The Cowboy's Baby Surprise - A Billionaire Romance (Billionaire Cowboys Book 2)

by Holly Rayner

  Marissa looked past Colt to the winding footpath that led back to town. It was a two-mile walk, and then they would have to drive to the hospital, which was half an hour away.

  She licked her lips. “We have to start walking,” she said. “I can feel another contraction coming on. I think if you…” She stepped toward Colt and then linked her elbow through his. “Just help me along like this,” she said, as she hurried toward the path. “We’ve got time still, but we have to get moving.”

  Colt walked alongside Marissa. With his free hand, he reached for his cell phone. “No service,” he muttered.

  “Not out here,” Marissa said, shaking her head. “We won’t get a signal ’til we’re back in town. Come on!”

  They hurried down the path, occasionally pausing while Marissa weathered a strong contraction.

  Just as they reached town, Marissa’s water broke. Colt hurried to the parked SUV out on the curb in front of her parent’s house and opened the passenger side door.

  Marissa felt panicked. Her due date wasn’t for another ten days. The baby was coming early. She paused on the sidewalk and pointed to her house. “My mother said she would drive me,” she said. “They have to know… and I have a bag inside. It has all of my—” She stopped short as another contraction struck.

  Then she saw a second SUV pull up behind the one Colt was standing next to. A man with gray hair jumped out. She recognized him from the day of the car explosion. “You found your girl, hm, Colt?” the man asked, as he jogged over to them.

  “Charlie!” Colt said, “Marissa is going into labor. Can you go up to that house and tell her parents?” He pointed to Marissa’s parents’ house.

  Marissa focused on breathing. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, she coached herself silently. She watched Charlie begin to jog toward the house. She stopped breathing long enough to call out, “Please ask my mom to grab my suitcase!”

  Then, she allowed Colt to guide her to the SUV and help her in.

  The ride to the hospital passed in a blur of inhales and exhales. At times, Marissa closed her eyes and willed Colt to drive faster. He always seemed to get her message and increased the speed just at the moment that she made her internal request.

  When he made the turn into Saint Maria’s Hospital, Marissa expected Colt to drive to the entrance she had used for her checkups. He surprised her by pulling in at the ER entrance.

  While breathing through a contraction, she tried to voice her surprise. “Hee… whooo… Colt, this is the ER entrance, for emergencies—hee… whooo…” She breathed out a long exhale and squeezed the armrest of the SUV as the contraction intensified.

  “I know,” Colt said quickly as he pulled to a stop. “And this is an emergency.”

  He pushed his door open, and she watched him run around the hood of the car. Then, he opened her door. He helped her from the car and guided her toward the ER entrance.

  Colt pushed open the doors to the ER and a doctor approached. Colt quickly informed her of the situation. A flurry of activity followed, and Marissa felt nervous as she was loaded onto a stretcher and then carted away from Colt.

  Bits and pieces of the orders that the doctor was calling out floated into her awareness at times, but for the most part, she could only focus on her breath.

  “…going to clear O.R. two,” she heard. And then, “Prepped for a C-section…” and “…IV fluids and anesthesia…”

  She closed her eyes while a blue tarp was put up, cutting off her view of the lower half of her body. The room that she was brought into was cold and sterile, and she wished Colt was by her side. They’d asked him to stay out in the waiting room. Only staff were allowed into the operating rooms.

  She pinched her eyes closed as a nurse started an IV. For the next hour and a half, she listened to the hospital staff work around her. Her entire mind concentrated only on one wish: that her baby enter the world strong and healthy.

  All else faded from her awareness.

  One nurse, a young woman in her early twenties, stayed at Marissa’s side and explained everything as it happened. Finally, the young nurse smiled at Marissa. “And there he is! Doctor McGuire has your little boy out safely. Hear him crying?”

  Marissa said a silent prayer of thanks as she listened to the sound of a baby wailing, and then she started crying, too. As tears streamed down her cheeks, she was informed that the doctors were performing a quick physical to make sure her baby was healthy, and they were also finishing up her C-section.

  The blue sheet was removed, and she was then transferred from the O.R. table onto a soft hospital bed. The nurse pressed a button and the head of the bed went up slowly, so Marissa was sitting up a bit. She looked around the room and saw the doctor she had been working with since she moved to Peabody. Doctor McGuire was smiling and holding a bundle wrapped in a blue blanket.

  “Your bun in the oven decided to come out early,” the kind doctor joked, as she approached Marissa’s hospital bed. Then, she turned slightly, and for the first time, Marissa caught sight of her baby’s face.

  His little eyes were closed. His nose was so small—so perfect. His lips were tiny, made of fine, soft curves. Though his features were so small, Marissa saw Colt in them.

  “He looks like his father,” she whispered, so softly that no one heard.

  As Marissa accepted the bundle from Doctor McGuire and looked into her son’s face, she thought of Colt.

  The young nurse leaned over the bed. “Miss Garvin, we’re going to take you to a recovery room in just a few minutes. Would you like me to have your husband meet us there?”

  Marissa couldn’t take her eyes off of her son. So much love for him welled up inside of her as she looked at the tiny angel in her arms.

  “He’s not my husband,” Marissa said, as confusion about her relationship to Colt stirred inside of her, mixing in with the love for the infant in her arms.

  This child is just as much Colt’s as mine, she thought. Regardless of where we stand in our relationship, he has to meet this little angel. He’s been waiting for this moment, just as I have.

  She nodded. “His name is Colt. Yes, that’d be fine if you asked him to meet us in the recovery room. I’m sure he’s eager to meet his son.”

  Chapter 17

  Colt

  Colt took out his phone and looked at the screen. He had several missed calls from Bradley, as well as a text message. He opened the message. “Charlie told me you’re in Kansas to talk to Marissa. Call me when you get a chance. Missed you at the meeting yesterday.”

  He tapped his foot and looked to the double doors that they’d carted Marissa through almost two hours prior.

  He’d heard one update since then: Marissa was undergoing a C-section. There were several others in the waiting room, including a crying toddler. Marissa’s parents had gone to the hospital cafeteria to get lunch.

  He started typing a message back to Bradley but found it hard to find the words.

  I knew the due date was approaching, and I had to—

  No, he didn’t want to explain all that in a text.

  Got into Kansas last night. I’m in her hometown. Marissa is having a C-section now, and—

  He stopped again and shook his head while he erased the message. Then, he closed his messages, opened up his contacts, and dialed Bradley. As he waited for Brad to pick up, he stood and walked toward the ER exit, so he could have his conversation without competition from the crying toddler.

  “Colt, buddy, what’s happening?” Bradley said when he picked up. “I was expecting you at the executives’ meeting yesterday. Your PA said you had to leave town unexpectedly. Then, I got a call from Charlie yesterday afternoon, and he told me about—”

  “Brad,” Colt said, as he stepped out into the fresh air. The hospital doors closed behind him. “Man, I know. I apologize for missing the executives’ meeting, but this was more important. I had to get to Marissa. I had to be here for the baby’s birth.”

  “Doesn’t she have another
man these days?” Bradley asked, sounding confused.

  Colt reached up and ran a hand through his hair. He looked across the street at the treetops as they swayed in a gentle breeze. It was afternoon, and the sun was a golden orb, sinking behind the green foliage. “I don’t know about that,” Colt said. “I haven’t had a chance to ask her about it. But I felt it—that same connection that we had in Austin. I felt it today when I first saw her, and I know she felt it, too.”

  Colt thought of the way Marissa’s hand felt in his, and the way she held his gaze with her deep, soulful gaze.

  “But if she’s with someone else…” Brad said slowly and carefully, “Colt, you don’t want to get in the way of that.”

  “I know, I know,” Colt said. He recalled the man that he’d seen at Rainbow Cafe in Dulcett. “But Brad, she’s staying at her parents’ house, three hours from where she was living before. That has to mean that she broke up with that dude, right?”

  “Don’t go assuming things,” Brad cautioned. “She could still be with him. Maybe he’s away at a job, or maybe he’s in the military and got deployed. Just because she’s at her parents’ house, doesn’t mean she and the other guy broke things off. You have to be direct with her. You have to ask her if she’s seeing someone.”

  Colt looked back at the ER doors behind him. “I can’t,” he said. “Not right now. She’s in surgery. She went into labor prematurely… They’re giving her a C-section.”

  “Holy smokes,” Brad said with a low whistle. “You be careful, Colt. I know how bad you have it for this girl, and I don’t want you to get hurt. That baby might not even be yours.”

  “She said it is,” Colt said. “She looked right into my eyes and said that she’s certain.”

  As he peered back into the ER, he could see the figure of a nurse walking through the waiting room. She seemed to be looking for someone.

  It was the same nurse that had informed him that Marissa was going in for a C-section.

  Colt spoke into the phone. “I’ve got to go,” he said to Brad. “I think the hospital staff is looking for me.”

  “All right, buddy,” Bradley said. “Take care of that heart of yours. I know you wear it on your sleeve when it comes to this girl, but I want you to protect yourself. You fell for her hard and fast, but you don’t really know her that well. Don’t be afraid to get lawyers involved. In fact, you want me to get Nick over at Kilstead Law up to speed? He could draw up some—”

  “No,” Colt said, interjecting. “That won’t be necessary. I have to handle this in my own way, Brad.” He kept his gaze pinned on the nurse inside. As he reached the double doors, he pulled one side open. “Talk to you later, my friend,” he said into the phone before hanging up.

  Then he held up a hand, signaling to the nurse. “Miss? I’m Colt Thorpe. I’m here with Marissa.”

  She smiled. “Mr. Thorpe! I am so glad you’re still here. Marissa is asking to see you.”

  “She… she is?” he asked. The news made him happy. His relationship with Marissa was uncertain and unclear, but at least she wanted to include him in her life at this moment.

  He followed behind the nurse as she led the way down a wide, white hallway, trimmed in blue. Scattered around the passageway were monitors and various computer stations. Faint beeping sounds and conversations floated out from the rooms that they passed.

  They reached a door that was closed, and the nurse knocked softly as she pushed it open. She peeked her head in, and Colt heard her say, “Marissa? I have Colt here. Can I show him in?”

  His heart hammered in his chest, and he listened for Marissa’s response.

  He heard nothing, but the nurse turned to him with a smile in her eyes. “Come on in, Mr. Thorpe,” she said, opening the door wider.

  Colt stepped through the door.

  There, in the hospital bed, Marissa lay. Her wavy brown hair fell softly around her face, and her cheeks were colored with a rosy blush. The smile on her lips was genuine, and her eyes burned with gratitude and awe as she looked down at the little bundle in her arms.

  Colt’s heartbeat calmed down into a smooth, steady rhythm. A feeling of warmth filled his chest and filled him up from his toes to the top of his head. He felt more peaceful and content than he ever had in his entire life as he looked at the scene before him.

  Bradley’s words resurfaced in his mind, disturbing his peace. Be careful.

  He studied Marissa for a moment. I care about her so deeply, he thought. But I don’t know what’s going to happen between us. I have to take this one step at a time.

  I don’t have to figure it out right now.

  Right now, I just have to welcome my son into the world.

  With these thoughts in mind, he stepped in closer, and Marissa looked up.

  She smiled. “Your son,” she said simply, as she repositioned her arms around the little one she cradled. “He’s a little bit underweight because he decided to come early, but he’s healthy.” The corner of the pale blue blanket fell away from the baby’s face, and Colt caught sight of the child’s small, closed eyes, his dark lashes, his rosy cheeks, and his tiny little nose.

  “The color of his cheeks matches yours,” he said to Marissa, as he walked closer to the bed.

  She looked down at the infant and stroked his little chubby cheek. “Maybe he’ll have his mamma’s complexion,” she said.

  Tears filled Colt’s eyes. He was overcome with emotion as he reached out and laid a finger by his son’s tiny hand. The baby’s little hand reflexively curled around Colt’s finger.

  Colt smiled through his tears. “He’s perfect,” he said.

  “What do you think we should name him?” Marissa asked.

  Colt took in the image of the perfect child. “My father’s name was Joshua. We don’t have to…. If you don’t like it, we’ll choose something else. But I always wanted a son named Joshua.”

  “Joshua,” Marissa repeated, as she gazed down at the newborn with love. “It suits him. I love it. Hi, little Joshua.”

  “We’re glad you’re here,” Colt whispered.

  There was a knock on the door, and Colt looked up to see a doctor enter. She carried a clipboard in her hands. “Good! You’re awake! Marissa, I want to go over a few things with you about your recovery. Don’t worry—I’ll say all of this again, so you don’t have to memorize it all right now, but I do want to give you an overview of what to expect, okay?”

  Marissa nodded. The doctor turned to Colt. “You’d better believe that Marissa here is going to forget most of what I’m about to say, so you’d better listen up, too.”

  Colt nodded and gave the doctor a thumbs up. “Can do, doc,” he said.

  The doctor nodded. “Great,” she said. “Are you going to be here for the next few days, as well? I can ask the staff to get Marissa a room with a recliner next to the bed so that you can stay the nights.”

  Colt hesitated and looked at Marissa. “I’d like to stay,” he said. “That is—unless there’s someone else you want in the room with you?”

  He wanted to ask about the man he saw at the cafe, but not in front of the doctor, so he held his tongue.

  Marissa shook her head. “My parents will be here soon, but they’ll leave at night so they can sleep at home.” She looked directly at Colt as she said, “I’d love it if there was a recliner in the room for Colt.”

  The doctor spoke up again. “That’s settled, then. I’m glad you’ll be around, Mr. Thorpe. The more of us around to help Marissa, the better. In a few hours, we’re going to move her out of post-op and onto a general med-surg floor. Marissa, you just had major surgery. I know you’ll want to focus on caring for your baby, but we also have to remember that you need to be cared for. I want you to get as much rest as you can manage. When you’re not sleeping, you should be taking some gentle walks around the ward.”

  Then, she turned to Colt. “I want you to hold her accountable, okay?”

  Colt nodded. “Will do, ma’am,” he said.

&nb
sp; The doctor turned to leave, but as she reached the door, she stopped. “One last thing—Marissa, we don’t want you to eat or drink for the rest of the day, at least. You can have a few ice chips occasionally to refresh your mouth.”

  A nurse that was hooking up IV fluids by the bed spoke up as the doctor left the room. “I’ll go get you some of those just as soon as I get your fluids started,” she said. She began pressing buttons on a little machine that was attached to the pole which the IV fluids hung from.

  “That sounds good,” Marissa said. “I am so parched. I feel like my mouth is full of sawdust.”

  The baby started to fuss, and Marissa went about comforting him. Colt could see that the nurse would be busy for another few moments with the IV machine, and he hated the thought that Marissa was uncomfortable. After all she’d just been through, she deserved every comfort she was allowed.

  She was whispering softly to the baby. “There, there, little Joshua. Mommy’s here.”

  Colt waited until Joshua’s fussing stopped, and then he said. “I’ll go get you some ice chips. Is there anything else I can get you? Maybe a bathrobe, down at the gift shop, or a teddy bear or something? Do you like teddy bears?”

  Marissa emitted a soft laugh and then winced. “Oh! That hurts the incision. Don’t make me laugh! No, I don’t need a teddy bear. But it would be great if you could grab my mom and let her know I’m out of surgery.”

  “Sure thing,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

  He instinctively leaned over the bed, as though he was going to kiss Marissa on the forehead. He stopped himself, though. It felt so natural to be here with her, caring for her, but he had to remind himself that it had been a long time since they had been together. He had no idea how Marissa felt for him, now. Instead of kissing her forehead, he gave Joshua a little caress, and then he stepped out of the room.

  When he returned with a Styrofoam bowl of ice, Marissa and the baby were alone in the room.

  “Your parents are on their way,” he said. “Did the nurse finish with your drip?”