Redemption Duet (Aces High MC - Cedar Falls Book 0)

by Christine Michelle

  “Soon. I haven’t made an appointment yet, because of the timing of everything else.”

  “Don’t do that. You take care of yourself and our baby above everything, you hear? There are plenty of people who can keep an eye on Brantley while you go to an appointment, and as long as you schedule it for a day I’m not with the firehouse, I’ll be there too.” He leaned in and kissed me on the lips then. “Make no mistake, I want to be there. I want to be there for everything.”

  I couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across my face. “That’s good because I want you to be there for everything,” I told him just before a little boy decided to climb into my lap.

  “I be der for tings?” Brantley asked looking worried.

  “You will always be there for things, lil’ man,” I answered.

  His smile rivaled my own then. “Good. Me likes tings.”

  Smoke chuckled at that. “Wonder what he’s actually thinking of?”

  “Who knows, but if I have anything to say about it, he’ll get everything he dreams of.”

  “You have everything to say about it now,” Smoke told me solemnly. I knew there was one thing I’d never be able to grant for Brantley. I couldn’t bring his parents back, but I could make sure Smoke and I did our best to stand in for them. It was my promise to them both.

  Chapter 19

  We spent the next two days together as a family. That was so weird to say in my head, let alone to experience. It was just Smoke, Brantley, and me. I wondered briefly if Smoke had threatened everyone, because even my brother stayed away. Leanne had worked some of her special brand of magic and got me in quickly to see her doctor. I will never, as long as I live, forget the look on Smoke’s face when we were able to hear the heartbeat.

  “That’s our baby,” he’d choked out on a breath so full of reverence and awe that it brought tears to my eyes faster than the heartbeat had.

  “Yeah,” was all I was able to manage to get out before the doctor was saying things that I just wasn’t hearing. He must have figured that out, because he stopped momentarily and just smiled at us while allowing us a few extra seconds to hear that precious sound. “It looks like you are measuring about 8 weeks along, and from what you’ve told us about your menstrual cycle I’d say that matches with your estimated due date just fine.”

  “She’s already two months along?” Smoke questioned, coming out of his shocked state. He turned to me then and just grinned. “I guess it’s a good thing we like each other, huh? That means we managed to get this done the very first time.”

  I choked on a laugh as I watched the doctor’s eyes round out in surprise. “Well, I’m going to give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins, and get the ladies to set you up with another appointment a month from now. We’ll be doing a couple tests then to check on your sugar levels and whatnot, so Amy will let you know what to do and what not to do prior to that appointment.”

  “Thank you,” I told him before glancing over at Nurse Amy whose eyes were laser-locked onto Smoke. Not that I blamed her, because he was a beautiful man, but I suddenly liked Amy a whole lot less.

  The doctor noticed my narrowed eyes and turned to see what I saw. He cleared his throat, and Amy seemed to come out of her Smoke-induced haze. She blushed, and then all but ran from the room to gather all the necessary information I would need.

  “Sorry about that,” my doctor mumbled, and Smoke – who hadn’t been paying a bit of attention to Nurse Amy – looked confused. “I’ll make sure it’s in your records that she doesn’t work with you anymore, if I need to.”

  I waved him off. “It’s fine. I can’t blame her really, I get lost looking at him too sometimes.”

  Understanding started dawning on Smoke then as he chuckled. “If it makes you uncomfortable, get someone else, honey. Though, you know you have nothing to worry about.”

  The doctor laughed at that. “That was just about as obvious as my nurse,” he stated with a chuckle. We both had to laugh at that even while a secret thrill fluttered my tummy, because the fact that Smoke hadn’t noticed the woman’s obvious attention was something I hadn’t experienced in my past. Being someone’s world felt amazing.

  Five days later I wasn’t feeling so amazing. I had caught some sort of bug and felt like death. Smoke had been on at the fire department for 24 hours after our doctor appointment to confirm the pregnancy. Then he was called away on club business that I believed involved his sister’s killers. It had to be that, because I didn’t think anything else could tear him away for that long. On day three I started with the sniffles and a sore throat that escalated pretty quickly into a full-blown cold, or possibly the flu. Then the vomiting started, just when I’d stopped having issues with morning sickness. I still managed to keep going despite how gross I felt inside and out. Finally though, I had to give up and call someone for help when I realized I didn’t have the strength to get up and make Brant breakfast.

  “Popwee, I maked you soups, you feelz better. K?”

  “What? Brant, no. You don’t make soup,” I muttered as I used the last of my reserves to text Leanne.

  Please help Brant, too sick.

  Sure, it was vague, but it was all I could manage, and then, sadly, I don’t remember anything after that text message went through and the phone dropped from my hands.

  My nose itched with the funny, sterile smell assaulting it. That was the first thing I noticed before hearing the voice that had apparently been speaking to me for some time. There was also the guitar being strummed in the background that made me wonder if I had left the television on, but I didn’t remember. That’s when panic set in, because I couldn’t remember leaving the TV on and now I worried for Brant. “No,” the word pushed through my lips on a puff of air, but I didn’t think it made an audible sound. The voice I’d been hearing was still a rough timbre against the side of my face, as if someone were lying next to me and whispering in my ear.

  “As soon as you’re better we’ll work out a date to go get it done. I’m not waiting anymore on what everyone else thinks is appropriate. Screw them! I already know everything I need to. You’re my woman, you’re carrying my baby, and we’re already a family so nothing else matters. We’ll just be making it official.”

  What in the world? I glanced to my right and Smoke was there, sitting in a chair beside the bed I was in, and he had his head lying on the bed beside my own. He had stopped talking when I turned my head to look at him and raised his hand up to gently push some of the hair out of my face that had been displaced with my movement. He smiled at me in such a tentative way that I wondered if he had been about to tell me that I was dying until I heard the scrape of something across the floor from the other side of the room. That’s when I actually looked around and finally realized I was in a hospital room and it was full of people.

  I reached up to push my own hair back in an attempt to smooth out the unkempt, slept on mess, but then it snagged on something and Smoke stopped me from tugging my hand away. He untangled the hair from the object and as he slid my hand back down the sparkle on my finger caught my attention. My eyes widened as the ring came into focus. I glanced around at everyone who all smiled at my reaction and then back to Smoke who sat waiting patiently for my reaction.

  “Brant?” I asked, forgetting the ring as it dawned on me that the little guy was not amongst the people in the room. My brother was here, as was Leanne, so who the hell had Brant? Panic set in and the machine to my left started beeping like crazy before a nurse came in to shut it off. Smoke was cooing to me. “Shh, calm down, honey. He’s fine.” It took a few minutes for his words to register. “He’s okay. He’s with Kent right now. He’s taking care of Bubba too, honey. They’re both fine. Leanne got there not long after your text.” He appeared to want to say more about that, but stopped himself on a slight growl.

  I looked around the room again finally registering that aside from Smoke, my brother, and Leanne there were others in the room too. Wren and his old lady were there along with
Ghost, who most definitely had better things to be doing than sitting in this room with me. Which made wonder how long I’d been here. “The baby?”

  “Just fine. They brought an ultrasound in, and we all got to see the heart beat and everything.” While I was a bit saddened that I hadn’t been able to see my little baby’s heart beat I couldn’t deny how happy I was to know that he or she was doing okay.

  “How long have I been here?”

  “Two days. Leanne was here with you until we got back. Everyone just stopped in to check on you at the perfect time though since you finally decided to stay awake.”

  I didn’t remember ever waking up before now. “I’m so sorry,” I stated as tears began to well in my eyes.

  “You couldn’t help getting sick,” he scoffed.

  “But Brant…”

  “Stop! You let Leanne know, and you did your best. Nobody is blaming you for anything. Brant was obviously worried about you, but he was fine. He just sat there with you until Leanne got there. He wasn’t harmed, and it’s not like you neglected him. You got sick and passed out. That is more my fault for leaving you with him so long with no help.”

  “Enough of that shit from both of you,” my brother called out as he put down the guitar he’d been holding. Apparently I hadn’t been delirious when I heard someone playing. “Neither of you are at fault. It is what it is. Shit happens, and then we get over it and move on. I’m glad you’re getting better, Sis. You had us all worried! Don’t ever do it again though!” He stood and came to the opposite side of the bed that Smoke was on and leaned in to give me a kiss on the forehead. “Maybe you should try to get up and get a shower sometime soon though, you stink!

  I weakly swatted at him for that comment as Smoke chuckled. He probably wasn’t wrong. I felt funky, and was sure all the sweating I’d done while the fever was raging through my body hadn’t done me any favors. It was then that Smoke stood too, and turned to everyone.

  “Chief is right, Poppy stinks!” Everyone laughed but me, because I was too busy being mortified and trying to hide my reddened face under a pillow. “I think maybe you should give us some time to get her cleaned up and back home, and then you can all stop in see her.”

  Leanne spoke then. “Don’t listen to these brutes, sweetie! You look fabulous even in your sweat-soaked state. I’ll be around to check in on you as soon as you’re back home, okay?” I nodded my head after lifting the pillow off of my face long enough for her to see. “I’m really happy to see you’re feeling better. You scared the daylights out of me when I showed up and saw Snake was pounding on the door.”

  “Snake?” I questioned. It was the first time I’d heard about him being there. “What do you mean Snake was pounding on the door?”

  As if he’d been summoned by the sound of his own name the door to my hospital room opened and the man himself walked in. He glanced over and smiled immediately. “Ah, she’s finally awake, I see.” He wasted no time in walking over to the side of the bed my brother had only vacated moments ago and then he leaned in to give me a kiss on my cheek. “Hey, sweet girl, how you feeling?” I heard a grumbly low-level growl coming from my other side indicating Smoke was not thrilled with Snake’s interaction with me. Snake just grinned over at him before leaning back.

  “I see you didn’t waste time moving on from Walker,” he stated. I glared at him, which caused him to raise his hands in mock surrender. “I’m not judging, you know that. I just didn’t realize you had gotten so serious so fast.”

  “Didn’t Walk tell you about his trip here last week?”

  Snake visibly bristled then. “No, he did not.” The man turned to get clarification from Smoke then. “He showed up in town?”

  Smoke nodded his head. “Confronted Poppy before I could make it there. Seemed pretty sure of himself that he was going to sweep in, apologize, and carry her home with him on the back of his bike.”

  Snake laughed at that. “No wonder he came back from his trip and sank into the bottom of a bottle.”

  “You knew about his trip, and no one sent a heads up?” Smoke chastised.

  “Nah, man. We knew he was going on a trip, only he was supposed to be headed south to see family in Tallahassee. Thought maybe his ma took a turn for the worse when he showed up drowning his sorrows.”

  “Is she not doing well?” I asked, genuinely concerned. After all, the man’s sins were not his mothers. She had only ever been kind to me.

  “Cancer’s back from what I hear. Though, I don’t hear much from directly these days since he seems to think he picked sides between you and him.”

  “I’m sorry,” I started to apologize to Snake for coming between him and his friend.

  He waved my apology off before I could fully make it though. “Nah, don’t you go worrying about that. I just did the right thing when he wouldn’t, and he’s mad about that. One day he’ll realize he’s mad at himself and not me.”

  “You came to my house and found me?” I finally asked after we sat in silence a moment.

  “I did. I had to run up here to help with support while the guys were out, and then I figured I’d stop in and let you know I was around if you needed anything, but no one answered the door even though I could hear the dog barking and a kid crying. I took a look in the window and saw you on the floor.” He put a hand over his chest rubbed where his heart was. “Took a year off my life to see that, at least.” Another growl came from just beyond my shoulder. Snake turned to look at Smoke then. “I know she’s your woman, I got that. She’s been my friend for a long damn time now though, so calm down with that growling bullshit. I’m not a threat. She’s never looked at me the way she does you. There’s not a damn thing for you to worry over.”

  I snickered then which turned to full blown laughter when Smoke glared in my general direction. He stood then. “I’m going to grab a coffee then find the nurse to hunt down the doctor to see when we can spring you from this joint. You two catch up until then.”

  We sat quietly just watching each other for a few minutes after Smoke left. Finally, Snake spoke after I moved my hair out of my face again.

  “I see he put a ring on your finger already.” I glanced down at the ring that hadn’t been there when I passed out and laughed.

  “I woke up with this on, and it wasn’t there before, so I guess he was making his claim when I couldn’t deny it. Not that I would,” I hurried to add.

  Snake offered up a sad smile. “I’m really happy for you that you’re getting what you’ve wanted all this time, Poppy. I can’t say I haven’t wished a time or two that things had been different. Hell, I hated Walk for a while after he swooped in and won your heart, because I liked you even back when I first met you. I always wondered what if, you know?”

  “Snake,” I started to tell him that I didn’t feel that way about him, but he waved away my words before I could form them.

  “I know I was never on your mind that way, believe me. That’s why I’m happy for you. It does my heart good to see that Smoke knows what he has in you, and will cherish that the way Walk never did.”

  “Thank you, that means a lot. One day, you’re going to find that woman who lights up your world and sets it on fire. What you feel for me will be a dim memory in retrospect, I promise.” He nodded his head at that, and stood.

  “I’ll stay until Smoke gets back, but then I need to head out. Sweet’s already called me back now that the boys here are back at their clubhouse.”

  “It was good of him to send you,” I told him.

  “Yeah, that was a tactful decision on his part. He didn’t want anyone hanging around that might make you uncomfortable in any way. Besides, I volunteered so I could see for myself that you were doing okay.” Smoke stepped in the room then and Snake turned to leave. “Take care of her,” he told Smoke as he clapped him on the back. “Congrats man, you got the best of them right there, don’t ever forget it!”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t!”

  We both watched as Snake left the roo
m and closed the door behind himself before Smoke over to sit on the side of the bed with me. “He’s a little bit in love with you,” Smoke mentioned as he absently toyed with the ring on my finger.

  “He thinks he is, but maybe now he’ll let go of that and be able to find someone who is perfect for him.”

  “I think you’re perfect for me,” Smoke stated clearly as he loved to look me in the eye.

  “That’s a good thing since you went and put a ring on my finger while I was basically in a coma for two days.” He grinned at me then, and I couldn’t help my answering smile. “It’s beautiful, by the way.”

  “I’m glad you like it. I got it while we were away, and then I thought I’d missed the opportunity to give it to you when I was told to get to the hospital.”

  “Did you think I’d been hurt by the people who…”

  “No, we took care of them. There’s nothing to worry about any more, honey. That is a chapter of our lives we’ll be closing forever now.”

  “Good.” We both sat quietly a moment just breathing each other in before spoke up again. “What about our future chapter? What does that look like?”

  “It looks like us being together as a family with our boy and this little one,” he stated as he ran his hand across my blanket-covered belly. “I talked to a lawyer about having you adopt Brant with me, and he said he didn’t see any reason that couldn’t go forward unless Kent were to step in and object. He’s not planning to do that though.”

  “He was pretty upset with you and this lifestyle last I saw him.”

  “Yeah, and then his girlfriend apparently pointed out that horrible things happen to people all the time, and it doesn’t matter what kind of life they live. Her twin sister was raped and killed when they were young. It was a man from their church who did it. She said she hadn’t told anyone about that in years, but she thought Kent needed to hear it so he didn’t end up missing out on the living family he still had.”