Strictly Professional (20 page)

“Easy baby. Breathe.”

“Damn,” the doctor said.

“What?” Both he and Savannah replied at the same time.

“Nurse! Get the OR ready. Now!”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“The baby is too big. His shoulders are too large for your pelvis. We need to do a c-section immediately.”

The room exploded in a flurry of activity. Nurses appeared out of nowhere and they quickly unhooked her, forced him aside, and started to rush her out of the room.

“Fuck! Brandon!”

“I’m right here, sweetheart. Take it easy. Everything will be fine.” He tried to soothe her, but his heart clenched in his chest. He knew they had to hurry, otherwise the baby wouldn’t make it and she might not, either.

He followed them down the hall, but they forced him to wait outside. His fingers cut a path through his hair and he started to pace from one side of the area to the other.

God, please let Savannah and the baby be okay. I don’t want to think about my life without them in it.

The clank of metal instruments met his ears and his stomach balled up in knots. The murmur of voices in the operating room had him peeking over the door through the cut-out window to see. When they sliced through her abdomen, he winced and bit his lip. For several tense moments, he held his breath.

The wail of a baby’s cry had him releasing the tight rein he held and he closed his eyes. The nurse whisked the baby into the warmer and rubbed him briskly. He watched in amazement as his son screamed and flailed his arms and legs while they did their assessment of his condition. Brandon looked toward the top of the bed where Savannah lay and their gaze locked across the expanse. Tears lingered on her lashes and one slipped down her nose before it dropped on the bed beneath her.

Her mouth moved and her words sent his heart to his feet.

Thank you.

* * * *

He stood near the nursery window in complete awe with the feelings rushing through him. The love he felt for the little red-faced bundle in the warmer took him by surprise. Yes, he knew he would love his son, but the depth of the love had him reeling with confusion.

How in the hell are we going to work this out?

The nurse bundled the baby up and motioned for him to come inside. Brandon looked behind him to make sure she meant him and she laughed.

“Do you want to hold him?”

“Me?”

She chuckled. “You are his father, are you not?”

“Well yes, but...”

“He won’t break. I promise.” She nodded toward the rocker against the wall. “Have a seat.”

Brandon slid onto the seat and then the nurse slipped the baby into his arms while she showed him how to hold his son. “Have you and his mother decided what to name him?”

He shook his head as she pulled the blanket back and he got his first, up close and personal look at his son.

“Well you have plenty of time. I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

The baby pursed his lips and blinked open his eyes before he yawned and Brandon laughed in a tear-choked sob when dimples peeked out of the babies cheeks.

He’s got my dimples and his momma’s nose.

He brought the baby up to his shoulder and leaned back against the spindles of the chair as a tear cut a path down his cheek. He rocked the baby while he cuddled him on his chest for over an hour before the nurse interrupted.

“Your wife is back in her room now if you’d like to go see her.”

He frowned. “She’s...she’s not my wife.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

His shoulder lifted in a shrug. “It’s okay.” He handed the baby back to her and she snuggled him into his bassinet.

“Why don’t you wheel him down there with you so she can see him, too?”

“Sure.”

When he stood outside her room with the baby, he exhaled before he pushed open the door.

Her sleepy eyes opened and a small smile lifted the corners of her lips. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He pushed the bassinet closer to the bed.

“How is he?”

“Perfect.”

“Not that you aren’t the least bit biased there, daddy.” She chuckled.

“Where did your parents go?”

“Down for food. They said they’d be back in a little bit. I think it was more to give us some alone time with him.” Her stomach rumbled. “Besides, I’m starving.”

Brandon picked up their son in arms and moved toward the bed. “I’m sure you’ll get something here soon.” He placed the baby in her arms and stepped back when her scent wrapped itself around his senses.

Good grief I love the way she smells.

She stroked the baby’s cheek. “Hi there, little one. You sure gave me a scare there, buddy.”

“Me too,” he whispered and took the chair next to the bed. Her gaze fastened on him for a moment before it moved back to the baby in her arms. “We need to come up with a name. I don’t think we really talked about it.”

“You know what’s really sad?”

“What?”

Her gaze locked on his face. “We’ve known each other for over a year, have a child together and I don’t even know your middle name.”

“We’re even, then.”

Frown lines appeared between her eyes. “How so?”

“I don’t know yours either.”

Her nose crinkled up before she chuckled. “It’s Arlene.” He bit his lip and tried not to laugh. “I know. I hate it, too, but it was my grandmother’s name.” Her eyes narrowed. “So what’s yours?” Her gaze returned to the sleeping baby in her arms.

“Marcus.”

“Mmm...what do you think of Marcus William then?” She laughed when she looked at his face again. “What?”

“You’d name him after me?”

“Well, yeah. He is your son.” The baby started to squirm and fuss. “I bet it’s time for you to eat, huh, little guy?” She shifted him to her lap and unsnapped the gown at her shoulder, baring her breast.

Brandon sucked in a ragged breath, hissed between his teeth, and stood abruptly. “Um...I’m going to get some food too. I’ll be back in a little while.”

“You don’t have to leave. It’s not like you haven’t already seen my breast, Brandon.”

“Yeah, I know, but it’s not the same.”

“Huh?”

“I...um...never mind.” He rushed out of the room, hoping the pressure in his chest would release once they weren’t in the same room.

Damn it! Not being able to touch her for six weeks is going to be hell. If I have to watch her feed my son with those beautiful breasts, I’m going to go absolutely nuts!

* * * *

“I’m going to miss you, Savannah, and my grandson. It’s been so nice having you here for the last several weeks after Marcus’s birth.” Maria wiped the tears with a tissue. “And Brandon. It’s been nice getting to know you and I hope we’ll see you again, too.”

“I know, Mom. We’ll come visit again soon and you know where my apartment is.”

Her father pulled up to the airport drop off and they emptied the car of their baggage and the baby’s car seat. When they finally had everything unloaded, she turned and hugged her parents before they kissed the baby and shook Brandon’s hand.

“I’m glad you made it back so you could fly home with Savannah, Brandon,” William said.

“Me too. I’m sorry I had to return to Nashville for several weeks, but the hospital pitched a fit with us both gone.” He lifted the baby’s car seat into his arms.

“We should go. Bye Mom. Bye Dad.” She kissed them both. “I’ll call you when I get home.”

“You better. I’ll be waiting.”

Savannah rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mother.”

They all laughed and waved as she and Brandon slipped through the airport doors and into the throng of people milling about. After they made their way through security and finally reached the gate where the plane would be leaving from, she sighed and sat down.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just tired. Your son has me up about every three hours to eat. My mother’s been wonderful about helping with him and giving him a bottle sometimes so I can take a nap, but she won’t be there now and it’s all on me. I’m glad I don’t have to be back to work for a few more weeks.” She sighed, but when he gave her an odd look, she cocked her head to the side.

“I’ve got a suggestion.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Why don’t you...” The tinkling of his cell phone interrupted his words. He pulled it from his pocket and frowned. “New York?”

Shit! I didn’t tell him.

He flipped it open and said, “Hello?” His eyes narrowed. “Rachel?” He turned so his back faced her and she could only hear murmurs.

Brandon talked for several minutes and Savannah’s stomach clenched with each passing one.

Did the other woman tell him she’d called and left a message? Now he’s going to be pissed.
A fleeting thought zipped across her mind.
Rachel. Rachel. Isn’t that the woman he was seeing before? The one who wouldn’t leave New York to come to Tennessee with him?

“Now boarding, flight twenty-twenty-two. Non-stop service to Nashville.”

“That’s my flight, Rachel. I need to go.” He shifted his gaze to Savannah. “I’ll call you later.” He hung up quickly and grabbed the baby’s bag. “Sorry.”

Savannah shrugged.
It doesn’t matter to me if he’s talking to an ex-girlfriend, does it? We aren’t a couple, after all.

They moved toward the jet way, handed the girl at the door their tickets, and made their way onto the plane to find seats. Once they were comfortably seated, she took the baby in her arms and Brandon stored the baby chair.

When the plane finally got airborne, he turned and took her hand in his. “I should explain about the phone call.”

She frowned. “Why?”

“Remember I told you about the woman I dated before I moved to Nashville?”

“Yes.”

“The phone call was her. I’m not exactly sure what she’s looking for, but I felt you needed to know she called and I’m not sure what she’s up to.”

“I need to confess something.”

“Oh?”

“I forgot to tell you with the problems I had with Marcus’s birth and everything afterwards. I just forgot, but she called the day I went into labor.”

“She did?”

“Yes. When you went downstairs with my father, your phone rang. I answered it and she said to tell you she called and to have you call her. She said she wanted to tell you something.”

Anger flashed in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Brandon. I just forgot until she called a minute ago.”

“I’m not mad at you, Savannah. I’m angry with her.”