Had Michele planned the romantic dinner so she could tell him after? After dinner, after they made love? What was her plan? Had his wife planned a romantic evening, and he messed it up by bringing Ruby home? What a jerk. But Ruby had insisted on working, and he wanted to get home to see Michele. So he brought his assistant home with him. What kind of a fool was he? Brad shrugged off the voice inside his head and looked at Michele. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Was she happy about the baby? Please don’t let her say she wanted an abortion. He couldn’t handle that.
“Are you sure you’re okay? We better have you checked out.” He stood and helped her up from the chair. She cringed when she tried to stand.
“I can’t put any weight on it, but I’m sure it’s just a sprain.” Another cramp hit her. She put her hand over on her stomach. Not the baby, please don’t let anything be wrong with the baby. She doubled over.
“Michele, what’s wrong?” A worried look creased his eyebrows.
“My stomach, a cramp, I don’t know.” Not the baby, please God not the baby.
Brad lifted her in his arms and carried her out to the car. “I’m going to set you down, but I’ll hold you. Just stand on one foot and ease yourself into the car, okay?” He opened the door and swiveled her around so she could sit on the seat.
Her ankle throbbed, but the pain in her stomach concerned her more. She should have gone to the hospital right away, shouldn’t have waited. She could have told Brad about the baby on the way.
Brad hurried around to the driver’s side. “Are you okay?” He started the car and backed out of the drive.
Michele didn’t answer, just took a deep breath. The cramps worsened. They came with some regularity. Were these labor pains? Was she losing her baby? She prayed not.
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
Brad stepped on the gas. He didn’t care if he got a ticket. They had to get to the hospital. Maybe he should call the doctor. Heck, he didn’t even know who her doctor was. “Michele, do you think you should call your doctor?”
She shook her head. “I hadn’t thought about that. We should have called him right after I fell, asked his advice. I don’t know his number, I can’t call him now.”
“It doesn’t matter – the hospital will get a hold of him,” Brad hoped he sounded reassuring. Michele held her hand on her stomach as if trying to protect her baby, their baby.
He pulled into the emergency parking lot and threw the car in park, and hurried to the entrance. A security guard met him half way with a wheel chair. “My wife....” He grabbed the chair and raced back to the car, opened the door for Michele, and helped her into the wheel chair. Her pale face scared him. He pushed her inside to the admitting window. The receptionist looked up at him.
“She’s pregnant and having cramps. She fell down the steps and sprained her ankle, but the baby...”
The woman stood and motioned him to bring Michele around. “I’ll take her back, and you can fill out the paper work while they get her settled, okay, Mr.?”
“Lawson, can’t I go back with her?”
“Once you fill out the paper work and they have her settled you can go back. Stay here.” She wheeled Michele through double doors that swung open at a touch of a button. Brad paced. Please, God, let the baby be okay. He wasn’t usually a religious man. He didn’t attend church with the regularity his parents did, but he believed in God. Right now he prayed the way he never prayed before. He wanted this baby, wanted Michele. Heck, he wanted a lot of babies with her. The receptionist’s voice broke his thoughts.
“Okay, Mr. Lawson, have a seat and you can give me your wife’s information. She’s being well cared for.”
Brad sat down opposite the woman and gave her the information she required. He gave her his medical card. Thank God his father had added Michele to his health insurance. He jiggled his foot while she seemed to take forever to type in the information. He wanted to go back there with Michele. Why was this taking so long? It annoyed him when she stopped to answer the phone.
“Okay, Mr. Lawson, you can go back now.” She smiled at him, and Brad felt guilty at his impatience.
“I’m sorry...I...”
“I understand you’re worried about your wife. Go on back, room 4C.”
Brad got up and hurried through the doors and along the corridor, looking for the room. He went inside. Michele looked pale against the white sheets, she almost blended in. He leaned down and brushed her lips and stood next to her. “How are you feeling?” He took her hand and raised it to his lips. He liked the way her hand felt in his, liked its fit. What he didn’t like was the fear in her green eyes.
“I’m okay. The pains seemed to have eased up.”
***
A tall, blond-haired man came into the room followed by a nurse. “Mrs. Lawson, I’m Dr. Spellman. I understand you’re almost three months pregnant and having cramps. You fell down the stairs? When did this happen?”
Brad almost took a step back when Dr. Spellman threw an almost accusatory look at him.
“About six this evening.” Michele squeezed Brad’s hand. “My husband had just come in from work, and I was hurrying to greet him. I missed a step and fell half way down the stairs.”
Was the doctor insinuating that Brad had something to do with it? That he’d pushed his wife down the stairs? Brad didn’t much care for the look the doctor threw him.
“I see. If you’ll step out for a minute while I examine your wife, Mr. Lawson.” Dr. Spellman motioned for Brad to leave.
Brad didn’t like it, but he had no choice. He supposed Michele wouldn’t want him to stay anyway, and he didn’t want to cause her embarrassment.
“You can come back now, Mr. Lawson.” Dr. Spellman stuck his head out the door. “Everything looks good, but I’m going to order an ultra sound to make sure and someone will be in shortly to draw blood. While we’re waiting for the results we’ll treat your ankle.” Dr. Spellman smiled.
Brad relaxed. Dr. Spellman’s smile reassured them. The baby was going to be fine, he knew it. Her ankle hadn’t concerned him until now. What if it was broken?
The new look of concern flashed across Michele’s face. Were the pains coming back? “Michele, what’s wrong?”
He looked at the deep lines of worry on her face and a wave of love coursed through him. Was she really concerned about the baby? She never said if she wanted to keep it or not. Sure she acted scared and concerned.
“I just happened to think if my ankle is broken how am I going to work?”
Brad laughed and sat down in the chair next to her, still holding her hand. “Knowing you, you’ll figure something out.” Leave it to Michele to worry about work. Of course she took her business serious, and it was just getting off the ground. Sure she’d be concerned. But his beautiful wife would figure a way to carry on. “Maybe they can give you a walking cast and there’s always crutches.”
“Oh I can see klutzy me on crutches. I don’t think so. And I’m supposed to meet with Linda and Joe again tomorrow. Looks like I’ll have to cancel either way.”
“Do you have to meet at their house? I mean can they come to you?”
“Actually if they’d be willing to they can. I have the designs all drawn out, and I have the paint and fabric samples. I just need their okay on plans for the baby’s room.”
“We’ll have to work on something out for our baby’s room soon.” Brad still couldn’t believe it - a baby, his and Michele’s. How could they dissolve their marriage now? Hopefully Michele wouldn’t hold him to their deal. He wanted to be part of his child’s life. Wanted to share in all of it, in fact he wanted to be part of Michele’s life.
He’d have to convince her, their marriage was for keeps. Sometimes, like now, Michele seemed ready to become emotionally involved. Yet other times she seemed distant. Once this deal was done with Edgehurst, he’d take that promotion, stay home with her and change her mind about their marriage. They’d shop for furniture and turn their home into something they both liked. Hec
k, better yet, they’d sell the monstrosity and buy something else. Fix it up the way they wanted. They had plenty of time before the baby to find something.
An orderly came to take her to the ultra sound. “You’re welcome to come along, Mr. Lawson.”
***
The orderly pushed the gurney to the elevator. Michele wanted to sing for joy. The deep groove between his eyebrows and his wrinkled forehead showed how worried Brad was. He really wants the baby. The way he looked at her with such compassion and the way he caressed her hand and brought it to his mouth and kissed it like it was the most normal thing in the world thrilled her. In fact she just plain loved him. And he wanted to work on their baby’s room together.
After the ultra sound, Dr. Spellman came in and told them everything was fine with the baby. More than likely the cramps were from nerves. Her ankle turned out to be a slight fracture and they taped it. “You’ll have to stay off it for a few days, and I want you to make an appointment with Dr. Haskell, an orthopedic doctor as soon as possible.”
On the way home, Michele thought about Brad’s reaction to the baby. She wished she could have told him in a more romantic way. But at least he seemed happy about it, had even seemed to suspect it. Funny, she hadn’t realized he paid that much attention to her. She leaned her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. The day ran through her mind.
First the mess with Louise, Michele said a quick prayer that they’d find Mikayla. Then the scene at Jane O’Neils, surely once they found Mikayla they’d make some kind of progress there. Hopefully, Patrick would come around and give his blessing to Louise and Mark. And finally this mess with her ankle. Why had Brad brought Ruby home? Why couldn’t she block Ruby’s face from her mind? That longing in her eyes and the possessiveness. Michele hated when Ruby touched Brad. That’s why she tripped. Ruby would do anything to break up their marriage. Did Ruby know about the deal? Was she biding her time until she could take over as mistress of that hideous house? Michele closed her eyes tight, trying to block out the image of Ruby and Brad.
Brad said they’d have to decorate the baby’s room. That was positive. It was going to be such fun, If only Brad wasn’t gone so much.
When they pulled into the drive, Brad came around her side of the car and helped her stand. He lifted her in his arms. Michele loved the way he held her. Loved the gentle way he carried her into the house. Would he sleep with her tonight? Or would he use her ankle as an excuse? Brad carried her to the couch in the living room and set her down.
***
“Can I get you something? Coffee, tea, soda?” Brad wasn’t ready to call it a night. It was late, but he wanted to sit and talk with Michele. They hadn’t talked much since their honeymoon. He wanted to talk about the baby, about the furniture, the house. He wanted to talk about their future.
Poor Michele could hardly hold her eyes open. Exhausted from the stressful day, she leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes. Before Brad knew it, she was sound asleep. So much for talking.
He lifted her gently and carried her upstairs, undressed her and tucked her into bed and lay down beside her.
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
Michele woke in bed. How had she got there? Brad must have carried her. He lay next to her his hair tousled, and she resisted the urge to run her fingers through it. After sitting on the couch, she didn’t remember anything about last night. She must have passed out. Brad had wanted to talk to her. What about?
She watched him sleep and her heart pounded as if it wanted to escape her chest. What prompted him to sleep with her last night? Hopefully, it was a good sign. She stretched and tried to ease herself off the bed not wanting to wake him. Her ankle throbbed, Damn it, she wouldn’t be able to stand, let alone walk on it.
How was she supposed to conduct her business if she couldn’t even walk? Hopefully, Linda and Joe wouldn’t mind coming here. She had their nursery all planned out with the samples of fabrics and paints. The thought of her baby’s nursery came to mind. If only they could move. She disliked this house and everything about it. She wanted a ranch with lots of land. A place for kids to run with dogs and horses. What would Brad say if she suggested the idea? Why move if they were only going to live together for a year. She and the baby needed a place to live regardless if she and Brad stayed married.
Dared she suggest it to him? Even though she painted and changed the rooms somewhat, they still needed new carpeting if they were to stay here. She refused to bring a baby into a house with white carpeting. Nope, the carpet definitely had to go. She closed her eyes and tried to picture the baby’s room.
She had no idea what she wanted, had never thought of her own nursery. She put her hand on her stomach and thought about the child growing inside of her. It was hard to fathom that a life grew there even though they had seen it on the ultra sound. Its tiny little body moved around already.
A precious new life created by her and Brad. What a miracle. No matter what happened she’d have this child. Tears formed in her eyes when she thought of the baby. Whatever Brad thought, they had conceived the baby in love, at least on her end.
Brad stirred next to her and opened his eyes. “Morning Starshine, how’s that ankle today?”
“Hurts like crazy. Can you help me get up? There’s no way I’m going to put any pressure on it.”
Brad reached his hand out and smoothed her hair. “Are you sure you want to get up? We can lie here all day.”
“Unfortunately nature calls. Besides, you have a meeting this morning did you forget?” Michele hated to remind him of Ruby, but she needed to see his reaction. She’d much rather stay here with him. Lord, she loved his hand running through her hair and the gentle way he smoothed it from her eyes. She reached up and ran her fingers through his. Unfortunately, they both had work to do.
The phone rang before Brad had a chance to say anything. He turned over, sat up, and answered it. “What? Oh, Ruby, yeah, yeah, I’ll be there. Huh? Yeah we went to the hospital, yeah you know how that goes, we got home late. It’s broken. She has to see an orthopedic doctor. What? Okay, I’ll be there. Probably about an hour. Okay, bye.” He replaced the phone and turned back to Michele. “Work calleth.” He got up and came around to her side of the bed and helped her up. “Looks like I’ll have to help you dress.”
***
He helped Michele dress and carried her downstairs. Anna greeted them with a sly grin more toward Michele. What was between those two? He set her down and Anna put a glass of juice in front of her.
“If you tell me where everything is I can set it out for you. Do you think Joe and Linda will agree to meet you here? If not I can arrange to come home at noon and take you.” He looked at his watch. “I’m sure I’ll be done by then.” He sat down next to her. Heck with it he wasn’t going to rush out this morning. He wanted to have breakfast with his wife. “Anna, how about some bacon and eggs?”
“Coming right up, Mister.” Anna hurried to the stove and began her preparation. “What about you, Missy? You in the mood for bacon and eggs today?”
“Bacon and eggs sounds great.”
“Michele, I was thinking.” Brad wasn’t quite sure how to approach the subject, but he remembered Michele had said she wanted the same kind of house he did. Besides, with all the changes she’d been making, he had a feeling she disliked this house as much as he did. How would she feel about a new house? Something they picked out together? How would she take it with the deal they made? Only one way to find out. He looked at her and hesitated. What the heck, just plunge in. “How about we go house hunting as soon as you’re able to walk.” The look of surprise on her face stopped him. Maybe he had gone too far.
“House hunting?”
“Yeah, house hunting.” What the heck, may as well finish what he started. “I think we both hate this house. I mean seriously, if we had been consulted neither of us would have chosen it. And the fact that you’ve painted damn near every room... Not to mention white carpeting for a baby? Who in their right mind pi
cked out white carpeting? We both said we wanted a ranch style house with lots of land and dogs and horses...” Again he caught the surprised look on Michele’s face. What was she thinking? Would she go along? That was his only hope to keep this marriage together. If not for him at least for the baby’s sake. A child needed two parents, and he wanted day to day involvement in his child’s life not an every other weekend deal. He didn’t like the idea of joint custody either. Talk about confusing a kid. Here three days there four. Nope, he wanted to watch his kid grow up, wanted to teach him to play ball or take her to dance class and watch her recitals. Gees, a father, he still couldn’t believe it.
***
Anna set their breakfast in front of them and excused herself. Sly little thing, always managed to stay in the background when she and Brad were together. But she didn’t fool Michele. Anna listened to every word they said. Not that she cared, she trusted Anna now. Anna wouldn’t run to their mother’s to gossip. She turned her attention back to Brad.
Eating breakfast with Brad was fun. Although it surprised her. He had promised Ruby he’d be there first thing this morning, first he overslept and now he decided to have breakfast. What was going on with her husband? This wasn’t the typical work-alcoholic she remembered. Not that she minded. She loved having him near her, pampering her.
Now, he suggested exactly what she thought about this morning. Maybe he had some kind of ESP or something. House hunting, what a fantastic idea. “I... uh... yeah I’d love to go house hunting.”
Brad had remembered their discussion while they were on their honeymoon. Michele hadn’t been sure if he was just making polite conversation or really meant what he said. It amazed her even how attentive her husband was and how much they had in common. But since then they’d spent so little time together since then, Michele wondered if he had been patronizing her.
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