Shattered: (McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series - Book 4)

by April Wilson

  It’s only once the vomiting has passed that I hear the shower turn off.

  Shane steps out of the shower and wraps a towel around his waist. “Are you okay?” he says, coming into the toilet stall.

  I nod. “Growing a human being is hard work.”

  It dawns on me that I’m sitting on the chilly bathroom floor butt naked. I shudder and wonder if it can get any worse.

  “Hold on. I’ll get your robe,” he says. A moment later he returns, dressed in his plaid lounge pants and carrying my robe.

  He helps me stand, slips the robe onto me and belts it, and then he walks with me to the sink so I can rinse out my mouth and brush my teeth. Surely this is what a hangover feels like.

  “Were you working out?” I say.

  “I just came back from a run with Liam and Jake. Do you feel like going downstairs for breakfast? Ellie set up a buffet in the dining room.”

  I groan. “No. I can’t face people right now.”

  “You have to eat something,” he says. “I’ll go get you some toast and a cup of decaf, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  After Shane helps me back to bed, he heads downstairs for my toast and coffee. Not long after he’s gone, there’s a sharp knock at our door.

  “Come in,” I say.

  The door opens and Cooper walks in, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, looking haggard. There are shadows under his eyes. “Sam’s gone,” he says. “His room is cleaned out.”

  I nod, feeling guilty that I knew Sam was leaving when Cooper didn’t. “Miguel gave him a ride to the airport early this morning. He’s gone to his mom’s.”

  Cooper sits on the side of my bed, leaning forward to prop his elbows on his knees. His head hangs down and he rubs his brow. “Did he say how long he’d be gone?”

  “No. He said he was going to recuperate at his mom’s house, and maybe get physical therapy and strength training there.”

  Cooper covers his eyes with his hand and shakes his head. When he finally looks at me, his eyes are bleak. “I fucked up, Beth. I really fucked up.”

  I’ve never seen him look so devastated. “Don’t worry. He said he was coming back. He promised.”

  Chapter 48

  Shane walks into our suite carrying a tray, which he sets beside me on the bed. “Here you go. Light toast with a little bit of butter and a cup of decaf with cream and sugar. I also brought you some strawberries. They look good, and you like strawberries.”

  I smile and pat the bed for Shane to sit down. “Thank you. This looks wonderful. I think my appetite is returning.”

  “Hey, Cooper,” Shane says, eyeing his friend. “You okay?”

  Cooper looks at Shane. “No, I’m not okay. Sam’s gone.”

  Shane nods. “I know. I’m sorry. He asked me not to tell you until after he was gone.”

  Cooper runs his fingers through his closely-cropped hair and exhales hard. “It’s my fault.”

  Shane frowns at Cooper, but doesn’t argue with him. “Give him time. He said he’s coming back, and I believe him. And if he doesn’t, I’ll go after him myself and drag his ass back here.”

  Cooper laughs, but the sound rough and humorless. “Even if he does come back, it might not be for me. He didn’t leave Chicago, he left me.”

  Shane gives his friend a stern look. “Then you’d better get your act together before it’s too late.”

  No one voices what we’re all thinking. It might already be too late.

  * * *

  After I eat my breakfast, I put on my one-piece bathing suit and a lacey white cover-up and head down to the lower level where I know I’ll find Jamie swimming laps in the indoor Olympic-sized pool. I learned from before, when we both lived here over the summer, that when Jamie has a problem or needs to think, he swims laps.

  As I walk through the double glass doors, I’m instantly hit with a blanket of warm, humid air scented with chlorine. Gus runs to greet me, sticking his wet nose into my palm while I stroke him behind his ears with my other hand.

  Jamie had to have heard me come in, as the dog is whining loud enough to wake the dead, but he remains focused on his task, his muscled arms cutting fast and hard through the water.

  After giving Gus one last pat, I sit at the edge of the pool and dangle my legs in the warm water. Still, Jamie ignores me, which is not like him. Something’s definitely on his mind.

  I slide into the water and intercept him on his return lap. “Are you just going to ignore me?”

  He stops mid-stroke and treads water, shoving his wet hair out of his face. “I’m sorry. I’m just not in the mood to socialize.”

  “I’m not here to socialize with you, dummy. I’m here to see how you’re doing.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “That’s bull. I saw the expression on your face last night, after your dance with Molly ended. You weren’t fine.”

  “She walked away from me without a word.”

  “Jamie – ”

  “I’m trying to understand her, I really am. We hit it off so well. We’re good friends, and we enjoy each other’s company, but she won’t let me take it any further than that. No matter what I try, I can’t get out of the friend zone.”

  “I’m sure she has her reasons. Just give it time.”

  “Yeah, how’s this as a reason: she doesn’t want to waste her time on a blind, defective boyfriend.”

  “No, Jamie, it’s not that. I know it isn’t.”

  Gus starts barking excitedly, alerting our attention to a new arrival.

  “Wow, Lia wasn’t kidding,” Molly says as she walks through the doors and takes in the spacious pool room. “There’s actually a pool in your house.”

  “Hey, Molly!” I say. “Why don’t you join us? There’s a closet full of brand new swimming suits in the locker room, in every size and style imaginable. Help yourself.”

  Molly walks the perimeter of the pool. “Thanks, but swimming’s not really my thing. But I’ll hang around and watch, if you guys don’t mind the company.”

  Jamie swims in her direction. “Of course I don’t mind. I’d love the company. Is there something else you’d rather do? There’s a movie theater – we could watch a movie. Or, we could go outside for a walk. It’s not too cold today. I could show you around… the docks, the boats, the barn and the horses.”

  “I would love a walk,” she says, “but don’t let me interrupt your swim. I can wait until you’re done.”

  Shane enters the pool room dressed in navy blue swim trunks. “I figured I’d find you down here,” he says to me. “How’s the water?”

  “It’s perfect,” I say. “Come on in.”

  He gets a running start and dives into the deep end of the pool, slicing cleanly into the water and disappearing from sight.

  “Looks like my swim buddy is here,” I say, laughing when Shane finally surfaces next to me and splashes me before giving me a wet kiss.

  Jamie hauls himself out of the water near where Molly is standing. “Since Beth is adequately occupied with her swim buddy, I’ll dry off and change, and we’ll go for that walk.”

  “I’d like that,” Molly says.

  Jamie grabs his towel off the back of lounge chair and dries off. Molly tries to look everywhere but at his naked chest and those chiseled abs. His black swim trunks hang low on his lean hips, leaving little to the imagination. She’s obviously losing the battle because her gaze keeps coming back to his sexy inverted V that disappears beneath his trunks. Yeah, I was right. She’s not indifferent to him, not one bit. There’s something else going on with her.

  Jamie calls Gus to him and puts on the dog’s service harness. “Come on, buddy, let’s go get dressed. I won’t be long, Molly.”

  It’s too bad Jamie can’t see the smile on Molly’s face, or the way her gaze eats him up as he heads for the locker room.

  Shane starts swimming laps, and I join him, easily keeping pace at his side. Thanks to my high school and college days spent as a summer lifeguard, I’m perfect
ly at home in the water.

  Once Jamie and Molly take off for their walk, Shane backs me into the corner of the pool in the deep end, caging me in. I rest my arms on the edge of the pool, and he treads water in front of me.

  “Are you sure you want to stay here for our honeymoon?” he says. “We can go anywhere you want.”

  I nod. “I’m sure. There’s so much going on right now with the holidays, and with Cooper and Sam, and with our pregnancy. Let’s just stay here and relax. Besides, I’ll be able to spend some time with your parents and get to know them better.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  “I am.” I duck under the water and swim beneath his arms, surfacing behind him. “Come on, I’ll race you to the other end of the pool.”

  * * *

  After our swim, Shane and I dry off and go upstairs to get dressed. Then we join everyone in the dining room for lunch. Ellie has put out a wonderful deli spread so that folks can make their own sandwiches. There are also salads and hot wings and leftover wedding cake.

  It’s such a treat to have all these people I care so much about here in the same room. My mom and brother, Shane’s parents and his siblings, our friends and co-workers. Everyone’s here except for Sam, of course. And Miguel, who left early to drive Sam to the airport. Sam’s departure left a giant hole in my heart, and that’s going to take some getting used to. He’d better come back, like he promised or I really will send Shane after him – I wasn’t kidding about that. And Cooper’s conspicuously absent from the table. My guess is he’s upstairs in his room wallowing in regret.

  I notice that my mom is sitting with Shane’s mom, Bridget. Those two have really hit it off, which makes me very happy. If I’m hearing them right, they’re talking about their future grandchild. Shane is seated on my left, and my brother is on my right. Tyler seems pretty relaxed for a change. I think getting away from work for the weekend is doing him a lot of good.

  Erin is seated across the table from me, right next to Mack, whose ear she’s talking off. He leans close to whisper something to her, and she blushes in response and laughs.

  Even Molly seems more relaxed this afternoon, as she sits with Jamie and chats with Lia and Jonah. On several occasions, I catch Molly watching Jamie wistfully, with a small smile on her face. Her expression tells me he’s not as stuck in the friend zone as he thinks he is.

  I’m overwhelmed by my great fortune to have all these people in my life, and I owe it all to Shane. I reach for his hand, linking our fingers and giving them a squeeze.

  He smiles at me, amused at my gesture. “Are you having a good time?”

  I nod, not trusting myself to speak. There’s a lump in my throat, which tells me tears won’t be far behind if I talk about it.

  Shane leans close and kisses my temple. “I love you, wife.” Then he raises his bottle of beer. “I’d like to make a toast… to my wife.” He smiles at me. “Elizabeth Marie Jamison-McIntyre, thank you for making my life complete. I promise to spend the rest of my life trying to make myself worthy of you.”

  Epilogue

  Ten weeks later…

  I lie back on the examining table and try to get comfortable as Shane brushes my hair back from my face. My nerves are absolutely frayed and my heart is racing.

  “Are you excited?” he says, smiling at me.

  For a moment, I lose myself in those crystal blue eyes. “Yes. But I’m also a nervous wreck.”

  He chuckles. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. Just relax.”

  We’re alone in the small room, waiting for my obstetrician to join us. Today, I’m having my twenty-week ultrasound. If we’re lucky – that is, if the baby cooperates – we’ll find out what we’re having. I’m so tired of calling the baby it. I really want to know what we’re having. I want to know who we’re having.

  There’s a knock at the door just before it opens, and in walks Dr. Shaw. “Hello, Beth, Shane. How are you?”

  “We’re fine,” I say.

  Dr. Shaw shakes Shane’s hand, then mine. “Good. I’m glad to hear it. How’s the morning sickness? Any better?”

  “A little,” I say. “Some days are good, others are not so good.”

  “She’s able to eat more now, which is a good thing,” Shane says.

  Dr. Shaw walks around to the far side of the examining table and takes a seat at the padded stool beside the ultrasound machine. She lifts my maternity top and runs her hand over my slightly-rounded belly. “Well, let’s see what we can see.”

  “I’m not showing very much,” I say, voicing my primary concern. I’m at the halfway point, and I thought I’d be bigger by now. I’ve been eating like a horse lately, but my belly’s hardly showing. I worry that maybe the baby’s too small or something’s wrong.

  “Oh, you’re fine,” she says. “It’s your first pregnancy. Your body’s still learning what it’s supposed to do. It’s nothing to worry about.”

  Dr. Shaw picks up a bottle of gel and squirts a good amount right onto my belly. Then she picks up the probe attached to the ultrasound machine and presses the end of it into the glob of gel, then starts smearing it around my lower belly. The machine is on, making noises and displaying an image on the screen that makes little sense to my untrained eye.

  She moves the probe around, pressing into my belly and pivoting, as she locates the baby. “Here we go,” she says. “Let me make some initial measurements, and then I’ll introduce you to your baby.”

  When she’s finished taking the baby’s measurements, she gives us an optimal view of our baby. “Here’s your little darling,” she says, pointing at the monitor.

  All I can do is stare mesmerized at the little body on the screen. The baby’s lying on its back, and the head is to the right, clear as can be. I can make out the forehead, the eyes, nose, and tiny little mouth. The baby’s fist is hovering right over its mouth, and then to my surprise, the fist touches the baby’s mouth and it looks like he’s sucking on his fist. Oh, my God.

  “Is that….” Shane says, peering in awe at the screen.

  “Your baby’s sucking on its fist,” Dr. Shaw says.

  “Wow,” Shane says, his gaze going from the screen to me and back again. “That’s incredible.”

  Dr. Shaw points out all the features of the head, the arms and hands, the belly, and the baby’s kicking legs and feet.

  “Everything looks perfect,” she says, smiling at us. “Just perfect. And now, are you ready for the big reveal?”

  I take a deep breath. “Yes. Hopefully the baby will cooperate.”

  Dr. Shaw looks at Shane. “Well, Dad, are you ready?”

  He nods. “Yes.”

  Dr. Shaw moves the probe to a different spot and searches for just the right angle. “Here we are,” she says. “At least he’s not bashful. Meet your new son.”

  “It’s a boy,” I say, with a stunned expression that quickly morphs into a smile. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, because there was a fifty percent chance he’d be a boy. For some reason, whenever I envisioned our child, I pictured a miniature version of Shane.

  Shane bends down to kiss me, a pleased smile on his face. “We’re having a boy.”

  Dr. Shaw wipes the gel off my belly with a towel and lowers my top. She pats my belly. “Keep up the good work, mom. I’ll see you again in four weeks.”

  * * *

  After I make my follow-up appointment, we walk out of the clinic and head to Shane’s Jaguar. Shane opens the front passenger door for me and helps me in. As I settle in my seat, he leans in and buckles my seat belt.

  “So, we’re having a boy,” he says, as he lays his hand on my belly.

  I don’t think the news has quite sunk in yet, for either of us.

  “How about some lunch for you and the little guy?” he says. “Does Tavern on Rush sound good?”

  I nod, placing both of my hands on my burgeoning belly. It might be just my imagination, but I swear I feel a tiny little fluttering deep inside me. I smile. “That so
unds good. The baby and I approve.”

  The end… for now.

  Coming Next

  Stay tuned for more books in the McIntyre Security, Inc. series! I have lots of exciting new books planned for this series, including stories for Jamie, Cooper and Sam, Erin and Mack, Jake, Tyler, Liam, and lots more! Here are the next few books on my publishing schedule:

  Imperfect #5 (Jamie’s book), fall of 2017

  Dirty Little Secret #6 (Sam and Cooper’s book), spring of 2018

  Redemption #7 (Jake’s book), fall of 2018

  … and lots more to come!

  Author’s Diary

  I can’t believe I just typed “the end” on my fifth novel. My, how time flies. It was almost exactly two years ago that I published my first book, Vulnerable. At that time, I had absolutely no idea how it would be received. I had no idea if anyone besides my sister would even read it. Publishing Vulnerable was the beginning of a life-long dream coming true. Since I was ten years old, I’ve wanted to be an author. It took me a long time to be in the right place in my life where I could achieve my dream. And I still pinch myself every day, wondering if this is all a dream.

  Shane and Beth are only characters in a book, but they’re so real in my head that they might as well be real people. Every time I visit Chicago, my favorite city, I feel like I’m there with them, in their world. It’s so incredibly gratifying to me that readers around the world love this couple almost as much as I do. It makes me happy to know that my books, my characters, will long outlast me. As long as my books are out in the world, these characters I love so much will live on.

  I was really excited to write this new book about Shane and Beth’s life, because I wanted to show the natural evolution of their relationship... from meeting to falling in love to weathering some tough challenges to entering into marriage. There’s a lot more in store for them in future books, as their first child arrives and their family grows. I think Beth and Shane will feature to some degree in all of my McIntyre books.