"All good. You cold?" He made his way over, running his hand down my back.
"Just a little. I'll be fine."
Before I had a chance to stop him, Tristan slid his hand inside the opened area at my back to cup my boob.
I pushed at his shoulder. "Stop it."
"You know, these gowns could come in handy." Tristan lifted the corner, and I slapped his hand.
"I think we've surpassed–"
"Knock, knock," the doctor said.
Tristan sobered up. "Hi, Tristan Daniels." He shook the doctor's hand, earning a respectful nod from her.
"You must be the father?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Please, call me Dr. Bubbles."
Man, I wished I had a camera to capture Tristan's bug-eyed and slack-jawed expression.
"Just kidding," she said with a chuckle. "Dr. Branner."
We both laughed. "Thank you for seeing us, Dr. Branner." I tucked my hands under my legs.
"Yes, of course." She pulled up the rolling stool and sat. Thank goodness she hadn't walked in to see Tristan rolling around the room on it a few minutes before. "So you noticed you were pregnant when you were supposed to start a new pack of birth control pills?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Did you miss a pill?"
I shook my head. "No, never. I've never missed a pill, and I take them at the same time every day just to be safe."
Tristan squeezed my shoulders, his gesture killing some of the nerves.
"I see. Have you been sick or taking any antibiotics?"
I blinked.
Unable to form words, Tristan spoke for me. "Yes, ma'am. She had the flu and strep throat a while ago."
Dr. Branner leaned back in the chair. "Could explain the unexpected pregnancy." She lifted her chin. "Taking antibiotics while being on birth control dilutes the strength of it."
"My fault," I said, stomach rolling.
"Spud," Tristan whispered. "It's okay," he encouraged, but how could it be? I should have known better, been more responsible.
Dr. Branner opened the laptop. "We have your blood work back." She clicked on the computer screen, her eyes scanning the file. "Looks like you're about seven weeks along." She glanced up with a smile. "Still pretty early, but we'll start with a sonogram today. How have you felt?"
"Really exhausted and sometimes nauseated."
"All normal." She crossed her legs. "Any cramping or bleeding?"
I shook my head. "No, none at all. Is that so terrible?" My knees bounced, crinkling the paper more.
"Calm down. I'm asking because as the baby grows, you may experience some cramps. Most first-time moms do."
"Oh, okay." I stopped my knees from bouncing. "I do have a concern. Before we found out we were pregnant, I drank alcohol. Not a lot, but I'm worried about the effects it may have."
Dr. Branner patted my leg. "A few drinks shouldn't harm anything, but I strongly suggest refraining from alcohol until after the baby is born."
My racing pulse slowed. "Thank you."
She smiled again. "Let's get started." Dr. Branner stood and pressed a button, and a few seconds later, the nurse joined us in the room. "Elle, scoot to the end of the bed and place your legs in the stirrups." I did as she instructed. "It may be difficult to see since you aren't far along in the pregnancy, but I'd like to get a visual anyway."
"Will we be able to hear the heartbeat?"
"Maybe, but again, it's early so we may have to wait until your next visit to hear anything."
I clutched Tristan's hand tight. He stood beside me the entire time. Waves of uncertainty rolled through me, but when an image appeared on the screen, I released a gasp.
Dr. Branner pointed to the screen. "Do you see that dark area there?"
"Yes," I whispered, clamping down on Tristan's hand.
"That's your baby."
Relief mixed with a fierce sense of protectiveness overcame any worry I held onto. Our baby.
Right then, I wanted this baby more than anything. So much love filled me I thought I'd burst. My eyes glued to the dot that held parts of me and the man I'd love for the rest of my life. How had I ever doubted wanting this miracle?
"I love you," Tristan whispered with as much awe in his voice as I felt.
"Always," I whispered.
Tristan
How could something so tiny affect me so profoundly? Amazing, this mixture of joy and pride from seeing our baby's image for the first time. Elle's hand turned into a vise, and I ran my thumb over her knuckles.
"Based on the size of your uterus and the measurements on the screen, it coincides with your lab work."
I swallowed. "Is she okay?"
"She?" Elle tipped her face up, unshed tears of love glistened in her eyes. "Could be a boy, you know."
"As long as we deliver a healthy baby, I'm not worried about the sex," Dr. Branner said, pulling us back to the situation.
"Yes, of course," Elle agreed quickly as the doc turned the screen off.
"I'll step out to let you dress; then we can discuss what to expect."
"Thank you," I said, voice thick.
Doc headed out, and as soon as the door latched, Elle's lip trembled. "I've been so scared, but after seeing–"
I cupped her cheeks and stared down at her perfect face, pouty lips, and nose. Our daughter would look like her mother, and I'd have two of the most beautiful creatures on earth.
"How we got to this place doesn't matter." I pressed a long kiss to her forehead. "I'm gonna be a dad, Spud." The biggest grin spread across my face. All the research, worry, and panic that brought us to this moment vanished the second I saw our baby on the screen.
"I wasn't sure I wanted the baby." Elle picked at her nails, her eyes trained on the action. "I wanted more time for us, but…" Her breath blew out in a tremendous whoosh.
"And now?" I tilted her head back.
Elle flattened her palm to her stomach. "No, Tristan, I've never wanted anything more in my life." She swallowed hard. "Seeing our baby–"
I wiped tears away before they fell past her cheeks. "We've got this."
She nodded, tears falling freely now. A few minutes after Elle dressed, the doctor came back, handing us a few pamphlets.
"Look over these; they'll help answer questions you may have later. Do you two have any comments or concerns for me?"
Elle chewed on her lip before asking, "Other than the alcohol, I've not eaten well. I mean sometimes I skip meals. And sometimes I run with Tristan. What if–" She avoided looking my way. "Do you think that has any effect on the baby?"
"I'm sure you're all right, though I still strongly suggest no alcohol indulging during the duration of your pregnancy. From now on, be sure to eat regularly, and as long as you listen to your body, working out is fine. Remember, if you're tired, rest."
"Oh, no. I mean yes, I would never. And I'll eat better."
Dr. Branner patted Elle's shaking hand. "As for eating, look through those handouts." She nodded. "They give a list of foods you should avoid."
"Oh," Elle said, relaxing into the seat.
"Do we see you every month?" I asked. "How does that work?"
The doctor offered a small grin. "Yes, set up an appointment in a month on your way out." Dr. Branner stood. "Do you have any other questions?"
We shook our heads.
"Wonderful. Congratulations once again, and I will see you two soon."
Elle and I stopped at the front desk to schedule our next appointment before heading to the car, both giddy.
"You don't have to come to every doctor's visit," Elle said.
I waited for her to click the seat belt before pulling out of the parking lot. "Yes, I do. I want to be there as much as I can."
Elle rested her head against the backrest. "Yeah," she said, with a dreamy grin on her lips.
"Yeah." I ran the back of my hand down her cheek.
That night, Elle and I celebrated into the next morning. As the early morning sun peeked through the blinds highlightin
g her face, I tucked fallen hair behind her ear. "Marry me." The question leaked out before I thought it through. I had planned to ask Elle to marry me with flowers and shit, but after everything, I didn't want to wait.
Elle frowned. Not the response I'd expected from the mother of my future child.
"What's the problem?" I asked, genuinely offended.
"I don't want you to ask me to marry you because I'm pregnant." She rolled to her side and rested her cheek on her propped-up hand.
"With my baby." I held her gaze. "You knew I was going to ask you at some point."
Maybe not the line I should've gone with.
"At some point? Really?" Elle jerked the covers back and stormed to the bathroom.
I tucked my arms behind my head to watch the show as Elle stomped naked from the bathroom to the closet. She mumbled something about a ring, and I grinned. I'd talked to Mom last year about Grandma's ring, but I wanted to wait for the right moment to slip the gold band on her finger.
"Spud, you coming back to bed?"
"Nope," she said on her way back to the bathroom, slamming the door.
Couldn't help the quick laughter. She was too adorable pissed and pregnant–and soon, she'd be my wife.
Elle
The tiredness had slowly ebbed, thank goodness. Throughout the next week, I'd taken some time to catch up with classes by studying as much as possible, all the while neglecting the house. Tristan's clothes scattered on the bedroom floor next to the hamper pissed me off.
"Tristan, it isn't hard." I shoved socks and jeans in the basket, fuming and muttering under my breath. What the hell was wrong with him?
"Oh, I assure you, it's hard." Tristan's smug grin proved his maturity had not graduated past junior high.
"You're an idiot."
"Not nice, Spud." Tristan shimmied a tight-fitting T-shirt over his head. Light blue, my favorite color on him, not to mention the material showed off his contours nicely.
"Wasn't trying to be, ass." I bit the inside of my cheek to keep the grin under control.
"You know you love me." He looped his arms through mine, pressing his hands against my stomach.
"It's not too hard to put dirty laundry in the hamper." I rested my head on his shoulder, relaxing into him, content to stay in our position all day.
"I'll do better, promise."
Lies, all lies. The man would forget the current conversation the minute he stepped foot out of the room. "Thanks."
"I'll be home later. Dad should be in this afternoon."
I stepped away, then propped the small basket against my hip. "Sounds good. Rixon and I have an article to finish, but I shouldn't be home too late."
He glowered, then glanced at my stomach. "You tell him about the baby?" The completely protective, yet alpha tone should've pissed me off. It turned me on instead.
I swallowed down the desire before answering his question. "No, but only because I haven't seen him much."
Tristan rocked on his heels with a smug grin.
I changed the subject though, not wanting to press my luck. "You and your dad are meeting with the agency today, right? To talk about the offered contract?"
"That's that plan." Tristan didn't blink twice.
I loved how confident he was about his career. He and his dad had lined up a few more interviews with agents to handle any deals with the NFL. They'd put off signing longer than any other player. "Jumping into a financial relationship isn't easy. These things take time. Needs to feel right, Dad," he told him over the phone last night. I was glad the two of them were getting along so well.
A sharp, stabbing pain hit my abdomen, and I dropped the basket on the bed. I didn't expect the cramps Dr. Branner mentioned to be so intense or hurt so bad.
"Spud, you okay?"
My head shot up, meeting Tristan's anxious gaze. Not wanting to worry him, I brushed the question off. "Alyssa and Bret are coming to dinner. Oh, and Mom called earlier. Said she and your mom planned to drive up next week sometime."
Tristan frowned, cocking his head to the side, and hair fell near his light brown eyes. "What's up?"
I shrugged. "Don't know. Probably has something to do with the kid." I planted a kiss on Tristan's chin. The spasm eased, and I let out a sigh of relief.
"Don't let them talk you into anything you aren't comfortable with."
"Like I could stop them." I shook my head.
Our moms called daily to check up on us. They'd also dropped hints about picking out baby furniture.
Tristan wove his fingers through my hair. "See you later." He kissed me as if it were the first time.
∞ ∞ ∞
A few more cramps shot across the upper section of my stomach. I blew through the unease and headed up to the communications building to meet Rixon.
"You okay?" Rixon placed a hand on my arm. The contrast in temperature soothed the area he touched.
"Yes, I-I'm great," I stammered, then doubled over, clenching an arm around my middle. This time, a searing pain slammed into me, stealing my breath as if a cattle-prod burned my midsection.
"Elle, you don't look so good." Rixon's voice drifted to background noise.
Another attack came, a cramp and wetness trickled down my leg. My vision dotted, and I swayed. Catching my fall, I gripped the back of the chair and clenched my eyes tight.
"I'm calling 911." Rixon continued talking, but pain seized my ability to think or hear as fire continued rolling across my stomach.
"Hospital." I swallowed, sweat coating my face. "Baby," I managed to say when the pain shot across my lower back. "Tristan." I squeezed my eyes shut and hunched down. "Call Tristan."
Tristan
Elle's number flashed across the screen, and I picked up on the first ring. "Spud?"
"Ah, no. It's Rixon. Listen, you better come to the hospital quick." It took a second to register who answered, and another to process what he said.
"What?" Hospital. Oh, God. "She okay?" Elle's cry shattered the confusion. "What the hell is going on?" I ran toward the car, ignoring the people as I pushed through the crowded parking lot. Dad and I had finished lunch before he headed back home.
"Man, I'm sorry, but you should hurry. A Dr. Branner said to get here quick."
I didn't remember hanging up. Didn't remember getting inside the car and driving toward the hospital. The single thing I held onto was the agony and terror when I heard Elle calling out my name. Dread filled me. Please, God, watch over my world!
Hospital staff buzzed in every direction. One worker bent over while cleaning a pool of blood caught my attention, and numbness rushed down my face.
"Sir, may I help you. Are you okay?"
I glanced at the lady wearing light purple scrubs, and the moment came back to me. "Elle Richards."
"Are you family?"
I answered without hesitation. "She's my wife."
With a nod, the woman stood. "Give me a second to find her."
If something was wrong with the baby…
I stopped the lady. "Ma'am, my wife, she's pregnant."
"Okay, let me check. I'll be right back."
Time moved slow. Why the fuck wasn't the nurse rushing to find Elle? I clenched and unclenched my hands in an attempt to remain cool-headed, pacing the short hallway. I walked back and forth a total of ten times before the woman found me.
She looked up, her cheeks pale. "Sir, your wife's in the surgical section, on the second floor. Room 211." She pointed. "If you go out these front doors and take a left around the corner, you'll find the elevators."
Blood drained from my face. I didn't know for sure if I'd thanked her; the only thought on my mind was getting to Elle. The elevator dinged, and the doors closed, only to reopen moments later. I hustled toward the direction of Elle's room, following the labeled numbers along on the wall.
I pulled the door open when Dr. Branner's voice echoed. "I'm sorry, but we have to rush you to surgery. The pregnancy isn't viable; it appears the embryo implanted in both the
fallopian tube and the uterus. Rare, but this type of tubal pregnancy does happen."
Tears burned my throat, and I swallowed the silent cry as I entered the room. Immediately, Elle's gaze held mine, her eyes filling with tears. I rushed to her, everyone else in the room disappearing, and held her as close to me as our bodies allowed.
Elle
The doctor focused on Tristan. "I'd like to speak with you in the hall."
I clutched Tristan's shirt, afraid to let him go. "No, don't." So many emotions filtered through me all at once: fear, guilt, and the worst was devastation that we were losing the baby.
"Not going anywhere," Tristan said with moisture in his eyes.
I swallowed. "Okay."
Dr. Branner's lips thinned. "This isn't easy, and I am sorry, but we have to get Elle into surgery." She glanced at the beeping machines with a frown.
Tristan sat on the edge of the bed and cupped my face. "I'll be right here when this is over."
"Okay," I said again weakly, closing my eyes and soaking in his warmth, praying it would combat the coldness seeping into my bones.
"Thank you," Tristan said, addressing the doctor.
"I'll let them know you're ready." Dr. Branner exited.
Ready? No. The fluids running through the IV in my arm took the discomfort in my stomach away but did nothing for the ache building in my chest.
"Elle?" Tristan's soft voice... Oh God. The agony I desperately tried to keep under control threatened to slip. He urged me to see him, but I was scared. I didn't think I could risk looking at him. What if his expression resembled the bleakness growing inside me? What if I looked up and found disgust? No, I couldn't bear that type of pain. Not yet. One step at a time.
The door opened, and we both looked in that direction. Two nurses in OR scrubs walked in. I'd already signed the paperwork for surgery, but I had to wait for Tristan. I had to see him before they removed the baby.
Our baby.
"Elle, look at me," he demanded.
"I love you," I said.
"Always," he finished. He laced his fingers with mine and walked beside me as they wheeled me down the hall. Before I went through the double doors, Tristan bent down. His face hovered above me. "I'll be waiting." He brushed his lips across mine, feathery soft. "Not going anywhere. Ever."
Interception (Distraction #3) Page 11