She didn’t need to look it up. ‘Tenth of August.’
She saw Lucas do the maths and nod.
‘Which makes you...?’ The sonographer took a cardboard wheel out and turned it, but before she could check Gigi jumped in.
‘Thirteen weeks.’
She’d counted every single day from the first day her period was late, wishing it would happen, praying for her usual cramping, hoping the painful breasts were PMT symptoms, trying to ignore the queasiness and the throwing up. Slowly getting used to the idea that she was very definitely pregnant and wondering how, seeing as they’d used condoms. But maybe...had they...every time...? Or had one failed?
Either way, she was having a baby. His baby.
She tried to look at Lucas to make eye contact to say, See, it is yours, in case he’d been in any doubt, but he was focused on the ultrasound screen. She knew without doubt because she hadn’t slept with anyone else for a very long time. Ever since the last ill-advised lover had tried to blackmail her. Just another cretino trying to gain celebrity from her royal status. Way to grow up pretty fast.
‘And your last scan was...?’
‘Last week.’ There’d been no way she was going to go to her newly opened hospital and advertise her pregnancy to everyone there, so she’d sneaked out to a private clinic and made them promise not to tell a living soul her news. ‘They said they couldn’t accurately tell the gender, but I didn’t want to know. Other than that, all was fine.’
More than fine. She’d seen their baby properly for the first time and hadn’t been able to tell a single person about it. Sure, she had friends, but she’d learnt a long time ago that entrusting people with a princess’s deeply personal information could backfire. Spectacularly.
Lucas’s back was taut, his whole body coiled tight as he growled, ‘Can we just get on with it?’
‘Sorry, Dr Beaufort. I know you’re busy.’ The sonographer nodded as if used to Lucas’s sharp manner.
Well, Gigi wasn’t. ‘Please, take your time. It’s better to be thorough, right? Make sure everything is okay.’
Lucas looked at his feet. ‘Absolutely. Yes. Take your time.’
The room was filled the with fast whoosh-um whoosh-um-whoosh-um of a heartbeat. Gigi turned to look at the screen and saw the grey blurry shapes the sonographer was pointing out. The four chambers of the heart. Four long limbs...like his or her father. A cute nub nose. Perfect.
She hadn’t realised she’d been holding her breath, but now she exhaled on a long sigh and, just like during her last scan, her own heart made more space for this child, and her chest filled with warmth and light. Whatever Lucas thought about it, whatever he decided to do was his choice, but she would love this baby with everything she had.
‘Is it okay?’ he asked, his voice catching a little.
She turned her head to watch as he peered at the screen. The stiffness of his limbs was gone. There was a softening in his eyes that made her heart squeeze. He wasn’t cold-hearted, he was just in shock.
‘Everything’s fine.’ The sonographer smiled. ‘You have a little wriggler here.’
‘I do—? I mean, she does?’ Lucas blinked. Coughed. ‘That’s good news. Right. Thank you.’
‘I can capture a photograph for you,’ the sonographer told Gigi. ‘A video too, if you like.’
‘That would be lovely, thank you.’ She’d brought a copy of the last scan with her to show Lucas, to give to him if he wanted it. Now he could have two. ‘If you email it to me, I can send it on to the father,’ she said with an eye on Lucas.
He nodded, his face unreadable; if he wanted the scan he didn’t indicate it in any way. But he asked in an unemotional tone as the sonographer set the printer in motion, ‘Could I borrow the ultrasound machine for a few minutes? Giada has a painful, swollen arm and, given the circumstances, I’d prefer to do an ultrasound rather than an X-ray.’ Lucas turned to Gigi. ‘The development of the baby’s central nervous system happens between ten and seventeen weeks, so being exposed to an X-ray during that time period is ill-advised. An ultrasound is not as accurate a diagnostic tool, but it can give us a good indication of whether there is a fracture. That I am more than happy to do by myself.’
Gigi nodded, trying to translate not just his words but his manner. Having been reassured that all was well with the baby, he’d snapped back from father to medic. ‘Lover’ had completely disappeared at the mention of pregnancy.
‘Great,’ the sonographer said. ‘I’m due a break now anyway, so I’ll collect the machine in fifteen minutes.’
Gigi’s heart clenched. Because, sure, there was a lot they needed to say to each other but the thought of being alone again with a very shocked Lucas filled her with dread.
* * *
This wasn’t going well.
Lucas concentrated on keeping his hand steady as he ran the probe over Gigi’s right wrist. Keeping it steady, because he was damned sure his whole body was about to shake and he didn’t know how he was going to stop it.
A baby. Damn. It was the last thing he’d ever wanted. And with a woman he’d spent only three days with, a woman who had a future all mapped out that was very different from what he’d been working towards his whole life. Family wasn’t something he did well. And he hadn’t ever wanted to get invested in something that could be so quickly erased from his life, the way he had been from his parents’ and siblings’ lives.
And with Gigi being settled in Isola Verde and his life here in Seattle, it was very likely that he would be erased. What if she fell in love and married someone else? Would he still be seen as the father then? Would he have access rights to a royal child? How would something long distance work out? Hours spent on aircraft for both him and the little one.
Perhaps marriage was the only way of tethering himself to his child.
But...marriage? To the Princess of Isola Verde? As if that would be allowed to happen.
He was getting way ahead of himself.
Trouble was, he worked hard to keep his distance from any kind of family trap but the minute he’d seen the baby on the screen he’d claimed it in his heart. It was a living thing, a part of him. He felt blindsided by panic, and hugely protective.
As for Gigi...there was so much they needed to talk about that he didn’t know where to start. Luckily, emotionless, reliable scientific logic was his go-to, so he started with that.
‘I can’t see any fractures. There’s a lot of tissue oedema...that is, swelling. I recommend rest, elevation and strapping. A sling will help remind you not to use it and give support that will help the pain. If you need pain relief then acetaminophen will be fine, under the—’
‘The circumstances, right?’ she snapped. ‘The circumstances being that I’m carrying your child and you’re not happy about it.’
Happy? It was the worst thing that could possibly happen...a Baresi baby. Their baby.
He couldn’t put how he was feeling into words. ‘I’ve only just found out, Giada. Give me a moment to adjust. We need to sit down and talk about it rationally, once you’re feeling up to it. But not right now, okay? You have enough to deal with.’
‘I know.’ She stared down at her bruised and misshapen hand, her eyes hollowed out, and sighed sadly. ‘A very sick father, a pregnancy and a damaged dominant hand. Could it get any worse?’
Try suddenly finding out you’re a father.
She needed support but he wasn’t sure he was the person to offer it. ‘Do you know anyone in Seattle?’
‘Other than Dom and you? No.’
‘Where are you staying?’
‘At... Wait, I can’t remember.’ Frowning, she plucked her phone from her bag and scrolled through. ‘The Four Seasons.’
‘On your own?’
‘Now, yes, I suppose so. I don’t know.’ Her eyes wandered around the room as if the answers were here somew
here. ‘Obviously Papa is here. We had rooms booked at the Four Seasons, but I don’t know what to do now. The car’s totalled so I’ll have to get a taxi to the hotel, I suppose. I don’t know.’ She ran the back of her hand across her forehead and her shoulders collapsed forward. ‘I don’t know what to do.’
He tried not to feel anything as he looked at her because feelings only hampered good sense but it was no use—every time his eyes met hers he was back in bed, tumbling with her in the sheets. ‘You look exhausted.’
Blinking fast, she straightened and seemed to snap herself back together. ‘I’m fine.’
This was the Giada who’d arrived at his house. The one who’d pretended not to be stung by his initial refusal to play with her. The one who’d become used to dealing with her problems on her own and hated being seen as weak for wanting basic human connection.
He couldn’t imagine how she was feeling given the stress she was under and the pain from the car crash. He wasn’t being fair by being so standoffish so he softened his tone. ‘Okay. You’ve been travelling for hours. The flight took how long?’
‘Twelve hours.’
‘Then the stress and adrenalin...none of that is good for the baby. You need to rest.’
At the mention of their child she looked directly at him. ‘I understand that stress isn’t good for our baby, Lucas, but unfortunately I’m dealing with a lot right now. I need to know what’s happening with Papa. I won’t leave here until I know he’s going to be okay. And someone has to run my country, work out how much, if anything, to say to the nation. I’m going to have to try to talk Dom into going back to Isola Verde. He won’t want to. But that’s why we came here in the first place. To talk to him about taking over some of Papa’s duties. I’m repeating myself, I think. I have such a bad headache.’
‘Okay.’ She was still in shock and panicked. The adrenalin would be whirring through her system, sending her thoughts scattering. He had to take control. He knelt in front of her. ‘Let’s make a plan. We’ll deal with your wrist then I’ll find out about your father, and I’ll take you to your hotel.’
She sat back and sighed. ‘Thank you.’
‘And we’ll stop off and get you something to eat. You need food.’ He was interrupted by his phone’s shrill tone. ‘It’s Dom.’
Her eyes grew wide and panicked. ‘Don’t tell him about the baby. Please. Please don’t say anything. We need to work things out, you and me, before we say anything to anyone.’
Lucas didn’t know how they were even going to begin that conversation. ‘Yes, but after you’ve had a rest.’
She touched the back of his hand as he went to answer the call. ‘Please don’t say—’
‘Giada, stop. Of course I won’t say anything. I’ve got to work all this out in my head before I say or do anything else.’ He pressed the call answer button. ‘Hey, bro. You okay?’
‘Holding up. Are you with Gigi? Kat said she was asking for you.’
‘Yes, Giada’s here.’ He stood up and walked to the window, more for space from Giada than privacy. The room was so small she’d hear everything anyway. ‘Just finished examining her wrist.’
‘Is there a break?’
‘No.’ If...no, when... Dom heard about the pregnancy there would be a million questions and no doubt the inevitable betrayal accusation slung at him. Lucas didn’t want to think about what this baby might do to his friendship with Dom, but for now he was going to be the best mate he could be. ‘I’m organising compression and support. She’s going to need to rest it for a few days.’
‘That’s not going to go down well with my dynamo sister. Is there anything else? Is she okay?’
She’s pregnant. So, no, things weren’t okay, at least not in Lucas’s world.
But Gigi was clearly happy about it, judging by the look of relief on her face the second they’d heard the heartbeat.
‘She’s holding up, a bit shocked but getting there.’ He turned and met her eyes and couldn’t read what was going through her head. She held his gaze and he remembered how she’d tried every which way to make him laugh.
Come on, Captain Sensible. Stop being so serious.
She’d tickled and poked him, made lame jokes, had had him playing tourist in his own city, and he had laughed, so much, for three delicious days, feeling the lightest he’d felt in years. But now the tables were turned and the only thing he wanted to see from her was a smile instead of the hollowed-out eyes and the bruises.
One weekend was all they’d wanted and expected from each other. Without question she’d accepted who he was and what he’d made of his life. In fact, she’d respected him, and had made him proud of what he’d achieved. She hadn’t made any demands on him, apart from lots of damned good sex. That was all, in reality. Nothing to hang a relationship on.
The baby changed everything.
He didn’t want to be a father. Didn’t want his messed-up genes passed on to anyone.
Tough luck. It was in her troubled gaze now, as if she could read his thoughts. We’re in this together, so deal with it.
Swallowing hard, he looked away. ‘She’s worried about your father and his bodyguard.’
‘Tell her Logan only had some cuts and bruises and is being cleaned up. Look, my pager is blaring, I’ve got go. I’ve a million other phone calls to make while Papa is in Theatre. Tell Gigi I love her, will you? That I’ll call the palace and let them know about the accident but to keep everything under wraps until we know what’s going to happen next. There’s royal protocol coming in to play, you see.’
‘I understand.’ He didn’t really. Couldn’t imagine the weight on his friend’s shoulders right now. He imagined that by ‘protocol’ Dom meant a succession plan could be initiated at any moment. ‘If there’s anything you need me to do, Dom, just ask.’
‘You know confidentiality is key here, I trust you on that. No one can know about the accident until we are sure about Papa’s prognosis.’ Dom breathed out heavily. ‘It’s enough to know Giada’s in safe hands and it’s one less thing for me to worry about—right now, anyway. Tell her I’ll talk to her as soon as I get a chance.’
Guilt shimmied down Lucas’s spine. Safe hands? Once upon a time maybe. Before that August weekend when his hands had been itching to touch Giada’s body. ‘Sure thing.’
‘Thanks, Lucas. I can breathe a bit easier knowing I can rely on you. It’s good she has someone she knows with her. Stay with her, if you can. Please. She needs a friend.’
Lucas grimaced internally—that was exactly how he’d got into this mess in the first place. But this was most certainly not the time to go there.
‘Of course. No problem.’ The trippy ultrasound heartbeat that had somehow connected with his own heart pushed, squeezed and wriggled its way uninvited into his chest.
You’ve got a little wriggler there.
He sure had. He swallowed. He pushed those thoughts away—well, banked them until later—because he wasn’t ever going to stop thinking about his child.
That suddenly made him wonder why it had been so easy for his family to cut off contact with him, save for the paltry annual Christmas email that was probably the same one they sent to their insurance broker. What was it about him that had made them decide he wasn’t good enough to stay in touch? To call once in a while?
Families. He just didn’t understand them. ‘Dom, listen, I hope your father’s okay.’
‘So do I. More than you could imagine.’ There was a beeping in the background. ‘Damn pager. Got to go. Sorry.’
God, it was awful enough to have your father in surgery not knowing if he was going to pull through, but also, Lucas guessed, Dom was praying for his father’s recovery because he was torn between his life here and succeeding to the throne in Isola Verde. He just needed time to get his head around the fact he was going to be King.
Lucas knew all about fami
ly expectations and how not abiding by them caused huge family rifts, but this was so much more than anything he’d had to go through. The freaking King of a Mediterranean nation?
He flicked his phone away and glanced up at Giada. Gigi. His heart tightened to see her looking so pale. It seemed that protectiveness he felt for his baby didn’t dim when he looked at its mother. Which was beyond crazy. He didn’t know what the future had in store but right now he would do anything to make sure nothing bad happened to either of them.
Somehow his involvement in this family had become so much more complicated than just being friends and he wasn’t sure how he felt about any of it.
He put his phone away and turned to her. ‘Right. Dom says your father’s still in Theatre and there’s no word on how it’s going, but the minute he hears anything he’ll let you know. Info on the others involved in the MVA is that someone called Logan—’
Her eyes grew wider. ‘Yes? His bodyguard.’
‘Has just minor cuts and bruises and is being cleaned up and—’
‘Actually, you should probably know that Logan isn’t just a bodyguard, he’s a trained army medic and he’s taking up a post here next week. Or, at least, he’s supposed to be, if he’s not too badly injured.’
‘Logan... Dr Logan Connors?’ Lucas had been briefed about the new doctor’s imminent arrival but hadn’t realised the guy stemming the blood flow on the King’s leg wound when they’d arrived was the same Dr Connors. That explained how he’d dealt with it all so expertly. ‘Dr Logan Connors is a bodyguard to the Isola Verde royal family?’
She nodded. ‘A good one too and we’re sad to see him go, but he has a little boy and he wants him to go to school here. Logan’s family is from Seattle and he wanted to bring his son and his parents home. Caring for a child on your own is hard.’
Gigi pierced him with a sharp look, as if poking him with the future she was facing.
He chose to ignore it. They needed to talk it all through when they were calmer. And definitely not here where people could barge in and hear. But she got in first, worry biting at her features. ‘Is...is Dom okay?’
The Princess's Christmas Baby Page 4