Lacey
I winced, opening my eyes, but a haze of cloudiness shrouded my view. Muffled voices trickled into my ears, and I recognized Kade’s. His husky and panicked voice was unmistakable. I’d heard him panic before. I’d heard him freak out before.
It took me a minute to realize I wasn’t upright but on a stretcher. Bright lights shone down from overhead. I blinked several times to orient my vision. I raised my hand, trying to sit up, but the dizziness was too much. “Kade?” His name was barely a whisper, maybe because my throat was as dry as the Sahara Desert.
“Yes, baby. I’m here,” he said before his beautiful face came into view, albeit a little blurry.
“What happened?” I swished around the saliva in my mouth.
“Room five,” said a nearby female voice.
Then Kade’s handsome mug was gone, and I was moving, or maybe my head was spinning too much.
I shut my eyes tightly and thought real hard. But before I could pull up a memory, nurses were surrounding me, hooking up an IV, and pressing pads to my chest. Then something was squeezing the hell out of my arm.
“Blood pressure is still low,” one of the nurses said.
I was in a haze as they tended to me hurriedly, as if I were a heartbeat away from dying.
A pretty brunette nurse with wide hazel eyes smiled at me. “I’m Steph, one of the ER nurses. Can you tell me your name?”
I licked my lips. “Lacey Maxwell.”
“Can you tell me what happened?” Steph asked as her partner stuck the IV needle into the back of my hand.
I winced at the sting of the needle as images of me on the mound filled my vision. “One minute, I was ready to pitch, and the next, a wave of dizziness hit me out of nowhere.”
The nurse who pricked me regarded me with crystal-blue eyes. “I’m Blaire. Are you dizzy or nauseated at all?”
“Just dizzy. Where’s my husband?” I lifted my head to search the room but couldn’t find Kade.
“I’m here, baby.”
I rolled my head around like I was working out a kink in my neck. But the act only served to make the room spin. “I feel sick.”
Blaire patted my arm. “You should start to feel better once we get fluids in you. You’re probably severely dehydrated.”
“She was puking this morning,” Kade said from somewhere in the room.
A machine beeped behind me.
“Bad food,” I added.
“Lacey,” Blaire said. “I’m going to take some blood, and Steph is going to ask you some questions. All of this is routine. Okay?”
I nodded. “I need to get back to the team, though.”
Steph tossed a look behind her, flicking her head in a swift move.
Within a second, Kade was standing at the bottom of the bed. He grinned, although his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “The game is over.”
“What? How long have I been here? Did we win?” My pulse quickened. My manager was probably going nuts. My teammates were probably concerned too. Suddenly, my cheeks heated. I’d passed out on the field during a freaking game in front of a packed stadium.
Mortified was the perfect word to describe how I felt underneath the cloudiness that seemed to want to stick to my brain and skin.
“You were just brought in.” Blaire pricked me again, that time taking blood from my arm.
“The team won,” Kade said in a flat tone, like he didn’t even care.
I imagined he didn’t. He liked baseball, but he didn’t live and breathe the game like I did.
I blew out a breath. We’d been up by two runs when I took the mound. Still, I didn’t want to be responsible for a loss.
Kade swung his gaze between the nurses. “What would cause low blood pressure?”
Steph typed on a computer that was bolted to a rolling cart. “Dehydration and diet are a couple of factors.”
The tap, tap, tap of the keys was in sync with the beat of my pulse as I continued to stare at my handsome husband. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
He angled his head and gave me one of his blank expressions that drove me batshit crazy. Although I knew him as well as he knew me. He was silently shouting all kinds of cuss words in his head. His internal war probably went something like, I shouldn’t have let her leave for the field. I should’ve insisted that she call in sick.
The problem was that players didn’t call in sick. If for some reason I couldn’t play, I still had to show up to the field. Then the team doctor would assess me before any decisions were made about whether to put me in the lineup. Regardless, I hadn’t felt dizzy or sick when I’d arrived at the field.
Kade only grinned. I could sense he was waiting for us to be alone so he could vent his frustration. Not to mention he wanted to hear from the nurses or a doctor that nothing was seriously wrong with me.
I suspected I was tired, stressed, and dehydrated. I swear that the food I’d eaten for dinner the night before hadn’t tasted good.
“Can someone let the team know I’m okay?” I said more than asked.
“I will,” Kade replied, gripping the edge of the bed like he was holding on for dear life.
“I’m fine, Kade,” I felt compelled to say again.
A phone rang. Kade pulled out his and lifted it to his ear as he walked out.
I sighed heavily as though he’d just given me oxygen that I desperately needed.
“He’s worried.” Blaire flicked her gaze at me as she finished taking my blood. Then she zipped out of the room.
“He worries too much,” I mumbled.
If Steph heard me, she didn’t say a word but rather dove into her many questions. How many times had I puked that morning? Had I been nauseated every morning? What had I eaten last night? The list went on and on and on to include my medical history.
She rolled the computer away and stood at my bedside. “Final question. Do you think you could be pregnant?”
My mouth dropped open. “What? No! I’m using an IUD.”
She deadpanned. “Have you missed a period?”
Then Becca’s words came flashing back. “IUDs are not one hundred percent preventive. You know that, right?”
A shudder tiptoed up my spine. Pregnant?
“I hardly get one,” I whispered only because my voice was nonexistent. I can’t be pregnant. I started counting nine months out in my head. That would have me delivering in April when baseball season officially started. I was happy the Sea Dogs would support me, but I wasn’t ready to have a child now. I wanted to finish out my contract at least. Maybe if I got pregnant midway through next season, I could deliver when baseball finished in the fall. Then I could play without having to go on the disabled list. If I could manage that, the team would see that I could play and be a mom without any interruptions.
My face burned hot and bright as tears readied themselves to spill at any second.
“Makes sense,” she said. “Women athletes have been known not to have periods. The blood tests will tell us. Sit tight.”
Sit tight? I wanted to laugh. How in the world could I sit idle while I waited for test results?
“I can’t be pregnant,” I muttered.
Steph had just reached the curtain that was used as a door to the room. “Rest for now. The doctor will be in soon.”
A scream sat on my tongue as I thought back to the last time I’d had my period. I never kept track. And since I had switched from the pill to an IUD, my periods were much lighter.
I took in a few deep breaths to calm my pulse, which was all over the place. My brain was on overdrive. How was I going to deal with a pregnancy and baseball? But I didn’t get a chance to take in another breath or even figure out the answers before Kade sauntered in.
Dark circles marred the undersides of his eyes. His hair was disheveled as though he’d been through a wind tunnel, and a frown made him look distraught, as though he were fighting a war I wasn’t aware of.
I motioned to sit up.
He rushed to my side and
pressed a button on the bed.
Once my upper body was elevated and I could see the room more clearly, I asked, “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve been beat up.”
He grasped my hand. “You scared the fuck out of me. That’s all. What did the nurse say? She kind of looked at me weird when she walked out of the room.”
Do I tell him or not? Do I even go down that road to get his hopes up before my test results come back?
“I’m sorry I scared you.”
He kissed the back of my hand. “It’s not your fault. And I’m good.”
I narrowed my gaze. “Liar.”
He traced circles on my hand. “That day in high school came screaming back when you passed out on the mound.”
“It’s not my PTSD.”
“I know,” he said. “You’ve been under a lot of stress. And I’m part of it.”
“You?”
“Maybe I’m stressing you out being on the road with you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, Kade Maxwell. I love that you’re with me. It’s just… you’re right. Too much is going on, and I’m trying to make sure I play as well or better than any guy on my team. I’ve been a little paranoid lately about the Sea Dogs not signing me next year.”
“Tara said they don’t want to lose you.”
I nodded. “I know. But I have nothing in writing other than my current contract.”
“Lace, your health comes first.”
And so does the baby’s, I wanted to say.
I gnawed on my lip. Oh God. A baby. Parts of me were scared, overwhelmed, excited, apprehensive, confused, and so many other things. Considering I didn’t exactly keep track of my periods, I was curious how far along I would be if I were pregnant. Kade and I had been having sex frequently. During All-Star break, we’d been inseparable, and since he’d been on the road with me, we had sex just about every night.
“What’s wrong?” Kade asked, knowing full well I had something on my mind.
I inhaled through my nose. “Who was on the phone?” No way was I telling him I could be carrying our baby. One, I wasn’t ready to say that out loud. And two, I couldn’t get his hopes up only to have them squashed if the test results were negative.
Our baby. I turned that over and over in my head, and a twinge of giddiness coursed through me, causing me to smile wide.
“Kody. He and Jessie got a gig this weekend in New York City. So I have to head home to manage the club.” He cocked his head. “Why are you smiling all of a sudden?”
“I love you.”
He leaned down and kissed me on the lips. “You are my polar bear.”
OMG! He hadn’t called me that in forever. I slipped my tongue into his mouth, and when I did, he took control of the kiss.
We stayed glued to one another until a man cleared his throat.
The gray-haired man in scrubs waltzed up to the other side of my bed. “Lacey Maxwell.” He held out his hand. “I’m Dr. Johnson. My youngest daughter is in awe of you.” He took out a notepad and pen. “Can I get your autograph for her?”
Kade straightened, grinning.
I took the pad and pen. “Sure. What’s your daughter’s name?”
“Crystal.”
I wrote her name then scribbled my usual words. “Dare to Dream.” Then I signed my name and drew a heart.
After I handed it back to him, he glanced at Kade then me. “You seem to be doing better. But I’m going to listen to your heart and lungs.” He removed the stethoscope from around his neck. “We put a rush on your blood sample. So we should have the results within the hour.”
When he was done with his normal checks, he tapped some keys on the computer. “So far, everything seems normal, and your blood pressure has returned to normal. I suspect you were severely dehydrated. You need to get more fluids in your body.” He spoke in an even tone.
As an athlete and a healthy person, I knew that. “I’ve been drinking Gatorade and water.”
“What else can cause her to pass out like that?” Kade asked.
“A host of other things. Heart problems can affect blood pressure, diet, and possibly pregnancy.” Dr. Johnson glanced at me. “Could you be pregnant?”
I held my breath, peeking at Kade.
His mouth was hanging down to the bed. “Pregnant?” Kade set his copper gaze on me. “Are you? You were puking this morning.”
I shrugged. I didn’t feel pregnant. “I told you I was throwing up because of the food I ate for dinner.”
“Let’s wait for the blood test before we get ahead of things,” Dr. Johnson said.
I snorted. Easier said than done when it came to my gorgeous husband and me being pregnant. I could see the wheels turning in Kade’s head, and that goofy grin he was sporting was telling me he was ready to scream for joy.
In that moment, his tempered happiness was starting to rub off on me. Crap, if he was that happy, I wanted to see him like that more often. Kade was a reserved guy. He held in his feelings in public unless he was pissed off at someone. Still, he hardly wore his feelings on his sleeve. But all bets were off if Dr. Johnson confirmed I was pregnant.
Blaire stuck her head in and handed a piece of paper to Dr. Johnson. “Lacey’s blood results.”
Kade grasped my hand.
I held my breath.
Dr. Johnson scanned the sheet of paper before turning to Kade and me.
Kade’s hold on my hand grew tighter.
Dr. Johnson smiled. “Congratulations. You’re going to be parents.”
“I’m sorry,” Kade said. “Can you repeat that?”
I playfully swatted him. “We’re going to have a baby.” My tone was light and free even though a part of me was nervous as hell.
The color drained from Kade’s face, although he’d had a few minutes to take in the possibility that I could be pregnant before the nurse came in with the results. Despite that, he hadn’t lost his goofy grin. “You’re serious? Lacey is pregnant?”
Dr. Johnson nodded. “Blood tests usually don’t lie,” he said in a playful tone.
“But she’s on contraception,” Kade added, still not onboard with believing all this.
“Contraception isn’t a hundred percent foolproof,” I said as though I were the doctor.
Kade let go of my hand and stepped back from the bed, shoving his fingers through his hair.
For a split second, anxiety settled in my chest, making my heart beat erratically. He wanted a kid. He was desperate to start a family, but he wasn’t giving me a warm and fuzzy feeling. And I’d thought I would be the one to snap.
Chapter 13
Kade
Holy fuck! We’re going to have a baby.
I started pacing in short strides next to Lacey’s bed. I wanted to scream to the world that we were pregnant, but something deep in my gut told me not to get ahead of myself. Maybe because Lacey wasn’t freaking out like I thought she would. Or maybe because all this was happening too fast.
Dad had always told us boys, “Make sure you have all the facts before you react.”
“Just to be real sure, I have to hear you say it again, Dr. Johnson.” Maybe hearing his great fucking news for a third time would make it stick like glue.
“You’re going to be a father, Mr. Maxwell.”
My heart exploded. Hearing him say I was about to be a father was surreal, scary, and exhilarating.
Father. I’m going to be a father. I need to tell the world. I need to call my parents. I can’t wait to see Mom’s face when I tell her. Hell, my old man is going to be just as stoked.
I stopped wearing a hole in the floor and eyed Lacey.
Tears floated in her eyes as she nodded once.
Suddenly, I wanted to cry with her. But crying wasn’t part of my MO.
“I’ll give you two a minute,” Dr. Johnson said before he left the room.
When we were alone, silence stretched between us as we stared at one another.
A lone tear escaped Lacey’s eye and trickled down
her rosy cheek. “Come here.” She held out her hand.
An electric charge zinged up my arm the minute my fingers closed over hers. As if her touch was enough to open my vault of emotions, tears shot out. “So it’s true?”
She giggled through a sniffle. “You heard the doc. Blood tests don’t lie.”
“But what about your IUD?”
She shrugged. “It happens,” she said casually, as though a baby growing inside her was no big deal.
I blinked a few times to dry my own tears. “And you’re not disappointed?”
Snap out of it, man. Your wife is happy. She’s glowing. Look at her.
“I’m not going to lie. I’m nervous as hell. I’m also happy and shocked. But disappointed? No. I want kids.”
“What about baseball?”
She sighed heavily. “Tara said a pregnancy wouldn’t end my career, and I have to trust her. Now we’ll see if the Sea Dogs live up to their words.”
Lacey wanted to believe the Sea Dogs would support her when she got pregnant, but she had her doubts.
“You’re going to be a dad, Kade Maxwell.” Her tone was giddy. “And a great one too.”
I grinned as my nerves spun a web inside me. I liked the sound of Dad. But my gut was telling me not to get too excited. I didn’t know why. Maybe because I had a slew of questions that I couldn’t answer.
Would I be a good dad? Would my kid be healthy? Would it be a boy or a girl? Would Lacey have a tough pregnancy?
I lifted her hand up to my lips. “And you’ll be a fantastic mom.”
She gave me a ball-busting smile as the weight of the world seemed to whoosh out of her. Then in a flash, her smile was gone. In its place was a look I couldn’t quite figure out.
I kissed the backs of her fingers. “What are you thinking about?”
She shuddered a breath. “You may not believe me, but I’m tired, Kade. I’m tired of worrying about baseball, you, me, us, and our family. I’m tired of putting in a hundred and ten percent effort. I’m tired of not seeing you for months on end. Sometimes I feel like I put in all this effort and I’m getting nowhere.”
I lowered her hand to the bed then leaned over and brushed my lips over hers. “You’ve come a long way, Lacey.” I pecked her on the lips. “You’ve done something that not many or any woman has in your career.” I kissed her nose. “You’re not quitting baseball. No matter if the Sea Dogs sign you again or not.” I kissed her cheek. “You’re a fighter.” I kissed her other cheek. “You’re my baseball beauty, and having a child will not hurt your career at all.”
Dare to Embrace: The Maxwell Series Book 7 Page 7