One Night Baby - A Romance Compilation

by Tia Siren

  “Daddy!” Tommy said and jumped up from the floor where he had been quietly playing with some new cars Kathy had bought him.

  I looked up and saw Tyler standing in the doorway of the waiting room. I hadn’t slept well in the past few days and thought maybe I had dozed off and this was one of those dreams that felt super real.

  “Hi, buddy,” Tyler said, walking in and squatting down to hug Tommy, who had launched himself at the man.

  “Tyler?” I asked.

  I looked at Kathy, who seemed very interested in the hunk of a man my son was currently hugging and calling daddy.

  “Well, I guess you do have a few things to tell me,” she whispered.

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s a long story.”

  She patted my leg. “The best ones always are.”

  “What are you doing here?” I asked him, noticing how good he looked.

  “I wanted to talk,” he said, looking around at all the eyes that were focused on him.

  I debated telling him to kiss my ass but realized the eyes weren’t only staring at him. They were looking at me as well as Tommy. The show. He was a recognizable man, and my son had just called him daddy.

  Crap!

  “You go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on Tommy,” Kathy said softly.

  I nodded my head. “Thank you. I’ll be right back.”

  “Take your time,” she said with a gentle smile.

  I stood and walked out of the waiting room with Tyler following behind me. The conversation was likely to get heated and include information I’d rather not have overheard by bored people waiting for news of a loved one.

  “We can go out here,” I said, leading the way to a small courtyard filled with flowers and plenty of shade trees.

  Finding a bench, I sat down. He sat beside me, a little closer than I wanted him.

  “Okay, what?” I snapped. “Why are you here?”

  “I’m sorry,” he said in that low voice that could raise goosebumps all over my body.

  “Fine. Apology accepted. Now, if that’s all, I’d like to get back.”

  He reached out and took my hand. “That’s not all. I’m here for you, Emily. I know how close the two of you are. I want to help. I can watch Tommy or be a shoulder to lean on. Please, let me help.”

  I turned to look at him and felt that familiar wrenching around my heart whenever I looked into those eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered.

  He held my hand, his thumb running over my palm in a gentle caress. It felt good. It was nice having a big, strong hand holding mine and relieving a tiny bit of the stress I had been under. Having him next to me, offering his support, was soothing.

  “Emily.” He said my name in a whisper. “On Friday, what were you going to do?”

  I smiled, shaking my head. “I was going to get in the car. I was just calling Sarah to ask her to watch Tommy when the hospital called.”

  His head dropped, and he shook it. “I’m so sorry,” he repeated.

  “I was getting in the car because I wanted a chance to have a real relationship with you. I wasn’t going because you had given me a stupid ultimatum, like it was a chance to play the lottery. Just for the record, that was not a smart move. I hate ultimatums,” I told him.

  He looked up. “Would you get in the car if I asked you to again?”

  I sighed. “I don’t think so.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the second I didn’t show up, you moved on. You were already moving on to Plan B, as if I didn’t matter, as if it were easy to toss me aside and keep moving on like I was disposable. That tells me I’m not a big deal and that you’re looking for a relationship for the sake of a relationship, not because you actually care for me,” I explained, the hurt bubbling to the surface once again.

  “You’re not disposable,” he said, pulling my hand closer to his body. “I’m sorry I said that. I was hurting and lashing out.”

  I pulled my hand back. “Yes, you were, but that’s the problem. You didn’t even give me the chance to explain. You assumed the worst and never looked back. What happens if we’re in a relationship and I don’t call on time or you get some wild idea in your head and dump me for no reason? I don’t want to always be worried I’m going to say or do something wrong and you’re going to get mad or, worse, walk out of my life. That isn’t a stable relationship. I won’t put myself through it, and I certainly won’t let Tommy watch us and think that is a normal, healthy relationship.”

  “You’re right,” he said, taking my hand in his once again. “You are absolutely right, and I’m sorry. I’ve never been in a relationship before. I’ve never loved anyone before. The fact is, I don’t have a clue how to do this. I’m not the kind of guy who opens up.”

  I blinked, rewinding the conversation. That one word was ringing like a gong in my head. Loved. He had said loved. Was he saying he loved me?

  I knew I was supposed to talk. It was my turn, but I couldn’t find words. I was in a state of shock.

  “I want to be with you, Emily. I want to be a real dad to Tommy, not just a weekend dad. I want to take care of you both. Please, give me another chance to show you I can be the man you deserve,” he said, his hand squeezing mine.

  The way he said it and the sincerity in his eyes was all I needed to see and hear. I believed him. I was probably going to regret it, but I wanted to take a leap of faith and walk into a relationship with him. I had no idea how it would work or how we would navigate the differences in our lives, but I had hope that we could do it.

  “Okay,” I said. It was the only word I could think of.

  He smiled. “How about you and Tommy come over for dinner, tomorrow, at my house.”

  I winced. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I need to be here.”

  He chuckled. “I’m going to try very hard not to take anything the wrong way. I’m probably going to screw up from time to time, but you can remind me of this very conversation and I will do my best to take a step back and think it through.”

  I leaned forward, feeling the need to be close to him. “Good. I should probably warn you I will probably jump to about a million conclusions of my own.”

  He kissed my nose and then my lips. “We can make this work.”

  I nodded my head. “The doctors are coming up with a plan. We should know more about Sarah’s condition later today. They’re probably going to lighten the sedation if the neurologist thinks it will be okay. Hopefully, her eyes will pop open and she’ll demand a milkshake or something.”

  He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. “I hope that happens. I really do, and I am so sorry I wasn’t here for you earlier. I can’t begin to explain how terrible I feel.”

  I smiled. “It’s okay. I should have called you. I could have left you a message explaining the situation. I’m just not used to checking in with anyone, and honestly, I was so terrified about Sarah, I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

  He laughed, the action causing a rumbling sound in his chest. “I have a feeling we’re going to be dealing with a lot of misunderstandings. We need to make a promise right now that we aren’t going to fly off the handle and assume things without talking to one another first.”

  “How about if we aim for dinner on Friday,” I suggested.

  “That works for me. I’ll have dinner ready.”

  We sat together for a while with him holding me close. I could feel my heart and soul healing as we sat there. I hadn’t realized how much I needed him until that moment. It had been a hellish week. I had felt like an empty husk of the woman I had been two weeks ago. Fifteen minutes in his arms and I felt renewed and ready to face whatever the news about Sarah would be.

  “I should get back in there in case the doctor has come in,” I mumbled, not wanting to leave the comfort and warmth.

  “Do you want me to stay with you?” he asked.

  “I’ll be okay now. Don’t you have to work?”

  “Not if I don’t want to.”

&n
bsp; I leaned forward, prying myself away from the chest I loved so much. “Thank you for coming by. I’m feeling a lot better.”

  He kissed me again. “I would do anything for you.”

  We stood up, and he took my hand in his, walking with me back to the waiting room. Tommy saw us and came running. Tyler dropped down to give him a hug, promising to see him in the next day or two. I waved good-bye and took my seat next to Kathy.

  “You’re glowing,” she said with a bright smile.

  I laughed. “I feel like it.”

  “He’s a handsome man.”

  I smiled. “Yes, he is.”

  “Tommy seems to like him,” she stated.

  I nodded. “He does.”

  “You’re not going to tell me anything, are you?”

  I laughed and grabbed her hand. “I will tell you everything, but not here,” I whispered.

  Kathy looked around and nodded her head in understanding. “You certainly created quite the gossip. When the two of you left, the tongues were wagging and the stares were very obvious. Tommy seems to be a star in the making.”

  I groaned. “I had hoped to shield him from the gossip, but I think it’s too late for that.”

  She waved a hand. “Let them talk. You two be happy.”

  I nodded my head. It wasn’t long before a doctor appeared in the waiting room, asking to speak to us. My heart pounded in my chest as I gripped Tommy’s hand in mine and followed the doctor down the hallway. I wasn’t sure I would have even been able to walk the distance if it hadn’t been for Tyler’s visit and the strength he’d infused in me.

  We walked into the tiny, windowless room, and each of us took a seat at the table. I knew this was the room where doctors doled out bad news. It was away from prying eyes and gave grieving family members a modicum of privacy. I couldn’t breathe as I watched him push a few buttons on the tablet he was holding.

  He looked at Kathy, then me, and I thought I would vomit.

  “She’s awake,” he said with a smile. “She’s still on the vent and we need to keep her heavily medicated for at least the next twenty-four hours. She can move her fingers and toes, and I don’t see any obvious signs of brain damage. It’s too early to celebrate, but I’m feeling like she may just make a full recovery.”

  I didn’t even realize I was crying until the doctor pushed a box of tissues my way. I wiped my eyes and then looked at Kathy to see her wiping her own eyes and smiling.

  She shrugged a shoulder. “Of course she’s okay. I knew she would be.”

  I burst into laughter and prayed I could be as strong as her if I ever found myself in a similar position.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Tyler

  “Have a great weekend, April,” I said, unable to stop smiling.

  “Good-bye, Mr. Case. I hope you enjoy your weekend as well.”

  I knew I was going to have a really good weekend. Everything was falling into place. It was hard to believe I had started the week out on such a sour note and it was ending on a high one. Emily and Tommy were coming over for dinner, and I was hoping I could convince her to stay the night. I had paid a ton of money for a designer to get a room ready for Tommy by this evening. I wanted him to feel welcome, and I needed Emily to understand how serious I was about them coming to live with me. I hadn’t actually asked her to, but I was planning on it. I didn’t want to do too much too fast.

  “How’s the wife?” I asked Alex as I walked toward him.

  Alex smiled. “She’s doing great. It won’t be long now.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  I climbed in the car, anxious to get home and get started on dinner. I had initially planned on letting my cook make dinner but then had a change of heart. I wanted the night to be special. I wanted to prove to Emily how much it meant to me to have her and Tommy in my home, and cooking for them seemed like a step in the right direction.

  Heading upstairs, I wanted to check out the room. I pushed open the door and was pleasantly surprised by what the decorator had pulled off in such a short amount of time. I walked around the room that was a light shade of blue. There was a huge mural of the solar system on one wall and a bookshelf loaded with books just below it. As requested, the adjoining room was filled with a combination of toys that were designed to be educational as well as entertaining. I knew it was perfect for my son, who was an eager learner.

  After heading back downstairs, I pulled out what I needed to make dinner. Tommy and Emily arrived a little early, and together, the three of us finished preparing dinner before heading into the dining room.

  “I got a new book,” Tommy announced. “Grandma Kathy bought it for me.”

  “Really?” I asked, giving him my undivided attention.

  He nodded. “It’s got big words, but I know how to read them.”

  I smiled. “I can’t wait to have you read it to me.”

  Emily stood and started to clear the table. I helped her while Tommy headed upstairs to play in his new room. It had been a huge hit. He hadn’t wanted to leave to come and eat dinner, but we’d promised him he could play as soon as he finished eating.

  “He is crazy smart,” I commented. “Is that normal?”

  She laughed. “Not really. One of the daycare workers wants him to go to a private school next year. It’s a preschool, but it’s geared toward advanced learners.”

  I nodded my head. “That sounds perfect. Have you enrolled him?”

  She winced. “No. I was hoping we could talk about that. It’s very expensive.”

  “I’ll pay,” I answered immediately. “That kid is a genius and I want him to have every opportunity to keep growing. What’s the name of the school?”

  When she told me, I couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across my face. I reached out and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to me. “I just happen to know the director. I’ll make sure Tommy is enrolled next school year.”

  “Thank you.”

  We finished putting things away and then headed into the living room to have a glass of wine and unwind.

  “How’s the job hunt going?” I asked, a little nervous about broaching the subject.

  She groaned. “Horrible.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She took a drink from her glass and let out a long sigh. “This is the longest I’ve been without a job. I have to get one quick.”

  I didn’t say anything, not yet. I knew she was probably worried about not being able to pay her rent. She had mentioned it before. It wasn’t something she was comfortable talking about, and I didn’t want to make her feel as if I were flaunting my wealth by offering to pay. I’d already made that mistake once.

  “I should get Tommy to bed,” she said, leaning forward and putting down her empty glass. “Thank you for dinner.”

  “Stay here, please? Tommy’s all set up in his own room. Spend the night,” I said.

  She looked back at me. “Okay.”

  I laughed. “Great!”

  Together, we put Tommy to bed in a pair of the new pajamas I had bought for him. We went back into the living room and I flipped on my big screen TV.

  She gave me a strange look. “You never watch TV.”

  Shrugging a shoulder, I smiled. “I do sometimes. There’s a show I really want to watch.”

  I sat down on the couch, gesturing for her to sit beside me. I pulled her in close, kissed the top of her head, and flipped to the channel I needed.

  “No way,” she groaned, trying to pull away from me.

  My face along with a headshot of her and the fifteen other women from the show appeared on the screen. A big red X appeared over all the faces but three.

  “Are you seriously going to watch this?” she said, irritation in her voice. “I don’t want to see this.”

  “Relax. It’s the finale,” I assured her, holding her tight so she couldn’t squirm away.

  She let out a long, dramatic sigh. “I can’t believe you want to watch this crap.”

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nbsp; I turned up the sound a bit as the B-roll summarized the contest and gave short bios about the three women I was choosing between. Emily was making sounds of disgust and irritation, and when the flash of my kiss with another woman appeared, her fingernails dug into my thigh.

  “Ow!” I said, laughing at the thought of her being jealous.

  “I really don’t need to see this, Tyler. It isn’t funny.”

  “Just wait,” I said, feeling the nerves start to kick in.

  I hoped Gabe and Jack didn’t screw me over. I had made their lives hell the past few weeks and asking them to let me do the finale this way had been a huge risk, but they had agreed. I hoped it worked on both ends. I needed Emily to see how serious I was, and I wanted them to get the ratings they wanted.

  “What’s this?” she asked when my face came on the screen.

  “Shh, listen,” I told her, my heart doing a wild thump in my chest as the footage from my last confessional cued up.

  “Emily, I know I’ve not given you a lot of reasons to trust me or believe me, but I hope you will give me another chance to prove how serious I am about making this work between us. You and our son have made my world complete. I never knew how big of a hole I had in my life until you walked into the ball that night four years ago and then vanished as quickly as you appeared. That was my fault, I know that, and I take full responsibility. I have lived with that hole for too long. When I found you again, I got more than I could have ever hoped for when you introduced me to our son. I’m crazy in love with you. You are the woman for me, the only woman for me. There will never be another, and if you’ll have me, I’m yours.”

  She hadn’t moved or said a word the entire time. I didn’t know if that was good or bad. I flipped off the television and turned to look at her.

  There were tears in her eyes. “You’re crazy,” she said, smiling and crying at the same time.