I step onto the porch and pound on their door. Bennet opens it, and he shakes his head. “Come on; she’s out back with Maddie.”
I walk in and turn to face him. “Did you tell her? Did you tell her we just talked about this, that I don’t want anyone but her?” I ask.
He nods. “I did. But she’s angry and doesn’t want to listen.” He places his hand on my bicep and leads me down the hall to his office. “Let’s just give her a moment to calm down.”
“She’s not going to calm down, Bennet. I have to see her now and explain.”
“She’s on the back porch, but I’m telling you, Cal, you need to let her calm down.”
I shake my head. “No, fuck that,” I mumble, throwing the door open and marching through the house. When I step onto the back porch, Maddie gives me a weak smile as she stands and walks into the house, leaving us alone. Val tears her angry eyes from mine and focuses them on the back yard.
I slowly walk over and sit in the chair Maddie just left. “Val,” I start.
“No, don’t Val me. I should have known. I mean, you are playboy Callan Gregory after all. You do nothing but blow through women. God, I was so stupid to think that you could change.”
“Valerie,” I say again, refusing to get angry. “I don’t want her, or any other woman for that matter. I love you,” I say, reaching out and taking her hand in mine, but she yanks it away.
“How could you do this? Have you been with her this whole time?”
“I haven’t been with her at all! I love you. I want you and our baby. I fired her, and she kissed me. I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. I was frozen in surprise. Before I could push her away, you were walking in.”
She doesn’t say anything; she just shakes her head. I’m scared to reach out and touch her again in fear that she’ll push me away.
“Val, please look at me. Please, listen to me. Have I ever done anything to hurt you?”
She bites her lower lip and shakes her head.
“Then why would I start now? Now that we’re finally getting everything we’ve ever wanted. We have the support of your family; we have a baby on the way; we’re about to get married. Do you really think I’d throw all that away to fuck my middle-aged assistant? I mean, fuck. She’s older than I am,” I joke, and that makes her giggle.
I drop to my knees and place my hands on her hips, pulling her closer to the edge of her seat. Her hands rest on my shoulders.
“I love you, Valerie. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. I can’t live without you and our child. Please, don’t throw everything away over this. I don’t want her. I didn’t want to kiss her. All I wanted was to fire her because she wasn’t you. I don’t need anything but you.” I rest my forehead against hers, and when I feel her start to waiver, I press my mouth to hers, kissing her softly.
Every second that passes, the fight in her gets weaker and weaker until she’s kissing me back with everything she has. Her hands push my jacket over my shoulders as she pulls me up onto her lounge chair. I settle between her legs and grind my hips against her. Her breathing is heavy and loud. It makes me want to slide into her, but her brother’s back porch isn’t the right place.
I break our kiss. “Please, come home with me,” I beg.
She nods. “Okay.”
I stand and pull her up with me. I lead her back through the house, toward the front door. Bennet and Maddie come to a stop in the foyer.
“Everything better?” Maddie asks, leaning against Bennet’s side.
I smile, and she nods.
“You fired her, right?” Bennet asks.
I laugh. “Oh yeah.” I tug Val toward the door. “We’ll see you guys later.”
We get inside my car, leaving hers here for the night, but before I can twist the key to start the car, Val is crawling onto my lap, forcing me to slide the seat back to make room for her growing belly.
“What are you doing?” I ask around a laugh.
“I can’t wait until we’re home. I need you inside me now.” Her hands are working quickly to free me from my jeans.
“Val, we’re in your brother’s very lit-up driveway,” I point out, but a second later, she’s lowering herself onto my dick.
We both let out a relieved moan, and I can no longer hold back. I lean my seat back and place my hands on her hips as I buck up into her. She places her hands flat on my chest as she rides me back and forth, up and down.
My phone chimes from the center console and I glance at it in the darkness. It’s a text from Bennet.
Are you two fucking in my driveway?!
I want to laugh, but she rolls her hips and tightens her muscles at the same time. My release builds, and her moans grow louder and louder. The next thing I know, we’re both falling together.
When she takes her seat and I put myself back into my pants, I pick up my phone and send a text back.
Sorry about that.
I drop the phone back into the cup holder and start the car, taking us home.
25
Valerie
TWO MONTHS LATER…
* * *
“Callan, wake up!” I shake him awake when another pain rips through me.
“What? I don’t want to go to the gas station again. Did you eat all those Slim Jim’s already?” he mumbles, not bothering to open his eyes.
“No, Callan. I think I’m in labor,” I cry out, holding my stomach
He pops up. “What? You’re in labor?” He rolls out of bed and rushes to turn on the light.
I’m completely naked, wrapped in a sheet. “I think so. I’ve been getting these cramps every ten minutes, and they’re getting more painful each time.”
“Are you sure or is it like last time when you got a stomachache from topping your hot fudge sundae with spicy beef jerky?”
I roll my eyes. “I didn’t eat that this time.”
“You ate those Slim Jim’s,” he points out.
I shake my head. “I didn’t eat them either. See?” I reach over and grab the six Slim Jim’s off the bedside table. Only one is open, and I only took a bite out of it.
“You woke me up and made me go out and buy Slim Jim’s, and you didn’t even eat them?”
“Focus! I’m in labor!” I motion toward my stomach.
“Okay, well, the doctor said not to go to the hospital until your contractions are five minutes apart. So, do you want to try a warm bath first?”
I nod as I push the blankets away. He rushes around the bed to help me stand. He walks me to the bathroom and sits me down on the edge while he fills the tub. Another contraction hits me, and I double over, crying out in pain.
He rubs my back, but it’s clear that he’s freaked out. A sound fills my ears that sounds like a water balloon hit the floor.
“What’s that?” he asks with a confused look on his face.
“I think my water broke. We have to go now. No bath.” I stand, and he turns off the water. “Help me get dressed.”
He helps me into a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. I slide my feet into a pair of flip flops and he quickly pulls on clothes and grabs my bag. We’re halfway down the stairs when another contraction hits me and causes me to sit down.
I hang onto the railing of the stairs and he rubs my back, waiting it out with me. When the pain ends, he helps me stand and get to the car.
I sit in the front seat and he jumps behind the wheel. He drives like a crazy person to the hospital, calling everyone on the way.
“We’re on our way to the hospital,” he tells Bennet over the phone.
“Okay, we’re on our way,” Bennet mumbles, clearly still mostly asleep.
“Slow down!” I yell when he has to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of us.
“These slow-ass people need to move!” he yells back, laying on the horn.
“We have time. It’s our first baby. First-time labor typically takes longer. Calm down. It’ll be fine,” I tell him.
He laughs. “I think we h
ave the roles reversed here.”
“Oh, really? You want to have this baby?” I ask, pointing at my stomach.
He doesn’t reply. Instead, he checks his mirrors and steers us off the interstate.
We make it to the hospital twenty minutes after we left the house and we’re immediately given a room and a gown to change into. Callan helps me get changed and laid down in bed. Moments later, a nurse is at my side, hooking me up to machines and pulling on gloves to see how dilated I am.
“How far apart are your contractions?”
I look at Callan because I’m in too much pain to talk.
“Ugh, I guess about five to seven minutes apart. Her water broke. I do know that,” he says matter of factly.
“Okay, wow. Let’s see how dilated you are.” She slides her hand under the blanket. “It looks like you’re fully dilated. We’re going to move you into a birthing room.” She pulls off her glove and leaves us alone.
Callan bends forward, running his hands through his hair and breathing hard. “This is it. This is when I become a daddy. Oh my God. I’m going to have a child!” He jumps up from his chair and starts to pace back and forth.
I’d laugh if I weren’t in so much pain.
He’s walking back and forth, mumbling something that sounds like a pep talk—all the while, he’s breathing so hard it sounds as if he’s panting. He stops walking, and his facial expressions change from one of panic to one of confusion. Suddenly, he goes down.
“Oh my God! Callan!” I yell, trying to sit up.
A nurse comes running back into the room, and she drops to her knees at his side. She checks his pulse, then shines a light into his eyes. Finally, he comes to.
“Are you okay?” she asks, looking down at him.
He nods. “What happened?”
“You passed out. Stay where you are until you no longer feel dizzy,” she says when he starts trying to sit up.
“I’m fine,” he tells her, pushing himself to his feet. He reaches out and holds my hand.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
He nods. “I’m sorry. I’m fine,” he assures me, but he looks like he has a headache or something maybe. His forehead is wrinkled, and his eyes are bloodshot.
Callan sits on the edge of the bed until a group of nurses come to wheel me into delivery.
It doesn’t seem to take long before I’m in a crowded room with my legs pulled up. I’m being told to push over and over. I’m drenched in sweat. I’m tired and in pain. Every part of my body feels weak and drained.
“Okay, let’s rest for a minute,” the doctor says, and I relax into the bed to catch my breath.
“Put the oxygen mask on her,” he orders. “You have to remember to breathe,” he says, leaning over me while two nurses pull a mask onto my face.
“Doctor, her blood pressure is going up, and her oxygen is low. If she doesn’t deliver this baby soon…”
“How’s the baby looking?” he asks, wiping the sweat off her brow with his arm.
“The baby’s heart rate is starting to fall.”
Their words only make my heart race harder.
He looks at his watch. “We’ve been at this for hours. Let’s move her into a surgery suite and perform a C-section.”
“What?” I yell, grabbing ahold of Callan.
Callan leaps up. “What? Why? What’s going on?”
“The long labor is wearing out both Valerie and the baby. It’s too strenuous. The best option is to get the baby out now before she goes into cardiac arrest. Everything will be fine. A nurse will bring you into the room after you scrub down and change.”
Without another word, I’m being wheeled away from Callan.
Something gets shoved into my IV, and before I know it, I’m relaxed and calm. I’m in no pain as I stare up at the ceiling. Callan comes into view, and he holds my hand. Even though his face is covered with a mask, I can tell he’s smiling from the lines around his eyes. “Hey, how are you feeling?”
I smile. “I’m fine. How’s it going down there?” I ask, eyes flashing down to the sheet I can’t see past.
He leans back, gets a clear shot, and comes back. “Ugh, good?”
I want to laugh, but then I hear the baby cry.
“Congratulations, you have a baby girl,” the nurse says, peeking around the sheet.
“She’s here?” I ask Callan.
His smile is back in place, and he can’t take his eyes off her. “She’s beautiful, Val. She looks just like you,” he whispers, tears filling his eyes.
Moments later, they’re lying the baby on my chest. I can’t tear my eyes away from her dark head of hair, her sparkling blue eyes, her chubby cheeks, and pink skin. She has the sweetest cry and the softest skin.
“Do you have a name yet?” a nurse asks.
I look at Callan, and he looks at me. “Hannah Rose Gregory,” we both whisper with smiles.
On one hand, it seems to take forever to get cleaned up and get to our room, but on the other, it goes by in a flash. I’m lying in bed, holding baby Hannah on my chest when Maddie, Bennet, and my mom walk in.
Mom immediately comes over to steal her. She holds her close to her chest and sits down, counting her fingers and toes.
“She’s so beautiful,” Mom says.
“She really is perfect,” Maddie replies.
I’m so tired, it’s hard to hold my eyes open, but I offer a little smile. “When are you two having kids?” I ask, looking between Maddie and Bennet.
Maddie scrunches her nose. “Actually, we were just talking about taking another cruise for a couple of months.”
I laugh. “How does that have anything to do with having kids?”
She shrugs her shoulder. “Every time someone has a baby, we like to celebrate not having one,” she jokes.
I shake my head and look up at Callan. He leans down and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Get some rest, baby. You need it.”
Before he even gets his sentence out, my eyes are fluttering closed.
Because of the C-section, I’m stuck in the hospital for the next few days. But finally, we’re able to go home. Callan opens the door and helps me out before crawling into the backseat to get Hannah. He fights with the car seat for a good five minutes, but finally, she’s free.
“Got her?” I ask, walking toward the door.
“Yeah, this little latch thing got stuck,” he replies, following me into the house.
I sit on the couch, and he places the car seat on the coffee table in front of me. She’s sound asleep when he sits down. I lean my head against his shoulder, and he rests his head against mine. Neither of us can do anything but look at her, watch her sleep.
He chuckles. “She sleeps the same way you do.”
“How’s that?” I ask.
“You pooch your lips out like that too.”
I smack his chest. “What are we going to do with this little baby?” I ask. I still find myself scared when she cries.
He shrugs. “I have no idea. I have a feeling we’ll learn as she does. I mean, do any parents know what they’re doing? It’s all guesswork, trial and error.”
I smile. “I guess you’re right.”
I lean forward, wanting to take her out of the car seat to hold her, but he pulls my hands back. “You get some sleep for a little while. I’ll watch Hannah.”
“I’m not tired,” I argue.
“Then go take a shower and put on some clean clothes. Get something to eat. Let me bond with my little girl.”
I smile but stand and leave them alone. I walk into the kitchen and make a pot of regular coffee. Just the thought of caffeine gets me excited. The coffee pot quickly brews it, and I pour a cup, topping it off with cream and sugar. I exit the kitchen with my cup in hand, intending on going up to the bedroom to shower and change, but pause when I hear him talking to Hannah.
“You’re not going to be too tough on your dear old dad, are ya?” he asks her softly.
“You know, one of these days, Mom
my’s last name is going to be the same as ours. What do you think about that?”
I smile as I lean against the wall and listen in.
“As soon as we can get grandma to babysit, I’m going to steal Mommy away for a couple hours and marry her. Is that okay with you? I promise I’ll bring her back. I love you and Mommy so much, Hannah.”
I make my way up the stairs with my smile still in place.
Epilogue
Callan-Two Months Later
“I don’t know if I can leave her, Callan,” Val whines as she places Hannah in her car seat.
“She’ll be fine. It’s only for a couple of hours so we can get dinner.” I pick up the diaper bag and the car seat holding the baby.
Valerie pulls on her jacket and follows me to the door.
I place the car seat into the car and toss the diaper bag into the floorboard before climbing behind the wheel.
The drive to her mom’s house doesn’t take long but getting Val out of there without Hannah is another story. A good hour later, I pull her from the house and get her in the car. I climb behind the wheel and twist the key.
“You think she’ll be okay?” she asks.
“She’ll be fine, Valerie. Just relax. Breathe. Look around. It’s just you and me again. Remember this?” I joke, driving to the airport.
She doesn’t catch on until I’m parking the car. She looks around in a panic. “I thought we were going to dinner. What are we doing here?”
“I didn’t say where we were going for dinner,” I reply, stepping out of the car.
She jumps out and chases after me. “Callan, I have to be home tonight!”
My Boss’s Sister: Make Her Mine Series-Book 3 Page 17