The Boss's Love (10 page)

             
Darren stalked past his brother’s secretary and straight into the office. Derrick looked up from the phone call he was on and gave his brother a smile, but it quickly faded when he caught what must have been a vivid look of fury on his features.  

             
"Let me call you back," Derrick said into the phone. He disconnected the call while Darren slumped into the chair across from his desk. "What's the problem?" 

             
"My wife," Darren growled.

             
Derrick chuckled. "Okay, what did she do?" 

             
"I caught her before she was going to get an abortion." 

             
Derrick blanched. "What?" he asked horrified.

             
He could only stare at his older sibling.

             
Derrick straightened. "Okay, first, she's pregnant?"

             
Darren nodded. 

             
"How far along?"

             
Darren shrugged. "I don't know. She can't be that far."

             
"How did you find out about..." Derrick didn’t bother to finish the sentence. 

             
"She's been sick. I figured it out pretty quick. But she's been distant and quiet. I was afraid because she wasn't talking to me and hadn't said a word confirming she's pregnant. I knew she had to know, Derrick. I had her followed," he explained. He rubbed at his aching forehead. 

             
Derrick stared at him. "You had your wife followed?" 

             
"Don't, Derrick," he snapped. "If I hadn't then I wouldn't have a baby on the way right now." 

             
His brother held up his hands. "Hey, I'm not the enemy here." 

             
"Sorry."

             
"I understand being upset. Hell, I would want to throttle her, but..." Derrick leaned all the way back in his chair, studying him. "What are you going to do?"

             
"What the hell can I do?" 

             
Derrick raised an eyebrow.

             
"Forget it," Darren snapped again. He refused to bump off his wife because she betrayed him. Other men in his position had done that in the past for much less, but he couldn't and wouldn't.

             
"You’re testy this evening, brother." Derrick stood and went over to the cabinet, pulled out his high-end whiskey, and poured two glasses. He handed one to Darren. "Here." 

             
"Thanks," he grumbled.

             
"Shit, Darren. I have no idea how to help you." Derrick took a sip of his drink. "Courtney is...well...she's determined but she also gets into her own head." 

             
"What do you mean?"

             
"She tends to think the worst of herself. I can see how she might think she's not ready to be a mother. Convince herself pregnancy would be the worst thing that could happen. She'd literally talk herself into being the worst mother in the world." Derrick sighed, the color of his eyes turning black. "It was that asshole that did it to her. She should have gotten therapy after the beating. He did more than physically hurt her." 

             
Darren didn't respond. He never considered those inner demons still existed with his Courtney.  

             
"She took years to say yes to your proposal because she convinced herself she wasn't ready. What made her come out of it, who knows, but she did," Derrick said.

             
He took a gulp of his drink. 

             
"You can't do anything to her," Derrick said. "It would kill you."

             
"I never planned on it," he admitted. Amazing how his wife could make him so weak.

             
"Good, because I love her, too. In spite of her lack of confidence and judgment," Derrick admitted.

             
He snorted. "I know."

             
"Forgive her. She made a mistake. Does she know it?"

             
"She threw herself on her sword today. She allowed me to vent." He paused. "She took it brilliantly."

             
"That's our girl." Derrick grinned.

             
He looked up at his brother and smiled. "Yeah."

             
"Get whatever answers you can from her, and let her know what's unacceptable. She can't make those decisions. She's married now and should come to you with anything. Anything at all."

             
His brother was right. Darren nodded again then threw back the rest of his drink. "What are you doing? Want to get something to eat? I kind of threw dinner across the kitchen."

             
Derrick chuckled. "Let's go." 

             
Both brothers left the office to have a quiet dinner and finish their talk about the issue at hand. Courtney.  

***

              Three in the morning and Darren quietly stepped through the front door of his home. He hoped his wife hadn't decided to leave him over his tirade. After he visited his brother and vented, he calmed down significantly. His wife had deserved better than his tantrum.  

             
He climbed the stairs and stepped into their bedroom. His heart skipped a beat at the vision of her curled up on his side of the bed, hugging his pillow. She needed him. He slipped off his shoes and socks, then stripped except for his boxers. He slid in next to her, wrapped his muscular arms around her slim figure, and pulled her against his chest. She moaned and snuggled in close. That was what he needed and wanted. He needed Courtney like he needed his next breath. She was everything to him, baby or no baby. He kissed the top of the head. Courtney wrapped her arm around his waist.

             
"I'm so sorry, Darren. I'll never do anything to hurt you again, I promise," she whispered. He felt a tear drop onto his bare chest. "I'm sorry I earned your distrust." 

             
He kissed her again. "We'll talk in the morning, sweetheart. Get some sleep, you need it." 

             
"I love you."

             
"I love you more, baby." 

***

Courtney

             
When Courtney woke the next morning, she felt the best she had in what seemed like forever. She started to get a tiny grip on her morning sickness. She shuffled down to the kitchen to find Darren had toast and ginger ale waiting for her.  

             
“Let's talk about what happened, Court,” he warned with absolutely no preamble.

             
She nodded and slowly took a seat at the island. She felt positively distressed over the debacle she created.  

             
“I’m not happy at all about your decision. I'm thoroughly disappointed in the fact that you didn’t confide in me and tell me that you're pregnant and how you were feeling.” He set down his coffee cup and leaned on the island. “Court, you are the love of my life. I would do virtually anything for you. You must know that by now. Don’t you?” 

             
She nodded again. Without a doubt, she knew he would do anything for her. He had since the day they met.

             
“Then why?” 

             
The one question she couldn’t answer, because she honestly couldn’t pinpoint why. There were too many jumbled reasons that ran through her mind.              

             
She hesitated, choosing her words guardedly. “I don’t know. I panicked, I guess. I knew you would want this baby and I convinced myself I didn’t, that I’m not ready to be a mother. I was afraid you wouldn’t see my point of view and…” She looked away from his piercing stare. “I just decided to do it. I never thought you would find out. I figured, in the future, when we did decide to have children, it would be a mutual decision between us.” She looked back at him and shamefully lowered her head. “For the rest of my life I'll regret making that rash decision without talking to you, Darren. I know there's nothing I can do or say to make up for it. All I can tell you is that I'm truly sorry and will never, ever, do such a stupid thing again.” 

             
“Do you want this baby?” Darren asked. His tone was laced with a dark undertone that sent a shiver up her spine. 

             
Courtney didn’t respond for a long moment, and then looked up at him, tears shining in her big blue eyes. “To feel your hand on my stomach over the past week has done something to me. Knowing you’ll be here for me and cherish our baby and help me get past my insecurities, that gives me the reassurance I need. You have no idea. I want to give you this baby.” She ran a hand over her flat stomach and whispered, “I hope it's a boy. I love boys.” 

             
Darren inhaled sharply then bounded around the island and yanked her into his arms. He kissed her soundly, pulled away, and cupped her beautiful face into his hands. “You’re forgiven.”

             
Her tears spilled down her cheeks. “Thank you.” 

             
She wrapped her arms around his stomach and lost it. She sobbed into his chest as she released all of her worries and allowed her brilliant husband to absorb her over-the-top emotions. 

***

              Finally, Courtney felt relaxed with life again. She’d called her two best girlfriends to get together for lunch at the local Italian restaurant to catch up. It had been too long since she’d had girl time.

             
“How have you been, Courtney?” Dana asked kindly. “You look pasty.”

             
“Yeah, you’re not wearing much makeup. Not getting any sleep?” Rachel Ryan asked and raised a suggestive eyebrow at her. Typical.  

             
She chuckled and decided to shock her girlfriends. “I’m pregnant.”

             
Both women gaped.

             
“What?” Rachel bluntly spewed out. “I thought you were on the pill.”

             
“I am…or was.” She shrugged. “I guess it didn’t work.”

             
“All of a sudden? You’ve been on it for years,” Dana pointed out. 

             
“I don’t understand what happened myself, but what can I do?” she asked. She took a nervous sip of water. 

             
“What does Darren think? Ecstatic much?” Rachel asked sarcastically.  

             
“He’s thrilled,” Courtney said. “Though he wasn't happy with me at first.”

             
“Why?” Dana asked curiously. “I find that hard to believe knowing Darren.” 

             
“I was going to have an abortion and he found out.” She set her water glass down. “Needless to say that didn’t go over well.”

             
Rachel gasped. “Courtney.”

             
“I know, I know.” 

             
“No, I don’t think you do know. What the hell were you thinking? Darren’s going to kill you,” Rachel snapped.

             
“We talked it out. He understands where I was coming from and what was going on in my head. He forgives me,” she explained.

             
Rachel and Dana tossed each other a knowing glance.  

             
“How did he find out you were going to have an abortion?” Dana asked. 

             
Rachel nodded and pointed to Dana. 

             
She shrugged. “When I headed towards the front doors of the clinic he was there. I don't know.” 

             
“He had you followed,” Rachel whispered more to herself.

             
Courtney didn’t understand. What was the matter with her girlfriends? Bewildered, she looked back and forth between the two women.

             
“All right, Courtney, I’ve had enough,” Dana said harshly. “This time your life depends on this and I’m coming clean.” She gave Rachel a side look.

             
“What?” she asked.

             
“You need to be concerned for you life, Courtney. There is no way Darren Murphy is that forgiving when it comes to the fact his wife was going to abort his child. His heir,” Dana said. She glanced around to see if anyone nearby was interested in their conversation.