“I didn’t know. Your brother didn’t go into details.”
“I’m sure that’s because he was angry with me. And he had every right to be. When I needed him, he was always there. When he needed me, I failed him.”
“But it wasn’t your fault. It’s not like you went out and sought out the illness. I’m sure you brother was disappointed but he understood.”
“Really? Because I’m not sure I would be so understanding.”
Just then the sky filled with light as a bolt of lightning shot through the inky night. Seconds passed and then thunder shook the bungalow, as well as them.
“I didn’t know it was going to storm this bad,” Popi said.
Apollo couldn’t help but wonder if she was running out of words to comfort him and had decided it was best to change the subject. Before they let go of the past, he had one more thing to share with her.
His gaze met hers. “I’ve changed since the wedding. I’ve done a lot of growing up. I’ve witnessed a lot. I’ve had someone die in my arms. A good man. I’ve learned that we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow and to make the most of today. I’ve learned to treasure those who care about you because there are many more that won’t.” When he saw the confusion in her eyes, he said, “What I’m trying to say is that I think I’m a better person now. I think—no, I know—that I can do this. Be a parent.”
Another crack of thunder rattled the bungalow, making the glass of the windows rattle.
“I think we should check the forecast,” Popi said.
He’d wanted her to acknowledge what he’d just said but then realized that she would probably disagree with him. After all, how could she not? He had missed his own brother’s funeral. Who does that?
But he did have his reasons...
Popi struggled to stand up.
“Stay there,” he said, seeing the lines of pain etched upon her face. “Your back—it isn’t getting better, is it?”
She shook her head. “I think it’s getting worse.” She settled down on the mattress once again. “Why do these practice contractions have to happen now? Couldn’t they have just waited a day or two?”
He couldn’t tell if she was talking to him or herself. Regardless, he didn’t think she was expecting a response. And so he remained silent.
“Could you hand me my laptop? I want to check the weather.” She told him where he could locate it in her bedroom.
Once he returned to the sparse living room, he said, “I don’t think you’re going to need this. I have a strong feeling we’re in for some rain tonight.”
Just then the first drop of rain pinged off the window. And so the stormy night began. Apollo had this feeling deep in his gut that they were in trouble. And it wasn’t like him to worry needlessly. After all, he was used to camping in jungles with wild animals, on top of mountains in the unforgiving snow and even lost in the desert during a sandstorm.
But there was one thing he’d learned from all of his experiences and that was to listen to his gut. He had some kind of crazy sense of imminent peril. But that’s all it was—a feeling. It didn’t come with any warnings of what to avoid or how to prepare. He just knew to be on guard.
While Popi used her computer, he moved to the front door. With the wind still blowing, he decided against opening the door. Instead he moved to the window. Even with the covered porch to protect the window from the now-pounding rain, he couldn’t see more than a foot past the window. It was the blackest night he could remember.
He turned back to Popi. Her face was scrunched up in pain as her hand pressed to her rounded abdomen. The feeling of doom came over him again.
He rushed to her side. “Is there anything I can do?”
She shook her head as she let go of the laptop and leaned back against the pillows. “I don’t understand it. The pain is getting worse. Usually it subsides by now.”
And then he had the worst thought possible. He internally struggled with whether he should put voice to his thoughts. Saying it out loud and putting it into the universe was like tempting fate. But something told him that their fate had already been written.
CHAPTER TEN
APOLLO’S PULSE RACED.
He knew what was happening. Popi was going into labor.
In the next breath, he calmed himself with the knowledge that it was too early for labor. She’d told him earlier that day that she still had a couple of weeks until her due date. Everything was going to be all right. But he had to be sure.
“Could you be in labor?” he asked.
“Um. No. It’ll stop.”
That wasn’t good enough. “We had a deal. I’m calling for the ferry.”
“They won’t come out this late. And certainly not to pick up the two of us.”
“Then, a helicopter.”
She shook her head. “It costs more money than I have.”
“Don’t worry about the money. We have to make sure you’re okay.”
Popi sighed. “There.”
“What?”
“The pain, it subsided. Everything is going to be okay.”
He didn’t say it, but he didn’t think they were in the clear. He thought this was just the calm before a stormy night. And he prayed he hadn’t made the biggest mistake of their lives by letting her insist they remain on the island.
“You better check on the soup,” she said, sending him a small smile. “I hear the lid rattling.”
“How can you hear anything over the noise outside?”
As he moved to the kitchen to tend to the soup and adjust the temperature, he realized that he needed a plan. If the worst happened, he needed to get Popi to the hospital. Because she may be fine now, but she wasn’t a few moments ago. And he was worried that it was going to happen again.
Flashes of his childhood raced through his mind. It’s your fault she died. His father’s drunken rants hadn’t taunted him in many years. But these were extraordinary circumstances—a position he’d never wanted to find himself in. Ever. If it wasn’t for you, she’d still be here.
“You’re awfully quiet. Is everything okay?” Popi asked.
Apollo turned to find her getting to her feet. He rushed to her side to lend her a hand. “What are you doing? You’re supposed to be resting.”
“I feel better now. The pain in my back has lessened. And I don’t have any cramping. It’s time to get the table set for dinner.”
He stared at her. What had just happened? She’d been miserable and now she wanted to set the table for dinner? Was she really feeling that okay?
Not paying him the least bit of attention, she headed for the cabinets and retrieved two bowls. She moved without hesitation. And the little lines on her face had smoothed out. Maybe he’d just let his imagination get the best of him. After all, what guy wouldn’t worry about being alone on an island with a pregnant woman—a very pregnant woman?
Lightning lit up the sky at the same time the power in the bungalow went out. Before either of them could speak, the lights flickered back on as a resounding clap of thunder shook everything. The storm was on top of them. And from the sounds of it outside, the island was definitely taking a hit.
He saw the worried look on Popi’s face. “It’s okay. It’s just a little thunder.”
She turned to the window. “It’s not the thunder that worries me.”
It was the lightning. It worried him too, as it was especially bad. But Popi didn’t need anything else to worry about. “Don’t worry. It should pass over in no time.”
“Not soon enough.”
He silently agreed.
The truth was that he couldn’t wait until tomorrow. The contractor would arrive and they would leave the island. Soon they’d be part of civilization again—close to doctors, nurses and a state-of-the-art hospital. And maybe then he would be able to breathe easy. He didn’t care how good she l
ooked now—he still had that uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
While he filled their bowls with steaming-hot soup, Popi paced the floor. Her hand pressed to the small of her back as though it were permanently attached there.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Um, sure. Fine.” But those little lines returned to her face.
She wasn’t fine—
The trickle of water caught both of their attention. They both glanced down to find a small puddle around Popi’s feet. Either she just peed herself or they were in some serious trouble.
The breath stuck in his lungs as his gaze rose to meet her worried look. This was not good. Not good at all. He was freaking out on the inside but doing everything he could not to let it show. Like that was possible.
After all, he was a guy. He was used to traveling in the deepest, darkest jungles. He’d scaled rock walls. He’d lived through an avalanche. He been attacked by a bear and had the scars to prove it.
But this baby stuff. It scared him silly.
“My water broke.” Popi’s voice wasn’t much above a whisper. And the look in her round eyes was one of fear.
The two of them couldn’t freak out at the same time. That much was for sure. And then he saw her eyes shimmer and a tear splash onto her cheek. Okay. She got the first turn at freaking out.
He told himself to pretend he was on one of his missions. Popi was just another adventurer. And his niece or nephew wasn’t about to born. He also slammed the door on his past and stories of his birth. He just had to deal with the here and now.
He strode toward her. “You need to sit back down.”
“Not like this. Not in these wet clothes.”
In the next few minutes, Apollo did things that he’d never done before. And he did them in an almost out-of-body experience. He got Popi fresh clothes and, to both of their embarrassment, helped her change. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. And then he cleaned up the mess on the floor.
He’d never considered himself a squeamish person before, but then again, he’d never dealt with childbirth. And what little he’d been exposed to let him know it wasn’t for the faint of heart. And it certainly wasn’t for someone that didn’t know what in the world he was doing.
Inside he was yelling: Why did you do this? Why did you stay on this island when you could be near the hospital? Why would you take a chance with your life and the baby’s?
He strained, not letting his rolling emotions show on his face. It wouldn’t help the situation. But it was tough to hold it all in when he knew what this early delivery could mean if they didn’t get to the mainland soon.
“Go ahead and say it.” Popi’s voice drew him from his thoughts.
“Say what?”
“What you were thinking.”
Had he let something slip? He didn’t think so. “I’m not thinking anything.”
“You’re thinking this is all my fault.” Her voice wavered. “You’re thinking I made a mistake staying here. That I should have known better.”
He avoided looking at her. He knew he should disagree with her. He should reassure her that none of this was her fault, but right now he couldn’t.
He didn’t think she’d used her best judgement by staying on the island. He thought she should have been close to the hospital throughout this whole pregnancy. Or maybe she shouldn’t have gotten pregnant at all. Pregnancy was dangerous. It could take away those that loved you the most.
“Go ahead. Say it.” Popi’s voice rose with emotion.
“I don’t have anything to say.” Nothing that would help the situation.
“I just went to the doctor a few days ago.” She blinked away unshed tears. “She said that everything was okay. She said that the baby was doing well. I thought—I thought wrong.” Her shoulders hunched and her head hung low.
“That’s good,” he said, struggling to find something positive to say. “You know, that the doctor said everything is good with the baby.”
Popi went on as though he hadn’t even said anything. “I should have known the backache meant something. I should have known I was going into labor. If I can’t figure out this stuff, how am I going to be a good mother?”
He couldn’t just stand by and let her beat up on herself. Maybe he didn’t agree with all of her choices, but he wasn’t in her shoes. This island is her home. She would feel safe and secure here. That was a feeling he’d never experienced. His father’s mansion had always been like a war zone when Apollo was growing up. And the worst part was he never knew when a verbal bomb would be lobbed in his direction. He banished thoughts of his past. He had to stay focused on the present.
The soup on the table was long forgotten. Apollo was running on autopilot. And his goal was to get them off this storm-ravaged island ASAP.
He reached for his phone. He started to dial for help but then noticed there were no bars. He had zero reception.
“Where’s your phone?” he asked.
Popi grabbed it from the side of her bed and handed it to him. “What’s wrong?”
He checked her phone too. “There’s no cell signal.”
“The storm must have taken out the tower.”
The storm wasn’t letting up. In fact, he’d swear it was getting worse, not better. But he wasn’t about to tell Popi that. All she needed to do now was focus on that baby.
“There has to be another way to contact the mainland.” He was certain of it. Okay. Maybe certain wasn’t the right word. But he was desperate. It seemed reasonable that an island which hosted so many guests would have a backup plan.
“I don’t know.” Popi’s eyes were open wide and her face was pale. “I... I can’t think. The baby. It’s coming.”
A contraction stopped her from speaking. She began panting. He wondered if that was normal or not.
“Can I do anything?”
Right now, all he wanted to do was turn and walk out that door. He didn’t care if it was storming or not. It had to be better than watching Popi’s beautiful face contort in pain. And he didn’t even want to think about what lay ahead.
First, he had to do whatever he could to make her comfortable. He ran to the bedroom and grabbed any lingering throw pillows and blankets from the moving boxes. He propped all of the pillows against the wall and helped her settle back against it.
“What are we going to do?” Popi looked at him like he should have all the answers.
Meanwhile he was a wreck on the inside. He was just making stuff up as he went along and prayed that he was right. All the while reminding himself not to have a meltdown.
“We’re going to get you off this island and to the mainland, where there will be help. Don’t worry.” Yeah, because he was worrying enough for the both of them. “This is all going to be okay. You and the baby will be fine.”
The worry reflected in her eyes made the knot in his gut cinch tighter. He didn’t believe what he was saying. He didn’t believe this was going to be all right. There was no way he could do this alone. He had to get help and fast.
“Who is on this island besides us?”
“I... I don’t know.” She stared down at her protruding abdomen.
“Popi.” When she didn’t look at him, he placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted her head until her gaze met his. “Popi, think. Who is on the island?”
“Um, just some goat herders. Everyone else is off on a Mediterranean cruise for the next couple of weeks.”
Apollo highly doubted goat herders would be any better at delivering a baby than him. So that idea was nixed. But he wasn’t giving up. Their cell phones might not work, but there had to be another way to contact the mainland.
“Popi, what is the island’s backup communication? You know, when the cell tower isn’t working. How else can you reach help?”
Popi worried her lip as an
other contraction seized her focus. He took her hand in his, hoping to lend her whatever comfort he could offer. She squeezed his hand as her face scrunched up. The seconds seemed to last for minutes before the pain subsided. He couldn’t even imagine what it must be like for Popi. If it were up to men to have the babies in this world, he’d been willing to bet there wouldn’t be a population problem.
Once Popi relaxed, Apollo tried again. “Popi, think. How can I reach the mainland?”
“Um...” There was a moment of silence. “There are satellite phones on the boats.”
That would work. He just had to make it through the storm that was raging outside. “Great. You did awesome.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Wait. What are you saying?” She clutched his hand tightly. “You aren’t going to leave me here. Are you?”
“I have to.” He really did hate leaving her alone. “But it won’t be long. I promise.”
“Please don’t go.”
Just then the kitten came bounding out of the bedroom. Without the thunder, the kitten must have decided it was safe to come out.
“Look,” Apollo said, “Shadow is here. He’ll keep you company.”
Apollo grabbed a couple of small objects from the countertop, a paper flower from the wedding and a foam ball. “Do you mind if I let the kitten play with these?”
Popi shook her head.
It didn’t take much to gain the kitten’s attention. When it rolled over on its back, Apollo noticed the small smile pulling at Popi’s lips. Thank goodness.
“Now, take care of Shadow while I’m gone.”
“Take care how?” The worry returned to her eyes.
“Just play with him. And in no time, I’ll be back.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I promise. And I never break my promises.”
And with that he headed for the door, having no idea what awaited him outside. But something told him it wouldn’t be nearly as scary as what awaited him inside.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
PAIN UNLIKE ANY other gripped her.
Claiming the Drakos Heir Page 8