Sultry at 30 (Love Without Batteries)

by Cassandra Lawson

  Delaney

  It was nearly an hour after I arrived at the emergency room when I was finally put in a room. There’d been a big accident on the freeway, so they had a lot more serious injuries to treat. By that point, I needed a break from Cody and Sebastian, so I’d insisted on going back alone. They were both being very considerate, but their guilt was getting on my last nerve. If either of them apologized again, I might give in to the temptation to kick them both.

  “Can you rate your pain for me?” my incredibly hot nurse asked.

  Seriously, he was making my trip to ER much nicer. With short black hair, mocha skin, and a muscular frame that stretched his scrubs to the limits, he was a sight to behold. Too bad my pain was making it hard for me to truly appreciate the experience.

  “I hate that question,” I grumbled. “It’s throbbing from my shoulder to my fingers, and I feel like I might throw up.”

  “Do you want anything for the pain?” he asked with a sympathetic smile.

  “Yes, but nothing that will make me too out of it,” I replied.

  He nodded. “I’m going to see if we can get the doctor in here to prescribe something while you wait for your exam and x-rays. What was the first day of your last menstrual cycle?”

  I thought for a moment, but I had no clue. “I’m not really sure,” I replied. “My cycles have never been regular, so I’m not good at keeping track.”

  “Is there any chance you could be pregnant?” he asked.

  “It’s incredibly unlikely,” I told him.

  “But not impossible?” he pushed.

  “I guess not,” I admitted. “Anything is possible, but I’ve been really careful.”

  “Well, let’s just do a quick test to be sure before the doctor prescribes anything,” he suggested.

  That seemed reasonable, even if I did feel a little panicked at the thought of taking a pregnancy test. Then I reminded myself that I didn’t need to panic. We’d never had a condom break, and we’d never even tried the pull and pray method. I was a responsible woman.

  It was just a precaution.

  Twenty minutes later as the doctor droned on about the risks of x-rays during pregnancy and continued to poke and prod at my shoulder, I heard very little of what he said. So far, they’d done a good job of keeping Sebastian away. He probably thought I was avoiding him because of the thing with Tessa, which made me feel a little guilty. Still, I figured it was best if I got my freaking out done before Sebastian started freaking out. One of us needed to remain calm.

  “I’d like to do an x-ray, anyway,” the doctor concluded. “I’m not convinced you don’t have anything broken. We’ll cover you so the baby is protected.”

  I smiled for the first time. I was having a baby.

  “Okay,” I agreed.

  “Someone will be in to take you to x-ray as soon as they can,” he told me. “There are some relatively safe pain medications, but I’d rather stick to Tylenol. Is that okay with you?”

  “That’s fine,” I replied.

  As soon as he was out of the room, I took my phone out of my purse. Brook and Chelsea were going to flip when they heard the news, but I couldn’t tell them first.

  Looking down at my phone, I remembered the messages Sebastian had sent earlier, so I clicked on the string.

  SEBASTIAN: Sorry about what I said earlier. I’m just worried about you, but that’s no excuse for the way I acted.

  SEBASTIAN: I guess you’re busy with your friends. I miss you.

  SEBASTIAN: I keep sitting here thinking about how lucky I am to have you. I can’t wait to show you how much I love you when I see you tonight.

  SEBASTIAN: Just read what I wrote. I didn’t plan to tell you that way. I do love you, but I planned to tell you in some romantic way like the characters in your books. While I was holding Haley today, I imagined you pregnant with my baby. It made me smile.

  I was crying by the time I got done reading the messages from Sebastian. I really loved that idiot. He’d also made this easier for me. Since he’d revealed so much over text, I felt like I had permission to do the same.

  ME: I love you, too. Do you really want to have a baby with me?

  SEBASTIAN: I definitely want to have babies with you. I know it’s too soon, but I see my future whenever I look at you.

  ME: I’m getting ready to go back to x-ray soon. They promised to cover the baby so the radiation won’t hurt him or her.

  SEBASTIAN: Baby?

  ME: You can come back to the room now.

  It wasn’t long before Sebastian came into the room. I’d expected him to run in there. This is the romantic side of me. Realistically, had he ran down the halls of the ER, they likely would have kicked him out. It didn’t seem nearly as dramatic having him walk into the room.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked with a nervous smile.

  “Really achy,” I replied.

  “You weren’t just messing with me, were you?” he asked.

  “No, my shoulder really hurts,” I told him, intentionally misinterpreting his question.

  The expression on Sebastian’s face was comical. He looked like he wanted to demand I answer his question, but he clearly didn’t want to push me while I was injured.

  When I giggled, Sebastian’s face relaxed.

  He moved to stand beside the hospital bed. Since my injured shoulder was on that side, he simply placed a hand on my belly. That action made things seem more real. All I could do was look down at his hand.

  “It’s going to be okay,” he told me. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I uttered. “You seem to be handling this better than I am.”

  He shrugged. “I’m shocked. It’s not as if we weren’t careful.”

  “You didn’t do this just to trap me into marrying you so you could gain control of my daddy’s land did you?” I asked, trying to lighten my mood.

  Sebastian chuckled. “I see you’ve figured out my evil scheme. It’s too late now. You’ll have to marry me.”

  “I suppose it’s more likely people will think I got pregnant to trap you,” I mused. Sebastian had a lot more money than I did. The only land my father owned was the small parcel his home was on. My family didn’t have money, and I wasn’t a wealthy author by any stretch of the imagination.

  “That makes sense,” he agreed with a teasing twinkle in his eyes. “You can’t get enough of my body. No one could blame you for wanting this all the time.” His teasing grin faded, and he looked worried. “Are you happy about the baby?”

  “Yes,” I replied with a shaky smile. “Do you promise to buy me cake whenever the baby wants it?”

  Sebastian leaned forward to brush his lips against mine before responding. “You can have all the cake you want.”

  “Then I guess this really is my happily ever after,” I said with a sigh.

  Clearly, I had spoken too soon because Sebastian’s phone started buzzing with an incoming call as soon as the words left my mouth. He looked down at his phone as if unsure if he should just send the call to voicemail.

  “It might be the police calling back about Tessa,” he stated.

  “You should answer it,” I told him. “The sooner they catch her, the better.”

  Sebastian nodded and answered the call.

  “Hello.” He paused. “Yes, this is. Have you found her?”

  Based on Sebastian’s low muttered curse, I had to assume the police hadn’t found Tessa yet. That didn’t surprise me, but Sebastian had seemed sure they’d find her right away. As for me, I was still trying to figure out how I’d been dropped into this crazy reality. Somehow the shock of discovering I was pregnant had lessened my shoulder pain. It still hurt like a bitch, but I was feeling a little better.

  As Sebastian continued his conversation with the police, I was tempted to message my friends. As if my thoughts had summoned them, my phone buzzed with an incoming call. When I saw the call was from my mom, I was tempted to ignore it but decided against it since she wouldn’t be ca
lling me after eight if there wasn’t a problem. Both my parents were in bed by nine. With the time difference, it was already past ten out there.

  “Hello,” I answered hesitantly.

  “Laney?” My mom sounded just as hesitant. “Are you okay, baby?”

  “I’m fine,” I insisted. “Why are you calling so late? Did something happen?”

  “Elsa Mae called to let us know what happened to you,” my mom explained. “Your daddy’s making the arrangements for someone to take over for him for the next week. We couldn’t get a flight until early tomorrow morning, but I’ll be there to fix you dinner and supper tomorrow.”

  I should have told Cody not to call Elsa Mae, but it hadn’t crossed my mind.

  “You don’t need to do that,” I assured her. “I’m fine.”

  “Cody told his momma you’d be in a sling for weeks,” my mom argued. “Elsa Mae said you might even need surgery. How are you supposed to take care of yourself?”

  “It’s my left arm,” I offered, looking over at Sebastian who was off his call and watching me with a slight smile. “Besides, the doctors seem certain it’s just some bruising.” I was downplaying it some, but my mother needed to hear that everything was okay.

  “Then you’re home?” she asked.

  “No, but emergency rooms are slow,” I explained. “They want to do an x-ray just to make sure nothing is broken before they release me. After that, I’ll be able to head home. Everything is fine.”

  “Pardon my French, Delaney Louise, but that sounds like a load of bull poop.” My mother really did consider poop a horrible curse word. “If they need to do an x-ray, they have not ruled out any broken bones. Our flight’s already booked. I know you feel like we’re in the way when we visit, but I am your momma and I will be there to help you. Is that clear, Delaney Louise?”

  I was momentarily stunned speechless. Part of it had to do with being called Delaney Louise twice in one conversation. No matter how old you are, you know when your middle name is used, you are in trouble. There was also the fact that my mom’s comments made me feel like a bitch. Yes, my career wasn’t something my parents approved of, but had I really made my mom feel like I didn’t want her at my home?

  “Sorry for making you think I didn’t want you to stay with me in the past,” I told my mother. “I always assumed you stayed with Gigi Sue because you preferred being there. I never stopped to think that it might be because I was acting like a bi- . . . a brat.”

  My mom laughed softly. “I know what you were about to say, Laney. You’ll need to watch your language while I’m staying with you.”

  There was another long pause as I considered all the things I needed to tell my mom. I’d have to mention Sebastian and the child conceived out of wedlock. Funny how telling my mother had never crossed my mind.

  “Laney?” There was no missing the worry in her voice.

  “I’m here,” I replied. “Sorry, I zoned out for a minute.”

  “Elsa Mae mentioned you’re seeing a young man,” she began.

  “His name’s Sebastian,” I added. “He’s great. I love him.”

  “That’s good,” she said, and I heard the smile in her voice. “Is this what you’re so nervous about telling me?”

  “Part of it,” I hedged. Thankfully, a woman in scrubs came into the room. “I’ll talk to you about it when you get here. It looks like they may be ready to take me to x-ray.”

  “All right, Laney,” she began with a sigh. “We’ll rent a car and head over to your house in the morning. Our flight should land around nine your time. We’re flying into San Francisco, so it may take some time to drive to your house if traffic is bad.”

  After I said goodbye and ended the call, Sebastian took my phone and purse from me.

  “My parents will be here tomorrow,” I told him.

  Sebastian gave me a reassuring smile. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “Tell me how you feel when my father has a shotgun pressed against your back while he prompts you to say I do,” I muttered.

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Sebastian

  Getting Delaney to listen to reason hadn’t been easy. She was tired, shocked about the pregnancy, and unsure how to handle the unexpected visit from her parents. I understood why that was impacting her logic, and I was trying to be patient, but it wasn’t easy.

  “For the last time, Delaney, you cannot drive your car home tonight,” I insisted.

  “You don’t get to give me orders,” she said with a pout.

  “I’m not giving you orders,” I told her.

  “What do you call telling me I can’t drive my car?” she demanded.

  “Reading your release order from the emergency room,” I explained. “They want you to rest your left arm, and driving was listed as an activity to be avoided.”

  Delaney sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m acting crazy, right?”

  “Yes, but now you can blame it on hormones,” I teased.

  “Very funny,” she muttered. Despite her attempt to sound irritated, it was clear my answer amused her. “Fine. We won’t pick up my car, but staying at your house still isn’t an option. My parents are coming in tomorrow.”

  “And they will understand why you’re staying at my place,” I argued. “It’s safer. The first two incidents involving Tessa happened at your place. I’m not saying she can’t figure out where I live. That’s not too difficult. It’s simply harder to get to my place. Aside from the gates at the front of the community, I have an alarm system.”

  “Why am I arguing with you about this?” Delaney asked, sounding genuinely bewildered. “I know I can’t drive home, and I know I’m safer at your place.”

  “You’re worried about what your parents will think if you’re staying at my place,” I told her.

  “Which is crazy,” she huffed. “As soon as I tell them I’m pregnant, they are going to know we’ve been intimate.”

  A startled bark of laughter escaped my lips. “Intimate?”

  “That’s the term I’m going with when thinking about my parents,” she replied.

  “Fair enough,” I agreed, deciding it was smart to avoid teasing Delaney about this. I knew she was stressed out about telling her parents about her pregnancy, and I didn’t blame her. As for me? Fine, I was a little stressed out, too. I had no idea how much of that was about the baby, and how much had to do with Tessa still being out there. Tessa had already proven she was still unstable.

  “Why do you suppose Tessa didn’t come after me for so long?” Delaney asked. “I think she may have killed my plants and put a dead cat on my porch.”

  “What?” I nearly roared. “When did this happen?”

  “A little over a week ago,” she admitted. “To be honest, I’m not certain she put the dead cat there. Animal control seemed to think it died of natural causes, so it may have just walked up there and died.”

  I let out a frustrated breath. “Did you tell the police about these things?”

  “Not yet,” she admitted. “I barely spoke to them before Cody took me to the hospital. They asked me a few questions and then headed out to look for Tessa. So, why do you think Tessa had a gap in her attacks? I’d think she’d have been going after me more, especially on the nights I was alone at my place.”

  “From what the police have found so far, she hasn’t missed a therapy appointment, which means she’s been driving back to Portland. That’s how they're hoping to catch her,” I explained.

  “When is her next appointment?” she asked. “I need this to be over soon. My parents are probably going to insist on staying here forever if Tessa isn’t arrested.”

  I chuckled. “I’m really looking forward to meeting your parents.”

  “Because you long for a shotgun wedding?” she demanded before letting out a frustrated breath. “They really do mean well. They stood up for me both times I left Cody, even though the church disapproved. My writing is the only thing they refuse to support me on.”

  I�
��d just parked at Delaney’s house, so I turned slightly toward her, placing a hand on her cheek until she faced me. “That must hurt.”

  “Not anymore,” she replied with a sad smile. “My parents love me, and I love them. For the first year I lived out here, I was angry with them. I thought they should completely accept me for who I am. They aren’t going to accept my writing, but they aren’t shunning me or pushing me to quit. I just have to accept that this is who they are.”

  “You amaze me,” I murmured. “I know you think I’m crazy, but I really am looking forward to meeting your parents.”

  By the time we got Delaney’s stuff packed up, the stress of the day was really beginning to set in. Thankfully, Delaney made coffee and put it in a travel mug for me. She must have seen how exhausted I was because it was strong enough to strip paint off the walls and just what I needed to make the drive home.

  The day had been filled with many shocks, both good and bad. As I slid behind the wheel of my car, I looked over at Delaney and smiled. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

  Her own smile was a little wobbly when she replied. “I’ve got a pretty good idea. You’re turning out to be the best sexy boy toy.”

  “I aim to please,” I drawled.

  “If my shoulder didn’t hurt so much, I might make you prove that claim tonight,” she said with a sleepy laugh.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Delaney

  After the day I’d had, part of me wanted to climb into bed and sleep for a week. I’d barely managed to slip out of my clothes before collapsing into Sebastian’s bed the night before. In fact, I’d been tempted to leave my shirt on since removing it meant moving my arm. Thankfully, Sebastian had thought to go through my clothes to find things that buttoned in the front to make it easier to dress. He’d also woken me up early so I could let my parents know where I was, and he’d even offered to pick them up.

  Now, I was dressed, fed, and waiting for Sebastian to return with my parents. What had I been thinking? I’d just let my sexy boy toy go to the airport to pick up my parents alone. This was the final proof of my insanity.