Love You, Baby

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  “There’s nothing wrong with that,” his dad said solemnly.

  “I was mopping floors and washing windows.”

  “Job doesn’t matter as long as it’s honest work.”

  “Well, after lying about it, I wanted to make sure I had something I could be proud of so I didn’t feel like a failure.”

  “Honey, we would never think you’re a failure.”

  Merit gave his mom a quick, grateful smile, but his dad’s pensive expression drew his graze back.

  “I’m sorry I made you feel that way.” His dad looked down as he swirled the liquid left in his glass. “I thought pointing out your brothers’ and sisters’ accomplishments would motivate you. I see now I shouldn’t have done that.”

  He gave a single, tilted nod in acknowledgement of the apology. He wasn’t about to tell him it was okay, but it hit him then, after all this time, he wasn’t mad at him so much as at himself. Sure, his dad could’ve chosen a more effective tactic of motivation, but he’d coasted too long because of his fear of failure. Instead of rising to the challenge, he hadn’t tried at all.

  “The only way you fail here, Merit, is if you refuse to even try.”

  Another echo of Mae’s voice. And of course she was right. His resentment faded a notch. Forgiveness would take a little longer, but he was beginning to see past his anger.

  He glanced back over his shoulder to see if Honor had coaxed her from the back, only to find his siblings stalking him again, Shelby included, and their significant others. Recalling his dad’s look moments earlier, his stomach dropped as he faced them, wondering how much they’d overheard.

  Bells opened the conversation. “I remember your stuff in high school, but I had no clue you kept at it. This is really cool.”

  Great. They heard it all.

  He shrugged, a little embarrassed now for having kept it a secret for so long.

  “This is some great work here, Merit,” Celia added. “Robert and I are going to pick one for the house, and I’m getting one for the office, too.”

  “You don’t have to buy them,” he told her. “Just let me know which ones and I’ll have the gallery owner set them aside.”

  “Did Dad give you your trust fund back?” Loyal asked.

  “No.”

  “Then you can’t afford to give your shit away.”

  “Loyal!” Roxanna backhanded him on the arm. “Don’t call his paintings shit.”

  “Yeah, Loyal,” Asher chimed in with a smartass grin. “You’ll trigger his LBS.”

  “What the fuck is LBS?”

  Their mother shot Loyal a glare even as Asher answered, “Little Brother Syndrome. Now he’s really going to think he doesn’t measure up.”

  “Oh, geez. I didn’t mean the artwork is shit. I meant he can’t just give it away when he needs the money.” Loyal met his gaze. “You know what I meant, right?”

  He rolled his eyes at both his dipshit brothers. “Yeah, I got it.”

  “Good.” The oldest dipshit brother suddenly smirked. “As for measuring up, you’re the shortest of us guys, so that ain’t ever gonna happen.”

  Celia grinned. “And don’t forget, Bells and I both scored higher on our ACTs than you.”

  “We all did,” Asher added.

  “You all can just shut-up,” Merit groused, though he appreciated their unrelenting teasing more than he’d ever thought possible. Good to know his family was his family, no matter what.

  “I, for one, can’t paint a stick figure,” Shelby said. She bowed with an exaggerated flourish. “I cede mastery of the brush to your hand.”

  The others each raised their glasses with a chorus of, “Here, here.”

  Merit shook his head even as he pulled Bells close in a one-armed hug and kissed the top of her head. “You all suck. But I love you.”

  “Let’s go pick our purchases before the good ones are gone,” Robert urged Celia while tossing him a grin.

  “Good idea,” his sister agreed, hooking her arm through her husband’s as he led her away.

  Thanks to their teasing, his insecurities took a back seat. “They’re all good,” he called after them. Celia tossed him a grin over her shoulder.

  Honor glanced toward the back wall. “I saw one that would be perfect for the baby’s room.”

  He couldn’t help a small frown. “Guys, I don’t expect you all to buy, and I’m going to be really pissed if any of them are pity buys.”

  Loyal gave him a light punch on the arm as he and Roxanna turned the opposite direction as Celia. “Pure investment, man. We’re getting a few Diamonds before you become famous and prices go through the roof.”

  “Whatever.”

  After they all dispersed, he was left with their parents once more. Or his mom, at least. His dad, always the politician, had been drawn into a conversation with a younger couple a few feet away.

  His mom’s smile was happy, yet it held a tinge of sadness. “I’m so sorry you felt like you couldn’t tell us about this. We’re here for you no matter what, Merit. I hope you know that now.”

  A lump formed in his throat as he nodded. “I do, Mom. Thank you.”

  “Good. And I’m very glad Mae sent us the invite.” She scanned the room with a slight frown. “Where is she, anyway?”

  His jaw tightened as he swept his gaze over the people toward the back hall where she’d disappeared. He’d have thought she’d come out with Honor, but she was nowhere to be seen. A tiny niggle of unease settled low in his gut.

  “I’m not sure. We argued about the invite. I should go find her.”

  “Yes, you should. And you’ve stayed away too long. I want to see more of her and Ian before the baby is born. Thanksgiving for sure.”

  He nodded his agreement before striding toward the back. The room was empty, so he went back out by Asher and Honor. “Hey, did you find Mae before?”

  His sister-in-law’s loose, red locks shifted over her shoulders as she shook her head. “I sent her a text, and she said she wasn’t feeling well and was going home.”

  “I drove and I have the keys.”

  “Oh.” Honor’s brow dipped. “She probably called a ride, then.”

  He checked his own phone, but she hadn’t sent him a thing. “How long ago?”

  “Maybe ten minutes. Is everything okay?”

  Sonofabitch.

  Merit ignored the question as he ran his gaze around the gallery. Claudia and her two staffers looked to be busy with sales up at the front desk. Invited guests all appeared to be having a great time, and his family had accepted his art with unconditional love.

  None of that did a damn thing to ease the weight on his shoulders. He’d told Mae this meant everything to him, but looking at the room right now, it meant nothing compared to her. After what happened earlier, he had to tell her she was his everything.

  Now.

  Urgency sped his steps as he strode toward the back while pulling his keys from his pocket.

  “Where’s he going?” he heard Loyal ask Asher and Honor a second before he rounded the corner into the back hall.

  He didn’t wait to hear their response before breaking into a jog to shove out the door into the parking lot.

  Chapter 31

  Mae braced a hand against the side of Merit’s SUV when another sharp pain contracted her abdomen. As she breathed through the worst of it, her brain screamed this isn’t right! She’d told him earlier in the day the cramping was Braxton Hicks, but she was afraid these latest ones were more than that.

  The cold November air snuck up under the hem of her dress and sent a shiver down her spine as she swallowed past a lump of fear in her throat. It was too early. She wasn’t due for another seven weeks.

  Her first impulse was to call Merit so they could go to the hospital to get everything checked out, but her heart ached as his words echoed in her head.

  “This means more to me than anything.”

  The words had struck her like a physical blow. Her heart split wide open, an
d she’d done the very thing she’d accused him of doing—run away.

  Nothing in her life was more important than her family, with Ian, the baby, and Merit at the very top of the list. They were all well above Lockhart Construction even. She’d give up her company in a heartbeat if it meant guaranteeing she wouldn’t lose any of them.

  Should’ve thought of that before ignoring what Merit wanted so you could do what you thought was best.

  Yes, she should’ve. She should’ve tried talking to him again, but she hadn’t wanted to start a fight. She’d accused him of being afraid, and it turned out she was just as much of a coward. Maybe even more so. She’d—wrongly—thought forcing him to out himself to his family at the showing was the best option.

  Honor had texted her a few minutes ago about the conversation between Merit and his family. Even knowing things worked out okay didn’t ease her guilt over betraying her promise to him. At the time, she’d justified the wrong action with the right reason, but seeing the look on his face, hearing him say he didn’t know how he’d trust her with anything again, she knew she’d been wrong.

  And for that, she could very well lose him.

  The start of another pain shifted her focus to the baby. She checked the time on her phone to see four and a half minutes had passed since the last one. Being that close together, she didn’t have time to call a rideshare service and wait for a car to show up.

  Her hand shook as she called Honor. The moment her friend picked up, she bit back a sob.

  “Mae, what’s the matter? Where are you?”

  “Outside. I haven’t left yet, and something is wrong.” Fear trembled in her voice. “I think I’m in labor.”

  “All right, hang on. We will be right out there.”

  The we spiked her alarm. “No—don’t say anything to Merit! I don’t want to ruin his night any more than I already have.”

  “He’s already on his way out. I told him you went home and he left—”

  “Mae?”

  “—immediately.”

  She twisted around at the sound of Merit’s voice behind her. Tears sprang to her eyes at the sight of him. “You should be inside.”

  “Not without you. If you’re going home, I’m going home.”

  She had no chance to answer as the contraction escalated. She cried out and doubled over from the pain as her phone clattered to the asphalt.

  He was beside her in an instant, putting an arm around her back while he used his free hand to grip hers. “What’s wrong?”

  “I think I’m in labor.”

  “Now?” His voice rose an octave. “Isn’t it too early?”

  She nodded, squeezing his hand hard as she breathed through the pain.

  “We’re going to the hospital,” he said firmly, as if he expected her to argue.

  Mae nodded again as Asher and Honor’s urgent voices registered behind them. Merit turned to hand them the keys, then helped her into the back seat of the SUV and climbed in beside her. He fastened her seatbelt, then his, while Honor handed over Mae’s phone before sliding into the driver’s seat. Asher said he’d meet them there and dashed off to his vehicle.

  As Honor pulled out of the lot, Merit’s hand found Mae’s again and squeezed. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  Hot tears leaked down her cheeks. “You’re doing it.”

  He reached to cup her face, his thumb brushing the wet track on her cheek. “I need you to know, Mae, you mean more than anything to me. You, the baby, and Ian. Everything else comes after. I’m sorry about what I said before. I was too angry to think about what I was saying.”

  As her contraction eased and his words registered, emotion welled up. Regret, amazement, gratitude. She reached to cover his hand with hers. “It’s me who needs to apologize, not you. And I am so very sorry. I never should’ve invited your family without you knowing.”

  “I’m not going to argue that, but it’s hard to stay mad given the outcome.”

  “I wouldn’t blame you if you did.” She couldn’t help a small, watery smile. “Though, please take a time-out until we see what’s going on.”

  “No timeout needed.”

  She didn’t deserve his forgiveness so quickly, not after such a grievous breach of trust. “I’ve been one hundred percent in charge of my life since I turned eighteen. I put myself through college and started my own business all while being a single mom, which means I’m used to making all the decisions of what’s best, and doing what needs to be done to get the job done without asking permission from anyone else.” When he took a breath to speak, she quickly added, “I’m not making excuses. I only hope you can understand what I did wasn’t out of disrespect.”

  “I know. Your independence is part of what I love about you.”

  Fresh tears threatened as she leaned into his warm touch. “But I forgot for a moment, I’m not the boss in our personal lives, and all the decisions aren’t mine to make. It’s an equal partnership. You and me together. I know it doesn’t mean much right now, and I’ll have to earn your trust back, but I swear I will never betray a promise to you again. I will be here for you as you’ve been here for me.”

  “The thing is, you were right about me being afraid, and wanting to run away from facing my dad.”

  When he averted his gaze, she reached to tilt his back to her. “But you didn’t.” She made sure her pride rang in her voice.

  “Because a smart woman told me not trying is a sure way to fail.” He sighed lightly as he glanced out the windshield before turning back to her. “Before tonight, I thought my art was the only thing I had left that would make them proud. That would make me worthy to be a Diamond. I was afraid because if I failed at that, where would that leave me?”

  Her heart broke at the weight behind his words. “Oh, Merit.” If she’d only known that. If he’d only explained that to her sooner.

  “I know.” He gave a sheepish grimace. “I realize now how stupid it sounds.”

  She quickly shook her head. “No. That’s not what I was going to say.”

  “Well, it does sound stupid. Because just growing the hell up and being a man was all I needed to do. Being here for you, and Ian, and our baby. What I do to earn money doesn’t matter as long as I earn it. ”

  “You are an amazing man.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed hard. As soon as his gaze connected with hers, she said in a firm voice, “You are more than worthy of being a Diamond. I’m sure your family would say you always have been. I know you have been from the second I told you I was pregnant and you never once wavered from being here for me.”

  “I love you, Mae.” He brushed his lips over hers. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you, but I swear, I will always be here for you.”

  “I love you, too,” she whispered, her voice going hoarse as another contraction began.

  He rubbed her back as she leaned her head into his chest while taking measured breaths.

  “We’re here,” Honor advised from the front seat, the SUV swaying slightly as she made the final turn into the emergency room bay.

  While she went to park, Merit helped Mae inside to check in. She watched in awe as he took command and had them on their way up to the Labor and Delivery unit by the time Asher and Honor strode in from the parking lot.

  As a nurse wheeled her down the hall, she had a moment of panic and turned to her best friend. “Bryce took Ian overnight for the art show. Can you call and let him know I might not be able to pick him up in the morning?”

  “Of course,” Honor answered without hesitation. “And Asher and I can get him if Bryce can’t keep him.”

  “Thank you so much.” As she gave them both a grateful smile, another thought occurred to her. “Tell my brother not to say anything to Ian until we know what’s going on. I don’t want to scare him.”

  While waiting for the elevator, Honor leaned down and gave her a quick hug. “We’ll make sure he’s taken care of so you don’t have to worry about him. Just take care of yourself a
nd the baby. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.” She blinked away tears as they shared a quick smile before the nurse pushed her into the elevator. Her last glimpse was her best friend’s anxious expression as she splayed her hand on her own pregnant belly.

  Over the next few hours, Merit stayed at her side through every exam and test, then held her hand when their obstetrician advised the medication they’d given her to halt the early labor wasn’t working. She wanted to snap she could’ve already told them that from the frequency and increasing intensity of her contractions, but she bit her tongue.

  She was already five centimeters dilated. The baby was definitely coming.

  All those tests turned up no specific reason for the early labor, but Dr. Steven assured them the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was state of the art. Newborn survival rates at thirty-three weeks were greater than ninety-six percent, with less than ten percent of infants at risk for any long-term medical issues.

  The words were supposed to ease her apprehension. Instead, they tightened the knot of fear in her belly. When it was just her and Merit in the room a few minutes later, she admitted in a small voice, “I’m scared.”

  He leaned forward in his chair beside the bed and grabbed her hand without the I.V. with both of his. “We’ll get through this, Mae. Together.”

  She nodded, concentrating on the comfort of his warm touch until another thought rushed forward. “Ian was three weeks early, and he was so tiny at six pounds five ounces.” The knot in her stomach duplicated in her throat. “I can’t imagine how little this one will be.”

  “Dr. Steven said they have great doctors in the NICU. It’s gonna be okay, you hear me?” His voice got all rough, and he rose up to press his lips to her belly through her hospital gown. “You’re gonna be okay, Baby. Mom and Dad are here for you.”

  Mae’s heart constricted at the sound of his raspy whisper. He was trying to be strong for her, but she could hear the apprehension in his voice. She threaded her fingers through his dark hair. He shifted up to kiss her lips, and she held him close for a long moment while she got her emotions under control.