Now it was the tech’s turn to look at her in shock, his mouth gaping open.
“She’s not having twins, is she?” Alec said in a low, warning voice.
“Well, I, no, not from your notes. I was just making an observation.”
“You shouldn’t make those sorts of observations to pregnant women,” she told him with a scowl. “You nearly gave me a freaking heart attack.”
“Sorry.” He looked from her to Alec to Beau and Maddox.
“Humph. You can proceed,” she told him.
“Would you like them to remain?” he asked.
“They can stay.” She figured there was little that could get them to leave anyway.
The doctor reached for her top, but Alec growled. “No touching.”
The doctor frowned. “Sir, I have to touch her. She’s my patient.”
“Alec,” she warned, taking pity on the poor man. They were definitely putting him through the wringer.
“I’ll do it,” Alec said. “You touch her as little as possible.”
She rolled her eyes. This is why he had insisted on a female doctor for the birth.
Alec raised up her top and lowered her maternity pants so they were beneath her bump. The doctor squirted out some gel and she flinched at the cold feel.
Alec glowered at him.
“Sorry. That might be a bit cold.”
The machine started up as he ran the wand over her belly. They heard a heartbeat almost instantly. She relaxed. She would never get tired of hearing that sound.
“There’s your baby.”
“The heartbeat is fast, is it supposed to be that fast?” Beau asked as he and Maddox crowded around so they could see.
The doctor still looked nervous, but he nodded. “That’s a perfectly normal heartbeat. Your baby is looking good.”
She let out a huge sigh of relief. Thank God.
“How can you tell?” Maddox asked. He moved his head sideways. “Which way is it lying?”
“Idiot. Can’t you tell? There are his arms. And that’s his nose. See, he’s sucking his thumb,” Beau pointed out.
“You sure?” Maddox said. “I still don’t see it.”
Beau shook his head at his twin. “We’ll see you soon, little nephew.”
“Or niece. It could be a girl,” she told him.
“I’ll be back soon to talk to you all.” The tech stowed his equipment and wiped the gel from her stomach, then quickly wheeled the cart from the room.
Three sets of Malone eyes glared down at her.
“You still letting her think that, Big Dog?” Maddox asked.
Alec shrugged. “She’ll find out soon enough.”
Beau patted her hand gently. “Mia, darlin’, the Malones don’t make girls. It’s not in our genes.”
“Lottie is a girl,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, but she’s a New Orleans Malone,” Beau told her. “They don’t count. They’re not even real Malones.”
“Real Malones don’t wear suits unless it’s a wedding or a funeral,” Maddox informed her.
“And they don’t drive around in stupid cars,” Beau added.
“Or have a butler.”
She rolled her eyes.
At that moment, the doctor strode back into the room. “Right, everything looks good, but I’d still like to keep you overnight.”
“What? Why?” Alec demanded.
“Just as a precaution,” the doctor told him. “I just want to keep an eye on her blood pressure as it’s still slightly elevated. Not enough for alarm, but I still think it would be best to keep a close eye on you overnight, Mrs. Malone.”
She frowned. “All right. As long as I can leave tomorrow.”
“You’ll stay as long as you need to,” Alec countered. Then he turned to the doctor. “I’ll be staying with her.”
The doctor looked like he might protest but then he nodded in resignation. Jaret entered as the doctor left.
Mia tensed. “Flick? West? Are they okay?”
“They’re fine.” Jaret ran a hand through his dark hair, looking stressed. “West was knocked out, he has a concussion. Flick’s a bit bruised and sore, but otherwise she’s fine physically. However, she’s upset. And that’s making West upset. In fact, he’s bellowing like a bull who’s had his tail pulled.”
Alec ran his hand over his face tiredly.
“Poor Flick, she was asleep in the back seat when the accident happened,” Mia told them. “She must be confused.”
“What did happen?” Alec asked.
She frowned. “I think we nearly hit Rudolf.”
Alec stared down at her. “I’m going to get that doctor back to recheck your head.”
“No, I’m not kidding. Whatever it was, it was brown with big horns like a reindeer.”
“Or a buck,” Alec pointed out dryly.
“Well, that’s not nearly as exciting,” she said with a pout.
“Baby, I’m going to go check on West and try to calm Flick down. Beau and Maddox are gonna stay here with you.” Alec glared at them.
“Sure thing, Big Doggie,” Beau said.
Maddox saluted.
“I’m gonna kill whoever started that nickname,” he muttered to her before kissing her gently.
She grinned at him. “Then you’ll be murdering your poor wife and unborn baby.”
His eyes widened. “You little brat.”
She giggled.
8
Mia sighed with relief as Alec carried her into the house. It was so good to be home. One night in the hospital was one night too many.
West wasn’t admitted in the end as he only had a mild concussion. The guys had taken him and Flick home last night. Alec had told her they were all staying at the big house since Flick was so upset. West needed to rest and the doctor wanted someone watching him closely.
Alec had insisted on carrying her inside. Mia knew that she was now in for a lot of overprotective coddling. But the thought didn’t worry her as much as it might have before. She’d had a real scare when she’d woken up in the back of the ambulance. She’d been terrified about something happening to her baby. Last night, she’d barely been able to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, different scenarios had run through her head.
It wasn’t until Alec had climbed into the bed with her and ordered her to sleep that she’d finally managed to drift off. So, right now, she was feeling tired, hungry, and cranky.
The door opened before Alec could reach it. Jaret stood there. He’d managed to get rid of the green hair. Thank God. It wasn’t a good look on him. He stepped aside, revealing all the Malones, including a grouchy West and a worried-looking Flick.
“Welcome home, Mia!” they all yelled.
She glanced up at the banner that hung from the ceiling that said, Welcome home, Mia, Baby Malone, and Big Dog, and she promptly burst into tears.
“Mia! Mia, shit! What is it?” Alec demanded.
“Is it the baby?” Beau asked.
“Shit! Was it the banner? Didn’t she like the banner?” Butch asked.
“We were too loud, you numbskulls,” Jaret growled.
“Thank God we didn’t go for the party poppers,” Raid said.
More voices were added, creating a hell of a racket and she buried her face into Alec’s chest, wetting his shirt with her tears.
“All of you, shut up,” Alec demanded. “You’re overwhelming her.”
There was silence.
“Thank fuck for that, you were all making my head hurt worse,” West said grouchily. “Especially Beau.”
“Hey, why especially me?” Beau complained.
Alec started moving, but he didn’t head to the stairs. She turned her face slightly to see where they were going as he walked into his office, shutting and locking the door behind him.
“I’m sorry,” she told him as he sat on the sofa with her on his lap.
“You got nothing to apologize for, kitten.” He massaged the back of her neck and she felt some of her tension drain away.
“I didn’t mean to burst into tears like that. Especially when they were just trying to do something nice for me. I think everything just caught up with me. I was so scared when I woke up in the ambulance. I thought something was wrong with the baby. I thought I’d failed her.” Another sob worked its way through her body.
“Sh,” he told her. “You haven’t failed anyone. The baby is perfectly fine. He’s safe inside his mama’s tummy. I’m more worried about you right now. I know you didn’t sleep much last night. You’re exhausted, aren’t you?”
“Too much going on in my mind. Do you think everyone will be upset with me? It was a nice surprise.”
Alec snorted. “Greeting someone who just got out of the hospital by screaming at them as soon as they walk in the door is not my idea of a nice surprise.”
“Oh, hush. I need to go apologize.”
“No, you don’t. They understand. Besides, I need a bit of time with you.” He kissed the top of her head as he continued to massage the knots in her neck. She sighed, relaxation flooding her until her head drooped tiredly.
“Time for you to take a nap,” he told her.
“I thought I might sit on the couch and watch Christmas movies.”
“We’ll do that later. Sleep first.” He stood.
“Okay. Wait, we? You hate Christmas movies.”
“I don’t hate Christmas movies.”
“Since when?”
“Do you want me to watch them with you or not?”
“I do,” she squeaked. “I really do.”
He just grunted. She settled in against him and let him carry her up the stairs. A nap followed by cuddles on the couch with her man and Christmas movies?
Sounded perfect.
9
Christmas Day
Mia looked around the table at her family with a smile. Maybe she hadn’t been able to make Christmas dinner this year, but she’d done a good job of supervising. Alec had insisted that she sit with her feet up, but otherwise he’d left her to it. She’d managed to get Jaret, Raid, and Butch through cooking the main course. While Beau, Maddox, and Tanner had handled dessert. Flick had done all the decorating. The other woman was doing so much better than she had been just after their accident.
Alec and West had done the chores on the ranch. And now here they all were. She wished her cousin, Mike, had managed to get here, but he’d caught a major case and had to work.
Her stomach tightened and she frowned, rubbing it.
“Everything okay, baby?” Alec asked, leaning in. “You’re not eating.”
He’d piled her plate high with food. She’d managed about a fifth of it.
“I’m fine. Just not that hungry. Did too much picking while it was being prepared, I think.”
He studied her, trying to see if he believed her. “You’ll take a nap after this.”
“Alec. It’s Christmas Day. There’s no napping on Christmas Day.”
He gave her a look filled with disbelief. “Baby, that’s what everyone does on Christmas Day.”
“Damn straight,” Butch said, leaning back and rubbing his flat stomach. “After stuffing yourself full, you take an obligatory nap on the sofa then head back to the dining table for dessert.”
Everyone nodded and she sighed. “Fine. I’ll take a nap.”
“Good girl,” he whispered in her ear. “Now eat some more food. Unless you want me to feed you?”
“No, I’m good.” She ate another bite of food. At least that strange pain was gone.
Pain rippled across her stomach, waking her up.
She groaned. Oh shit.
Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.
She breathed through the pain. Shoot. What the hell was that? Could it be those fake contractions? What were they called? Braxton Hicks?
There was no way it could be actual contractions, right? She wasn’t due for another two weeks.
The pain eased and she could breathe more freely. Worry flooded her. Alec. She needed Alec. She climbed off the bed. She hadn’t bothered getting under the covers, Alec had just placed a blanket over her when he’d brought her upstairs for a nap. How long had she been sleeping? She reached the top of the stairs. Shoot.
Did she make her way down the stairs on her own or try to call for someone? As she was trying to make up her mind, Jaret came running up them. “Hey, Mia, you okay? Good nap?”
“Jaret,” she said urgently.
He froze halfway up the stairs. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Can you help me downstairs? I need Alec.”
He ran up. She expected him to take her hand, but instead he swung her up into his arms and carried her down.
“I could have walked.”
“Nope. Something’s wrong. I can tell. I’m getting you to Alec as quickly as possible.”
“I’m fine. I’m just having these weird pains,” she explained.
“Pains? What sort of pains?” Jaret demanded as he walked into the living room.
“Pains?” Alec boomed.
She glared up at Jaret. “Good one, dude.”
He gave her a sheepish look. “Sorry, sweetheart.”
“What the fuck is going on?” Alec asked, storming towards them. “What pain?”
“Jaret, put me down please.”
She was set gently on her feet. She rubbed her tummy. “I’m fine. I just woke up with this weird, ohhhh,” she groaned as another pain rippled across her stomach. It tightened and she felt Alec take hold of her hand, rubbing her back soothingly.
The pain finally eased.
“Like that. The baby’s coming, isn’t it?” She knew it was. She just needed to hear it from him.
She glanced up at Alec, who stared down at her, his face as soft as she’d ever seen it. “Yeah, I think it’s the baby.”
“Oh no.” She wasn’t ready. This couldn’t be happening now.
“It’s time. You’re in labor. Someone start timing contractions,” Alec demanded.
“On it,” Jaret said, tapping on his phone.
“Shit! The baby’s coming? Now?” Butch said, jumping up from his seat.
“We need to get ready,” Beau said frantically. “Are we ready? I don’t think we’re ready.”
“What should we do?” Raid asked. “What does she need? Blankets? Towels?”
“Do we boil water? Fuck, we’re so unprepared!” Maddox added. “Why haven’t we done a trial run?”
Their panic fueled her own until she thought she might vomit.
“Contractions? I can’t be having contractions? There’s still two weeks to go. I thought first babies were supposed to be late,” she wailed. “I’m not ready. I can’t do this. Alec, what do I do?”
Suddenly, the Malones were surrounding her. Alec held her against him, the others rubbed what part of her they could reach. Words of reassurance reached her ears, soothing her, easing away some of the tension. Then Alec bent down so she was looking into his eyes.
“You have this, baby. We’re all here. We’re all behind you. You’re strong. You’re amazing. You can do this.”
She let his calm confidence infuse her with strength.
“Say it after me, ‘I can do this.’ ”
“I can do this,” she repeated.
“I’m strong,” he added.
“I’m strong.”
“I’m amazing,” he told her.
She sucked in a breath. “I’m amazing.”
“I’m a fucking Malone and I can do anything.”
She had to smile. “I’m a fucking Malone and I can do anything.”
“Good girl.” He brushed her hair off her face.
“You’re going to do amazing, Mia,” Jaret told her.
“Yeah, we’re sorry, Mia. We’re dicks for panicking like that,” Maddox added.
The rest of them all nodded and she gave them a smile to let them know she forgave them.
Bunch of idiots.
“I got her bag,” Flick called out, entering the room. “Do you want me to call
the hospital, let them know she’s coming in?”
“Thanks, Flick, that would be amazing,” Alec told her.
Another pain took her by surprise. She groaned and leaned her head against Alec’s chest, holding onto his arms as she breathed through it.
“You got this, baby. You got this. You’re doing so well. That’s it. Breathe. Just breathe. Let me worry about everything else.”
The pain died off.
“All right. We’re gonna head to the hospital now. Flick, call them please. Butch, go start the truck and warm it up. Who’s completely sober?”
“I am,” Jaret said.
“Me too,” said West.
Tanner raised his hand. That was a surprise. But she didn’t have time to wonder what was going on with him.
“Good. West, you drive us. Jaret, grab her bag, you can come with us too since you’re timing her contractions. The rest of you are with Tanner.”
Alec’s calm voice kept her from panicking. And everyone around her moved calmly. Without the usual exuberance she was used to.
She could do this. She had this.
Piece of cake.
10
“Oh God! I can’t do this!”
“Yes, you can. You got this, baby,” Alec told her calmly.
“If you say that one more time, I’m gonna kill you.”
Alec stared down into the murderous face of his normally good-natured wife and knew she meant every word.
“Okay, baby. I won’t say it anymore,” he promised. He’d say anything at the moment to soothe her.
“I want it to stop, Alec.”
“I know.” He grabbed a wet cloth off the bedside table and wiped her face down. His poor girl. She was exhausted. There were dark marks under her eyes. Her face was flushed, sweat coated her skin. She was miserable.
And he fucking hated it.
He wanted to murder someone. Starting with that too-calm doctor. But he knew he couldn’t do that since he needed her.
But if she didn’t do something to ease his girl’s suffering soon, Alec wouldn’t be able to hold himself back.
“Okay, shall we see how dilated we are, Mia?” the doctor said cheerfully as she entered.
Alec glowered at the woman, who didn’t seem to see that he was riding the edge of his control as she quickly examined Mia.
Romanced by the Malones (Haven, Texas) Page 6
