“Hey, Parker,” Dice said. “We’re here to work.”
“Is this your penance?”
“No way.” Bucky chuckled. “We volunteered.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Dice confirmed. “Beats moppin’ up puke and piss at the Scratching Post. Plus, you’re cool as fuck.”
I grinned. I liked being ‘cool as fuck.’
“Well, I appreciate it. Come on back and I’ll show you where everything is.”
As we made our way to the break room, a pain shot through my side and I doubled over with a whimper.
“Shit!” Dice rushed to my side, taking my arm. “You okay?”
I pushed his hand away and took several deep breaths. “Yep. I’m okay,” I bit out. “I think I just got a stitch.”
Although, I was getting a little worried, because I’d been feeling like crap ever since the wine incident a couple of weeks ago. I was sure I was coming down with something, but nothing ever really seemed to come.
“You don’t look good,” Bucky said. “I’m callin’ Rabbit.”
“No, don’t bother him,” I countered, the pain easing. “I’m okay. I’ve just been overdoing things obviously.”
Before Bucky could argue, Jasmine walked in. One of her spas was a few doors down, but she was typically in her lab, leaving the spas to be run by her partners.
“Jesus,” she hissed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just a little pain. I think I lifted something weird,” I said, and forced a smile. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?”
“Babe, you don’t look good,” Jasmine said.
“I’m okay,” I said, and promptly puked all over the floor.
“So much for not cleaning up puke,” Bucky retorted.
Jasmine rushed into mother-mode, helping me back to the bathroom and setting me beside the toilet. “Don’t move,” she ordered, and pulled the door closed.
I continued to lose everything I’d eaten that day, staying put until Jasmine peeked back in. “Hey, honey. How ya doin’?”
“Better.”
“I got you some Sprite and saltines, the boys have cleaned up the front, and Stevie’s started on training. Shadow’s comin’ to step in since he already knows how things run. You’re going home.” She walked in and closed the door. “But after you pee on this stick.” She set a pregnancy test on the counter.
“I’m not pregnant, Jazz.”
“Humor me. You are never sick, so just check.”
I rolled my eyes as she left the room, but did as she asked, then washed my face and hands, rinsing my mouth out with water while I waited for the test.
A knock came and I pulled open the door.
“So?” Jasmine asked.
“Haven’t looked yet,” I admitted.
She handed me a Sprite. “Let’s look.”
“Don’t touch it,” I warned.
“I’m not gonna touch it,” she ground out as she leaned closer. “You’ve got two lines, babe.”
I gasped. “What? Seriously?”
Jasmine grinned. “Yes! Look.”
I grabbed the stick and held it up to the light. “Oh my god.”
“Parker!” Rabbit bellowed.
“What’s he doing here?”
“I called him,” Jasmine said.
“You didn’t need to do that.”
“Yes, I did. He’d freak out if I didn’t.”
Well, that was probably true. I pulled open the door. “In here, honey.”
He rushed toward me, a frown on his face. “You’re sick?”
I held the stick up to him. “Sort of.”
Jasmine sidled past him, her pregnant belly forcing him to step out of the bathroom to let her pass.
“What’s this?” he asked, looking at the test.
“Positive pregnancy test.”
He grinned, sliding his hand to cup the back of my head. “You’re pregnant?”
I nodded. “Apparently.”
“Holy shit,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss me.
I stopped him. “I just puked.”
He kissed my cheek instead. “Appreciate the heads up.”
“All of this is so fast,” I said, gripping his cut. “I really thought it would take longer.”
He grinned. “Bionic sperm, Pebbles.”
I groaned. “Okay, big man.”
“I’m gonna take you home,” he said. “Stevie’s all good to cover you.”
“Zane—”
“Not up for discussion,” he said. “We’re goin’ home.”
I was still feeling really off, so I let him take me home where he forced me into a pair of sweats, fuzzy socks, and a T-shirt, then settled me on the sofa and told me I wasn’t allowed to move. I didn’t argue, promptly falling asleep.
I was awoken by sharp pains shooting through my belly and I couldn’t stop a groan. I was no longer on the sofa. Instead I was in our bed, so I threw the covers off of me and stumbled into the bathroom. I closed the door, sat on the toilet, and turned on the light, then panicked. “Rabbit!”
I heard a thump, then a, “Fuck.” He always slammed his knee on the nightstand, and he kept threatening to throw it out.
“Parker?” he called.
“In the bathroom,” I rasped.
The door slid open and Rabbit swore. I didn’t blame him. There was so much blood.
I couldn’t stop a sob as I gripped the counter, the pain in my abdomen unbearable. “I think I’m losing the baby.”
“I’m calling Doc,” he said, rushing for his phone, then joining me back in the bathroom. “Sorry, brother. We think Parker’s miscarryin’. Yeah. Yeah. Sure.” He looked at me. “Can you make it to the car?”
I shook my head.
“She’s in a lot of pain. I’m not sure she can move. Yeah, okay. Thanks.” He hung up and hunkered down in front of me. “He’s on his way.”
I nodded, dropping my head to my arm leaning on the counter. We sat in silence for several minutes with Rabbit hunkered down in front of me.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
“Don’t apologize, baby. It’s not your fault.”
“I’m going to be sick,” I warned, and he pulled a small bucket from under my sink, handing it to me. “You don’t need to be here for this.”
“I’m not leaving you, baby.” The doorbell pealed, and he frowned. “I’ll be right back.”
Seconds later, Doc walked in, kneeling in front of me. “You feel pretty fuckin’ awful, huh?”
I nodded, tears still streaming down my face.
“Okay, sweetheart, I’m going to need to have a look. You okay with that?”
I nodded again, my face flaming from humiliation.
Doc wanted me off the toilet, so he stripped our bed, laid down pads, and Rabbit carried me to it, stroking my cheek.
For the next three hours, I endured the physical pain and emotional devastation of losing our baby. Rabbit didn’t leave my side, holding me as I cried, and whispering words of love and encouragement.
Doc would come in and out of the room, checking me and taking away the padding as it was soaked. He informed me he was going to keep as much of it as possible so they could test it and see if they could figure out why the pregnancy failed.
Once there was no more blood, Doc gave me a quick exam. “It’s done, sweetheart, but I’d like you to come into the clinic tomorrow so I can do an ultrasound. Today, you rest, okay? You can take Tylenol for the pain, but if you feel like something’s wrong, you call me. I’ll swing by tonight and check on you.”
I nodded, burrowing against Rabbit who pulled me closer.
“I’ll see myself out,” Doc said, and gathered everything before leaving us.
“Can you call my mom? And let Jazz and Willow know?” I whispered. “Tell them they can tell the rest of the women. They’ll know what to do.”
“Yeah, baby,” he said, kissing my temple. “Can I get you anything?”
“I just want t
o sleep.”
“Okay, beautiful, you sleep. I’ll call your girls.”
I nodded and slipped into oblivion.
* * *
Rabbit
I waited until I knew Parker was asleep before moving into the living room. Jesus, the pain was too much. I knew I’d probably grieve for the child, but right now I was just sad for my woman and the pain she had to endure on top of the loss of our baby.
I couldn’t quite wrap my head around it right now, and I knew I had to call her girls, so I pushed the sadness down and called her mom first.
“Rabbit? Everything okay, honey?”
“Hi, Sally. Um... Parker’s had a miscarriage. Can you come over?”
“I’ll be right there,” she said, and hung up.
I called Willow next.
“Is Parker okay?” she asked without a greeting.
“No,” I rasped. “She lost the baby.”
“Oh my god. I’ll be right over.”
“She’s sleeping. Maybe in a few hours, okay? I’m gonna give Jazz a call and we’ll go from there.”
“Okay, bud. I’m so sorry. Whatever you need.”
I nodded, hanging up, the emotion almost too much, but I needed to make one more call before losing my shit, and it would be the hardest.
“Well, hello there, Rabbit,” Jasmine answered cheerily. “Is Parker feeling better?”
“Ah...no.” I bit back tears. “She lost the baby, Jazz.”
“Jesus fucking Christ. Is she okay? Are you okay?”
“Physically, yeah. Doc’s been here most of the night.”
“What can I do?”
“No fuckin’ clue,” I admitted.
“Okay. You hang up and go be with Parker. I’m gonna take over from here, got it?”
“Yeah, sweetheart, that’d be appreciated.”
She hung up and I headed back to our room.
* * *
Parker
I came awake with a start, my heart aching, along with my stomach. “Zane.”
“Right here, baby,” he whispered, wrapping an arm around me and guiding me onto his chest. “You okay?”
“My stomach hurts.”
“Let me get you some Tylenol.”
I gripped his T-shirt. “In a minute. I just need you right now.”
“Okay, baby, you got me.”
“I feel sad, but then I feel like it’s silly to be sad,” I whispered. “I’d only known about the baby for a few hours.”
He stroked my back. “Sweetness, all of this is sad, it doesn’t matter when or how, you get to feel how you feel.”
“What if Doc finds out it’s because of me?” I rasped.
“How could you possibly think it’s because of you?”
“What if it’s because I’m so much older than you? Maybe we shouldn’t—”
“Stop,” he growled, rolling so he was halfway on top of me. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”
“What if I can’t give you babies?”
“Lots of other ways to make a family, Pebbles, and as long as I’m with you, I don’t give a fuck if we make that family with IVF, adoption, or puppies. It’ll be ours.”
“If I give you puppies, we might need to have a separate conversation.”
He smiled gently, stroking my cheek. “I love you. The only thing I know for sure is that I can’t live without you. If we have kids, or adopt, or decide not to have any, as long as I’m doing it all with you, I’m happy.”
I bit my lip. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, baby, I’m one-hundred percent sure.”
“I love you.”
“Love you, too, Pebbles.” He kissed me gently and rolled us again, so I was sprawled across his chest.
For the rest of the day, we pretty much stayed in bed. Well, until my girls and mom arrived with dinner and chocolate to cheer me up.
Parker
Three days later I was back at work, feeling remarkably well, considering. Doc had run tests and discovered there were major issues with the fetus, so it never had a chance. If I hadn’t taken the pregnancy test, I probably would have assumed I was having a really bad period and I told myself that if it had to happen, I was glad it happened so early.
I’d had an ultrasound and Doc determined everything was exactly as it was supposed to be. I’d need to take things easy for a few days, but the worst was over. Rabbit hovered a little, but he didn’t smother me, as we tried to get back to normal.
And my new normal was Rabbit working with me. At least for a few days. I didn’t argue, mostly because I really needed him, and he always gave me what I needed.
“You want somethin’ for lunch?” Rabbit asked.
I looked up from the arrangement table, realizing I hadn’t eaten anything since six o’clock this morning. “Oh, yes, that’d be great. I’m starving.”
He frowned. “Why are you ‘starving’? I gave you a granola bar two hours ago.”
I grimaced.
“Parker,” he pressed.
“What if I kind of got distracted and kind of forgot to eat said granola bar?”
Without a word, he turned on his heel and left the room, returning surprisingly quickly and shoving the granola bar at me. “Eat it.”
I bit back a laugh because he had his serious face on.
“Pebbles, don’t.”
I couldn’t stop myself from breaking into a full-blown rendition of Weird Al’s “Eat It,” complete with choreographed dance moves straight from the video.
Rabbit dropped his head back with a laugh, rushing me and lifting me off my feet. “Jesus you’re a nut.”
“I’m your nut.”
“Hell, yeah you are.” He kissed me, setting me on my feet. “Now, eat. I’ll go grab you a sandwich.”
I grinned up at him and nodded. “Thanks, honey.”
“I don’t see you eating.”
I peeled the packaging and shoved some of the granola in my mouth. “I’m eating,” I mumbled.
He walked out again, and I swallowed the food, suddenly ravenous. Finishing my snack, I went back to the table.
“Parker?”
“Hm?” I looked up to see Dice standing in the doorway.
“There’s a lady out front who wants something really specific and Stevie went out for lunch.”
“Oh, okay,” I said, wiping my hands and grabbing a clean apron, donning it as I followed him out to the front. A woman was perusing my annuals. “May I help you?”
She turned with a smile. “Hi. Yes. I’m actually looking for Lisianthus’.”
“Oh, my word, those are one of my favorites. I don’t have any in stock, but I can get them for you.”
Her face brightened. “You can? You’re the sixth florist I’ve gone to, and no one’s even heard of them.”
“Well, I love them.”
“Excellent. How soon can you get them?”
“How many would you like?”
For the next ten minutes, we discussed all the particulars and she even prepaid the full amount on the promise I have them delivered by Friday. Lisianthus’ didn’t last for very long, which meant I had to time the delivery right, so they wouldn’t die on me.
“Holy shit, she just gave you three-grand for flowers,” Dice breathed out.
I smiled. “It’s her twentieth wedding anniversary, so it’s an important party for her.”
“That’s a fuck of a lot of money to spend on something that’s gonna die within a day or two.”
I chuckled. “Not if they make her happy.”
“How do you know so much about flowers?” he asked, as I pulled out my wholesaler contacts.
“My grandmother.” I smiled, the memories flooding me. “She and I spent hours working in her garden and greenhouse. She was my best friend until I met Willow and Jasmine.”
Before Dice could comment, Rabbit walked in carrying food. “Everything okay?”
I smiled. “Yep. Just had a big sale.”
“Good. Come eat.”
�
��Just gotta do one thing...”
“Baby, you need to eat,” Rabbit argued.
“After—”
“Parker,” he said, his voice low in warning.
I noticed Dice turn on his heel and walk toward the back and I stared up at my husband. “Zane, I need to call my vendors to see who can get me these flowers by Friday. You need to give me ten minutes.”
He dropped the bag on the counter and opened it, pulling out a sandwich. “Take a bite, then you can have your ten minutes.”
“It’s not like I’m going to die right here if I don’t take a bite.”
“Parker Adeline McCormick, take a bite of the fucking sandwich,” he growled.
I huffed and bit into it, mumbling, “Happy?”
He raised an eyebrow and I leaned in continuing to chew, making a big show of swallowing before grinning like an idiot. “Am I released, sir?”
“Don’t start shit you can’t finish, Pebbles,” he warned.
I snorted. “Please, I could bring you to your knees with one use of ‘master.’”
Closing the distance between us, he slid his hand to my neck and tugged me forward gently. “You wanna prove that?”
I shivered. “Hell, yes,” I whispered.
He grinned, leaning down to kiss me. “You’re on.”
“I really need to get this order placed.”
“Okay, Pebbles. You got ten minutes.”
He took the rest of the food into the back while I started calling vendors.
* * *
Rabbit
While Parker made her phone calls, I headed to the back where Dice was moving buckets from the cooler into the arranging room.
“Need help?” I asked.
“Nah, I got this, brother. All good with Parker?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded and lifted a bucket full of roses, hauling it into the arranging room. I made my way to the break room where I found Parker finally eating the rest of her food.
“Stevie up front?” I asked.
“Yep.”
I sat in the chair beside her at the small table. “Did you get your flowers ordered?”
“Yes. I had to call three vendors, but it’s all good. Got them for less than I expected, too, so bigger profit.”
I grinned. “Nice, baby.”
“Thanks for the sandwich, honey. It’s perfect.”
“Good. You feelin’ okay?”
She nodded. “Just a little tired. I feel like I do when I’ve had the period from hell.”
Hacking the Biker's Code Page 10