Unexpected Romance (18 page)

"Heading
to the hospital, sir," Tony said, a protective hand over her
swollen belly. Baby Bee fluttered under her hand.

"Do
you need some help?"

"Maybe."

The
instructor crossed to her. "Who is driving you?"

"I
am," Liz said.

"I'll
help her to the front doors, you get your vehicle and bring it
around."

Liz
nodded and ran off. The instructor helped her to her feet and to the
doors, with one stop at a bench. She called Chris while they drove.

Chris
met her at the front door of the emergency department. He held her
hand while she was checked by a doctor. "You aren't dilating at
this point," the doctor told her, his head between her legs.

"That's
good right?" Chris asked.

Dr.
Yancy nodded. "Yes. Very good. We'll try more fluids, something
to eat, and rest. I'll have a nurse bring you a tray right away."

Chris
squeezed her hand and pulled a chair so he could sit. "So far so
good."

"Yeah."
Tony closed her eyes as her belly tightened painfully. It wasn't as
bad now. "You can't imagine how much it hurts. If this wasn't
the real thing, I don't know how I’ll handle it."

"I
asked Camille about it once. She swears up and down it's not that
bad." He stroked her hair and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

They
sat in silence for a few moments. "I've never been so scared in
my life, Tonya. The thought of something going wrong…"
Chris shook his head at the thought.

"I
know me, too." She opened her eyes and met his. Her stomach did
a flip as joy then fear ran through her. "Chris ..."

"Yeah?"

Her
heart clenched in her chest.
Fuck it.
She went for it. "I
love you."

His
eyes widened for a moment then his entire body softened. He leaned
toward her. "I love you, too, Tonya. I know I said it that night
I came home drunk, but you never said it back. And I wasn't sure how
you felt, so I didn't want to say anymore."

"I
said it that night. You fell asleep right after you said it and I
replied. I didn't know if it was you being drunk or what. I was
scared."

He
brushed his lips across hers. "I was scared, too,” he
whispered. “I'll say it again now. I love you."

"I
love you. So damn much. I've loved you since the moment you pushed me
against the car and kissed me. You remember that?"

"How
could I forget?"

A
cough from the door pulled them apart. A little. "Are you
resting?" the nurse asked, as she pulled the rolling table
across the bed.

"Yes.
The last contraction didn't hurt as much."

"Okay,
well the doctor wants you to eat, drink, and rest for a while. If
nothing more happens in the next hour or so, you can go home. You can
help her sit up now."

She
ate her food, then spent the next hour cuddling with Chris, while he
stroked her belly and chatted with her. The painful cramps continued,
but much less painful and less frequently than at school.

The
doctor did another internal check. "Well, no progression. That's
a very good sign. I want you to go home and relax. No chores, the
rest of the week off school. If things remain relaxed, you can return
Monday. No sex or orgasms for a couple days. Everything looks okay.
Hopefully it was an isolated event. If it starts again, come back.
See your doctor next week to follow up."

Chris
helped her out of bed and back into her clothes. Once in the car, she
called Liz to reassure her. Then she called Corey, who flipped out
and insisted on coming to the apartment to check on her.

"Fine,
we'll be home shortly. I will call you when I get home." She
gave Chris an exasperated look as she hung up.

"It
means he cares," Chris said, squeezing her hand. "And I
understand."

Tony
leaned back in the seat. "Let's go home, then." Home with
Chris, for the first time in her life she felt as though she
belonged.

Chris
climbed out of the hot tub as Corey walked by. "Corey, man, can
we have a drink tonight?"

"Uh,
sure. The hotel bar?"

"Yeah."

"Is
everything okay with Tony?"

"Yeah.
I called her when we checked in at the hotel. She said she's been
fine today, that we need to stop worrying. It was an isolated
incident."

"Okay,
good. I'll see you at the bar after."

"Yeah,
good."

Chris
found his hands shaking when he took the elevator to the bar. He
peeked inside and found Corey wasn't there yet. He sat at a table and
pulled the box out of his pocket.

A
gorgeous, young waitress stopped at the table. "Can I get you a
drink?" she purred as she leaned over him. He took in her ample
cleavage with admiration. Nothing like Tonya’s…

He
smiled at her politely. Pre-Tonya he would flirted with her, over
tipped her and tried to find a place to seduce her. He glanced at the
box on the table and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Beer
please."

"Sure.
Meeting your girlfriend to propose?" she gestured at the box.

"Not
tonight. I'm meeting her brother to ask his permission."

"That's
sweet."

"I
hope she thinks so. I bought the ring yesterday, I won't see her for
a couple more days. I thought I'd ask him first.”

"She'll
think so. Even enlightened women want the macho man routine.
Congratulations, in advance, of course." She walked away.

Chris
opened the box and looked at the ring.

"Hey,
I didn't think you would beat me here," Corey said.

Chris
slammed the box shut and shoved it in his pocket. "I've seen
enough ring boxes to know what you're hiding. So let me see what
you've spent on my sister."

The
waitress returned with his beer. "Is this the brother?"

"Flirting
with the waitress?" Corey asked.

"I
saw the ring box. I asked," she said. "Your beer. Good
luck."

"Thank
you," he said, handing her his cash. "I'll get his drink as
well.

"A
scotch and soda, please," Corey said.

When
the waitress disappeared, Chris handed over the ring. "All
right, well so much for the surprise."

"I
supposed it was something like this when you asked me to meet you."
Corey opened the box. "No diamond?"

"She
said once she didn't want a diamond. So I thought the amethyst seemed
her thing. I hope it is. Is it normal to feel like puking just
thinking about proposing?"

"I
dunno. I waited forever to propose to Nic. I wasn't scared anymore.
You and Tony haven't been together very long. Kind of rushing things
aren't you? Or do you want to marry her before the baby comes?"

Chris
sighed. "I want to make her happy. That's all. I want to be with
her."

Corey
clapped his hand on his future brother-in-law's shoulder and shook
the younger man. "That is the right answer. You have my
permission." He tossed the box back.

Chris
snatched it and stuck it into his pocket. "I wasn't asking your
permission. It was more like a heads-up."

"Fine,
my blessing. Whatever. When are you going to do it?"

"Not
yet. We did the 'I love you' thing recently and I want to make sure
she doesn't say yes for the wrong reasons. Maybe after my mom visits.
She said she would in the next few weeks."

"My
mother has been saying next month for three months. Take your time
with Tony. There's no rush. You'll know when it's the right time."

"I
hope so."

The
waitress slid Corey's drink in front of him. He didn't protest when
Chris pulled out his wallet.

"Does
it get easier to be away?"

Corey
shook his head. "Not really. You get used to missing them, to
missing things. But it never gets easier to miss them."

"It's
going to get worse. When the baby comes."

"Yep.
Sorry. Truth of this is you have the best job in the world, but it
doesn't always make up for being away. But, on the other hand, there
are worse problems to have."

"There
are I suppose." Chris shrugged.

Corey
held up his drink. "To finding the best women in the world."

Chris
tapped his beer bottle against the glass. "To the best women. I
wonder if my baby is going to be cuter than yours."

"I
doubt anything can be cuter than Paige."

"We'll
have to find an impartial judge to decide."

Corey
held his hand out. "You're on."

Tony
stopped to pick up the sweetest, tiniest dress. "I kind of wish
we had found out so I could buy this."

"You
could buy it now and keep it for the next baby if you have a boy this
time," Nicole said.

"I
can't even think about more kids. I can barely think about next
week."

Nicole
came to her and squeezed her arm. "What's wrong?"

“
I
know Chris says he loves me, but I still have doubts this is going to
work out."

"What
makes you think that?"

Tony
picked up a pack of bottles and turned them over to read the
packaging. "I don't know. He's a guy. He's going to get bored
and go find someone else better."

"Don't
get bottles if you are planning on breast-feeding. You signed up for
that class I told you about, right?"

"The
breast-feeding thing? Yeah. Next week or the week after. I have a
reminder set on my phone." Tony put the bottles back.

"I
had the same fears with Corey. For years actually, even though I knew
we loved each other. I kept thinking in the back of my mind 'He's
going to leave.'"

"Because
of your ex-husband?"

"And
Corey's past. I thought, what does this amazingly sexy, world-class
athlete want with a mother of two."

"But
you guys are so great together."

Nicole
smiled. "It took a lot of work. It still takes work, because we
are both working. He's gone so darn much."

"Why
didn't he retire? Stay home with Paige. Why do you work?"

"I
like to have my independence. To know I can take care of myself. I
know Corey won't fuck me over like Rick. But I like knowing I'm
standing on my own. Except I'd never afford the house on my own."

"We
should go pick out a crib," Tony said, wanting to change the
subject.

"Sure.
Let's find a crib."

Her
fears wouldn't stop nagging at her and Nicole understood. They
decided on a dark wood crib and a monkey bedding set.

"So
should I stop worrying about the future?"

"Maybe
try not to let your fears get in your way of enjoying your life now.
But if things go badly, your brother and I will always have a place
for you."

Tony
leaned on the cart. "I hate that the one thing I didn't want to
happen is exactly what happened."

"What
was the one thing?"

"Relying
on someone else. But I have to rely on Chris and if he falls short, I
rely on you and Corey. I feel as though I'm waiting for something bad
to happen."

"You
haven't had a fight with Chris yet, have you?"

"No."

"A
couple good fights and you'll know you can weather anything. We
should pick a car seat next."

I
need to fight with Chris?"

"Don't
start one. But until something tries to break the relationship, you
don't know how strong you are."

"We
survived the contraction thing. We even organized ourselves.”

"Fear
is different from anger. That whole situation turned out for the
best. You told him how you feel and he feels the same way. You won’t
understand until you fight."

"How
do I deal with my utter hatred of relying on him?"

"We
pick out all this baby stuff and pay for it with Chris's credit card,
that he's given you access to." Nicole touched Tony's hand.

"I
don't know what I'll do if this falls apart."

"I
told you that there is always a place for you with us."

"I
know. Physically I have you guys to fall back on. But even thinking
about living without him, hurts me. Never mind thinking about this
baby growing up with a daddy. I don't want this baby to have a
childhood like me."

"We'd
never let it happen. This baby will have so much love from so many
people, it won't know what to do. Jessa is already planning when she
can baby-sit. You think I can get her to watch Paige for twenty
seconds?"

"She
wants the money," Tony said.

"Probably.
Anyway, this baby will not grow up like you and Corey. She will grow
up like Paige, with all the love and attention a little one should
have. I promise."