by Force, Marie
Lucas spoke calmly to Megan, telling her what he needed her to do on the next contraction.
“Hunter.”
He heard his wife say his name. He understood that she wanted him to come to her. He couldn’t move or breathe or think over fear so massive, it had overtaken every cell in his body. What if something went wrong and they were in a goddamned diner rather than a fucking hospital like they were supposed to be?
“Hunter!”
“Go, son,” Elmer said. “Your wife needs you.”
Hunter looked to his grandfather, the wisest man he knew. “What if…”
“Go.”
Elmer gave him a push that propelled him toward Megan, on a gurney, in the diner. The paramedics had cleared out tables and chairs to make room for them to work.
Megan reached for him, her hand digging into his arm like a claw. “Stop freaking out.”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“My brother has his face in your hoo-ha. What do I have to freak out about?”
“My eyes are closed,” Lucas said.
“Open your goddamned eyes,” Megan cried.
“Do not open your goddamned eyes,” Hunter said.
“I’m going to kill you if you don’t shut up, Hunter,” his lovely wife said.
“You might want to listen to the lady, bro,” Lucas said. “She’s the boss here.”
Hunter was going to kill him, the first chance he got after the baby had been safely delivered, of course.
“Okay, Megan, it’s about to get real,” Lucas said. “On the next contraction, I want you to push as hard as you can and hold it for as long as you can, all right?”
“Yeah.”
“Hunter, get behind her and support her back and shoulders.” He directed the other firefighters to hold her legs open.
Hunter’s head was about to explode at the thought of her on display for all these men they didn’t even know—and one they knew all too well.
“Hunter!” Lucas’s sharp tone snapped him out of his panic, and he moved into position behind his wife.
Right now, she was the only thing that mattered, as well as the baby they were so excited to welcome. He couldn’t believe it was about to happen. Finally. He just wished it had gone according to plan and they were in a freaking hospital. “Lucas.”
“It’s fine, Hunter. She’s doing great. Babies are born every day in places other than hospitals.”
Hunter clung to his brother’s assurances with everything he had. If anything happened to her or the baby… The possibility of that was enough to suck him down so deep, he’d never resurface. He shook off those thoughts so he could focus on his beloved wife. “You’re doing great, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.”
“I’m scared.”
“What the hell is going on?”
Hunter turned toward the kitchen, where their longtime cook and friend Butch was standing in the doorway, staring at the goings-on with big eyes.
“The baby’s coming,” Hunter told him.
“Here?”
“Right here, and right now,” Lucas said. “Come on, Megan. Give me a big push. Hard as you can.”
She pushed while Hunter held her and comforted her as best he could while she shrieked from the pain of labor with nothing to take the edge off. He hated that she was suffering.
“You’re doing great, Meg,” Lucas said between severe contractions. “You’re almost there.” He gestured for one of the other firefighters to come closer to him and whispered something to him.
The guy took off out of the diner.
“What’s wrong?” Hunter asked his brother.
“Nothing. It’s all good.”
Megan was whimpering through the start of another contraction that quickly intensified, requiring everyone’s full attention. She pushed so hard, screaming the entire time, but the baby still didn’t come. A half hour later, the firefighter who’d left returned with a woman Hunter recognized from their doctor’s practice.
She quickly moved into position with Lucas between Megan’s legs, where the two of them whispered about something that had Hunter’s blood pressure spiking into the danger zone.
“Is she all right?” he asked.
“Everything looks good,” the doctor said. “But let’s get this baby out on the next contraction.”
Megan pushed harder than she had yet, her screams breaking Hunter’s heart.
As he held her up through the worst contraction yet, he hated that she was in so much pain, that nothing had gone according to plan.
“That’s it,” Lucas said. “The baby’s coming, Megan. Keep pushing.”
After the longest minute of his life, Hunter saw the baby land in his brother’s hands, slimy and red and beautiful.
“It’s a boy,” Lucas said. “Congratulations, Mom and Dad.”
“Oh my God,” Megan said between sobs. “It’s a boy.”
Hunter was so overcome with emotion he couldn’t speak around the massive lump in his throat. They had a son.
“What’s his name?” Lucas asked as he stepped aside to let the doctor tend to Megan, while he and the other paramedic took care of the baby.
“Carson,” Hunter said softly. “Carson Elmer Abbott.”
“I love that,” Lucas said. “And it starts with a C. Mom and Dad will like that.”
All his parents’ grandchildren had names that began with a C or an S.
Hunter and Megan had considered many C and S names before they’d landed on Carson, which was also Megan’s maternal grandmother’s maiden name.
“Is the baby okay?” Megan asked. “Why is he so quiet?”
“He’s perfect,” the other paramedic said as she handed the baby to Megan.
Hunter’s eyes were so full of tears, he could barely see the tiny little face with the big eyes that stared up at the two people who’d love him more than anyone else. He’d read that babies couldn’t see much of anything at first, but Hunter hoped his son knew how very much they loved him.
“Look at him,” Megan whispered, sounding equally awestruck. “He’s so beautiful.”
“He looks just like his gorgeous mother,” Hunter said.
“No, he looks like you. Elmer, come see him. Tell us who he looks like.”
Hunter had almost forgotten his grandfather was there.
Elmer came for a closer look at his newest great-grandchild. “I agree with Megan. He’s you all over again, Hunter.”
“Poor kid,” Lucas said with a chuckle.
Hunter ignored his brother and the predictable comment to focus on his family. He had a family.
“Are we transporting, Doc?” Lucas asked.
“I don’t think we need to. Both mom and baby are in great shape. I think they could safely go home. I’d be happy to stop by and check on you later.”
“What do you think, sweetheart?” Hunter asked his wife. “Should we take our son home?”
“Absolutely.”
Chapter Fifteen
“The heart was made to be broken.”
—Oscar Wilde
Before he drove across the street to the inn, Noah stayed outside the diner until he heard that Megan and her newborn son were okay. While he’d waited for word about the delivery, he’d eaten his breakfast and kept the sandwich he’d bought for Brianna warm by putting the bag on top of the heating vent on the dashboard of his truck.
At the inn, his entire crew was already there and working, as was Brianna in her cute white hard hat and the Carhartt coat that hid all her most delicious curves.
But he knew they were there.
He handed the sandwich labeled “no bacon” to her along with a coffee.
“Thank you,” she said. “What’s going on across the street?”
“My cousin and his wife just had their baby.”
Brianna’s eyes bugged. “In the diner?”
“Yep. Her labor came on fast, and by the time the paramedics arrived, it was already too late. The baby was
coming.”
“I can’t believe that’s even possible. How does anyone have a baby knowing that can happen?”
“Judging from the way my cousin came unglued, I suspect they had no clue it could happen that way. But all’s well that ends well. Baby Carson Elmer Abbott has arrived.”
“I love that name.”
“All the Abbott grandchildren have C or S names.”
“Your family sure does keep things interesting.”
“I guess we do. Stuff like this is so ‘normal’ for us that I barely notice it.”
“Stuff like having a baby in a diner?”
Noah smiled at her retort. “Well, not that specifically, but it’s always something between the Abbotts and Colemans.”
“You’re lucky. That sounds fun, even when babies arrive at diners.”
“It’s pretty fun, for the most part.”
“Noah,” Carlo called to him. “Electricians are here.”
“Duty calls,” he said to Brianna.
“Thanks for breakfast.”
“My pleasure.” He left her with a smile and went to supervise the electricians. As he worked, he thought of the advice his sister had given him to be a friend to Brianna, to be there for her, to show her he was worth taking a risk on.
And did he want that? Did he want her taking a risk on him?
Yeah, he did. He was sick of being a grumpy asshole loner. He was tired of his own company, of lonely nights and endless weekends spent alone. Being with her the other night had shown him something much better, and he wanted more of that feeling—and of her.
As he worked with the electricians and answered a million questions, he kept half an eye on the sexy architect who had him so captivated. Maybe he’d been better off when they’d been fighting all the time. Allowing himself to get caught up in a woman again opened him to all the things that went with it, up to and including heartbreak.
But he had a good feeling about Brianna. She certainly understood heartbreak, and he couldn’t imagine her hurting someone the way she had been. But then again, Noah hadn’t expected his wife to devastate him the way she had.
If you’d asked him before that dreadful day when he’d caught Melinda with Miguel, he would’ve said she loved him as much as he loved her. They’d been happy together, or so he thought. Three years later, and hours upon hours spent rehashing every second, looking for clues that hadn’t been there, he still didn’t understand what had gone so wrong between them that she’d take up with his friend and employee.
Maybe Brianna was right, and it was better that their fling was a one-and-done. What business did he have wishing it could be more than that when he still couldn’t say how or why his marriage had reached the point where his wife would sleep with someone else? Shouldn’t he have the answer to that question before he started something new?
That thought stayed with him throughout the day as he worked alongside his team and the electricians and prepared for the next stages that would include plumbing, flooring and drywall. Keeping things moving, ensuring the workers had what they needed for each step and sticking to the schedule was his primary role.
He was finishing up with the electricians for the day when one of his men came to find him.
“There’s a guy here looking for Brianna. Seems kind of sketchy. Figured I should let you know.”
“Thanks, Mark. I saw her go upstairs about half an hour ago.” What did it say about him that he knew where she was at any given moment? That he was keeping tabs on her without even realizing it. “Will you run up and get her?”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Noah took off his work gloves and stashed them in his coat pockets as he walked toward the Elm Street entrance to the inn. Sure enough, a jittery young man was outside the door. “Help you?”
“I’m here for Brianna Esposito?”
The kid still had acne, and his nervous disposition put Noah on edge. “What’s your business with her?”
“I need to speak to her.”
“About what?”
“I’m afraid that’s none of your business.”
Noah was about to tell the guy to get lost when Brianna appeared beside him.
“You’re looking for me?” she asked.
The man thrust an envelope at her, giving her no choice but to take it or be knocked over by the force at which it came at her. “You’ve been served.”
As Noah reached for Brianna to stop her from falling backward, the man took off and jumped into a running car at the curb.
“What the hell?” she asked when she’d recovered her equilibrium.
“Someone is suing you.”
“Seriously?” She ripped the envelope open and quickly reviewed the documents inside, her expression conveying her growing horror. “Are you fucking kidding me? He is suing me for slander that ruined his reputation and made it impossible for him to gain meaningful employment after I went public calling him a sociopath.”
“Let’s go see my brother.”
She looked up at him, her eyes on fire with rage. “Your brother?”
“He’s a lawyer. He’ll know what you should do.”
“I, um, well… Okay.”
To Carlo, who was now lurking in the framed hallway behind them, Noah said, “Finish up here, and lock up for the night.”
“Will do. Everything okay?”
“It will be.” He’d make sure of it. There was no way that son of a bitch was going to get away with this. Grayson would know what to do. He always knew what to do. That was something Noah had counted on for most of his life.
He escorted Brianna to his truck and held the passenger door for her, mindful that their coworkers were watching. He couldn’t care less if their colleagues saw them leaving together in his truck. What would’ve been inconceivable this time last week was now as natural to him as breathing.
She was in trouble and needed help. He was going to help her. End of story.
* * *
That motherfucking son of a scum-sucking bitch! Brianna had never been more furious in her entire life. His audacity knew no bounds. He was suing her? After the hell he’d put her through.
“Talk to me,” Noah said as he drove them out of the downtown area, such as it was. “What’re you thinking?”
“How dare he come at me this way when he knows exactly what he did to me? He lied to me about everything. He practically bankrupted me by spending money like we were printing it and then sticking me with most of the debt while he was off having full-blown relationships with other women and telling me I was the only one he’d ever want or love.”
“Just tell Gray all that. He’ll figure this out.”
“I should call my lawyer in Boston.”
“Gray can do that, too. Between the two of them, they’ll figure this out. Try not to worry.”
“He’s suing me for four million dollars, Noah.”
“Fuck.”
“How can he do this to me after what he’s already done?”
Noah reached for her hand.
Brianna held on tight, thankful for his support. Four million dollars. If she sold everything she owned, she couldn’t raise a fraction of that.
“Try not to panic. You’re on the side of truth here, and that will count for something.”
“Except he has no relationship whatsoever with the truth. There’s only his perception of things and how he tries to gaslight everyone else into believing his side. It’s hard to understand how manipulative he is if you haven’t experienced it firsthand.”
“I assume you have proof of everything he did?”
“Every single fucking thing. I have receipts, videos, social media posts. You name it. I have it.”
“Then you’re going to be fine,” he said, sounding relieved to hear she had proof. “The truth might mean nothing to him, but it will to the courts. You’ve got the proof, Bri. That’s all you need. This is him trying to strike back because he knows you have everything you need to destroy him.”
&nb
sp; She loved the way her nickname sounded coming from him. “Maybe so, but it’s a nightmare that refuses to end. He won’t sign the divorce agreement, and now this. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever be free of him.”
“You will. It might take time, but you’ll get rid of him.”
“I hope you’re right, because I’m not sure how much more of his shit I can handle. Just when I start to feel like I’m moving on and recovering from it all, he does something else that starts it up again.”
Noah parked in the driveway of an adorable home that had once been a church. She couldn’t wait to see the inside of it.
“My brother is here, so that’s good news.” Noah turned to look at her, his gaze intense, concerned and deeply involved. That wasn’t supposed to have happened, but she couldn’t remember why, exactly. “Don’t let this take you backward. It’s a desperate move by a desperate man. In his fucked-up mind, he’s probably thinking he put a lot of effort into you. He’s making sure that investment pays off, even though he doesn’t have a chance in hell of winning any lawsuit against you.”
She took a deep breath and released it slowly, comforted by his words. “You’re right. That’s very true. He knows I’ve got him nailed. That’s why he’s refusing to sign the divorce agreement. Because he gets nothing, except the debt he ran up while we were married.”
“The lawsuit is a fundraising attempt that will fail, Bri. He doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”
His certainty filled her with a determination that she deeply appreciated. “No, he doesn’t.” She smiled. “Thank you for talking me off the ledge.”
“No problem. Let’s go see what Gray has to say about it.”
Brianna followed Noah up the driveway and into the mudroom, which he entered without knocking. They took off their boots and hung their coats on hooks. In the kitchen, they found Ray at the table with an adorable redheaded girl. They had mugs of hot chocolate and, judging by the smell, freshly baked cookies.
“Hey, Ray,” Noah said. “You remember Brianna.”
“I do,” Ray said. “Nice to see you again. This is my granddaughter, Simone. Simone, say hi to Noah’s friend Brianna.”
“Hi.” Simone raised the plate of cookies to offer them one. “Pop makes the best cookies.”