by Gem Sivad
“One hundred percent,” I answered pertly. Technically the possibility was a smidgen lower, but not by much. Elaine glowered at me.
Ah hah. Not my fan. Hmm… I had to think a moment. “Okay, two months, five days, three hours,” I looked at the clock, “and ten seconds.”
“Are you really? Do not do this to him if it’s not true. I won’t allow it.”
“You’re his personal security detail, right?”
“His office assistant. I’ve been with him for years,” she said stiffly. “He’s like a son to me. I…” She teared up. “Please don’t be stubborn and make me worry about you, which makes him worry about you, which takes his mind off what he needs to be doing—staying alive while he and the rest of the crew fight the fire.”
Well, okay, putting it like that I suppose that makes her a grandma of sorts. I sat across from her, gazing at this addition to the baby’s family. I was not inclined to like her.
Oh boy, the kid isn’t even here, and I already have surrogate in-law problems. “I wasn’t wrong. Marty is high maintenance.” I answered because I didn’t want Elaine crying in my kitchen.
“I only know what Garret, wearing his doctor hat, said, plus two pregnancy kits confirmed. I’m operating on the assumption that they were right.”
“Then you should already be following a healthy diet,” she answered, glancing at the mug next to me.
“I am,” I muttered sounding defensive. Then I remembered I was twenty-nine, she was a guest in my house, and I didn’t owe her any courtesy beyond what I’d already extended.
“Coffee is not…” Her words stuttered to a halt as she peered into the mug I pushed across the table. “That’s milk.”
“Yes, it is. You smelled coffee when you barged in because, before you helped yourself to a cup of what I can’t have, I’d already lit the java scented candle to supplement my morning milk break.”
“I’m sorry.” She stood, tendering her apology. I nodded my acceptance and silently willed her to be gone.
“The appointment with Dr. Spencer is tomorrow. Call the number on the back to confirm.” She handed me a card and added, “I’ll pick you up in the morning.”
If she’d offered instead of going all commando on me, I might have agreed. Also, her smug expression made me question her earlier teary-eyed look. She’d obviously learned her manipulation skills from Marty.
“I have transportation covered,” I told her. Which I did. I intended to catch the city bus.
“Who’s taking you?”
“I’ll walk to the corner and ride the bus. I want and need exercise and if you show up, you’ll be sitting in a car by yourself. Elaine, get a grip. Whatever you usually do for Marty, go back to doing it.”
She made unhappy noises, but I remained firm. I’d take myself to the physician Marty had chosen, and if I didn’t like that doctor, I’d find my own.
When she finally left, I locked the front door behind her and then for added protection from an ambush attack, locked the back door as well.
Between the poor sleep the night before and her conversation I was worn out again. But more than that, I was distraught. I could feel the pressure building inside me. I headed for the closet and opened the door. Things had been shifted around. I flipped on the light.
“I don’t believe this.” The closet had been fitted with a bench. It had a note pinned to the seat.
Holly, I’m not trying to intrude. I just want you to be comfortable when you come here to think. ~Respectfully, Marty.
I retreated to the kitchen, grabbed my phone, dialed Marty’s number, and walked toward the closet.
“You’ve invaded my personal space. You had a party in my backyard while I slept, your secretary showed up this morning to nag me about seeing a doctor, and now I find out you’ve even redecorated my…” I fumbled for the right term. Sacred retreat? Hiding spot? Mental therapy zone? “Stop. Just stop.”
“You found the bench,” he said as soon as I shut up. “I shouldn’t have messed with your think tank. I’m sorry. Won’t happen again.”
All the sizzle went out of me and I deflated like a punctured balloon. I should have hung up, but I could hear a lot of noise with an overlay of male voices in the background. “Where are you?”
“Helicopter transport.”
“Transporting as in, taking you to the fire?” I asked.
“Yep. You won’t be able to reach me soon. If you need anything, call Elaine.”
Great, one more thing to worry about. I frowned at the phone.
“So, do you like the bench?” He reminded me of the reason why I’d called him.
I stepped into the closet, closed the door, pulled the dangling cord to shut off the light, and sat on the padded bench. I couldn’t help myself, I giggled.
“You like it, right?” he growled in my ear.
“Where did you get the cushion?”
“Picked it up while I was waiting for… when I was grill shopping.”
I heard him switch gears. Okay, he’d been there waiting for me to get off work. I’d already surmised that. Marty wasn’t exactly subtle. But, since I’d rented him a room and he was currently flying away from me, the home invasion scenario didn’t really apply.
“So how dangerous is this job you’re on?” I drew up my legs and leaned my back against the side wall, squirming to make myself comfortable.
“On a scale of one-to-ten, with one being the least dangerous and ten being an inferno, this is a fifteen,” he answered casually. While I was digesting that, he attacked.
“Elaine said she had to pry answers out of you for the insurance upgrade. What the hell is the big deal? You need better insurance to cover the cost of that woman doctor I found for you. I don’t want you cutting corners on healthcare. That’s my kid you’re gestating.” Obviously, Elaine kept Marty informed via speed dial.
“You’re ruining the calming closet effect. All I want to do is reach through the phone and smack you upside the head. And I’m seriously rethinking our rental agreement.”
“What the hell is wrong now?” he asked gruffly.
“Are you related to Elaine? Because frankly, you share the same bossy gene.”
“No blood kin.” His rough laughter followed his admission. “But yeah, she’s a cross you’ll have to bear. And Jack is too. He’ll be by before long to stake his claim. The kid won’t be shy of babysitters and places to stay.”
“My baby will not be staying with anyone I don’t approve.” I didn’t want to quarrel but enough with the pushing.
“Elaine says your people are dead. That so?”
I blanched at his question. When I didn’t answer, he said, “Well are they?”
“Yes. I don’t talk about it so drop the subject.”
“Not before I get your promise to go see the new doctor and share any pertinent information needed.” Marty’s technique of getting what he wanted, kept me teetering on the edge of indecision. As he downplayed the dangerous nature of his work, he also focused his interrogation skills on me.
I fielded his subtle and not so subtle suggestions bordering on orders concerning the doctor. I considered telling him about my phone stalker, but, remembering Elaine’s reference to his dangerous work, I figured he didn’t need me yammering negatives in his ear since he was about to jump into a raging forest fire.
“I’ll see your suggested physician. But, if I don’t like the doctor, I’ll find someone else.” Having stated my position, I changed the subject. I’d tried not to think about Marty’s work. But, remembering Harley-Jane’s terror, I asked, “Is Gable okay?”
“Landed on his target and got us set up. Tell Janie he’s in the safety zone.” He laughed again, and I wondered if there was such a thing where they were.
“Take care,” I told him, eager to sign off and not think about Marty. But he had other ideas.
“Hey, I’ll call you tomorrow after your appointment. And I’ll see you when I get home,” he growled. “Meanwhile…” The deep timbr
e of his voice sent shivers up my spine. “Think about us in the kitchen, me touching you, and taking you to heaven.”
“Why?” I whispered as a blush heated my cheeks and a twist of desire pulsed in my core.
“Because when I get home, baby doll, I’d like to visit heaven again.” His gruff words made my insides clench remembering, or anticipating, I wasn’t sure which, probably both. “You going to think of me when you curl up alone in that big bed tonight?”
“Hmmm,” I managed as I headed upstairs, ready for later now.
Chapter Fourteen
Marty
When Cowboy shoved his box of equipment toward the door, I realized I’d gotten so caught up in my conversation with Holly, we were circling the drop area already. A couple of the guys smirked knowingly at me, and Gable gave me a thumbs-up, then jumped. I watched him land, then said my goodbyes, ready for my own launch. As it was, I’d almost enjoyed the hurly-bird ride that preceded our jump into hell.
I hadn’t pushed my luck and nagged at her about working for Smoke, Inc. I’ll do that later when I call. Cowboy had our equipment out of the boxes and setup in the clearing he’d targeted by the time the rest of us landed. We’d been slated to relieve a hotshot crew, but they stayed on the ground with us when the fucking wind shifted, threatening to obliterate all their work.
We spelled the local team while they took a much-needed break. The Smoke crew fought side-by-side. Drought conditions had left the underbrush nothing more than dried tinder; heat lightning set off new patches of flames as thirty mile-an-hour gusts kept the blaze from being contained.
It was easy to lose track of time as we fought the flames. But every moment of the battle, I thought about the call I’d make to Holly when I took a break at the end of the second day. Am I going to be a dad?
Holly
I woke early, showered, dressed, and left the house to avoid any of Marty’s crew. I made it to the bus stop unscathed and hopped off at the corner next to the correct medical building.
With an hour to kill before my doctor’s appointment, I found a coffee shop for breakfast. I didn’t eat much since my stomach was too full of what-ifs and anxiety flutters to allow for hunger. I stalled as long as I could, and finally made my way into the building.
Plush carpet, soothing music, and a receptionist whose main concern seemed to be to make me comfortable, greeted me when I stepped into the physician’s office. She ushered me to a private room, and got the blood pressure, weight, and paperwork out of the way.
I needn’t have worried about paying. Elaine had sent ahead the insurance information, and all I had to do was confirm and sign. This I did, feeling queasy as I shared information again.
“Remove everything and slip into this for your exam. Dr. Spencer will be right with you.” The receptionist handed me a soft, terrycloth robe, and left.
“Well, la dee da,” I muttered. The robe, the kind expensive spas and five-star hotels provide for their guests, impressed me more than the office.
As soon as I removed my clothes and put on the robe, the receptionist returned. Evidently, she was also a nurse.
“The doctor will be with you in a moment. I’m just going to draw some blood for your preliminary lab work.” She whipped out her equipment, slid my sleeve above my elbow, found a vein, and took her sample before I could muster a squeak of surprise.
Dr. Spencer arrived, introduced herself, and proceeded with the examination. She asked me questions about my diet, work habits, sleep patterns, menstrual cycle, sexual activity, and feelings about having a baby.
“What was your first thought when you found out?”
Really, that was a tough question. I’d had a lot of incoherent thoughts but…
“I wondered if my baby would inherit my grandmother’s green thumb.”
She smiled at my answer and pointed at the examination table. “Time for the dreaded probe,” she announced. But I must admit, the cringe part of the appointment didn’t turn out to be that bad.
“So, what do you see?” I asked when she’d donned her head lamp and peered up inside me.
“We’ll talk in my office,” she answered, patted my hip, handed the nurse the swabbed material she’d collected, and left. After I redressed, the nurse/receptionist ushered me into an elegant sitting room circa 1800.
Oak floor, heavy drapes open on each side of high mullioned windows, velvet covered reclining couch, and a mahogany table with three chairs. A basket holding a variety of rolls adorned the middle of the table. A tray of cookies and a silver urn sat beside it.
“I hope you like hot chocolate,” the nurse said and invited me to sit. My earlier scanty breakfast betrayed me as I stared at the delicate cup decorated with whipped cream and a cherry on top.
“Make yourself comfortable. Dr. Spencer will join you as soon as your lab work is complete.”
“Oh. I didn’t plan to stay for hours.” I didn’t mean to be churlish but my shift at the sports bar started at four, and I had other things to do before I went to work. “You can call me with the results.” I gave the hot chocolate a regretful last look and started to turn away.
“We have our own lab. Fifteen minutes. Have a cookie,” the nurse urged.
I was on my third crescent when the doctor arrived, diagnosis in hand.
She sat in the chair across from me, poured herself a cup of hot chocolate from the silver urn, and smiled with pleasure as she sipped from the dainty cup.
“You’re going to have a baby.”
In spite of my warning them away, both Jack and Elaine were waiting when I came out of the building.
“Well?” Elaine asked when I approached the car on her side.
“What Dr. Spencer had to say is my business and Marty’s,” I told her.
“He’ll be in the field. Doubt you can raise him on the phone tonight,” Jack offered.
“He said he’d call me. If he doesn’t, he won’t know whether he’s gonna be a dad or not until he does.” I glared at them and turned toward the bus stop.
“Aw, for fuck’s sake,” Jack snarled. “Get in the car and we’ll drive you home.”
Geez, I barely knew Marty, but his family had already adopted me—whether I wanted them or not.
* * *
“I can’t talk long, baby doll. What’s the verdict?” Marty asked when he called that night.
“I’m pregnant,” I told him, feeling unexpectedly breathless. Silence greeted my announcement, and my inner warmth began to chill. I guess it had been easy for him to be supportive when the baby was theoretical.
“Okay,” he finally said, his voice raspy. “I don’t want to be pushy, but I’m laying down some rules.”
What now? I braced myself for an argument.
“I’m going to take care of you. That means you’re giving up working three jobs, starting with the manual labor gig at Humble Homes.”
Well, the fierce words I’d been about to spew, withered on my lips. “Uhh, I already did that.”
“Did you get your vitamins?”
“Yes.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Tyrannized. Explain to me how to rid myself of your office pest.” Marty’s laughter was my answer.
“Elaine is my personal assistant. She organizes all the company’s information into nice manageable bites a dunderhead like me can comprehend.”
“She doesn’t take direction well.”
“Funny, she said the same thing about you. Don’t scare her off. I couldn’t run the company without her. I know she’s a royal pain in the ass; nevertheless, she’s necessary.”
“I don’t need her organizing my life.”
“I don’t know. She signed you up for company insurance and nagged you into seeing a doctor. So, how do you feel?”
I’d forgotten how single tracked and focused Marty could be. When his focus was keeping me comfortable, it was almost endearing.
“First off, I found out pretty fast that morning sickness isn’t restricted to mornin
gs,” I grumbled. “And your family, as in Jack and Elaine, are both…” I couldn’t find the words to describe the unrepentant busy-bodies.
“Yeah, they’re all that,” Marty agreed and laughed. “Welcome to my world.” Then he added, “Wish I could be there to hold you while you puke.” His unromantic offer made me grin.
“What’s that noise?” I asked as the dull roar became a loud roar in the background.
“That’s why I’ve got to go, sweet cheeks. Breaks over. Behave.”
“Be safe,” I whispered after he disconnected.
* * *
There were so many changes going on in my life, I couldn’t keep up with them all.
After my condition was confirmed, Elaine began showing up at my house every day like clockwork. At first, I resented her presence. But, after the first barfing event, it didn’t take long for me to understand Marty’s loyalty to her.
“If men had to go through this, humans would be extinct,” she’d said grimly when I hadn’t made it to the bathroom in time and had puked all over the kitchen floor. She’d cleaned up my mess while I’d been sitting on the closed lid of the commode, too weak to do more than rinse my mouth and wipe off my face.
After I’d staggered back to the kitchen, she’d mothered me. It was hard to get uppity with someone who rubbed my back.
Not that Elaine and I were suddenly sisters under the skin. But, after that, we managed detente. Unfortunately, having let down my barriers allowing Marty’s secretary access to my life, my unfettered existence quickly became entangled.
For the first visit, when I’d accepted Jack’s ride from the doctor’s office to the house, I’d sat in the back and left Elaine and Jack to talk to each other. After that, though, I’d rejected his regular chauffeur services when they were offered.
“No. Just no. I prefer walking to the bus stop.” And when Marty gave me flack in one of his calls, I said, “Medically speaking, I need the physical activity since I’ve had to quit most of my jobs where I got plenty of exercise.”
I’d not yet made peace with Jack. Him being Marty’s father-in-law, I felt awkward around him. It wasn’t exactly like Marty was stepping out on the old guy’s daughter, but I still felt like a scarlet woman when he was near.