’s possible, but when the ambulance gets here, I will have them check to make sure that didn’t happen.”
“Good.” I pull in a sharp breath when his large palm reaches under my coat and covers my stomach.
“You’re pregnant.” It’s not a question; I know he’s just asking me to confirm what I just told him.
“Yes.”
“With my baby . . . ,” he says.
I narrow my eyes on his. “That better be a joke, because if it’s not, I swear the moment I know I’m okay I’m going to kick your ass all over New York City.”
“Gorgeous, shut up and kiss me,” he demands.
So of course I do.
Chapter 11
OH, BABY, YOU’VE LOST YOUR MIND
WESLEY
Sitting in the hospital with my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands, I try to keep my shit together. Mackenzie is pregnant. She’s pregnant with our child, and I could have lost her and the baby tonight. The idea of going through my life without Mackenzie is completely unbearable. I’m in love with her. Fuck. I feel happy as hell and sick to my stomach at the same time.
“Are you okay?”
Lifting my head, I look at Mackenzie. She’s looking like she doesn’t have a care in the world as she sits on the top of the table reading one of the ripped-up magazines that got left behind in the room by someone. When the ambulance showed up on the scene, I made sure they saw to her first. The wound on her head was superficial, like I thought, but they still used butterfly tape to close it up. She will have a bruise for a few days. Her knees are also black and blue from where they hit the divider, but they weren’t causing her any kind of abnormal pain. They were most concerned with her losing the baby.
“Okay, mister. Snap out of it.” She taps my cheek before carefully draping herself across my lap. I didn’t even realize she had stood up.
“I’m all right.” I adjust her, then rest my hand over her flat stomach. The idea of it growing with our child is overwhelming and unbelievable. I can’t get my mind around the fact that I’m going to be a dad.
“You’re such a liar.” She sighs, resting her hand over mine on her stomach and dropping her head onto my shoulder. “We are not very good at being traditional, are we?”
Dipping my chin to see her face, I hate the worry I see there. “Have I told you today that I like you a lot?” I ask.
Her eyes meet mine, the worry slowly fading into something else that I like a lot more.
“No.” She shakes her head.
Cupping her cheek, I smooth my thumb over the soft surface. “Actually, I think I’m in love with you.”
“You do?” she whispers, searching my gaze.
“I do,” I say, watching her smile a beautiful smile before resuming her previous position. Frowning, I give her a gentle squeeze. “Do you?”
“Do I what?” she asks.
I can’t tell if she’s joking or not. “Do you love me, woman?”
“Miss Reed?” The door opens and the doctor comes into the room before she can answer my question. I throw the doctor a dirty look—not that she notices. She’s focused on the stack of papers in her hands. Easing Mackenzie off my lap, I help her back onto the table and stand next to her. “It’s nice to meet you two.” The doctor looks between us.
“You too.” Mackenzie gives her a warm smile.
I grunt my greeting, still annoyed that we were interrupted moments ago.
“Stop it.” Mackenzie hits my chest with the back of her hand, and the doctor looks between the two of us before continuing.
“Your blood test came back positive, so you are definitely pregnant.”
I reach forward and take Mackenzie’s hand when I see it start to shake.
“I also ordered an internal ultrasound so that we can just make sure that everything is okay. I don’t predict that there will be a problem since you haven’t had any bleeding or cramping. The baby should be okay,” she says.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I knew that chances were that the baby was okay, but it’s a relief to hear that from the doctor.
“So the accident didn’t shake him loose?” Mackenzie says.
The doctor laughs. “No, it’s pretty safe in there with all that cushioning. Fetuses are much more resilient than you think.”
“Thank god.” She covers her stomach with her hand, and I place my hand over hers.
“Now just hold tight for a few minutes. The ultrasound tech should be in to take you over to see the baby.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Here is my card. I work here in emergency a few nights a week, but I have a practice downtown with a few other doctors. If you’re looking for prenatal care, give my office a call and they will set you up with an appointment.”
“Awesome.” Mackenzie takes the card, then hands it to me since she doesn’t have a purse.
Tucking it into my wallet, I watch the doctor leave.
Once the door is closed, I turn to Mackenzie. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“What question?” She tips her head to the side.
If I didn’t see the sparkle of amusement in her gaze, I would be offended.
“You are an evil woman,” I growl, forcing her back onto the table.
Her hands slide through my hair.
“That’s payback for asking if it’s your baby,” she says with a smile.
I wrap my hand around the lower part of her jaw and gently tilt her head back. I dip my face close to hers until we are sharing the same breath.
“Let’s try this again. Mackenzie, I’m crazy in love with you.” My thumb rubs across her smooth skin, and my eyes stay locked with hers. I see them fill with tears.
“I love you, too.” Her eyes close, and I swipe away one lone tear that falls from under her lashes before placing my mouth against hers.
“Miss Reed, I’m ready for you. Just follow me,” a woman says as she pokes her head into the room.
Mackenzie wipes the tears off her cheeks with jerky movements. Helping her sit up, I press one more quick kiss to her lips, then help her down off the table. Taking her hand, we head down the hall into another room, where a machine is set up next to a hospital bed.
“Panties off. Put this on. I’ll be back in just a moment.” The woman hands over a paper robe before leaving us alone in the room.
Kicking off her heels, she turns her back to me. “Can you help me out of my dress?”
Stepping up behind her, I undo the button at the top, then start to unzip the dress. It exposes inch after inch of creamy, freckled skin.
“This is not exactly the way I saw myself getting you out of this dress tonight.” I kiss her shoulder, then the exposed skin of her back.
“It’s not the way I thought it would be, either.”
She shivers as I slide the dress off completely. I curse under my breath when I see the lace bra and panties she has on. A dark-blue lace the same color of her dress, sheer enough to show off her beautiful skin.
“I don’t think you need to take off my bra.” She laughs, taking a step away from me and my hands that had started to unhook the clasp of her bra.
“Habit.”
I help her step out of the dress, then help her put on the paper robe. She slips off her panties before she gets onto the bed. Hearing a knock, I call, “Come in!”
The tech steps back in and dims the lights.
“Is this your first child?” she asks, moving to the machine on the opposite side of me and typing on the odd-looking keyboard.
“Yes,” we both say at the same time.
I take Mackenzie’s hand, and we listen to the woman explain exactly what she is going to do, then I watch her place the wand beneath the end of Mackenzie’s gown.
“Get a fucking ambulance, and get it here right fucking now!” Wesley shouts to whomever he’s talking to on the phone; then he drops to his knees in front of me. “Are you okay? Are you hurting? Are you in any pain?”
“No pain, but what if the accident shook the baby loose?” I say, knowing rationally that that is ridiculous and impossible.
“I don’t think that’s possible, but when the ambulance gets here, I will have them check to make sure that didn’t happen.”
“Good.” I pull in a sharp breath when his large palm reaches under my coat and covers my stomach.
“You’re pregnant.” It’s not a question; I know he’s just asking me to confirm what I just told him.
“Yes.”
“With my baby . . . ,” he says.
I narrow my eyes on his. “That better be a joke, because if it’s not, I swear the moment I know I’m okay I’m going to kick your ass all over New York City.”
“Gorgeous, shut up and kiss me,” he demands.
So of course I do.
Chapter 11
OH, BABY, YOU’VE LOST YOUR MIND
WESLEY
Sitting in the hospital with my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands, I try to keep my shit together. Mackenzie is pregnant. She’s pregnant with our child, and I could have lost her and the baby tonight. The idea of going through my life without Mackenzie is completely unbearable. I’m in love with her. Fuck. I feel happy as hell and sick to my stomach at the same time.
“Are you okay?”
Lifting my head, I look at Mackenzie. She’s looking like she doesn’t have a care in the world as she sits on the top of the table reading one of the ripped-up magazines that got left behind in the room by someone. When the ambulance showed up on the scene, I made sure they saw to her first. The wound on her head was superficial, like I thought, but they still used butterfly tape to close it up. She will have a bruise for a few days. Her knees are also black and blue from where they hit the divider, but they weren’t causing her any kind of abnormal pain. They were most concerned with her losing the baby.
“Okay, mister. Snap out of it.” She taps my cheek before carefully draping herself across my lap. I didn’t even realize she had stood up.
“I’m all right.” I adjust her, then rest my hand over her flat stomach. The idea of it growing with our child is overwhelming and unbelievable. I can’t get my mind around the fact that I’m going to be a dad.
“You’re such a liar.” She sighs, resting her hand over mine on her stomach and dropping her head onto my shoulder. “We are not very good at being traditional, are we?”
Dipping my chin to see her face, I hate the worry I see there. “Have I told you today that I like you a lot?” I ask.
Her eyes meet mine, the worry slowly fading into something else that I like a lot more.
“No.” She shakes her head.
Cupping her cheek, I smooth my thumb over the soft surface. “Actually, I think I’m in love with you.”
“You do?” she whispers, searching my gaze.
“I do,” I say, watching her smile a beautiful smile before resuming her previous position. Frowning, I give her a gentle squeeze. “Do you?”
“Do I what?” she asks.
I can’t tell if she’s joking or not. “Do you love me, woman?”
“Miss Reed?” The door opens and the doctor comes into the room before she can answer my question. I throw the doctor a dirty look—not that she notices. She’s focused on the stack of papers in her hands. Easing Mackenzie off my lap, I help her back onto the table and stand next to her. “It’s nice to meet you two.” The doctor looks between us.
“You too.” Mackenzie gives her a warm smile.
I grunt my greeting, still annoyed that we were interrupted moments ago.
“Stop it.” Mackenzie hits my chest with the back of her hand, and the doctor looks between the two of us before continuing.
“Your blood test came back positive, so you are definitely pregnant.”
I reach forward and take Mackenzie’s hand when I see it start to shake.
“I also ordered an internal ultrasound so that we can just make sure that everything is okay. I don’t predict that there will be a problem since you haven’t had any bleeding or cramping. The baby should be okay,” she says.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I knew that chances were that the baby was okay, but it’s a relief to hear that from the doctor.
“So the accident didn’t shake him loose?” Mackenzie says.
The doctor laughs. “No, it’s pretty safe in there with all that cushioning. Fetuses are much more resilient than you think.”
“Thank god.” She covers her stomach with her hand, and I place my hand over hers.
“Now just hold tight for a few minutes. The ultrasound tech should be in to take you over to see the baby.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Here is my card. I work here in emergency a few nights a week, but I have a practice downtown with a few other doctors. If you’re looking for prenatal care, give my office a call and they will set you up with an appointment.”
“Awesome.” Mackenzie takes the card, then hands it to me since she doesn’t have a purse.
Tucking it into my wallet, I watch the doctor leave.
Once the door is closed, I turn to Mackenzie. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“What question?” She tips her head to the side.
If I didn’t see the sparkle of amusement in her gaze, I would be offended.
“You are an evil woman,” I growl, forcing her back onto the table.
Her hands slide through my hair.
“That’s payback for asking if it’s your baby,” she says with a smile.
I wrap my hand around the lower part of her jaw and gently tilt her head back. I dip my face close to hers until we are sharing the same breath.
“Let’s try this again. Mackenzie, I’m crazy in love with you.” My thumb rubs across her smooth skin, and my eyes stay locked with hers. I see them fill with tears.
“I love you, too.” Her eyes close, and I swipe away one lone tear that falls from under her lashes before placing my mouth against hers.
“Miss Reed, I’m ready for you. Just follow me,” a woman says as she pokes her head into the room.
Mackenzie wipes the tears off her cheeks with jerky movements. Helping her sit up, I press one more quick kiss to her lips, then help her down off the table. Taking her hand, we head down the hall into another room, where a machine is set up next to a hospital bed.
“Panties off. Put this on. I’ll be back in just a moment.” The woman hands over a paper robe before leaving us alone in the room.
Kicking off her heels, she turns her back to me. “Can you help me out of my dress?”
Stepping up behind her, I undo the button at the top, then start to unzip the dress. It exposes inch after inch of creamy, freckled skin.
“This is not exactly the way I saw myself getting you out of this dress tonight.” I kiss her shoulder, then the exposed skin of her back.
“It’s not the way I thought it would be, either.”
She shivers as I slide the dress off completely. I curse under my breath when I see the lace bra and panties she has on. A dark-blue lace the same color of her dress, sheer enough to show off her beautiful skin.
“I don’t think you need to take off my bra.” She laughs, taking a step away from me and my hands that had started to unhook the clasp of her bra.
“Habit.”
I help her step out of the dress, then help her put on the paper robe. She slips off her panties before she gets onto the bed. Hearing a knock, I call, “Come in!”
The tech steps back in and dims the lights.
“Is this your first child?” she asks, moving to the machine on the opposite side of me and typing on the odd-looking keyboard.
“Yes,” we both say at the same time.
I take Mackenzie’s hand, and we listen to the woman explain exactly what she is going to do, then I watch her place the wand beneath the end of Mackenzie’s gown.
