Strictly Professional (16 page)

She chuckled and winced as her fingers gently touched the large bruise.

“Get some rest. I’ll check on you in a bit.”

The door closed behind Tracy and Savannah shut her eyes. Her thoughts returned to the disturbing man downstairs. He refused to transfer her and when he'd called her obstetrician and told her Savannah was in the emergency room with vaginal bleeding, Mandy rushed over, examined her, did the ultrasound, and told her the baby still sat snuggly in her womb. They’d insisted she stay for observation and didn’t give her much choice in the matter at all. When the nurse rolled her out in the wheelchair, her gaze found him sitting at the desk for a moment before she went around the corner and couldn’t see him anymore.

Now, what the hell am I going to do? Brandon and I are obviously going to have to come to some sort of compromise. He’s not taking this child away from me. If I have to use my entire trust fund to fight him, I will.

A knock sounded on her door and she said, “Come in.”

Brandon poked his head around the door jam. “Is it okay to come in or are you going to throw something at me?”

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “I don’t have anything handy.”

He grabbed the chair next to the bed and sat a brown paper bag on her lap.

“What’s this?”

“Dinner. I know you didn’t get anything downstairs and supper time is over up here. Besides, hospital food sucks.”

The smell that hit her nose made her mouth water. “What is it?” She opened the bag and shot him a look. “Chinese?”

“Yeah. I think you mentioned once you liked it.”

She pulled several containers out of the bag and set them on the table. “There’s enough food here for an army.”

He didn’t say anything and she shot him a glance before she said, “Brandon?”

“I haven’t eaten today either. I thought maybe we could share.”

He opened several containers and named off the contents while her mouth watered. She pulled out a couple of paper plates and he dished up a little of each before he handed it to her along with a fork. They sat in silence eating moo-shoo chicken, rice, eggrolls, and sweet-n-sour pork for several moments.

After he cleared his throat, he said, “Doctor Dhamir said the baby is okay, right?”

“Yes.”

“Where did the bleeding come from?”

“She told me there had actually been a second sac attached to my uterus.”

His shocked expression almost made her laugh. “Twins?”

“Apparently a second embryo had attached, but the sac had nothing in it. A blighted ovum. It had separated from the wall and begun to pass, thus the bleeding and had nothing to do with the attack. It would have happened anyway.”

“You never did tell me who hit you.”

“I’m not going to either, Brandon.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “I trust you with my life, but I will handle this.”

“Damn, you’re stubborn!”

She smiled. “So my parents tell me.”

“Have you told them about the baby?”

Savannah captured her bottom lip between her teeth and then said, “No.”

“Are you going to?”

“Well of course I’m going to.”

“How long have you known?”

“I went to the doctor this morning for an appointment. She did an exam and told me then.”

“You didn’t suspect or anything?”

She set the plate on the table and sighed. “No, Brandon, I didn’t. My cycles aren’t regular half the time anyway, so I didn’t think anything of it. And I haven’t had any other symptoms.”

He stood and walked to the window, presenting her with nothing more than his back. “Are you sure it’s mine?”

Rage zipped through her like nothing else she’d ever felt before.
How dare he?
She clenched her teeth so tight, they threatened to crack under the pressure. After she inhaled a steadying breath, she growled. “Get out.”

He spun around and gave her a surprised look.

“How dare you even question me about this child’s parentage. Now get out of my room before I have you thrown out.”

“Fine, but this isn’t over.”

A tear slipped down her cheek and she angrily brushed it away. “Oh yes it is, Brandon.”

* * * *

“Savannah?”

“Yeah, Mom?”

“How are you feeling?”

“Like a beached whale.” Savannah wiped the sweat from her face and sank wearily into the chair near the pool.

“Well, my grandson will make his appearance fairly soon and it’ll be all over with.”

“Thank God!”

“I’m glad you came here for the last month. I was worried about you in Nashville with no family around, especially since the baby’s father didn’t care to be part of the final stages of your pregnancy and his child’s birth.”

Savannah closed her eyes and her heart thumped loudly when she thought of Brandon.

He would have if I would have allowed it.

The memory of one of their confrontations two months after Tony had beaten her came rushing back as she tried to relax against the lounge chair.

“I’m coming, Savannah, and that’ all there is to it. You said this is my child, so I plan to be a part of your pregnancy.”

“The hell you will, Brandon. You’re the one who questioned whether the child is yours, so you have no rights at all.”

“What do you expect me to do? We had sex once and it happened after you’d given the option to Tony to father your child.”

“Don’t even mention his name to me,” she spat and clenched her jaw.

“He’s the one who hit you, isn’t he?”

She couldn’t look him in the eyes and lie to him.

Brandon grasped her hand but she pulled it away. “Tell me, Savannah, and don’t lie to me because I’ll know.”

“Yes—all right—yes. He’s the one who hit me. Satisfied?”

“No.”

“Why? It’s what you wanted to know.”

“Because if you would have told me sooner, I could have done something about it.”

“Like what? He’s bigger than you. He’s a fucking football player for God’s sake!”

“That’s what the law is for, Savannah. Even you should know that.”

“I took care of that.”

“Yeah and he’s still out there isn’t he? What if he comes after you again?”

“I have a restraining order.”

“Like that does shit and you know it.”

“It does when I know half the cops in town.”

“I’m still coming to your appointments.”

She sighed and tipped her head back on her shoulders before she grumbled, “Fine.”

He went to each appointment with her and every ultrasound, but a week ago she’d come home, back to Texas to have the baby, and didn’t tell him where she went.

Her thoughts drifted back to her mother’s voice while she continued on and on about the absence of the baby’s father.

“Mom really, it’s fine.”

“Are you going to tell us who the father is?”

“No. It’s between me and him. Besides, you both said you didn’t care if it was someone we knew or just someone to perform stud service.”

“We weren’t serious, Savannah. You know your father and I wanted you all to find a man you could fall in love with and have a family the traditional way.”

“Well, you’ve got your grandchild and it’s a boy, too, so feel fortunate.”

Her mother slipped her palm into her own and said, “Sweetheart. I know you care for the baby’s father. I can see it in your face and I wish you would confide in me.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “I can’t, Mom. He doesn’t care for me in that way. We were friends once, but now we can hardly stand to be in the same room together.”

“That’s not true, Savannah, and you know it. I’ve seen you get that far-off look on your face when you think no one is paying attention and your hand drifts to your growing abdomen. You love him no matter how much you deny it. I only wish you would let us help you and see if we can make things work between you.” Her mother hugged her for a moment. “Does he know where you are?”

“No.”

A commotion from inside the house drew their attention to the sliding glass doors.

“Sir, you can’t go out there,” their housekeeper said, trailing behind someone walking through the house.

“I wonder what that’s all about.”

“You haven’t been announced, sir. You need to wait inside and I’ll find out if the Missus is available.”

Savannah struggled to a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the chair, before she pushed herself to her feet.

“I’m not waiting to be announced when the mother of my child is out there. Now move out of my way, woman.”

“Brandon.”

Chapter Eight

Maria stepped between her and Brandon. “Is there something I can help you with, sir?”

Savannah’s gaze met the startling blue of his over her mother’s head. “It’s okay, Mom.”

Her mother turned to face her then looked over her shoulder. “Savannah?”

“Mom, this is Brandon Cooper. Brandon, this is my mother, Maria.”

William’s voice bounced off the walls surrounding the pool when he pushed open the sliding doors. “What’s all the commotion? Are you all right mother, Savannah?”

“Daddy, it’s fine. Everything is fine.”

“Who is this?” her father asked.

“Daddy, this is Brandon Cooper. Brandon, my father, William Gibson.”

Brandon held out his hand and said, “It’s nice to meet you Mr. Gibson.” He tipped his black Stetson to her mother. “Mrs. Gibson.”

“Is there something we can do for you son?”

“No, sir. I came for Savannah.”

“Excuse me?” her father said at the same time as her mother.

“What the hell are you talking about, Brandon? I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Then I’m staying here until you come to your senses.”

“What? You can’t be serious?”

“I’m perfectly serious. You are carrying my child and I have every intention of being there for his birth whether you like it or not. If that means I stay in Destiny, then so be it.”

“Savannah? Is this truly the father of the child you carry?” her mother asked.

“Yes, momma, it is.”

“Very well, then.” Her mother signaled to the housekeeper who hovered nearby. “Anna, please make Mr. Cooper...”