“Hey, Harrison, need some ice, buddy?” Chase teases loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. He’s putting the stairs over the edge, wearing nothing but his trunks and a smile.
“Fuck off,” Harrison growls and continues to gaze out at the lake, willing his hard-on to subside.
Within the next few minutes, everyone is ready to jump in the water and enjoy the day of fun and relaxation. Though, I’m not sure how much relaxation will happen when you add in all the sexual tension that seems to be on the boat with us.
This trip just got very interesting.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Harrison bellows into the phone. He’s been pacing back and forth across the living room from the moment Gina called a few moments ago.
The calmness and relaxation of Saturday was quickly replaced with a busy Sunday making calls and finalizing plans for the gym’s grand opening on Friday. Harrison just got home a few moments ago after spending the entire day training the new staff in Lakeview. He opted to skip going to the office after his return to town and just come home to me. We planned to throw steaks on the grill and watch a movie, but those plans were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. And if the way he’s yelling is any indication, I’d say those plans are completely derailed for the evening.
I finish the pasta salad and stick it in the fridge, trying to give him privacy to conduct business, but it’s hard when he’s yelling at his assistant into the phone.
Everything seemed good Saturday evening. Really good for Chase and Gina, if you know what I mean. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other the entire day, even though I’m pretty sure one of his eyes was constantly watching my sister. Harrison had brought it up, their connection on the boat, but there’s nothing in his employee handbook that says anything about inter-office relationships. Not that he’s ever needed any reason for something like that. By the time the sun started to sink and the boat was docked back at the small marina, Gina had her hand down Chase’s trunks and they bolted from the boat as if their hair was on fire. Hopefully they made it somewhere private before ripping off their clothes (or swimsuits).
Gabby, on the other hand, seemed annoyed throughout the entire day. She wore a fake smile and doted on Roman as much as possible, but it seemed forced. The only time she seemed like herself was when she was sparring with Harrison’s best friend—and those times were often on Saturday. Everything they did appeared to be for the sole purpose of getting a rise out of the other.
As for Harrison and me, well, we finally broke our two-week dry spell. After the sunblock incident and the fact that his hands were constantly on me while we swam, we barely made it home before we went at it like bunnies. Four times. That’s how many times I screamed his name between sundown and sunup Sunday.
Now, here we are, Monday evening, and all that rejuvenation from the weekend is long gone. Harrison and Gina had gotten along fine, even though I could tell he was a little uncomfortable with her being there. Probably because she works for him. I can understand that. But she was super sweet and chatty with me the entire day. Well, until she decided to play street hockey in Chase’s pants.
“How did this happen?” he says into the phone, his words much quieter and resolved. He stops pacing and stares out the front window. “Fix this, Gina. I can’t miss that appointment,” he barks into the phone, drawing my attention his way.
Appointment? I know he has many this week, especially with opening the third All Fit location, but I can’t help the feeling of dread that slides down my spine and lands in the pit of my gut. Our ultrasound appointment is this week. Thursday at two o’clock, actually.
Harrison sighs deeply and turns to face me. “That’ll have to do, I guess. But this is a huge mistake, Gina. I could fire you over this and would have no problem doing so,” he says, stopping and watching as I enter the room and take a seat on the couch, “but someone once told me that people make mistakes. It’s how they right that wrong that shows their character. I’m going to go to Lakeview tomorrow for the staff training. Chase will be with me. You have twenty-four hours to move everything else from Friday to Thursday. I’ll take care of staffing. This can’t…” He stops, shaking his head and closing his eyes. “This can’t happen again, Gina. No more issues like this or you’re gone.”
He listens for a few more seconds before signing off, throwing the phone onto the chair cushion and giving me a look that tells me exactly how upset he is. I get up and walk toward him, instantly wrapping my arms around his chest. His entire body is riddled with tightness, but as soon as I lay my head on his chest, the anxiety seems to ebb from his body. He wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me in tight.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, even though I know I won’t like what he’s about to say.
“Gina fucked up the invites for the grand opening. The Lakeview Mayor, council members, chamber of commerce, everyone received an invitation to attend our grand opening. On Thursday.”
“Ouch,” I whisper, hugging him tighter. My stomach presses into him. It’s as if Peanut knows Daddy is upset and chooses that exact moment to give a hard kick, right into his daddy’s lower stomach.
He pulls back and glances down, the anger from moments ago replaced with a look of awe. Harrison drops to his knees and takes my abdomen in his large hands. “Hey, little Peanut. You know just what your daddy needs right know, don’t you?” he asks my stomach, earning another kick and a punch.
We both laugh, as if the baby inside me is responding directly to the question asked. “I think Peanut knows Daddy is upset and stressed and trying to tell him it’s going to be okay,” I say. “So tell me what happened so we can figure it out. Together.”
He gazes up at me with those dark eyes. “So everyone is coming to the grand opening at noon on Thursday.”
“And my appointment is at two on Thursday.”
He nods. “I won’t miss it, though. I’ll be there.”
“I can try to change it,” I offer, running my hand through his hair.
“No, I don’t want to do that. Our families are coming to dinner that night for the reveal. We’d have to push that back too, and that seems like a lot of unnecessary juggling. The grand opening and ribbon cutting should take about an hour. I’ll be able to welcome everyone, give my speech, cut the ribbon, and be out of there by one or one thirty.”
“What would you be missing after the ribbon cutting?” I ask, continuing to rub the top of his head.
His eyes close involuntarily as he lets out a little moan of pleasure. “You can keep doing that. Just the hobnobbing and tours. Chase can handle that stuff. Plus, the assistant manager will be there too so she can help.”
“Are you sure? If you need to be there, I don’t mind calling and rescheduling. It’s not a big deal.”
He opens his eyes and I can feel their intensity clear down to my toes. “It is a big deal. This is more important, Winnie. You and Peanut are my priorities. The rest is fluff. I won’t let you change our big moment Thursday. I’ll run to Lakeview and cut the ribbon and then make it back to town by two for our appointment.”
“If you insist.”
“I do.” He places his hands on my stomach once more, earning another kick from the child within. “Do you hear that, Peanut? We’re going to find out if you have an innie or an outie in a couple of days.”
I laugh at his wording as excitement races through me. He’s right. In just a few days, we’ll know if we’re having a son or a daughter. A boy or a girl. Either way, I can’t wait, and I love knowing Harrison is just as ecstatic as I am.
“Gwen,” the nurse calls into the waiting room full of expecting moms.
I glance toward the door once more and slowly get up. My heart is pounding in my chest as I make my way to the doorway, giving the entrance to the office one last look. He’s not here. I know today was a big day for him and All Fit, but he promised to be here for this appointment. They’re even running a few minutes behind.
“You know the drill
,” the nurse says as I prepare to step on the scale. When I do so, she moves the slide—and moves it some more. “Hmmm,” she says aloud, though probably mostly to herself.
“Is everything okay?” I ask and then glance at the number.
Oh.
“No, nothing’s wrong, per se. You’ve just experienced a bigger weight gain this month,” she adds with a smile.
I know I’ve enjoyed my late-night popcorn with M&M’s in it, plus the nightly big glass of chocolate milk, but I didn’t think it would actually result in a seven-pound weight gain in four weeks. Ouch.
The nurse has me follow her to room four for the ultrasound. The uneasiness I felt a few moments ago about the results of the scale is quickly replaced with joy as I think about the ultrasound and finding out the sex of the baby. “Dr. Taylor will be in shortly. She’ll do her normal measurements and then she’ll send in the ultrasound technician,” she informs before excusing herself from the room.
That excitement I was feeling is quickly replaced with sadness as I hop on the table. Alone. Has something happened? Why is Harrison late? He wouldn’t miss this unless it was an emergency. That sadness quickly transforms into fear as all the horrible things that could happen on the roadway filter through my mind.
A knock sounds, followed quickly by Dr. Taylor. “Good afternoon, Gwen. How have you been feeling?”
“Okay,” I reply, feeling anything but.
“Well, a few things today before we conduct the ultrasound. You’ve had a significant jump in weight gain since your sixteen-week appointment. We’ll do the urine test as soon as the ultrasound is complete. That’ll let me know where you sugars are. I’m just a little concerned about that. If you don’t have any questions, I’ll get the technician in here and we’ll take a look at your baby.”
That brings a wide smile to my lips. “I’m ready.”
I glance toward the door one last time, a movement Dr. Taylor catches. “You’re alone today?”
“He had a work thing.” It’s hard to keep the disappointment out of my voice.
She doesn’t say anything, just nods as she steps out of the room. Fortunately, the ultrasound technician enters quickly, keeping me from thinking about all those horrible things that could have kept Harrison away from this appointment. It’s the same woman as our first ultrasound, and it only takes her a few minutes to get everything set up and ready. My abdomen is exposed as she squirts a healthy glob of goo on my skin. Just as she sets the wand on my stomach, a knock sounds at the door.
“Come in,” the tech says.
When the door pushes open, my entire body seems to sigh with relief. Harrison is there, a look of complete guilt and pain on his handsome face. When his eyes connect with mine, everything seems to just fade away. He’s here. He’s all right. Everything else can wait.
“Right on time, Dad. We’re just starting to get a look at your baby,” the tech greets as he enters the room, closing the door behind him.
Harrison immediately comes to my head, kissing my forehead with a lingering kiss. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers against my skin.
“You’re here now. We’ll talk about it later,” I assure him, reaching for his hand. It’s large and warm and provides just the comfort that I need right now.
The diabetes thing kinda freaked me out, but I don’t want to burden him with that now. Clearly, he’s had a long, stressful day, and adding stress isn’t what I want or what he needs. I’ll tell him, eventually, just not now.
“Wow, someone’s not shy,” the tech says, pulling both our attention to her monitor. “See that?” she asks, pointing to the screen and clicking a few buttons. She takes a few still images, but the sight on the screen has me in complete awe. Our baby is there, all wiggly and perfect. My eyes burn with tears and the hand around mine tightens. I want to glance at him, to see his reaction, but I can’t take my own eyes away from the monitor. I’m totally transfixed to the sight, to our baby.
“Harrison and Gwen, say hello to your daughter.”
The rest of the appointment proceeds as if I’m floating on a cloud. A daughter. After the technician leaves, Dr. Taylor returns with a cup for a urine sample. As I get ready to head to the restroom, Harrison’s phone rings. “Work,” he says, excusing himself to step outside for a few minutes.
I do what’s needed for the urine sample and return to the room. It only takes a few minutes before Dr. Taylor returns, a grim look on her face. “It’s as I was suspecting, Gwen,” she starts. “There are sugars in your urine, as well as the significant weight gain. Both of these together are signs of what we call gestational diabetes,” she says, handing me a pamphlet. “Here’s more information on it. As long as we monitor and treat, if necessary, everything should be okay. There are a few health risks that increase with gestational diabetes, like pre-eclampsia and depression, so we’ll watch for those. Do you have any questions?” she asks.
I’m completely caught off guard. Gestational diabetes? No one in my family is diabetic.
“This condition develops in non-diabetic patients. It’s fairly common, affecting about 6 percent of all pregnancies,” she adds, letting me know I actually had asked my question aloud. “The good news is, if it is gestational diabetes, we’ve caught it early and will treat it, if necessary. Right now, I want to change your diet and add in a little exercise. Maybe a walk in the evening around the neighborhood or around the mall.”
“Like all the old people?” I ask, a smile playing on my lips.
“Yes, well, those walking clubs aren’t just for the elderly,” she replies with a laugh. “We’ll get your through this, Gwen.” Dr. Taylor glances around. “Did Harrison leave?”
“Oh, uh, work call.”
“Be sure to talk to him about this, okay?”
“I will,” I reply on autopilot.
Tucking the pamphlet in my purse, I head to the lobby and schedule my next appointment. As I step outside, Harrison is tucking his phone into his pocket. “All done?”
I nod, not yet bringing a voice to the concerns in my head. I need to wrap my head around this before I tell Harrison. I know he’ll instantly worry, and I don’t want that.
“Let’s go home.”
Chapter 15
Harrison
I’m hovering between being asleep and awake, but when I feel the bed dip and Winnie’s feet hit the floor, I’m fully awake. “You okay?” I ask her in the darkness of our room. We’ve only been in bed about an hour. It took me a while to relax, running through my to-do list at the office tomorrow. Things are crazier than ever with the new sites.
“Yeah, I’m thirsty, and I have to pee,” she says, making her way to the bathroom.
“Chocolate milk?” I ask, because that’s been her thing since she’s been pregnant. Well, that’s always been her thing, but more so since the pregnancy.
“No, just water,” she calls out through the door. “I can get it.”
I know she can, but so can I. Throwing the covers off, I pad down the hall to the kitchen and grab her a cold bottle of water from the fridge. By the time I make it back to our room, she’s climbing back into bed.
“Thank you.” Winnie takes the bottle and drinks greedily. She doesn’t stop until the bottle is empty. “My throat was dry, and now I regret it because I’ll have to pee again.” She softly laughs.
“You have an entire gallon of chocolate milk that’s about to expire. That’s not like you,” I tease her.
“Yeah, just haven’t been feeling it,” she says, burrowing under the covers.
I take my spot beside her in bed. Propping myself up on my elbow, my other hand caresses our baby girl. “Take it easy on Mommy,” I whisper to her belly. “Is there anything I can do?” I ask Winnie.
“Just be you,” she says, running her fingers through my hair. “Sorry, I woke you.”
“You didn’t, not really. I was just starting to doze off.”
“You okay?” I can hear the concern in her voice. I missed these times with her. Just tal
king and being there for each other.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just running through my day tomorrow and mentally going over what still needs to be done to get this third location up and going.”
“You open in two weeks.”
“Yeah, when Gina messed up the scheduling, we had to push it back a little, but it ended up working out. Thankfully.”
“Harrison, I know you’re in this,” she tells me. “Don’t wear yourself out with worry about being home every night right on time. I know you’re going to need to put in some work at the gym. I’ll still be here when you get home.”
“I’ve got it covered,” I assure her. “I hired Gina for a reason. She’s on thin ice, but the work is getting done.”
“Are you being too hard on her?”
“No. I make her tasks clear. She knows what’s expected; she just doesn’t seem to care.”
“Maybe she’s having a hard time comprehending. Some people have learning disabilities they don’t let show.”
“Come on, Winnie. You and I both know that’s not the case.”
“I know you’re worried about me, and about the baby. I know you have a lot on your plate. Maybe Gina is taking the brunt of all that frustration?”
“Hardly. Trust me on this; she deserves it. I’m at my wit’s end with her. One more mistake and she’s gone. She’s stressing me out. The rest of it I can handle. I’m constantly watching my schedule, making sure our appointments are not sabotaged. It’s almost as if she’s doing it on purpose.” I finally speak the words I’ve been thinking for weeks out loud.
“Harrison, come on, you don’t really think that? She’s harmless.”
Fair Lakes Series Box Set Page 17