One Night Baby - A Romance Compilation

by Tia Siren

  I listened to the sounds of the monitors mingled with the breathing machine and struggled to make sense of it all.

  Feeling a sense of urgency now, I left the room, heading to a quiet area where I could call her mother, Kathy, who had been like a mother to me over the years. Unlike me, her mother was completely calm and rational, telling me she was on her way. The woman was in Chicago. It wasn’t like she was going to be walking through the door in the next hour. I promised to stay with Sarah until she got here.

  I went back into the room and sat in the chair beside her bed, asking questions of the nurses and talking to Sarah when they weren’t around.

  “I need to check on my son,” I announced to the nurse after Sarah had been wheeled away for another test.

  She smiled and nodded her head. “This can take a while. The cafeteria is open if you want to grab something to eat.”

  “Thank you.”

  With Tommy in tow, I walked to the cafeteria, feeling a bit like I was sleepwalking. I kept expecting to wake up and realize it had been a bad nightmare. After he’d had a bite to eat, I got him settled in the family room once again with a new volunteer and headed back to Sarah’s bedside.

  “We need to take her to surgery,” a new doctor said, coming into the room with a nurse.

  “Surgery?”

  He nodded. “She’s got some internal bleeding that we need to get under control. Is her mother here?”

  “Yes!”

  I turned and nearly collapsed at the sight of Kathy walking through the door, looking like the graceful goddess I knew her to be. Her silver hair was perfectly coifed, her outfit looked like something out of a magazine, and she was perfectly accessorized.

  “I’m her mother. Do the surgery. I’ll sign the necessary paperwork,” she told the doctor in a crisp, authoritative voice.

  “All right. You can wait on the surgery floor. We’ll be taking her to an ICU bed as soon as she’s out of recovery,” he said, as they unhooked Sarah from various machines and wheeled her out of the room.

  The second Sarah’s bed was gone, Kathy walked to me and wrapped me in her arms. I bawled and sniffled and made a general mess of myself while she comforted me.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, wiping my eyes. “She’s your daughter. I should be comforting you.”

  Kathy smiled. “I’m not worried. Sarah is a fighter. I have to be strong for her.”

  I nodded. “Thank God you can be strong, because I’m a mess.”

  “Let’s go get some coffee. Where’s Tommy?” she asked.

  “Down the hall,” I told her, walking to the small room filled with toys and seating for family members waiting for news.

  “Grandma Kathy!” Tommy hollered when he saw her come through the door.

  She smiled and hugged him, kissing him on the head before telling him we had to be quiet. We stopped by a coffee cart before heading up to the next waiting room. It felt like we had waited forever before the doctor appeared, announcing the surgery had gone well and she was in recovery.

  “You need to get him home and get some rest. I’ll stay with her,” Kathy said, looking down at Tommy, who was stretched out over a few seats.

  I looked at the time and realized it was after nine. “Oh my God. I didn’t realize it was so late.”

  “I know, dear. I’ll call you if there’s any change. I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, giving me a quick hug.

  I left the hospital, and it wasn’t until I was on my way home that I realized I had forgotten all about Tyler and his ultimatum. By then I was too tired and emotionally drained to deal with him. I’d call him first thing in the morning and explain. Maybe I could get him to watch Tommy while I hung out at the hospital.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Tyler

  Shitty didn’t even come close to describing my mood. I had surpassed shitty about eight hours ago. She’d stood me up. I mean, I had known it was a possibility, but I’d just assumed she would show up. I had expected her to show up and have a list of conditions, which I was prepared to counter. When Alex called to tell me he had waited for nearly an hour and she’d never shown, my range of emotions had bounced between furious and crushed. I didn’t like those feelings. I liked being in control, knowing what to expect and when.

  The treadmill wasn’t enough to work out my aggression and frustration this morning. I had gotten out of bed after a sleepless night and gone straight for the treadmill.

  Stomping to my office, I pushed open the door, wiping away the sweat dripping down the side of my face with the towel hanging around my neck. I looked at the flashing light on my phone and debated throwing it across the room.

  There was a missed call from Emily. It was the second one today and it was barely nine. She’d made her decision, and I wasn’t interested in hearing her reasons. I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for her. I had done that for four damn years. I had other plans. I went through my contact list and hit the cell phone number for my lawyer. I knew it was a Saturday, but the large retainer the man had was my free pass to call him any time of the day or night.

  I explained the situation and asked him to do whatever needed to be done to ensure I had some parental rights. He pointed out the child support issue, and I directed him to be generous. I was going to see my son, and it wouldn’t be whenever she felt like it. I wanted it legal. She wasn’t calling the shots.

  Once I got the ball rolling on that issue, I called Jack. I knew he would be thrilled with what I had to say.

  “What can I do for you, Mr. Case?” he asked, his tone hesitant.

  “I want to go out on a couple more dates,” I blurted out.

  “You want to what?” he asked, frustration in his voice.

  I chuckled. “I’ve changed my mind. My first choice isn’t going to work out. I want to see if there is someone more compatible. I’m willing to let the cameras be there. You can catch the first kiss or whatever else transpires.”

  “You are one crazy son of a bitch. Well, I’ll see if any of the ladies are still interested. We’ve been working on a finale, but I think we could push it out a week. I’ll need to talk with Gabe and see what he wants to do,” he said. “I’m warning you now, I’m not playing games. You’ve been jerking us around. You wanted the show, you didn’t want the show, and now you want the damn thing.”

  I knew he was being difficult because I had been a pain in his ass earlier. “Let me know. I’ll send over a couple more of my choices and you can get things set up,” I said and hung up.

  I walked out of the office, strolling toward the pool, hoping a swim would be just what I needed to forget about her. That wasn’t entirely accurate. I didn’t want to forget about her. I wanted to forget about what she had done to me.

  The swim didn’t work. I needed to get out of the house. I was going to dwell on the Emily thing if I stayed home alone all night, like I had last night. It was time to shift gears. I had gotten stuck in this Emily quagmire for too long. I had fantasized about seeing her again and us falling madly in love with one another. I’d had this whole fantasy all worked out in my head. I hadn’t anticipated having a child or her turning me down. That had never been in the cards. It had thrown me for a loop and I needed to get my bearings.

  I called Landon, demanding he meet me in a few hours at one of our favorite bars. I wanted to drink and get away from all thoughts of Emily. If that meant picking up a woman and burying myself inside her, so be it. Emily was not going to dictate my life another minute. I had wasted too much time and energy on her. Not anymore.

  When I strolled into the bar, I immediately scanned the room. It was quiet, but it was still early. I knew it wouldn’t be long before eligible men and women packed the place in search of the same thing I was—a quick little roll in the sack. I secured a table, making sure I had a good view of the floor. I paid the waitress a hefty tip, ensuring she would keep my glass filled all night.

  “You’re starting early,” Landon said before sliding onto the semi-cir
cle couch, keeping a safe, manly distance from me. “I’m guessing the ultimatum didn’t go well,” he said before waving at the waitress.

  I shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know if it went well. This may be the way it was supposed to work out. I tried too hard. I tried to push what I wanted, and it didn’t work out.”

  “She turned you down. Well, her loss. I’m glad we can put all this behind us.”

  I smirked. “I’m sorry. Was me having a relationship a burden for you?”

  He chuckled. “Yes, it was, actually. I missed my partner in crime.”

  “I’m back.”

  I finished my drink, held up my empty glass to get the attention of the waitress, and scanned the room. The place was filling up, my options opening up as the night stretched on. I was downing the drinks, searching for the oblivion I knew was at the bottom of one of the many glasses I was finishing.

  “Here comes another one,” Landon murmured.

  I looked up to see a blond woman headed my way. She was pretty, very sexy actually. I had a feeling she would be a great lay.

  “Why don’t you sit down here and tell me what you like,” I said with a practiced smile, patting the seat next to me.

  She slid in, played coy, and flirted like an expert. Landon was preoccupied with his own lady. The woman beside me slid her hand up my thigh. I should have enjoyed it. I wanted it, but something was holding me back.

  “You know what? I need to make a call,” I said, gently pushing her hand away.

  “Will you be back?” she cooed.

  “I don’t know.”

  She slid out of the booth. I waited a few minutes before excusing myself and heading for the bathroom. I wasn’t going to call anyone. I had just needed an excuse to extricate myself from the situation. The woman wasn’t doing it for me.

  I made my way back to the table, happy to see Landon by himself.

  “What was that about?” he asked when I took my seat.

  I shrugged. “She wasn’t my type.”

  Landon smirked. “Since when do you have a type? She was hot, and I bet she could work magic with that mouth of hers.”

  “Wasn’t for me.”

  I downed another drink and felt myself finally finding that little bit of peace I had been searching for all night. Another three drinks and two more women and I was ready to call it a night. I wanted to go home, alone.

  “You have a broken heart. I never thought I would see the day,” Landon said.

  I blinked, trying to focus on the words he was saying. “What?”

  “She broke your heart. You fell for her.”

  I picked up my drink, put it to my mouth only to realize the damn glass was empty. The waitress sucked. So much for the fat tip up front. She had failed miserably.

  “I’m going home. I need to get some sleep,” I muttered.

  “Do you want me to call you a cab?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “No. I can do it.”

  “Suit yourself. Sure you don’t want one of these lovely ladies to help soothe the ache?”

  “No.”

  With Landon’s help, I managed to make it outside with minimal stumbling. I was drunk. I hadn’t been drunk in a long time. I wasn’t sure I liked it. I preferred to be in control. I managed to hail a cab with Landon’s help. He gave the driver my address, gave him a hundred-dollar bill, and sent me on my way.

  The cab driver handed me off to a member of my security team, who escorted me up the driveway, which I decided in that moment was far too long. I managed to get up the stairs and to my room, grateful as hell for a secure handrail.

  I stripped my clothes off. A thump sounded, and I drunkenly stared at the floor, trying to make out what had made the noise. It was my phone. I carefully bent down to retrieve it. With the phone in my hand, I got the bright idea to call Emily. She had called me a couple times and I owed her a call back.

  Fumbling with the phone, I managed to punch in the right PIN on the third try and pulled up her name in my contacts.

  “Emily, it’s Tyler,” I started when her voice mail picked up. “I’m a little drunk. You didn’t show up last night. I want you to know I’m not mad. I get it. I pushed you. I accept your decision and I won’t ask for an explanation.”

  I took a deep breath, trying to remember what I wanted to say.

  “Oh, I’m going to see my son. Don’t try to stop me. It’s my right. You don’t want me. You had your chance. I wanted you and you rejected me. I’m going to pick another woman. I’m dating. I’m going to go out with one of the other women from the show. They want me. So, uh, good-bye,” I mumbled, and I ended the call.

  The screen showed the time. It was three in the morning. I guessed that explained why she hadn’t answered. I tossed the phone on my bedside table and collapsed into bed. I was fucking wasted. I remembered why I never drank this much. I didn’t like it.

  I tried to close my eyes, but the room kept spinning on me. Emily had done this to me. She had me twisted in knots. I hated that I’d been so stupid. In all my years, I had never let myself fall in love with a woman. I kept a good distance between my heart and my dick. I could sleep with a woman without loving her. Why the hell couldn’t I get this woman out of my damn head?

  “Forget about her,” I mumbled, or at least I hoped I mumbled. I was on the verge of passing out. That had been the goal for the night: drink myself into oblivion and go to sleep without worrying about Emily.

  Why wasn’t it working?

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Emily

  Reaching my hand out, I felt around for my phone. I vaguely remembered hearing it ring in the middle of the night. I remembered looking at the screen, thinking it was Kathy or the hospital. But it had been Tyler. Anyone who called me at three in the morning after ignoring my calls all day was not worth losing sleep over.

  I saw the voice mail icon and, while lying in bed, listened to the message. I sat straight up as I listened to it.

  “No!” I shouted into the room. “No, no, no! You don’t understand.”

  He was pissed, talking about legal stuff with Tommy. The man was jumping to conclusions. I wanted to slap him. How dare he be pissed? I had tried to call him yesterday and explain what had happened. He was the one who wouldn’t answer. That wasn’t my fault.

  I tossed the blanket off and jumped out of bed. The guy was an asshole. He had decided I wasn’t worth anymore of his time and had moved on. Arrogant ass! I didn’t have time to deal with his hurt feelings. The man really needed a reality check. It was a symptom of being too rich for his own good. He was used to people jumping at his every demand. I wasn’t one of his minions, and I didn’t care how much money he had. I didn’t jump for anyone.

  “Tommy,” I said in a low voice, wanting to wake him gently. “Tommy, we have to go.”

  He stretched and opened his eyes. “I’m tired.”

  “I know, sweetie. We’ll bring your blanket and you can sleep at the hospital. I promised Grandma Kathy we would be there,” I said.

  He didn’t look pleased but sat up anyway. I helped him get dressed and sat him down at the table with a bowl of cereal while I took a quick shower and got myself ready. Sarah was going in for another surgery. She was still in a coma and Kathy hadn’t left her side overnight.

  “You ready?” I asked Tommy, carrying his backpack into the room.

  “Yes.”

  When we got to the hospital, Kathy was looking a little worse for wear.

  “Can I get you anything?” I asked her, worried about her health.

  She smiled. “I’m fine. They’re running a little late. After they take her up for surgery, I’ll grab a bite to eat.”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  “How are you doing?” she asked Tommy. “You grow every day, don’t you?” she said with a big smile.

  He grinned. “That’s what Mom says.”

  Kathy gave him a kiss on his forehead. The woman was a pillar of strength. I knew she was suffering terribly. Despite her ow
n worries and stress, she was always so patient and kind with Tommy and treated him like her own grandchild.

  The doctor came into the room, explained the procedure again, and told us it would be about four hours.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to take advantage of one of those sleep rooms?” I asked her, noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

  She shook her head. “I couldn’t sleep. I’ll sleep once she wakes up and I know she’s okay.”

  “Okay. Let’s get you some coffee and breakfast at least.”

  We walked to the cafeteria and got a few snacks for Tommy. I insisted Kathy eat some fruit, along with some bacon and eggs to keep her strength up.

  “You know, I think I will close my eyes for a minute. Do you know where those sleep rooms are?”

  “I do. There’s one right off the waiting room. You can rest, and I’ll let you know the second the doctor comes in.”

  “Thank you, Emily. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all you’ve done. You are an absolute angel, and I’m so glad you and Sarah are friends. You two take such good care of each other.”

  “She’s my rock. I couldn’t begin to list all she has done for me,” I said, feeling the emotion welling in my chest.

  “She’s going to be fine, Emily. Don’t you worry for a minute. My girl is one tough cookie. Her body needs the sleep. We both know the only way she’s going to get any rest is if she’s in a coma.”

  I chuckled. “You’re right. The doctors aren’t worried; I’m not going to worry either.”

  “Good,” she said, heading into the small room.

  I settled into a chair with Tommy, pulling out his books and toys to keep him occupied, hating that I had to keep dragging him to the hospital for these long waits.

  “Mommy, I’m thirsty,” Tommy whined.

  “All right. Let’s go to the vending machine,” I said, putting his things in his backpack and leaving it in the chair to hold our spot.