by Lara Lacombe
“Is that—?” Max leaned forward, his expression rapt as he stared at the grainy images on the screen.
“The heartbeat, yes,” Dr. Fitzpatrick said. “Nice and strong.” He made a few notations on the screen, and a number popped up. “One hundred fifty beats per minute—that’s perfect.”
Molly smiled, the last of the tension draining from her body. She’d been fairly certain the baby was okay, but it felt good to have it confirmed for sure.
“You’ve got a wiggle worm in here,” Dr. Fitzpatrick commented, moving the wand over her belly. “Lots of movement.”
“Is that okay?” Max’s voice was closer now. Molly glanced over to find him standing by the bed now, his seat abandoned.
“Oh, yes. We like to see that,” the doctor replied.
“Is there any way you can tell if it’s a boy or a girl?” Molly asked. “I was supposed to find out today.”
“I can try,” the doctor answered. “Let’s see if this little one will cooperate.” He moved the wand around, showing them arms, legs, hands and feet. “That’s the heart,” he said. “Here’s the stomach.”
Molly felt Max grab her hand, but she was too fascinated by the images on the screen to look at him. “Here are the baby’s kidneys, and this little dark spot is the amniotic fluid in the stomach.”
“The fluid is inside the baby?” Max sounded confused and a little worried.
Dr. Fitzpatrick nodded. “At this stage, babies are practicing their swallowing skills. They swallow the amniotic fluid, which helps their gut to develop.”
“My God,” Max murmured, clearly amazed.
“Here’s the brain—all the bits are there,” the doctor continued. “And now let me try...yep, there we go.” He clicked something, freezing the picture on the screen. “There’s your answer.”
“Okay,” Max said slowly. “Can you help me out a little here? What are we looking at?”
“It’s more a matter of what you’re not looking at,” the doctor explained.
“It’s a girl,” Molly said softly. She glanced at Dr. Fitzpatrick for confirmation. “Right?”
He nodded, seeming pleased she had figured it out. “Yes, indeed. You’re having a baby girl.”
A surge of emotion surged through Molly, making her eyes well up with tears. She hadn’t thought it was possible to feel more love for the baby in her womb, but in that moment, her heart seemed to grow even larger. “A girl,” she whispered, barely able to speak past her happiness.
She glanced up at Max, hoping to share some of the joy of this moment with him. He was as pale as a ghost, his wide eyes fixed on the screen. “A girl,” he said a little hoarsely.
Dr. Fitzpatrick smiled. “Congratulations,” he murmured. “I have two daughters myself. I can confirm girls are a lot of fun.”
Max nodded mechanically, but Molly could tell he wasn’t really hearing the doctor. “A girl,” he repeated to himself.
The doctor eyed Max, then turned to Molly with an amused look. “It seems the news comes as a bit of a shock.”
“In more ways than one.” Molly sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with the sheet. “But he’ll adjust.” And if he didn’t? She’d have no problem showing him the door.
She leaned back against the pillow, a dreamy smile on her face as the doctor wiped the gel off her belly.
“Everything looks good to me,” Dr. Fitzpatrick said. “Follow up with your regular doctor in a couple of days, but I see nothing to worry about. Congratulations to you both.”
“Thank you,” Molly said, unable to contain her grin.
“Thanks,” Max echoed woodenly.
Dr. Fitzpatrick wheeled the ultrasound machine out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind him, Max sank back into the chair. He looked positively shell-shocked, staring off into space though clearly seeing nothing.
Molly studied him a moment, trying to give him a little time to process the news. “What do you think?”
“Hmm?” he said absently.
“I asked you what you think,” she repeated, not bothering to keep the edge from her tone. “You don’t seem happy about the news the baby is a girl.”
Max shook his head. “No, it’s not that. It’s just...” He trailed off, still staring into space. “I haven’t thought about kids in a long time—not since the early days of my marriage. And even then, when I did think about them, it never occurred to me I might have a girl.”
It seemed her earlier fears had been correct. Max wasn’t interested in children. And now that they knew the sex of the baby, he could use that as another excuse to walk away.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” she choked out. Tears filled her eyes again, but in sorrow this time.
“I didn’t say I was disappointed,” he said quietly. “Just surprised.” He rose and began to pace. “Can’t you give me a little time to process this? You’ve known about the baby for five months—I only found out hours ago.”
Anger bubbled up in Molly’s chest. “And whose fault is that?” she snapped. “I called several times, trying to find out when you’d be back so I could tell you in person.”
“I know,” he said weakly.
“I get that you’re shocked, but don’t act like I tried to keep this a secret from you.”
“I know,” he repeated. His shoulders rose and fell as he let out a long sigh. “And I’m sorry I didn’t respond—I truly am. But are you ever going to forgive me for that? Or are you going to stay mad forever?”
His question took some of the wind out of her sails. She was forced to admit he had a point, though that didn’t mean she was ready to let go of her hurt and anger quite yet. Still, if they were going to move forward, they would have to find a way to forgive each other for these misunderstandings.
It was the least their daughter deserved.
“I’m not going to continue to punish you,” she said finally. “But I spent the last five months feeling used and disposable. It’s going to take me a little time to get over that.”
Max nodded. “I’m sorry I made you feel that way.” He walked back over to the side of her bed. “If I had known...” He shook his head. “Well, we can’t change the past. So I’ll make a deal with you—I’ll be patient with you if you can be patient with me.”
That sounded reasonable. “I can do that.” It would be hard not to think the worst whenever Max didn’t appear excited or interested in baby stuff, but she’d just have to remind herself he was still adjusting to the thought of fatherhood. He’d probably never imagined having a child like this. She couldn’t really blame him for his reaction—she wasn’t exactly thrilled about having a baby with a man who didn’t even live in the same town, but like Max had said, she couldn’t change the past.
His light green eyes warmed as he stared down at her. “Thanks,” he said simply.
“It’s only fair,” she replied.
He was quiet a moment. “So,” he began, “how are you feeling? Are you getting morning sickness or anything?”
Molly shook her head. “Not anymore. It was a bit rough at first, but I started feeling better a few weeks ago.”
“That’s good,” he said. He glanced at her belly, clearly trying to think of something to say. “Can you feel it—uh, her,” he corrected immediately, his cheeks turning pink. “Can you feel her move yet?”
Molly nodded, smiling as the baby shifted inside her. “She’s actually moving now. Do you want to try to feel her?”
“Really?” A note of hope was plain in his tone.
“Really.” Molly took his hand and placed it on her lower belly. “Push in a little,” she instructed. Max did as she said, and a few seconds later the baby kicked. “Did you feel that?”
She realized as soon as she saw his face the question had been unnecessary. Max looked both awed and surprised, his eyes shining with wonder.
; “That was really strong!” He sounded delighted. His obvious excitement helped smooth the edges of Molly’s hurt emotions, and she felt herself softening toward him.
“Is it always like that?” he asked.
Molly shook her head. “Not yet. It mostly feels like flutters when she moves. But my doctor told me as she gets bigger and starts to run out of room, I’ll feel her movements a lot more.”
“That’s amazing,” he said. “Does it seem strange, or are you used to it by now?”
He seemed genuinely curious, which was another point in his favor. Molly let her guard drop another inch...
“At first it was kind of weird,” she confessed, smiling a bit at the memory. “I wasn’t used to sharing my body like that, you know?”
He nodded, then laughed. “Actually, I don’t know. But I can imagine.”
“I’ve gotten used to it. But there are still days when I feel like she’s taking over.”
“When is she due?”
“September 25,” she replied. “At least, that’s the hope. My OB told me first babies don’t always cooperate.”
“Let’s hope this one will.”
“This one will what?”
The new voice in the room made Molly jump. Both she and Max looked at the door to find Blaine standing just inside the room. “Sorry,” he said, a bit sheepishly. “I did knock.”
His gaze zeroed in on Max’s hand, still on her belly. Blaine’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Max, then at her.
Max jerked his hand away. He was clearly flustered, but he covered it by walking over to Blaine. “Good to see you, man.”
“You, too.” The pair engaged in the standard male one-armed embrace/chest bump ritual. “You okay?” Blaine said, nodding at Max’s sling.
“Just a little strain,” he answered. “No big deal. What about you?” Max jerked his chin at the bruise darkening the side of Blaine’s face.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Got tossed around a bit in the avalanche, but all’s well that ends well.”
Blaine turned to Molly. “What about you?” He walked over to the bed, peering at her head. “Looks like you’ve got a nasty bruise there.”
Molly reached up to gingerly touch her forehead. In truth, she’d forgotten about the bump in the wake of the ultrasound. “I think it looks worse than it is,” she said, though in truth, it would probably hurt more tomorrow.
“I’m glad you’re both okay,” Blaine said. “I was worried.”
“So were we,” Max said drily. “But the rescuers were absolute pros.”
“Was anyone else hurt?” Molly asked. Since they’d been brought straight to the hospital, she hadn’t gotten an up-close view of the aftermath of the avalanche. Even though it hadn’t looked like there had been much property damage, it was possible skiers and snowboarders had been caught up in the wall of snow and ice.
“From what I’ve heard, the injuries aren’t too serious,” Blaine said. “Josh and Tilda are okay. Josh and I actually got caught up in it—we had quite a ride down the mountain.”
“My God,” Molly gasped. “That sounds terrifying.”
“Oh, yeah,” Blaine confirmed. “Fortunately, Josh had a transponder on his jacket, so the rescuers knew right where to find us. We’re both a little bruised, but nothing bad.” He clenched and unclenched his hand, wincing a bit. “Somehow I managed to keep hold of him the whole way down.”
Molly smiled. “Sounds like those paternal instincts took over.”
“And a good thing, too,” Blaine said. “I just got him. I’m not about to lose him now.”
“Is there a lot of property damage?” Max asked.
Blaine shook his head. “I don’t think so. Overall, we got really lucky with this one.”
“That’s good,” Molly said. “Is the road to The Lodge clear? Or are guests stranded up there?”
“They’re stuck for now,” Blaine replied. “But the crews estimate they’ll have the roads clear again by tomorrow morning.”
Molly nodded. “I’ll call my staff and ask them to do an extra check on the guests. Do you know if there’s enough food on site to accommodate everyone?”
Blaine and Max exchanged a look. “I don’t know,” Blaine replied. “And I don’t think you need to worry about it right now.”
“I have to do my job,” she protested.
Max piped up. “Or maybe you could let the people who weren’t trapped on a gondola for the last six hours take care of things while you focus on resting.”
“That sounds like a good idea to me,” Blaine said, nodding emphatically.
Molly glanced from one man to the other. “You don’t have to gang up on me,” she muttered.
“Mols, everyone at work knows you were stuck on that gondola,” Blaine said. “No one is expecting to hear from you right now. In fact, the world won’t stop turning if you take a couple of days off.”
“I don’t know,” she said doubtfully.
“It’ll be good for you,” Blaine pressed. “You might feel fine now, but a scare like the one you had can come back to bite you later. I know I’m going to take a little time off to keep an eye on Josh.”
“He’s right,” Max confirmed.
“Besides, I’m sure the rest of the family would appreciate it if you stayed at sea level for a little bit. Where is Mason, anyway?” he asked. “I figured your brother would be here to check on you.”
“He, ah, doesn’t know I’m here,” Molly said. “I didn’t tell my family I was trapped in the gondola.”
Blaine raised one eyebrow. “Why not?”
“I didn’t want to worry them.” It had seemed like a good idea earlier, but in the face of Blaine’s scrutiny, Molly wondered if she’d made the right decision.
“I see.” Blaine shrugged. “Well, the cat’s out of the bag now. The media was all over the rescue effort, and it’s only a matter of time until your names are released to the press. You might want to give your brother a heads-up before he hears it on the television.”
“I will,” Molly said. But just the thought of talking to Mason right now was exhausting. She knew her family deserved to know the details of her ordeal, but she simply wasn’t up to dealing with their reactions. Maybe she could send out a reassuring text and call them in the morning, after she’d had some sleep...
“You look tired,” Blaine said, not unkindly. “I’m going to step out and make a few phone calls, get this guy a place to stay. Then I’ll come back, and after you’re released, I’ll take you home.”
“I can get a cab,” she protested, but Blaine shook his head.
“This isn’t a debate,” he said. “I’m not going to let my cousin take a cab home from the hospital.”
“But I don’t know when I’ll be getting released,” she protested. “You can’t stay here all night—Joshua and Tilda need you,” she said, referring to her cousin’s son and girlfriend. Blaine had recently reconnected with Tilda, his high school sweetheart and the mother of the son he hadn’t known he had. Molly knew they were all trying to make up for lost time, and she hated to be the reason Blaine wasn’t with his family tonight.
“It’s fine,” he said. “They’ll both understand. Who do you think sent me here after we learned you’d been in the gondola all afternoon? Tilda wants me to make sure you’re okay. No more arguments,” he said, just as she opened her mouth again.
Molly finally nodded, recognizing she wasn’t going to win this one. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
“Of course,” Blaine replied. He looked at Max. “Let’s get you squared away.”
Some unspoken communication passed between the two men. Max nodded his head, a hint of wariness in his eyes. “Sounds good,” he said. He turned to Molly. “I hope you get some rest tonight.”
“Thank you.” Disappointment welled up inside her chest, but she quickly quashed it. Of
course Max couldn’t acknowledge the nature of their connection in front of Blaine—no one knew they had been seeing each other. “Maybe I’ll see you at The Lodge before your stay is over.”
“I hope so,” he said. She could tell by the look in his eyes he wanted to say more, but Max settled for a nod before turning and following Blaine out of the room.
Molly leaned back against the thin hospital pillow with a sigh. A few moments ago she’d been hopeful about the future. But if Max couldn’t bring himself to share their relationship in front of Blaine—a fellow veteran and friend—would he ever be able to go public with the news?
She rested her hand on her belly. “We’ve got a long road ahead of us, little one,” she whispered. “But no matter what, I will always be here for you.”
* * *
Max braced himself, certain Blaine would fire at him with both barrels once they were away from Molly. But his friend merely led him down the hall to a cluster of chairs, a makeshift waiting room of sorts.
Blaine took one seat, pulling his phone from his pocket as he did. Max took a seat nearby, feeling a bit on edge.
“We need to find you a hotel, buddy,” Blaine said. He tapped on his phone screen as he spoke, apparently gathering information. “There’s a B and B not far from here, or you can stay at the discount motel chain for the night.”
“There’s really no way up the mountain tonight?”
Blaine shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Don’t worry—The Lodge will comp your stay. It’s the least we can do, given what happened today.”
A spike of worry needled Max. “I don’t mean to be a diva, but I can’t stay in town. I need to get back up the mountain sooner rather than later.”
“Furbert came with you?” Blaine asked, correctly guessing the reason for Max’s sense of urgency.
“Yes.” And although Max had been sure to leave out food and water, the dog would need to be let out before morning.
“Does he do okay with strangers? Because I can have one of our people check on him.”
“That should work,” Max said. He rattled off a few of the commands Furbert was used to hearing, to make it easier on the staffer who checked on him.