Fire and Midnight

by Sandra Renee Appet

  “You’ve been practicing,” he said, and kissed her finger.

  “I started an online Spanish tutorial. I’d like to be able to communicate with your family members who don’t speak English. Also, I’ve been thinking about something. I think we should raise the baby with both languages. She should be bilingual.”

  “She?” he teased, smiling.

  “Yes. Maya’s not the only one who thinks this baby’s a girl.”

  “Whenever I think I love you so much that I can’t possibly love you any more, you do something that makes my heart overflow.”

  She tilted her head. “Then I guess this is a good time to tell you that I resigned today.”

  His eyes widened. “You did? This doesn’t have anything to do with Maya, does it?”

  Jane shook her head. “She just helped me realize I was holding onto my job for the wrong reasons. I thought by leaving my job I’d become too reliant on you, and lose the me I’ve fought so hard to find. But you’re the reason I’m happy and complete, not the job. And talking to Maya made me remember what a precious time Tyler’s childhood was to me. I want the luxury of being a full-time mommy to our baby. I can always go back to my career when I’m ready.”

  He searched her gaze. “You’re a wonderful mom, with or without your job, but I’m happy you resigned. Now, I can have you all to myself,” he said, cupping her cheek.

  “Just for a little while longer. Then you’ll have to share me,” Jane said, and cradled her belly with her hands.

  Carefully, he slid his arm around Jane and pulled her closer. “How did I ever get lucky enough to have you in my arms forever?” he whispered in her ear.

  Chapter Thirty

  Jane almost missed hearing the knock on the door over the murmur of the daytime television show she’d switched on to keep her company. Wondering if she was imagining things, she turned down the volume.

  Knock, knock, knock.

  Jane hadn’t expected any other visitors, that day. Maya had stopped by earlier, and Ryan wasn’t due home until the afternoon. It’s probably just a delivery person, she told herself. They’ll leave when no one answers the door.

  She heard the scrap of metal as the key turned in the door and froze in a panic.

  “Hello? Jane?”

  She reached for her phone, not recognizing the deep voice.

  “Jane? Are you here?”

  She cocked her head. No. It can’t be... “Nick?” she called.

  Footsteps clomped closer. “Where are you?”

  “Through the kitchen. The last door on the right,” she said dropping her phone on the table and placing her hand on her chest calming her nerves.

  The sound of footsteps grew louder until a shadow darkened the floor at her doorway.

  “Jeez, Nick. You scared the crap out of me!”

  “Don’t you know you shouldn’t place a spare key under your mat? It’s the first place an intruder looks,” he said with a smirk.

  “Obviously. What do I owe the pleasure of your breaking and entering my home? You certainly have a knack for showing up when you’re least expected,” Jane said as Nick’s face came into view.

  He shrugged with an air of nonchalance. “I was in town, so I thought I’d drop by.”

  Jane stared at her ex-husband. “You’re in town? You thought you’d drop by?”

  He held his palm out. “May I?”

  Grudgingly, she nodded. “You’ve come all this way, so you may as well come a few steps farther.”

  Nick strode to her side and kissed her cheek. “How ya feeling?”

  “Like a turkey left in the oven too long.” She knew she looked like a mess. She hadn’t seen a lipstick in months and couldn’t recall the last time she’d had a haircut.

  He smiled. “You look great.”

  “That’s the second round of bullshit you’ve tossed my way since you got here. Why don’t you just tell me why you’re in San Antonio and standing in my bedroom?”

  “Tyler told me what you’re going through, and I felt sorry for you. Then I started feeling bad for the things that happened between us, and the way I treated you afterwards. I guess I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

  She shot him a suspicious glance. “Really? You came all the way from New York to cleanse your soul? You could’ve called.”

  Nick held his hands up. “Okay, okay. Full disclosure, I’m on my way to a golf trip in Arizona. Turns out I had a long layover in San Antonio, so on a whim I asked Ty for your address, rented a car, and here I am.”

  “Ah. At least that makes more sense, and it’s definitely less creepy.”

  He grimaced. “Ouch.” Crossing his arms, he smiled down at her. “So, how’s everything going?” he asked, his gaze moving to the blanket-covered bulge of her belly.

  “The baby’s doing well. I’m just hanging around here until she’s fully cooked.” Jane rubbed her stomach.

  “She?” Nick asked.

  “We don’t know for sure, but Ryan’s sister insists it’s a girl. I got used to saying ‘she’ instead of ‘it’. I haven’t had much to do, over these past few weeks, so the baby and I have gotten to know each other pretty well. She even likes my singing.”

  “That’s true love,” Nick said, and winked. His gaze shifted to the pile of paper on her bedside table. “Have you been working while you’re on bed rest?”

  “Only to transition my accounts to another account manager. I quit my job,” Jane said with a smile.

  Nick raised his eyebrows. “Quit? I thought you loved your job. Tyler said you were able to work from here in San Antonio.”

  “True and true. It was going fine, but I’ve had a lot of time to think, and I realized how fast time goes by, and how precious it is. I want to spend time with my family.” She smiled down at her belly. “Who knows? I may go back to it, one day.” She shrugged. “Or I may not.”

  “Looks like you have it all figured out.”

  “Hardly. I keep having this dream that I’m juggling a bunch of balls, trying so hard to keep them all in the air. Then I miss one, and it drops to the floor with a loud thud. Everything’s quiet for a moment, and then all the balls come crashing down.” She laughed. “See what pregnancy hormones and too much daytime television do to a person? Hey, would you mind filling that pitcher with ice and water while I hit the bathroom?”

  “Sure. Need any help getting up?”

  “Nope. I can do it. But you could cut me up an apple.”

  Jane eased out of bed as Nick left the bedroom. She shuffled toward the bathroom when a sharp pain caught her off-guard, seeming to slice through her lower belly. She grabbed for the edge of the small table outside of the bathroom, the closest thing in reach. But she slipped, the table wobbled, and Jane tumbled to the floor as the lamp slid across the table’s surface and landed with a crash.

  Nick rushed back to her side, his shoes crunching on the broken glass. “Jane!”

  She lay in shock for a moment. Then another wave slashed through her core. “No, no, no…” She shook her head and cupped her hardening belly in her hands.

  Glass pierced her forearm.

  Nick pulled a blanket from the bed. “Breathe, Jane. In and out,” he said as he wedged the blanket under her head. “I’m gonna get you some help.” He started to rise, but she stopped him with a death grip on his forearm.

  “Don’t leave me,” she gasped, a mixture of tears and sweat stinging her eyes.

  “I need to call for an ambulance.”

  “It’s too soon. The baby’s not ready,” she cried as her thoughts raced in a million different directions. She knew she needed help, but fear stopped her breath. For an instant, she thought that everything might be all right if she just curled up on the floor and froze in place, not breathing, not moving. Then a sensation of warmth traveled through her panties to her thighs. She reached between her legs and touched a rush of wetness that was forming a puddle on the floor.

  “The baby seems to have other plans, sweetheart. We have to get y
ou to the hospital. Now.” Again, Nick tried to stand, but she held him even tighter.

  “I can’t do this.” Terror sliced through her as she pushed out a shaky breath. “I can’t lose this baby.”

  He wiggled his hand free from her grasp and cupped her cheek in his palm. “Listen to me, Jane. You are the strongest person I know. You’ll get through this.”

  “But what if … what if I don’t? What if I can’t?” Desperation rolled through her body, prickling her skin with fear. “What if I’ve failed this baby? What if I’ve failed Ryan?” She choked down a sob as tears flowed down her face. She shook her head. “I can’t live with that. I don’t know what I’ll do.”

  Nick chuckled and smoothed her hair. “Look, I’ve caused you a lot of pain, but you stayed strong through all of it. I expected you to crumble, but you never did. Instead, you stuck by me. You stayed strong and tried to make it work, even though I’d been a world-class asshole. I kick myself every single day for what I did to you and what I lost in the process. You deserve everything good in life. You deserve a good man like Ryan, and you deserve this baby. The baby will be fine. You will be fine, because you have the strength to do anything you set your mind to. But we have to get you to the hospital. Okay?”

  She searched his face, absorbing his words while she reasserted control over her senses. The fear receded slightly, and she was back. She nodded. “Yes.”

  He wrapped one arm around her back, slid the other under her knees, and lifted her off the ground. Then his gaze landed on the puddle. “We’re not waiting for an ambulance. I’m taking you to the hospital now. We’ll call your doctor and Ryan in the car.” Stopping next to the bed, he bent just far enough to grab her cell phone.

  Jane braced herself as another wave passed through her insides. It felt as if her vital organs were passing through a food processor. She grabbed Nick’s arm as he carried her outside and headed toward his rental car. “I’m calling my doctor. You call Ryan,” she bit out through clenched teeth, swallowing the new surge of fear that tried to crawl up her throat. She had to be strong for Ryan and the baby, but she knew her limits. If she called Ryan, she’d melt into an incoherent puddle of tears, right there in Nick’s rental car.

  He eased her into the passenger seat, ran around to climb in on the driver’s side, and started the engine, then pulled out his cell phone, his gaze flicking to her. “What’s his number?”

  She barked out Ryan’s number and poked the speed dial button to the emergency number of her doctor’s office.

  She heard Ryan answer through Nick’s phone as they backed out of the driveway and started down the street. “Ryan, this is Nick Keegan. Jane’s in labor. We’re on the way to the hospital,” Nick said. Ryan’s voice took on an angry tone, but she couldn’t understand a word of what he said to Nick. “Look, there’s no time to explain… Yeah, I’m sure. I know when a woman’s in labor. This isn’t my first rodeo, cowboy. Just meet us at the hospital. Okay, okay … yeah, hold on.” He held out the phone to Jane.

  She exchanged phones with him and pointed to the highway sign ahead. “Turn up there. The service has me on hold while they try to reach my doctor.”

  She lifted Nick’s phone to her ear. “Ryan?”

  “What happened? Is everything okay? Did he upset you?” Ryan fired questions at her in a strained voice. “I swear, I’ll kill him if he had anything to do with this,” he spat.

  Jane paused to listen to Nick’s conversation. “Yes. Jane Keegan. We’re on our way now.” He flicked a glance her way. “Okay, Jane. Your doctor’s on her way to the hospital.”

  She smiled weakly at Nick then turned her attention back to Ryan. “My water broke right after Nick showed up, but he didn’t have anything to do with it. It was actually good that he was there. We’re almost at the hospital, and Dr. Murcia is on her way, too.”

  She heard footsteps in the background through the phone. “I just got to my car. I should be there in just a few minutes. Everything’s going to be fine, Querida. You know that, don’t you? I promise you, everything will be fine.”

  Ryan’s voice soothed her, but she wondered if he believed his own words. She wasn’t sure she did.

  “I know it will,” she said, trying to hold it together as another wave of pain caught her off guard. “Please hurry. I love you,” she said, and ended the call. She didn’t want Ryan to hear the anguish in her voice.

  Jane shouted directions to Nick through a series of painful contractions until they finally reached the hospital. He screeched to a halt at the curb at the Emergency Room entrance and threw the car into Park. Jumping out, he ran to the entrance and grabbed one of the wheelchairs inside the glass doors. Wheeling it to the passenger side of the car, he opened her door and shot her a tight smile. “I gotta say, I’m glad we got here. I was afraid I’d have to deliver your baby on the side of the road.” He helped her into the wheelchair.

  “Bet you’re smacking yourself now for making a pit stop to visit me,” Jane said in a desperate attempt at humor as he wheeled her inside.

  “I’m glad I was there for you. Makes up a little for the times I wasn’t.” Nick stopped the wheelchair just short of the reception desk. “This is Jane Keegan. She’s in labor,” he shouted.

  The receptionist tapped the keyboard. “Yes, you’re Dr. Murcia’s patient. We’re to send you straight to Maternity. Wait by those double doors. An attendant will be right there to take you up.”

  Nick followed directions and pushed her to the designated spot.

  Jane looked up at him from the chair as she clutched her belly. “You don’t have to stay with me. Ryan will be here in a minute. You have a plane to catch.”

  His gaze bounced from Jane to the exit and back to her. “I’ve left you alone when you’ve needed me before, and I’m not going to make the same mistake again. As long as it’s okay with you, I’m staying with you until Ryan gets here.”

  She nodded. “Okay. I’d like that,” she said, ignoring how strange it was that Nick’s presence was giving her a sense of comfort.

  An attendant appeared, smiling. “Looks like someone’s ready to have a baby. Let’s get you upstairs,” he said to Jane, and nodded to Nick. “You can follow us.”

  Jane opened her mouth to explain that they were waiting for her baby’s father, but she was gripped with another agonizing pain. Speech was beyond her; all she could do was try to implement the breathing methods she’d learned when she had Tyler.

  A nurse met them as the attendant wheeled her onto the Maternity wing. “Is Dr. Murcia here yet?” Jane asked, gasping for air.

  The nurse nodded calmly. “She’s here. I’ll get you prepped, and Dr. Murcia will be right in,” she said. “You can follow me, Mr. Keegan.”

  He paused. “I’m not … I mean, I am, but I’m not—” Nick stumbled.

  At any other time, Jane would have enjoyed witnessing Nick ramble on in embarrassment. But not now. Not now.

  “I’m sorry. You’re not Mr. Keegan?” The nurse glanced at Jane, just as another wave of pain stabbed at her belly.

  “He’s … oh … oh,” Jane said, clenching her teeth.

  “I am Mr. Keegan. I’m just not—” He pointed to Jane’s stomach.

  “He’s not the baby’s father. I am,” Ryan said, and knelt in front of Jane. “Breathe, Querida.”

  Jane sucked in a breath and forced it out between her teeth. She shook her head, and a strand of her hair stuck to the sweat on her cheek. “It’s too soon. It’s too early.”

  “Not according to our little girl.”

  His voice was as smooth as warm honey on a summer’s day. Jane sucked in a breath and managed to let it out more slowly. She reached for his hand. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  The nurse’s gaze skipped over all three faces. “Well, I hate to break up this little party, but I need to get Ms. Keegan prepped for delivery. When you two figure out who should be in the delivery room, you can put these on and come on in. We’ll be in Room Three.” She slapped a pac
kage of scrubs onto the counter, took command of the wheelchair, and rolled Jane into the room.

  Another contraction ripped through her body, and sweat beaded on her upper lip. “That was a bad one,” she gasped when it finally eased. “They’re getting worse.”

  The nurse helped her into a gown, settled her on the bed, and was just starting an IV when Ryan stepped into the room, wearing a pair of green scrubs.

  “Dr. Murcia will be in soon,” the nurse said as she left them.

  Ryan came to the bedside. “So, what makes you think we’re about to have a baby?” he teased gently, stroking the hair back from her forehead.

  “Can’t imagine,” Jane’s voice broke from worry and pain. But she tried to muster a grin for Ryan’s sake.

  Dr. Murcia knocked once before opening the door. “Baby decided to come early, it seems,” she said, followed by a tight smile. “Let’s see what we’re dealing with.” Dr. Murcia examined Jane with quick efficiency and checked her cervix. “Okay. Considering that your water broke and you’re nearly one hundred percent effaced and dilated, keeping this baby in utero is no longer an option. In fact, it should only take you a few pushes to get the baby out.” Dr. Murcia consulted the fetal monitor and turned to the nurse. “Page Dr. Blake, please.” Her gaze moved to Jane. “We’re going to have the Neonatologist on standby.”

  “What’s wrong?” Jane asked. Another contraction started, and she grabbed Ryan’s hand.

  “Is everything okay with the baby?” Ryan asked.

  “The baby’s heart rate is decreasing.” Dr. Murcia moved to the foot of the bed. “All right, Jane, get ready to push.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Doctors and nurses skated around Ryan in a precise, synchronized dance. Every person in the room had a purpose and a job to do, except Ryan. For the first time in his life, he felt absolutely helpless as he wiped Jane’s brow with a cold cloth while she braved another wave of contractions. He gazed into her worry-filled eyes, searching for the right thing to say. This baby was heading into the world much too early, and Jane’s unrelenting labor offered her little respite from the pain.