Fair Lakes Series Box Set

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Fair Lakes Series Box Set Page 7

by Kaylee Ryan, Lacey Black


  “Okay.”

  “Okay?” His voice is hopeful, his eyes shining for the first time in I don’t know how long.

  “Okay. I’ll date you.” Deep breath.

  His smile is boyish and practically splits his face in half, it’s so wide. It’s the smile I miss most of all, the one I love.

  “We’ve got this, Winnie. I promise we’re going to fix this.”

  I start to open my mouth, to reassure him that it’s going to take a lot of work on both our parts, when the door opens. “Knock, knock,” a lady says politely as she enters my room, pushing a cart. “I’m Courtney, and I’m going to do an ultrasound for you this morning.” My heartbeat kicks up as I sit up straight in bed. The young tech wheels her machine over to my bedside and quickly gets it set up. “Do you want your company to stay?” she asks, glancing over her shoulder at Harrison, who’s lingering in the corner.

  “He’s the father,” I reply, resulting in her smile.

  “Okay, good. Give me a second and we’ll begin,” she adds.

  Harrison comes over and stands at my head, giving himself a clear view of the monitor. Courtney gets ready and rolls a condom over the wand. “Uhh, what are you doing? I don’t think it’s going to get her pregnant again,” he says.

  She smiles in return. “It’s not for protection, Mr. Drake.” She glances my way next. “Ready to take a peek at your baby?”

  “Definitely,” I answer excitedly.

  I hold my breath as she inserts the wand and moves it around. It only takes a moment before the image on the screen displays a tiny peanut. Our peanut.

  “There she is,” Courtney says, pointing to the screen.

  “She? You know it’s a girl?” Harrison asks, kneeling beside my bed to get on my level. He reaches out and grabs hold, mindful of the IV in my hand.

  “No, it’s too early to know that. I just always refer to fetuses as shes,” she replies with a shrug. We watch as she takes measurements, much like the tech did last night down in the ER. Then she clicks a button and a fast beat fills the room. “And that is your baby’s heartbeat.”

  Harrison gasps. “It’s so fast.”

  “They are,” she confirms. “One hundred and forty-five beats per minute. Good and strong. I’d say your little one is doing quite well today,” she adds, taking several images of the baby.

  I can feel his eyes on me and am surprised to find them a little misty. They’re so full of wonder, amazement, and love. “Thank you,” he whispers, right before his lips find mine. The kiss could easily turn heated, but he doesn’t let it. Instead, we turn and watch the rest of the ultrasound, staring in awe at the sight on the small screen.

  “You’re all set. I’m going to send this to the doctor, and he’ll be in shortly. What OB will you be using? We’ll make sure to send all our reports to their office as well,” Courtney says as she shuts down the computer system and unplugs it from the wall.

  “Westlakes OB,” I inform her. Even though I haven’t given it much thought, that’s where I go for my lady appointments, so why not continue with the same doctors?

  “They’re wonderful there. They delivered my daughter last year,” the young woman adds, giving us a wave before exiting the room.

  We barely have time to think, let alone talk about what we just witnessed, when the door pushes open. The morning nurse and admitting doctor come in together. “Good morning, Mrs. Drake. How was your night?”

  “Not bad,” I inform him, making sure everything is covered up below the waist.

  “How’s the spotting?” he asks, reading over the report from the ultrasound.

  “Barely any this morning when I used the restroom.”

  “Perfect, that’s what we had hoped for. Everything is looking good, and I see no reason to keep you any longer. I would make an appointment with your OB tomorrow morning, and take it easy for a few days. If you start to see spots or have trouble focusing, come back to the ER right away, but the bump to your head isn’t showing signs of any damage.”

  “So I can go?” I ask, suddenly wanting nothing more than to go home, shower, and put on my own clothes.

  “You’re free. Jackie will get your discharge papers and instructions ready, and she’ll bring up the wheelchair shortly,” he confirms.

  “What about orders at home? Anything she should or shouldn’t be doing?” Harrison asks, his focus on the doctor and his posture rigid.

  “She’s free to resume normal activity as she feels up to it. As I said, definitely take it easy for the next couple of days. As I mentioned earlier, if the cramping or spotting becomes worse, or you start to have trouble with dizziness or loss of vision, come to the ER right away.”

  “I will, thank you,” I confirm, ready to get out of here.

  The nurse removes the IV before I start to gather what little personal items I have. I realize I’m going to have to put on last night’s clothes since I don’t have an overnight bag with me. I pull the bag from the cabinet and find my top and capris, my stomach dipping just a little when I see the tinges of blood and holes from the airbag. Oh, well, it’ll have to do.

  “I should have run and bought you new clothes,” Harrison says, noticing the state of my attire.

  “It’ll be fine for now. I just want to go home, take a shower, and crawl into bed.”

  “You need to eat,” he says absently without looking my way.

  “I will, but first a shower.” I head to the small bathroom to change, but stop before I cross the threshold. “You can head home, you know. I can call Gabby to come get me and take me home.”

  His eyes fly to mine, burning with annoyance. “Not happening, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere,” he says, crossing his arms. My eyes are drawn to the corded muscles of his forearms, something I used to love staring at while we were married.

  “Fine, you can take me home. I’ll call you when I have the appointment lined up with the OB,” I concede, stepping into the bathroom.

  Before I can pull the door closed, his hand stops it. “What do you think I meant when I said I wasn’t going anywhere?” Dark eyes like lasers hold my gaze and make me squirm.

  “What does that mean?” I ask, steeling my back and preparing for the fight I know is coming.

  “I’m. Not. Going. Anywhere.”

  “You’re not staying with me! You don’t live there anymore,” I insist, my mind reeling.

  “You still have the guest bedroom, right?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer. “I’ll stay there, but I’m not leaving you alone. Not when you were just in a car accident that required an overnight hospital stay for a potential head injury. Not when you’re carrying our baby and have been spotting. Get used to it, Winnie. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Then he punctuates his demand with a chaste kiss, turns, and walks away, seemingly having the last word and ending the conversation.

  “One night, tops, mister,” I tell him before shutting the door with a little too much force.

  There.

  Now who has the last word?

  Only with the door closed, I no doubt miss the smug smirk on his handsome face that lets me know one night isn’t what he has in mind.

  One night will never be enough.

  Not for Harrison.

  Chapter 7

  Harrison

  One night. She can't be serious. No way am I leaving her alone after what she's just been through. Hell, I don't want to leave her alone just for the fact that she's agreed to give me another chance. Sure, she could call her sister, Gabby, or her parents, but why, when I'm readily available? I am the baby's father, after all. I deserve to be there for this, every fucking minute of it. I don't want to miss a single second.

  After taking the elevator to the ground floor, I head out to the parking lot to get my truck. I pull up under the canopy, by the Patient Pick-up sign and turn on my hazards. I can't help but grin when I think about her up in her room, steaming from my high-handed comments. I'll sleep in the guest room, for now. However, my end gam
e is getting my family back and giving her all the babies she wants. The minute I heard about Peanut, I knew this was what I should be doing — loving her, making babies, making a life.

  I love the gym, but it can't keep me warm at night. I've lived without her, I know what that's like, and I never want to do it again.

  “Ready to go?” I ask, walking into her room. She holds her finger up telling me to wait, and that's when I see her phone next to her ear.

  “I know, I'm sorry. I should have called last night, but I'm fine, and well… Harrison stayed with me.” She stops to listen. “Yeah, he was still listed as my emergency contact.”

  Another pause. “Gabby, I'm fine. We're heading home now.”

  My chest tightens at her words. She could have said he's taking me home, but she didn't. That tells me all I need to know. She wants this, wants me. She's just scared. It's my job as her husband, yes husband, and I don't give a fuck what the papers say. As her husband, it's my job to show her how much I love her. To show her this time things are going to be different.

  “Fine, yes, we should be there in about thirty minutes,” she tells her sister. “Yeah, I'll call Mom. Love you too. Bye.” She ends the call.

  “All set?” There is no need to ask about the call. I know Gabby isn't my biggest fan, at least not anymore. I walk to where she's sitting on the side of the bed.

  “Yes, please. I'm ready for a shower and some clean clothes.” She stands, and I place my hand on the small of her back, ready to help her if she needs me.

  “We'll get you home, and while you're showering, I'll get you something to eat, both of you.” I place my other hand over her still flat belly.

  “I feel fine.”

  “Good.” Leaning in, I kiss her temple. “It's my job to make sure it stays that way.” She grumbles and then tries to tell the nurse she's capable of walking and doesn't need a wheelchair. She loses that fight too. Once she's in my truck and has her seat belt fastened, I rush to the driver’s side and climb in. Looking over at her, sitting here with me again, brings a flood of memories rushing back. This woman is my world, and I was a fool to not fight for her. Reaching over, I lace my fingers through hers and rest our hands on her thigh. With one hand, I manage to put the truck in drive and pull out of the lot.

  “Looks like you've marked something off your list,” she says softly.

  Glancing over, I see she's staring out the window. “What's that?” I wish we were stationary so I could look at her eyes, watch her facial expressions, but I keep my eyes on the road. I have precious cargo on board. No way am I risking either of them.

  “Holding my hand in your truck.”

  “Yeah,” I agree. “Get used to this.” I pull her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles.

  “Are you sure about this, Harrison? Are we doing the right thing?”

  “Yes.” There is zero hesitation in my answer. “We're doing… well, I’m doing what I should have done a long time ago. I should have fought, Winnie, and this time, I'm going to.”

  “I want that,” she says softly.

  “Me too, baby. Me too.” The rest of the ride home is silent as we both get lost in our thoughts. For me, I'm forming a plan. A plan to prove to her that I'm worth a second chance. To prove that she and this baby are my number one. I need to make some changes at the gym, and from this day forward, nothing will come before either of them.

  Nothing.

  “Stay put,” I tell her as soon as we pull into the driveway. I climb out of the truck and rush to her side. Stubborn as she is, she already has her belt off and the door open. Gently, I place my hands on her hips and lift her from the truck. Her feet are on the ground for mere seconds, before I’m lifting her, cradling her in my arms.

  “Harrison,” she squeals. “I can walk.”

  “I know you can,” I say, my lips next to her ear. “But I can carry you. Let me take care of you, Winnie.”

  I know she's given in when she rests her head on my chest and loops her arms around my neck. I slow my gait, wanting to savor this time with her in my arms. It's been too damn long. When we reach the front door, I set her on her feet, but keep my hands on her waist. I'm pushing my luck, but I can't seem to help myself.

  Not when it comes to her.

  “Head on up to the shower,” I tell her. “I'll make you something to eat. Anything sound good?”

  She bites her bottom lip and nods. “Your grilled cheese. No matter how many times I've tried, I can't seem to make them like you do.”

  I want to puff out my chest and beat against it with my fist; my girl needs me. Instead, I slide my hand under her hair and cradle the back of her neck. Leaning in, I place a feather-soft kiss on her forehead. “I've got you,” I tell her. I mean more than the grilled cheese, and by the way she's peering up at me, she gets my double meaning. Reluctantly, I drop my hand and watch her walk upstairs to the master bedroom. The one we shared, the one I hope to share with her again soon.

  I'm in the kitchen gathering everything I need to make her my famous grilled cheese when her cell rings. Tracing back to the front door, I find her bag sitting on the floor, her cell sticking out of the side pocket. Grabbing it, I see Gabby, my sister-in-law’s name flash on the screen. I'm sure she just wants to make sure she got home okay, and I don't want her to worry, so I answer.

  “Hey, Gab,” I greet.

  “Harrison. Where's my sister?”

  She's not exactly rude, but she's not giving me the warm and fuzzy vibe either. “In the shower. I'm making her something to eat now.” Not that she needed to know that, but I do need her to know I'm capable of taking care of my wife.

  “I'm on my way, and you can go.”

  “I'm sure she'll be happy to see you, but I'm not going anywhere.” Losing her changed me. I'm not going to put anything before my family, and those who are close to us, they need to know that. The divorce hurt more than just Winnie and me. It hurt our families too.

  “What does that mean exactly?” Her voice is hesitant.

  “It means that my wife was in a car accident, and I'm taking care of her.”

  “Ex-wife,” she counters.

  “That's a piece of paper that never should have been filed. I'm taking care of her.”

  “How does my sister feel about this?”

  “She's okay with it. I'm staying in the spare bedroom. For now,” I add, letting her know my true intentions.

  She coughs as if she's choking. “Wow, when you say you're not going anywhere you really mean it.”

  “Yep.”

  “You hurt her, Harrison.”

  “I know. I'm fixing it.” I know that I have my work cut out for me. Not only do I have to prove myself to Winnie but to our families as well. Nothing worth fighting for comes easy.

  “That remains to be seen. I'm on my way. If Gwen wants you to go, we'll call the cops if we have to.”

  “I'm exactly where we both want me to be.”

  “Don't be so sure of yourself.” With that, she hangs up on me.

  Sliding Winnie’s phone into my back pocket, I head back to the kitchen to make lunch. I'm just placing our sandwiches on plates when she appears in the doorway of the kitchen.

  “Those smell amazing.”

  “I made you two. I wasn't sure how hungry you were.”

  “Starving,” she says, placing her hand over her belly. My eyes follow the motion.

  “It's still hard to believe there is a piece of me, a piece of both of us, growing in there.” I point to her belly.

  “I feel different,” she whispers. “I know that sounds crazy; I'm not even showing yet.”

  Setting our plates on the island, I go to her, wrapping my arms around her. “Not crazy. I feel it too. This little one is bringing us home, together where we're meant to be.”

  “I want to believe that, Harrison. I really do.”

  “You will,” I say with conviction. “Here.” I reach into my pocket and hand her the phone. “Gabby called. I answered, not wanting her to worry
when she couldn't reach you. She's on her way over.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Knock, knock,” Gabby says loudly.

  Reluctantly, I release Winnie and lead her to the island, pulling out a chair for her. “Water? Milk maybe?”

  “Milk, but uh, I think I want chocolate, but I can get it.” She starts to stand, and I hold up my hand, stopping her.

  “I've got it. You need to eat.” I busy myself making her a tall glass of chocolate milk. She's not one for the powdered stuff. My girl likes milk and chocolate syrup, a lot of it.

  “How are you?” Gabby asks.

  Winnie looks up at me, and I nod. I want to shout it to the world that we're having a baby. There is no need for us to hide it from our families. “Good,” she finally says.

  “Good? That's all you've got for me? You had to stay in the hospital overnight, Gwendolyn,” she says, concern lacing her voice.

  “Here you go, babe.” I set the glass of chocolate milk in front of her and take my seat beside her.

  “About that. Turns out you were right.”

  “Of course I was right. Wait, right about what?”

  Turning to face her sister, she spills our news. “We're pregnant.”

  I don't have to see her face to know she's smiling. I can hear it in her voice. And me, well, my smile is wide. We're pregnant.

  “Pregnant?” Gabby asks.

  “Yeah.” She looks at me over her shoulder. “We're having a baby.”

  Not able to resist, I lean in and kiss her cheek. “Peanut,” I whisper. Her answering smile is blinding.

  “How did this happen? I mean, I know how it happened. But how did this happen?” Gabby asks, her face scrunched up, trying to work it out in her head.

  Winnie looks back at her sister. “We had a moment of… weakness.”

  She's not wrong. We were both weak that day. Not from the emotions of the divorce, but the loss of connection, from our bodies being deprived of the other’s touch for so long.

 

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