by Hazel Gower
Ashlyn lay in the hospital bed, a drip in one arm and looking not just tired, but exhausted. Her eyes held big black bags under them, and her skin looked so white it seemed almost translucent.
“What the hell happened, lov’?” I choked out. I wasn’t a guy who cried, but seeing the woman I loved like this I was seriously close.
“Is this the father?” The voice had me looking up from Ashlyn to see two people, a man in his mid-fifties in a suit, and a nurse. The suit guy must be the doctor. It would explain why her parents and brother were waiting out of the room. The doctor held charts, and the nurse held a couple of devices.
I darted my gaze back to Ashlyn in time to see her nod her head, close her eyes and whisper, “Yes.”
Well what do you know? The media was right for once. I’d knocked up Ashlyn. I probably should have been freaked out about this, but oddly enough I wasn’t. I just wanted Ashlyn and my baby to be safe. “Listen, doctor, I don’t know how you usually run a hospital, but somehow the media knows exactly what’s happened and where she is. You have a leak. I’m telling you to speak to the head of whatever department deals with this stuff because my lawyers will be getting in contact with yours. If any more private information turns up I’ll make sure you’re looking for new jobs. Do I make myself clear?” I glanced at Ashlyn to see she was looking at me and not the doctor and nurse.
The doctor studied me for a while before he gave a sharp nod. “I’m sorry, Mr.—”
“Blake. Dillon Blake.”
The nurse gasped and nodded. “I’ll talk to the head of the department, Mr. Blake. I apologize,” the doctor said.
“Great. Now could you please tell me what the hell happened?”
The doctor looked to Ashlyn, and I watched her nod to him. “Mr. Blake, I’m Dr. Hinton. Miss Dobbs came to us as she collapsed twelve hours ago from dehydration. She has hyperemesis gravidarum. It’s severe nausea and vomiting, which results in weight loss. Dehydration is common, along with low blood sugar and fainting. A lot of women who have this are admitted for fluids and help with keeping on top of it. Usually this eases around week twenty. In some pregnancies it can be earlier, and some women have it the whole pregnancy. Miss Dobbs is about ten weeks so that gives you another ten, if this eases at twenty weeks. Let’s hope she doesn’t have it the whole pregnancy.”
I nodded, because my head felt like it was about to explode. I looked at Ashlyn, and I knew I wasn’t leaving her. I’d never been so scared in my whole life when I got the call she was in the hospital. Now I thought about it, if she was going to come to the hospital for anything, her being pregnant was good. It was something I could handle. Ha. Weird. The thought of Ashlyn pregnant didn’t scare me.
Ashlyn was staring at me strangely like she was searching, or waiting for me to do something. I listened to the doctor say they were going to keep her another night to get her fluids up and see if they could find a nausea tablet that would work for her.
“Okay. I’ll be here,” I said when the doctor finished talking.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Blake. I’ll be back tomorrow around the same time and we can see how you’re doing, Miss Dobbs. If you’ve improved I’ll let you go home.”
Ashlyn mumbled, “Thank you, Dr. Hinton.”
Dr. Hinton smiled down at me and then turned to the nurse. “Rhonda here is going to listen to the baby on the fetal Doppler.”
I stood and shook the doctor’s hand before he left. When I turned back to Ashlyn the hospital gown was pulled up and I could see Ashlyn’s black cotton panties. Rhonda the nurse was over her and squirted blue liquid on her stomach. Ashlyn didn’t look pregnant. Her stomach was still flat. Now that I saw her stomach I could see she actually looked even thinner than she had the last I saw her.
Frowning, I gazed at her face. She wasn’t looking at me. She was staring at Rhonda. I wanted to ask her why she hadn’t told me. Why she hadn’t gotten help. Why she’d lost weight when she was pregnant and should be gaining it. I knew the doctor said she had a condition, but… All my train of thought stopped as soon as I heard it. It was like a fast whooshing noise. I held my breath so I could hear better and the beating became clear. Wow. That was my baby’s heartbeat. Letting out my breath slowly, I listened to the most amazing sound I’d ever heard. Reaching over I intertwined my fingers with Ashlyn’s.
“Thank you,” I whispered. The tear-filled smile Ashlyn sent my way had me standing to kiss her tears away. “Don’t cry. Listen to that little miracle we made.” I must have said the wrong thing because she burst into tears. Panicking that she would make herself sicker, I darted my gaze over to Rhonda with a pleading look for help.
Rhonda smiled my way. “It can be very emotional hearing your baby for the first time. She’s already on hormonal overload being pregnant.”
“Oh.” I had no idea what I was supposed to say or do. “Yeah.” I looked at the Doppler thingie and wondered if I could get one so Ashlyn and I could hear the baby anytime we wanted. “Is there somewhere I can get one of those?” Squeezing Ashlyn’s hand, I gazed at the Doppler thingie.
“Yes, you can buy a good fetal Doppler for about a hundred dollars or so.”
“Great. I think that will be the first thing I buy.”
Rhonda laughed and cleaned the blue gel off of Ashlyn. She went and checked Ashlyn’s drip and then smiled down at Ashlyn. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours to do your blood pressure and see if the anti-nausea drugs are working. Everything sounds good with baby.”
“Thank you.” Ashlyn gave Rhonda a stiff smile.
Rhonda nodded and smiled at me. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Blake.”
“Nice to meet you, too, Rhonda. Thank you for letting me hear my child.”
“You’re very welcome.” Rhonda looked at Ashlyn. “Do you want me to let your family in when I leave?”
“No,” I said before Ashlyn could reply. “I’ll let them in soon. I want to have a moment with Ashlyn.”
Rhonda stared at Ashlyn until she got a nod from her. Then we both watched Rhonda as she gathered her things and left.
We were quiet and didn’t say anything. I noticed that her gown hadn’t been pulled down so I gently pulled it down before I broke the silence. “Ashlyn, do you have something to tell me?” I dragged my gaze from her belly and stared at her tear streaked face.
“I’m pregnant,” she mumbled.
I felt it in my chest, and then it spread through me, a laugh so deep I felt like I’d fall off the chair. Was I not just in the room when the doctor was here? Did I not just hear my baby? “Why didn’t you tell me?” I burst out between fits of laughter.
She eased up on the bed, and I watched as she crossed her arms over her chest and my gaze widened as I saw how big her tits had gotten. I thought they’d grown the last time I was with her, but they were huge now. Damn, I was a lucky man. “You’re not going to even ask if it is yours or not?”
What the fuck? I stopped laughing. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that the baby Ashlyn was carrying might not be mine. From the time I’d spent with her and what I knew of Ashlyn, she wasn’t one to jump from man to man. The baby was mine, just like the mother. “I’m not even going to answer that stupid question. You silly woman.” Getting off the chair I carefully moved myself onto the bed and hugged her. “I know this is all happening so fast, but you know I love you and I am actually kind of happy about the baby. Well not kind of. I am. When I got that phone call that you were in the hospital, I’ve never been so afraid in my life. All I could think of was I was never leaving you behind again. I love you so much and I know you think we’re moving fast, but I’d marry you tomorrow if—”
“Yes,” she interrupted me.
“What did you say?” What was she saying yes to? Did she just agree to marry me? My chest hurt, and I was sure it was because my heart was about to beat right out of me.
“I said yes.”
“To what?” I held my breath in anticipation.
She closed her eyes and I watc
hed her take a deep breath in and slowly let it out before she opened her eyes. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Chapter Eight
Ashlyn
Vanuatu
I groaned as I heaved myself up off the lounge chair on the beach in Vanuatu. I had to go help my husband from my brothers. Whoa, that sounded weird to say. Husband. Two days ago, I had married Dillon in a small ceremony on a little island resort in Vanuatu. I was twenty-two weeks pregnant. My hyperemesis gravidarum had eased, and I was cleared for travel.
Dillon had paid for my family and a couple of close friends to come, and his own family was here. All of his band-mates were here and even the dancers. I was nervous to meet his family, but his mother was so nice and I loved her almost instantly. She was so excited for the baby. I knew she would be an enormous help. Dillon’s little brother was an even bigger flirt than Dillon.
I made my way over to the football match that was supposed to be tag, no tackles, but thanks to my brothers that rule was out. This was the third time I’d watched them tackle Dillon to the ground. I knew my brothers weren’t really hurting him. They never would, but they did take their play wrestling a little too far. I was sure Dillon’s bodyguards, who were on his team, were really in cahoots with my brothers. Although, when Dillon’s brother joined in they were almost even with tackling each other. My parents were off on a tour with Dillon’s parents today so they weren’t here to help control my brothers. Dillon’s band-mates weren’t any help either. They thought how my brothers acted toward Dillon was hilarious.
“Get off my husband right this minute. If I have to grab you I will make sure Mum and Dad find out the stress you’ve put me through.” One thing my doctor had said was to keep my stress levels low, so I was using that to my advantage. It was the only thing that got my brothers to leave Dillon alone. Well that and the threat of Mum and Dad.
Torrance and Tyler both grumbled, but they got off Dillon. I couldn’t help the giggle that slipped free when I saw Dillon. His hair was sticking up on every end. His bare chest was red and his shorts were ripped and he looked dazed. Dillon staggered as he got up, and I watched him stand still until his balance came back.
Going to him I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. He must really love me to put up with my brothers. My belly rubbed his bare chest.
“Mmm, I lov’ you.” His lips brushed my forehead. His hands came down and rubbed over my bump. I felt the flutter and a kick. The baby loved their daddy’s voice.
“I love you, too,” I said before I kissed him. He kissed me back until our baby gave another tumble kick.
At the movement of our baby Dillon kneeled in the sand and kissed my stomach. “Daddy lov’s you, too, my Bean.”
I groaned at the name he’d given our baby. On the first ultrasound I’d had only a couple of days after I got out of the hospital, Dillon saw the baby on the monitor and thought it looked like a bean. So now he called it Bean. Even in our last ultrasound at nineteen weeks he still didn’t change it from Bean. We’d opted for a surprise instead of finding out the sex.
Gazing down into the eyes of the man I loved, I fell more in love. Dillon was nothing like what I ever expected. He was always more. Instead of going back on tour Dillon had stayed with me. Even when the record label called he didn’t cave under pressure. I was surprised and grateful when his band members backed him up going as far to say they wouldn’t sing together without Dillon. The tour was postponed. The fans were crazy and we’d had to double security, but Right Time promised extra shows when they reorganized the tour and to the people who’d had tickets, preference of the day they wanted of the two shows in each city.
Dillon got up, and he wrapped his arms around me. “You’re amazing,” he whispered against my ear as his hands rubbed my tummy.
Looking up at him I smiled. “No, you are. I love you so much. You surprised me. I never expected you. When I met you all those months ago I never thought I would have this with you. I never even expected this of you when we started our relationship. I didn’t know this kind of chemistry existed. Every day I find something to make me love you more. You’ve risked your career for me.”
He shrugged. “I’d do it again to have this.”
I snuggled into him. He turned us so we gazed out into the beautiful ocean. “I know you would. If last year someone would have said I would be married to Dillon Blake and pregnant with his baby, I would have laughed in their face. For some crazy reason I thought you weren’t my type.”
He chuckled. “I’m everyone’s type.” I rolled my eyes and giggled. He replied by giving a dramatic sigh. “Is it sad that I can’t see you but I know you just rolled your eyes?” He palmed my arse. “You’re so bad for my ego.”
This time I laughed. “Yes. And you need me to deflate your ego so I don’t have to push your head through doors.”
Dillon sighed again. His hands came around to rest on my belly. “Do you hear how your mother treats me, Bean? She’s lucky I know she loves me and thinks I’m the hottest man ever.”
I did love him, and it was times like this I realized why. Because he made me laugh and beyond happy. He turned my world upside down, but even with crazy fans, bodyguards, and a demanding record label I wouldn’t change our lives. I had a wonderful family and friends and a man that I loved more than anything.
Squeezing Dillon’s waist I smiled up at him. “Let’s go to our villa, and I’ll show you just how hot I think you are.” I winked and let him go, running the best I could towards our villa on the water. I didn’t get far before Dillon scooped me up into his arms and carried me towards our villa. I knew in that moment that I didn’t need anything else. Snuggling into him I felt safe, loved and blessed.
Epilogue
Dillon
“She’s just been fed and changed, so she won’t need anything to drink for at least another four hours.” Ashlyn gazed down at our three month old baby girl, Grace, and then groaned. “Who am I kidding? Your daughter is a little piggy.”
I smiled and looked at my daughter in my arms. She was a chubby thing, and could be my clone if she wasn’t a girl. She was staring up at me with a milk-drunk, dazed look on her adorable face. She even had some milk leaking from the sides of her mouth. I brought the bib up and gently wiped each side. Then I looked back up at my wife, Ashlyn. Her hair was in a messy bun and falling out, her eyes had dark black circles under them, and her top had milk stains, two very noticeable ones, right over her breasts. She was wearing a pair of my boxer shorts and pink socks. I couldn’t remember her ever looking so beautiful.
“Grr, don’t look at me like that. That look is what got me looking like this.” She waved her hand over at Grace and then down at herself.
I shrugged. “You look hot. I have ten minutes before I have to leave. What say I put her in her bed and we go—”
“Argh, don’t you finish that, Dillon.” Ashlyn huffed, turned, and went to the fridge. She got out a bottle and then a bottle cooler. “Here is some milk I expressed. I was saving it for tonight so we could go out after I come home from work, but sleeping more than three hours will be like heaven and way better. I know your daughter won’t go three hours without being fed, but knowing your luck and what a daddy’s girl she is I wouldn’t put it past her to sleep four or five hours straight, just for you.”
I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t take the help I’d offered a million times. She didn’t want a nanny though, even for when she worked. The band members and their partners helped look after Grace, for a couple of hours while Ashlyn worked. I’d suggested a part time nanny, but Ashlyn didn’t trust many people with Grace. I smirked as I peeked into the baby bag pretending to check I had everything so Ashlyn didn’t see my grin. Technically Ashlyn did have a nanny. She just didn’t know that was Issy’s official job title. Ashlyn was so adamant on wanting to raise our daughter, and I would do anything for my woman, so I wasn’t going to tell her. She already complained about how guilty she felt for leaving Grace for a couple of hours
a week to work for the charity we’d created that helped children with speech difficulties. I awoke at night and got up to help, but Ashlyn just shooed me back to bed. “You work more than me. I don’t want you looking tired and me getting the blame.” I knew I should argue with her, especially since she worked hard, too, but she wanted to do it all, and I was happy to keep the peace. I did help in any way I could, even if that meant taking Grace some mornings so Ashlyn could sleep before she went to work.
My girls were my whole world. I would do anything to make them happy. I loved them more than anything and I couldn’t believe how lucky I had gotten to be blessed with them.
****
The interviews for the day were about to start and the first interviewer, a tall leggy blonde, walked in and as soon as her gaze landed on me with Grace in my arms her eyes lit up like she’d just been given the biggest prize. “So cute,” she cooed.
Zeck, who sat next to me, elbowed my side. I looked at him and saw him wink. “Why thanks. You’re not the first woman to say that.”
The woman gave a fake laugh and then introduced herself as some music program presenter. She sat in the chair opposite us.
Grace’s stroller was beside me, but she wasn’t in it. She was asleep in her favorite spot, cradled in my arms. The band’s media team hadn’t batted an eyelid when I came into the room that the interviews were being held in today with Grace. She’d become a little crew mascot. They were surprised though when I said she was spending the whole morning with me, while Ashlyn caught up on some much needed sleep.
“Dillon, the rumors are running rampant about you leaving the group. They say you’re going to become a full time dad.” She looked down to Grace. “They’re true?