“She has some burns from the sauce, there is blistering on her chest and legs,” Ashton growled.
“Do you want me to bring in a different officer since pictures will need to be taken?” Silas asked, knowing how protective of Adalyn he was.
“I am not thrilled about it, but I would prefer it to be you. How long will it take for you to get the camera from the station?” he asked.
“I actually have it in my trunk. I can go grab it real fast, that way she can get dressed afterward,” Silas said, turning away quickly.
Ashton explained to Adalyn what was going on.
“Please don’t leave,” she told him.
“Not a chance in hell. He may be my best friend, but he is only allowed to do this because it is his job, and I don’t want anyone else to see you. It has to be a police officer to document the photos,” he explained.
There was a knock on the door. Ashton went to unlock it and was followed in by Silas.
“Can you help her to stand, so I can get a full body picture, then I will do the close-ups,” Silas told him.
Ashton helped Adalyn off the counter, so she could stand. “I will be right over here, baby,” Ashton told her as he stood off to the side, while Silas snapped the photos he needed.
“Go ahead and get dressed, sweet pea, then I will write up a statement. Since I was here and witnessed the whole thing, I don’t need to ask you any questions,” he explained. “Get her to the hospital so she can make sure my niece or nephew is alright,” he told Ashton. “Congrats again, sweet pea,” he told her as he kissed her forehead and left the bathroom.
Adalyn got dressed as quickly as she could, and they left the bathroom. They were greeted by a mixture of expressions: concern, excitement, happiness, anger.
“I am going to take her to the hospital to get checked out, she has some burns that I want her to get checked out,” Ashton explained, leaning down to kiss his mom on the cheek.
“Keep us updated,” his mom told him.
“I will,” he told her.
Ashton led Adalyn out of the restaurant just as Silas was placing the waitress in handcuffs. She was being arrested for assault.
They made it quickly to the hospital. Ashton had called on the way informing them of the situation. He was instructed to bring her in through the emergency room and let them know who they were.
As they pulled in, Ashton handed his keys to the valet, he didn’t want to hassle with trying to find parking.
“Hello, my name is Ashton Montgomery. This is my fiancée Adalyn James. I called on the way in here. She is pregnant and was burned while we were out at dinner,” Ashton explained to the nurse behind the desk.
“Let me just check her in real fast and then someone will come to get you,” she explained.
Ashton answered the questions the nurse asked because Adalyn was quietly crying at his side, more out of fear then the pain she was feeling.
“Adalyn James,” called a deep voice.
“She’s right here,” Ashton told him.
“Follow me please. We will triage you in the room,” he told her. Ashton followed behind her carrying her purse. “Only immediate family is allowed beyond this point,” he told Ashton over his shoulder.
“She is my fiancée, and I am going back there with her to make sure my child is safe, I don’t care what the hell you say,” Ashton told him without even blinking.
“You are not married, so it has to be her choice if she feels safe to answer questions with you in the same room,” the nurse told him flatly, not fazed by Ashton’s attitude.
“If you think I would hurt her for any reason, your just as fucked up as the person that did do this to her,” Ashton snarled at him.
“He is just doing his job, Ashton, be nice,” Adalyn told him, giving him a small smile. Ashton leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“Ashton has to be back there with me, so if you don’t let him, I will get upset,” she told the nurse simply.
He nodded his head in understanding and led them into the room where her exam would be. “Go ahead and have a seat so I can take your vitals before the doctor can see you.”
Adalyn sat as he requested, letting him take her vitals and answering his questions. Ashton told him about the incident at the restaurant while Adalyn changed into the gown.
When Adalyn returned, Ashton was sitting in a chair he had pulled up next to the bed and he was talking to the doctor that had come in.
“Hello, Miss James. I am Dr. Johnson; I am going to be doing your exam today. Could you please get on the bed, so I can look at the burns that your fiancée told me you received this evening,” she smiled as Adalyn climbed on the bed.
The doctor checked over the burns for a few minutes.
“I am going to put some ointment on the blisters. I don’t want an infection to set in. The burns are not terribly bad, but being pregnant, it is a concern. What did you say you were burned by?” she asked looking down at Adalyn.
“It was alfredo sauce,” Adalyn told her.
“That seems to be pretty bad burns for some sauce. You shouldn’t have heated it to that temperature,” she explained.
“We were at a restaurant. His ex-dropped my plate on me,” Adalyn explained, pointing toward Ashton.
“She was just a girl I dated for a little while, she wasn’t an ex of any sort,” Ashton clarified.
Dr. Johnson finished putting the ointment on the burns.
“I would like to get an ultrasound done, just to take a look to check and make sure the baby is alright. Would you be alright with that?” asked Dr. Johnson.
“That would make me feel better, but I know I am not that far along,” Adalyn told her.
“Well I will try and see what we can see,” Dr. Johnson told her as she wheeled the machine closer to the bed. “Go ahead and lay back, get comfy, the gel is going to be a little cold.”
Adalyn tried to lay back and relax, but it was difficult because she wasn’t sure what to expect.
The doctor put the gel on her stomach and began to move the wand, not saying anything. It went this way for several minutes.
“I would guess by the look of these images, you are about seven weeks pregnant, Miss James,” she said, pointing toward the screen. “Everything looks very good. Would you like to hear the heartbeat?”
“Yes!” they both said in unison.
They sat for a few minutes listening to the sound of the baby’s heartbeat. It sounded more like a washing machine than a heartbeat, but they loved it none the less.
“As far as these burns are concerned, I am going to send you home with some ointment. I also want you on bedrest for at least seventy-two hours and watch for bleeding. I think the baby is fine, but I would like you to rest for a few days just to be sure,” she told them.
Dr. Johnson handed Adalyn some printed ultrasound pictures as she was leaving the office.
“Make sure you set up your next visit on your way out,” she told Adalyn.
Adalyn stopped at the front desk to make a follow-up appointment. As she stood and talked to the girl at the desk about what the best time would be for her next schedule, she watched Ashton look through the ultrasound pictures he had taken from her. He had a look of amazement on his face.
“You will get a call the day before as a reminder of your appointment, but here is a card as well, Miss James,” the bubbly blonde told her.
“Thank you very much,” Adalyn told her as she turned away and began walking toward Ashton.
“Is everything alright?” she asked as she reached his side.
“Everything is totally fine, sweetheart,” he told her leaning down to place a kiss on her temple.
“You just look a little…well I don’t know,” she told him with a small smile.
“I am just amazed at the technology. I am amazed at the life growing inside you and being able to see it. I love you and I am so excited to have this child with you. I know you were concerned that it was too soon, but I know in my heart it i
sn’t. We are ready for this,” he told her with a heart-stopping smile on his face.
“Well it’s not like we can change our minds about it. There is a baby growing inside of me,” she teased him.
“Let’s go show my parents the pictures. My mom will be over the moon,” he told her as they began walking toward the exit of the building.
“So when are you going to officially tell your brother, since he was only in town for that clusterfuck of a dinner?” she giggled at the thought of his first impression of her.
“I have spoken to him a few times. He has been really busy with classes, but will be home at Thanksgiving and Christmas,” he told her.
“I am going to be huge by that point,” she realized, making a sour face.
“You will still be beautiful, now get your ass in the car and buckle up,” he told her swatting her ass, with a wink.
Nine
Adalyn stood in her bedroom with tears streaming down her cheeks. She was completely frustrated as she came to the conclusion, she could no longer wear her jeans she loved so much. They would not button.
“Are you ready, sweetheart?” Ashton asked as he walked into the bedroom.
“Not yet,” Adalyn cried.
“Why are you crying, baby? What happened?” he asked with concern.
Adalyn rolled her eyes and lifted her shirt to show him her unbuttoned pants. Ashton was not sure what to say because he didn’t understand what the issue was.
“I can’t button my pants!” she sobbed.
“You knew this was going to happen sooner or later. There is no reason to get upset, baby,” Ashton chuckled as he hugged her.
“I have every right to be upset, they are my favorite jeans, and I can’t wear them anymore. I have nothing to wear. I am going to be as big as a house by the time this pregnancy is over. I change my mind I don’t want to do this anymore,” she cried hysterically.
Ashton took a deep breath, making sure he didn’t show her how amused he actually was. This had been happening more frequently over the last few weeks since her first doctor’s appointment. Now that she was beginning to show, she was really…yeah just really. Ashton shook his head and kissed her temple, trying to console his anxiety filled fiancée. He wasn’t sure what to say, because lately she was…well a little over the top. He knew it was hormones, but wow.
“We can get you new clothes, sweetheart, this isn’t something to stress over. You are getting all worked up for no reason. Take a few deep breaths, everything will be fine,” he told her as he gently rubbed her back.
“These are my favorite jeans,” she sniffed, drying her cheeks of tears.
“They can still be your favorite jeans, you will just have to wear them after you have the baby,” he told her sweetly.
Ashton chuckled as he released her and walked over toward the closet. He browsed through her clothes for a minute and then brought out a pair of leggings with a matching top and ballet flats, that he knew was also one of her favorite outfits.
“Would this be alright to wear for today, then after lunch with my parents we can go shopping for some new clothes for you,” he asked her, hoping this wouldn’t bring on another crying fit.
Adalyn’s face lit up at the sight of the outfit, “this would be perfect, it is so comfortable. It’s so cute and it is one of my favorites, but I think you knew that” she said hugging him. “Thank you, baby.”
“You are welcome, sweetheart. I told you, I would spend the rest of my life making you happy and I meant that” he told her as he pulled into the space between his legs, wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned down and kissed the little baby bump had appeared and turned the love of his life into a madwoman recently, and silently prayed it would pass soon.
Adalyn leaned down and kissed Ashton, running her hands through his hair. She slowly ran kisses from his mouth down his neck, across his collarbone and up the other side of his neck. She nipped his ear between her teeth, then ran her tongue over the spot and sucked gently.
Ashton’s hands gripped her ass tightly and growled. “Babe, we need to go to my parents. You keep doing that and we won’t make it.”
“We have time,” she whispered in his ear as she continued trailing kisses all over his skin. She ran her hands under his shirt along his abs and ran them up, pulling his shirt up in the process, causing another growl to come from Ashton.
Before she knew what was happening, she was under him on the bed, where he had been seconds before. He pulled her jeans down her legs, peppering kisses along her leg as they went. “Now you don’t have to worry about those jeans,” he gave her a devilish grin. He kissed his way back up her leg and ran his hands under her shirt, just the way she had to him. Leaning down he gently kissed her stomach and ran his tongue up in between her breasts. He sucked one of her nipples into his mouth, gently biting down. Adalyn moaned and arched her back off the bed and further into his grasp. He latched onto her other breast, listening as another moan escaped.
Ashton quickly stood next to bed and removed the rest of his clothes as Adalyn watched him with eyes full of desire. That was one good thing about this pregnancy he realized, she always wanted more of him. He couldn’t get enough of her either, so it worked quite well for him. Pushing that thought away, he slowly climbed back on to the bed. Gently lowering himself over her, careful not to put his full weight on her, he kissed and sucked on the sensitive skin just under her ear. Adalyn wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, pulling him tightly to her. Ashton grinned against the skin of her neck, knowing what she wanted without telling him. In one smooth quick motion, he buried himself deep inside her, relishing in the moan that was ripped from her throat.
An hour and a half later, after several unanswered phone calls and texts, they were pulling up in front of his parents’ house. Adalyn was touching up her lip-gloss as they parked. That is when she saw it….a hickey. Ashton had marked her. Her eyes were the size of saucers as she continued to stare at herself in the small lit up mirror on the visor.
“Baby are you aware of what you did?” she asked as she pointed to the very noticeable dark mark on her neck.
“I cannot control what I do, when you start doing things, making us late for dinner,” he said with a wink, and that heart-stopping sexy as sin grin.
She knew damn well he used that grin to get out of trouble, but it was so damn sexy, she couldn’t help but giggle. That grin did things to her. It would be her downfall, and she was beginning to realize he was aware of the affect that grin had on her. She was so fucked!
Ashton felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, pulling it out, he chuckled, shaking his head.
“That was Ais, she said we need to stop doing whatever the hell it is we are doing and get our asses in the house.”
“We just got here,” Adalyn laughed, unbuckling her seat belt.
Ashton got out of the car and quickly walked around to her side of the car, opening her door.
Leaning down, he kissed the mark on her neck, proud of himself. “Let’s get inside before she comes out and drags me in by the ear,” he told her with a smirk.
“We’re here,” Ashton called as he entered the house, pulling Adalyn along with him by the hand.
“I was beginning to think that you were not going to show up, son,” Mrs. Montgomery told her as she leaned into hug him.
“You look absolutely beautiful, sweet girl,” she told Adalyn, hugging her.
“It was my fault we are late. I had a meltdown. I can’t fit into my jeans any longer,” she told the two important women in her life, as she pulled the shirt tight around her stomach so they could see the baby bump that was beginning to show.
“How exciting,” Aislyn squealed as she hugged Adalyn.
“Well I can understand how that can be upsetting for you,” Mrs. Montgomery told her with a wink.
“Now that they are finally here, we can eat,” Mr. Montgomery said, standing from his recliner.
“Of course, let’s eat before it gets cold,”
Mrs. Montgomery told everyone.
Everyone sat around the table, where they had meals as a family like this, for as long as Ashton could remember. He sat silently watching, as the family he loved so much, chatted with each other about the current events in their lives. He knew he was lucky to have the family he did, but sitting here watching them, just proved it even more. Ashton knew without a doubt, that he would do anything for the people that sat around this table.
As Mrs. Montgomery, Adalyn, and Aislyn finished cleaning up for dinner they talked about plans for a baby shower. Adalyn thought it was too early, but Mrs. Montgomery had told her it was never too early to start preparing for the baby’s arrival.
“We must go shopping. Ash can hang out with Dad and us girls can go shopping. What do you think?” Aislyn asked Adalyn hopefully.
“I am not sure if he will agree to that. He is still being overbearing since we haven’t heard anything about Andrew,” she told Aislyn quietly, not wanting Ashton to overhear.
“Oh come on Adalyn, we will be with you. It will be fun. Please!” she said, dragging out the last word really long like a child begging a parent for something.
“Fine! But you have to ask him,” Adalyn said, giving her overbearing soon to be sister-in-law a much-deserved eye roll and giggle.
“Ash, Mom wants to take Adalyn baby shopping, so you are going to stay here and hang out with Dad,” Aislyn told her now scowling brother.
“I already told Adalyn that I would take her shopping for new clothes,” he pouted.
“Yes, I am sure you did, but Mom wants to take her shopping for the baby, not for clothes,” Aislyn told him. She wasn’t backing down.
Ashton looked over to Adalyn who just shrugged her shoulders at Aislyn, knowing she was going to give in her fight. With his eyes closed, he took a deep breath, and slowly released it, listening while Aislyn rattled on about the importance of baby shopping for the baby.
“Will you shut up if I say yes,” Ashton growled.
“Yes,” Aislyn giggled, jumping up and down, clapping her hands like an excited teenager.
My Twist of Fate Page 11