“Ryker, stop,” Gia’s voice comes from behind me. “We need to go. We have more pressing matters to tend to right now.”
Turning around, I look at her. “Just hang on. Let me deal with this. You’ll be back in that room, relaxing in no time.”
“No, I won’t.”
“Yes, you will,” I tell her and put my hand on her shoulder to take her back to sit down.
“Ryker, my water has broken. I need to get to the hospital! Damn, stop and listen!”
“Shit!” I look back at the lady at the front desk. “Never mind!” When we get outside, I hand the valet the card the other one gave me. “Can you send someone inside to get our luggage? That’s it right there.” I point at it and he gives me a nod.
“Ryker, what the hell is going on?” Gia asks me.
“You just don’t worry about that. I want you to think about you and our son and that’s all. Noah is soon to be here. That’s all that really matters, baby.”
“Ryker, damn it! Tell me why our cards don’t work!”
“I’m working on that as we speak. I have our accountant dealing with that right now. Not to worry. Most likely a weird glitch in the system.”
The car comes up and a bellboy brings our things and puts them in the trunk. When he waits a moment for a tip, I shake my head and feel like a complete fool. But I have no idea how much cash I even have on me. And I can’t go giving away shit right now.
As I pull away, the phone rings and I see it’s our chef. “Shit!”
Gia looks at me with confusion. “Why’d you say that?”
With a push of the button, I say, “Hello, Consuela.”
“Sir, I hate to bother you. I really do. But we’ve arrived at the hotel in New York and they said the card number you gave them to pay for our room has been declined.”
“Yes, I think there’re some problems. Can I get you to hop back in a cab and get back to the airport? I’ll call the jet and have them bring you back home. Things have turned a bit sour here. I’ll explain things when I know more. I’m very sorry about this.”
“Okay, sir,” she says with a shaky voice.
“Honey, can you call the jet and tell them to pick them back up and bring them home?”
“I can certainly do that. And can you give me some idea of why this is happening to us?”
“It most likely has something to do with why the FBI and CIA are at Apollo Engineering, going through everything.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch her eyebrows raising up high. “Damn.”
“Yes, damn, damn, damn. Not to worry, though. There’s nothing to find. I have no idea what kind of a tip they got but it’s a false one. That will soon be found out and our accounts will be freed up.”
“Freed up? Have they been frozen?”
I nod as the phone rings again. This time it’s hers and it’s her father. “Daddy?”
“Hey, sweetheart. We’re running into a bit of trouble up here. Your mother went to buy some groceries and her card was declined. Then she went on over to the bank and found out our accounts have been frozen. Do you think you could get Ryker to see what’s happened?”
“Ours are frozen too. The FBI and CIA are at Apollo Engineering. I’m not sure about anything. Well, that’s not exactly true. I’m sure your grandson is about to be born today. My water broke and we’re on the way to the hospital.”
“That’s good news! Send us pictures as soon as you can. I’ll tell everyone else. Don’t let this money business mess up such a great occasion. Your first kid only comes once, you know. Rich or poor, you won’t feel a thing about that once you lay your eyes on your little man.”
“Thanks Dad,” she says then wipes a tear from her eye. “I love you. I’ll keep in touch.”
“I love you too, baby girl. And you better keep in touch.” She ends the call and lies her head back on the headrest.
“Are you having contractions, baby,” I ask her as she’s not said a word about them.
“I didn’t realize what they were. It’s in my back. It hurts, then it doesn’t. In all honesty, I thought I had to poop.” She giggles and blushes.
Pulling into the hospital parking lot, I stop at the front door. “Let me grab a wheelchair and take you in. Then I’ll park the car, once they’re taking you up to where ever it is they’ll take you.”
Getting out, I run inside and grab one of the waiting wheelchairs and go back out to get her. She’s still smiling as I help her out of the car and into the seat of the wheelchair. “I feel so much better being here, Ryker. Things will be okay. I just know they will.”
With a nod to give her an idea that I’m on the same wavelength she is, which isn’t true at all, I push her inside and go to the desk where a nurse is standing, waiting for us. “Are we having us a baby today?”
“We are,” Gia says, cheerfully.
“I need to park the car. I’ll be right back.” I run out and get into the car and haul ass to park it. Then I grab the bag out of the trunk that we packed just for the hospital and run back inside.
When I get inside and see tears flowing over Gia’s, now red, cheeks, I almost fall down. “Ryker!”
The nurse is no longer alone at the desk, there’s a man there too and he’s looking at me with a scowl on his face as he wiggles his finger for me to come to him.
“What’s wrong?” I ask as I approach them.
“I’m afraid we can’t check your wife in, Mr. Crawford. Your insurance company said they can’t pay. The cards your wife gave us aren’t working, either. I’m afraid you’ll have to go to the county hospital to have the baby. This is out of my hands to fix.”
“Her doctor delivers here and only here,” I say as I look over and see Gia crying even harder now.
“Someone there will deliver the baby. Not to worry, sir. Sorry about this,” he says as if he’s really sorry.
“I guess there’s no time to fuck around with you people.” I turn around and wheel Gia out of the hospital, taking her all the way to where I’ve parked. “They can come pick up the wheelchair their damn selves! No compassion, mother…”
“Ryker, please just hurry. I’m uncomfortable and just want to lie in a bed. Or walk or do something!”
Helping her into the car, I lean the seat back, so she can recline a bit. “I’ll get you to the county hospital, baby. No worries.”
“I’m sorry for being a bitch.” She runs her hand over my cheek. “I’m just kind of freaking out now.”
“You’re not being a bitch at all. Just try to relax.”
When I get into the car, I see her shaking her head. “Ryker, can you just call Margie, the midwife we were in the dome with, and see if she’ll come out to our house and help us deliver this baby? I don’t want to have him in the county hospital with some doctor I don’t even know.”
I nod and call Margie. “Hey, you. Long time, no hear. How the heck are you, Ryker?”
“Not great. But that can be talked about later. What are you up to right now?”
“Not much.”
Gia pushes the button to bring her seat up into a sitting position. “Can we come get you and take you to our house? I’m having a baby. I need you, Margie.”
“Gia, are you kidding? Are you having it right now?”
“I am. Well, I’m in early labor. Contractions are ten minutes apart. My water has broken already, though. The ride out to our place is about an hour. I’m sure I have plenty of time to get there and situated. Can you help me?”
“Of course, I can, Gia. I can take my car out there. No reason for you guys to go through the trouble of picking me up. Send me the address and I’ll head out there right away.”
I watch Gia breath out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I’ll send it to you.”
“See you guys soon.”
Looking at Gia as I stop at a light, I reach over and run my hand through her silky hair. “Hey.” She turns her head to look at me. Her cheeks are a bit chubby and she looks absolutely adorable. “I hope he
has your strength, Gia. You have it in spades, baby.”
“No, I don’t. I’m a wreck.” She sniffles and wipes her eyes.
“You’re not a wreck. You’re level-headed and thinking clearly. You’re a rock, baby. An absolute rock. I’m lucky to have you and Noah is lucky to have you as his mother.”
“Ryker, what’s going to happen if our accounts stay frozen for a while? How are we going to live?”
“You let me be the rock in that situation, Gia. I don’t want you to worry one bit about that. First, we’re going to take care of getting our son here. Then I’ll take care of this financial thing while you take care of him.”
“You’re making it sound easy. I don’t think it’s going to be easy.”
“Worse-case scenario, we have to sell some things for cash while this mess gets sorted out. See, I’ve already got an idea for money.”
She smiles a weak smile. “My rock.”
“Yeah, we’re just a couple of rocks in this crazy world who managed to bump into each other one, fateful night.” I give her cheek a little pinch.
She closes her eyes and breaths in deeply. “They’re getting a little closer together now. Maybe by five or six tonight we’ll be looking at his little face.”
“I can’t wait. I will wait. But it’s going to be hard.”
Her laughter makes me happy and it becomes crystal clear. As long as I have her, I have everything!
GIA
His tiny round head is lying on my breast. He’s using it as a pillow and making little movements as he sleeps. “He’s so precious,” Ryker whispers as he runs his fingertip over our son’s head.
“Isn’t he?” I whisper too. I don’t want to wake him. He’s so little and needs his rest.
Margie looks in on us. “Last check before I leave. Is everything okay?”
“We’ll be fine,” Ryker tells her. “Thank you. When I get things figured out, I’ll get you some money for being such a great friend and helping us through the delivery.”
“No, you won’t. I’m not taking a dime from you. When we all get to Mars, we won’t have money to bother with. We’ll all help each other, without any monetary gains. I’m living like that as often as I can right here on Earth. Now, if you need anything else, you just call me. And don’t forget to get that little guy to his pediatrician soon.”
“We will,” I tell her then kiss the top of Noah’s tiny head. “Thank you, Margie. I’ll bake you a pie or something.”
“Now, a pie, I’ll take. See you guys later on.”
Ryker moves his arm around me and gently pushes my head to rest on his shoulder. “Things will work out, Gia. I know they will.”
“I have faith in you. I know you’ll figure this whole thing out.”
When his cell rings, we both cut our eyes to it as it lies on the nightstand next to his side of the bed. “That’s the agent from the CIA, who’s been running this case,” he says as he just looks at the number.
“Are you going to answer it?”
“Nah. Right now, I’m going to gaze at my little boy and forget about everything but him and you. My perfect little family. Fuck the rest of the world, for right now.”
A kiss to the top of my head, has me lying my head back on his shoulder. And I have to say, I’ve never found myself loving the man any more than I do right now.
But what will the future hold for us?
Part 10 - The New Life
RYKER
Waking up to the sweet sound of my son’s cries finds a smile on my lips. “I’ll get him.”
Gia moans a little as she wakes up too and tries to situate herself. I help her first, fluffing the pillows and helping her slide up, so she can feed him. I place a pillow under her arm to rest it on.
“Thank you, baby,” she mumbles as she wipes the sleep out of her eyes.
Picking up the baby out of the bassinet that’s right by my side of the bed, I place him in her waiting arms. “Here’s Momma’s little man.” I kiss the top of his squirming head. “I’m going to go to the kitchen and grab you something to eat and drink. I’ll be right back.”
Taking my phone with me, I see it’s nine in the morning. Padding through the house to get to the kitchen, I check the messages that have come in. I put the phone on silent last night. I wanted to shut the world out for a while to let me get my bearings.
My lawyers are the first call I return. “Davenport, Davenport, and Stephenson,” the secretary answers.
“This is Ryker…”
“Oh, yes! Mr. Crawford. Everyone has been trying to reach you. All day, yesterday we called and left messages. Are you okay?”
“I am. My wife gave birth to our first child yesterday. I had to take time for them.”
“Oh, I see! How exciting for you two. Let me send this call to Harvey Stephenson. And congratulations, sir on the new baby. Did you have a boy or a girl?”
“We have a son. We named him Noah.”
“How nice. Okay, sir. You have a great day.”
I wait as the phone makes clicking noises then I hear a man’s voice, “Crawford, we were worried sick about you!”
“Well, you can stop worrying now.” I stop and think for a moment how some things do need to be worried about. “That’s not exactly true. I need you to worry but over other things. My accounts have been frozen. The CIA and FBI were all over my office building yesterday. What can you find out about that?”
“Have charges been pressed?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Hmm. Stay put and let me make some calls. Your accounts shouldn’t have been frozen unless charges had been filed. Even if we’re talking CIA and FBI. I’ll give you a call back. Please answer our calls today, Crawford.”
“I will. I just had to take a break from the drama to let the birth of our son take precedence in our lives.”
“The birth of your son? That’s why you weren’t taking any calls?”
“Yes, sir. We had us a six-pound baby boy yesterday.”
“Well, congratulations. What hospital are you in? Our office will send flowers and a gift basket.”
“We’re at home. The hospital wouldn’t let us in. They told us to go to the county hospital. My wife wasn’t keen on that, though. My wife and I know a midwife and we got her to come to our house to deliver the baby.”
“Lord have mercy, Crawford. I’ll get this straightened out ASAP! You can count on us.”
“Thank you,” I tell him then end the call.
I find the maid in the kitchen when I push the galley door open to walk in. “Oh, Mr. Crawford, can I get you anything? I’m not a great cook but I can make scrambled eggs.”
Biting my lip, I don’t exactly know how to tell her, she’s not going to get paid and she should leave. “Um, uh, Patsy, we’ve hit some stumbling blocks. I hate to get you to work if I’m unsure if I can pay you or not.”
She freezes as her mouth drops open. “Sir?”
“My accounts have been frozen by the government. I’m not sure how I can pay you for your work. So, as of right now, I’m sending you home. But I’ll let you know as soon as this gets straightened out, so you can come back to work. And, if it all does get worked out, I’ll pay you like you never missed a day. Okay?”
She shakes her head. “No, sir. That’s not okay. I will stay on. Even if you can never pay, I will stay on. You both need me more than you ever have. I won’t leave you in your time of need. I’ve been your maid for many years and you’ve been a generous and nice employer. Just because something has happened to your finances, doesn’t mean you will lose me as your housekeeper. So, how about some scrambled eggs?”
The galley door opens and Consuela steps inside the kitchen. “That won’t be necessary, Patsy. You can see to your work and I’ll see to mine.”
“I can’t let you ladies work for free,” I say as I look back and forth between them.
“I have faith things will work out and you will eventually be able to pay us again,” Consuela says. “And even i
f you can’t, that’s okay too. You need me now. And I’ll be damned if anything gets in the way of that.”
My heart pounds with their generosity and I grab them both and give them hugs. “You two are the best people I know!”
When I release them, I have to wipe tears out of my eyes. They both pat me on the back as Patsy says, “You go and take care of your wife and baby, Mr. Crawford. I’ll bring in breakfast to you both, once she has it prepared for you.”
Consuela goes to the fridge and takes out a bottle of water. “Have Mrs. Crawford drink this while I get the rest ready. It’ll only take me a few minutes to whip up some omelets and toast for you two.”
I turn and leave the kitchen, still wiping tears away and wonder how I got so lucky. My phone vibrates in my hand and I look to see the damn CIA agent’s number. “Crawford,” I answer.
“I need to see you in our offices today.”
“No.” I’m not bending to these bastards!
“You can come on your own, or we can come get you,” he threatens me.
“Look, my wife had a baby yesterday. That’s why I didn’t answer your call. Furthermore, I gave you all the information you asked me to. I held nothing back. But you did. You held a lot back. Why the search of my building? Why freeze my accounts? My baby was born here, at our home, thanks to you.”
“What?” he asks.
“Don’t act as if you give a shit. When you froze everything, even the insurance wouldn’t pay. So, thanks a ton. As far as you talking to me anymore, you won’t be. You can call my lawyers. Or better yet, sit tight and let them call you. I’ll forward them your number, asshole!” I end the call and don’t feel much better but at least I told him what I think about things.
Texting my lawyers the number, I let them know they need to call the prick. Going to our bedroom, I put the phone in my pajama pants pocket and take the water to my wife, who’s nursing our son.
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