“Sure.” He came in and we walked toward the stack of luggage on the floor.
I bent over to pick a bag up, but he brushed me to one side. “Ransom?”
“I’ve got these.” He picked them all up as if they didn’t weigh a thing. “Is this all?”
I nodded as I picked up my purse off the bar. “Yes. That’s all I have.”
With a jerk of his head in gesture to the open door, he said, “Then let’s jet.”
I made one last look around the little apartment before walking out that door. I might visit. I might pay to keep my space in the little apartment. But I doubted I would ever call this place home again.
It made my heart ache a bit.
But then I recalled how much my heart had hurt when I had to leave the home I’d grown up in. It had been hard, but I did it. And I could make this change too.
As I wiped away more tears, I closed the door then turned to find Ransom standing in front of a very pretty pearl-colored SUV. He’d put the luggage down and leaned his ass against the hood. “You like?”
“It’s nice. Is it a Lincoln?” I asked as I walked up to it, looking it over.
“It is. A brand new MKX. It’s got three rows of seating. This baby can seat seven comfortably. And there’s still space in the back for storage. It’s got a windshield that can sense moisture and the wipers will come on automatically to clear it.” He grabbed the luggage and went to the back of the car.
I followed along behind him. “The cream-colored leather is gorgeous.”
“You like that, do ya?” He put the baggage inside, and there was still space for more things. “Roomy, huh?”
“It is roomy. And it looks so comfy. Did you just buy it?” I ran my hand over the back of the seat in front of the storage area, finding it smooth to the touch.
“Yep. I just drove it out of the showroom and came right here.” He moved around the car before opening the passenger side door to the backseat. “Plenty of room in the backseats. See?”
He moved back, and I looked inside. “Very roomy. And so perfect too. I love it.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” He closed the backseat door and then opened the driver’s door. Holding out a keyless fob, he wore a giant grin. “Because it’s yours.”
I thought I had misheard him. “It’s yours.”
“Yours,” he said again. “I’m giving it to you.”
I looked inside at the ultra-luxurious interior. “Why?”
His laugh shook me, sending chills all over my body. “Why? Because you need a safe car to drive my baby around in. And this car is safe. It has sensors all around it. It can slow down for you if you get too close behind another car. It can help you be the best driver you can be. That’s why.”
“No way.” I couldn’t believe it. “This is mine? Like for real mine? Like if I don’t get pregnant, then it’s still mine?”
His lips formed a straight line, and he looked a little miffed. “Okay, first rule. Let’s never say that again.”
“Say what again?” He really left me clueless.
“That we won’t get pregnant.” He took my hand, then put the key-thingy on my palm. “Because we will. We’re going to do whatever we have to for that to happen. And yes, the car is yours to keep forever. Once we get home, there are papers you’ll sign to have the title in your name.”
I peered into the car and found it intimidating. “I think you should drive it right now. I don’t have auto insurance.”
“I’ve got you covered there too. For now, you’re protected under mine, and when we get home, we’ll get your driver’s license and add you to my plan.” He had it all figured out.
It had been so long since anyone had done so much for me. Only Dad had done anything close to what Ransom had done for me.
Throwing my arms open, I moved in fast to hug him. His body went rigid, his heart pounded underneath my ear, and I loved the way he felt. “Thank you, Ransom! I love it!”
His arms slowly went around me, then he hugged me back. I felt the tension slowly leave his muscular body. “You’re welcome, Aspen. I knew you would love it.”
Our bodies touching in that way felt right—like they belonged together. I’d never felt anything like that before. And when he let me go, I could still feel his heartbeat resonating within my body.
I’ve got to be more careful or I’ll fall for him for sure.
Chapter Thirteen
Ransom
Lubbock, Texas – May 20th
I suppose my grandfather never predicted I would get the type of reaction I got from the fertility specialist in our preliminary appointment. She sat there on the other side of her desk with an expression that told me she thought I was a selfish prick. “You want a baby. And you want me and this young woman to make that happen for you, Mr. Whitaker?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I shifted in my seat as she made me pretty damn uncomfortable.
Doctor Larson’s attention then went to Aspen. “And you want to do this for him?” She narrowed her eyes at Aspen. “How much is he paying you to do this, Miss Dell?”
Aspen and I had discussed this on the ride over. I thought it might be construed as financial bribery if we came clean about the money I’d given her and would keep on giving her. It wasn’t that. I was merely paying for her hard work, time, and effort. It wasn’t a bribe to get her to do what I wanted.
Aspen looked right into the doctor’s hard brown eyes. “He’s not paying me to do this. I want to do it. You see, I’ve got my own reasons for wanting a child too.”
Gesturing between us, the doctor asked, “Why not just have sex?”
And there it was. I had a feeling this might happen. There wasn’t anything wrong with either of us that we knew of to prevent us from having a baby the normal way.
“I don’t want us to get into a physical relationship,” I blurted out.
Once again, the doctor scrutinized me. “Are you not attracted to females?”
“That’s not the reason.” I didn’t feel I should have to explain everything to her. She would be paid an exorbitant amount of money for her services after all. “Can you just stop asking us questions like this and start asking us about things that matter?”
Now I’d drawn her ire. Her pen placed on the desk, she focused all of her attention on me. “Now, you listen here. I’m a responsible person. I don’t take creating life lightly. What’s the plan here, since you don’t want to get physical?”
Aspen jumped in, “We’re going to raise the baby together. I’ve moved into his home. I’ll stay there until our child is grown, and then I’ll go on my way.”
So far, it had only been one night. Seeing her first thing in the morning made my heart skip a beat. I liked the way it felt. The old place had never felt more like home to me. Hearing her say that one day she would leave wasn’t exactly hitting me right.
“Or she might just stay on. There may be no reason for her to leave the place she’s going to make into her home.” I reached over and put my hand on top of hers. “We can talk about that later.”
Aspen looked a little stunned. “Okay.” She looked back at the doctor. “You see, he and I have similar problems. He’s afraid he’s about to lose the last relative he has on Earth. And I’ve already lost mine. We just want family with us.”
“My advice is to try a physical relationship first, and then come to me if you need to.” Doctor Larson placed her hands on her desk as she looked like she was about to get up to escort us out of her office.
“He’s not into me,” Aspen said. I could see the embarrassment on her face. “Can you please just understand that we have our reasons for not wanting to be intimate? What we’re asking you to do is not a crime. There’s nothing immoral about it. We want a baby. We want to have one together. And we are going to take full responsibility for this child.”
I looked at Aspen, giving her tons of respect for fighting for this. “Thank you.”
She nodded then looked back at the doctor who looked at us
with wonder in her eyes. “I don’t get you two. I really don’t.”
“I get that. We’re not real easy to understand.” I guess I could’ve been more open and honest about myself. I could’ve told the doctor that I’d had too many women in my past. I knew what I would do with Aspen if I had sex with her. She would become a conquest, and I always moved on from conquered women.
I needed to keep Aspen around. I needed to be friends with her instead of lovers. I never kept a lover for long. And I wanted to keep Aspen around for a very long time.
Not that I knew her well at all yet. But there was something about her that drew me to her, emotionally and sexually. I thought that time would make my desire for her fade. I sincerely hoped so anyway.
I kept pushing it back, trying my best not to let it show. For all Aspen knew, I didn’t find her attractive. She wasn’t my type.
Aspen was perfect. I didn’t even deserve for her to be the mother of my child, much less deserve her love—mostly because I would break her heart the way I’d done to too many women before her.
I knew my shortcomings. At least I had that. I knew the type of man I was, and I wasn’t going to let that get in the way of having this baby. This child would seal my fate financially and emotionally.
The doctor wasn’t through with us yet. “Let me tell you about this process. I have to inform you of everything before we can move on.”
Aspen seemed eager to find out more. “Please do, Doctor Larson. We want to know what all this entails.”
For such a young woman, Aspen was so well spoken. She made me proud. Though why I should feel pride about her accomplishments was beyond me.
“There will be eight to ten days of HCG injections. These injections will be given four times a day. Nearly every single one of the women I’ve treated has had some side effects,” she let us know.
“And what kinds of side effects are we talking about?” I asked.
I swear that she looked happy to inform us about the negatives of the process.
“The least of these side effects are what can occur at the injection sight. Redness, tenderness, swelling, maybe even bruising.”
“That’s not so bad,” I told Aspen as I patted her hand.
“No, that’s not too bad,” she agreed.
The good doctor went on, “Now for the physical side effects. You could experience nausea, headaches, hot flashes, and possibly blurred vision.”
“Blurred vision?” Aspen asked as she looked concerned.
“Mostly that occurs with the headaches. They can be much like migraines. And if you’re susceptible to migraines, then it’s much more likely that you will have this particular side effect,” the doctor said with a smile.
I took it upon myself to ask Aspen, “So, have you had problems with migraines in the past?”
“No. I haven’t had many headaches at all in my life.” She looked at the doctor. “Is that all of them?”
“No.” She went on. “Other physical effects can be tenderness in the breasts and irritability.” She looked at me. “How are you with cranky females, Mr. Whitaker?”
“My mother was cranky. I dealt with her okay.” I found myself feeling as if the doctor was directly challenging me. And I would stand up to this challenge. She would see.
“Is that all?” Aspen asked.
“No,” came the doctor’s reply. “I’ve saved the best for last. You should know that there is a possibility for multiple births. We will generally implant three embryos. Often one or two don’t take. But sometimes all three do. And other times, only two do. Are you ready for an entire family to be born at once, Miss Dell?”
Now the color began to drain out of Aspen’s face. “Oh, I don’t know.”
I didn’t know about that, either, but I didn’t think it was all that common. “I doubt we have anything to worry about.”
“You don’t have any worries then?” Aspen asked me. “Would that be okay if there was more than one baby?”
“It would be okay with me.” I took her hand in mine to give her a bit more confidence. “Twins are cute.”
“Yeah, they are.” She looked back at the doctor. “Okay, we can deal with all that. Is there anything else?”
Tapping her fingers on the desk, the doctor said, “Just one more thing. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.”
Aspen didn’t take that one well at all, as her hand gripped mine. “A syndrome? That doesn’t sound good at all.”
With a nod, the doctor agreed. “No, it’s not. The subject can have severe abdominal pain. There can be rapid weight gain—around ten pounds in three to five days.”
Aspen looked at me. “I don’t know about this, Ransom.”
“Along with that,” the helpful doctor went on, “you could experience nausea so bad that you can’t eat. You might not be able to urinate easily. Your heart rate could increase, and it might become difficult to breathe.”
I couldn’t let her go on. “But that’s worst-case scenario, isn’t it?” I knew she wanted to scare Aspen away from this idea.
She nodded. “Yes, that is the worst-case scenario. I believe Miss Dell has the right to know the worst that can possibly happen. She’s not having this baby out of love after all. This isn’t easy for couples who are committed to each other. I don’t think it will be easy at all for the two of you. Miss Dell will be a mess of emotions. She’ll feel awful most of the time. This isn’t like a normal pregnancy. This isn’t for the faint of heart.”
“Lots of people do it,” I reminded her. “I think we’ll be fine. Aspen is in good health. I doubt she’ll have any of those problems you talked about.”
Aspen was eerily quiet, making me think the doc had gotten to her. Lifting her head, she asked, “Are there any other things I should know about?”
“There’s a surgery to remove the eggs. You will have to be put under anesthesia. Have you ever been put under, Miss Dell?”
“No, I haven’t.” Aspen looked at me. “I didn’t realize there would be surgery, Ransom.”
“Will she have to be put into the hospital to have that done?” I asked the doctor, not at all pleased with how she’d presented things.
“No. It will be done here,” came her answer.
I looked at Aspen with confidence. “If it’s done here, then I doubt there’s much risk.” My attention turned back to the doctor. “Can I be in the room?”
She nodded. “Yes, the fathers are often in the room with the mothers.”
Giving Aspen a smile, I said, “Then I’ll be there to make sure you’re doing fine. If you’re not, then I’ll be the first to call the paramedics to get you safely to a hospital where you will be taken care of. I’ll never leave your side.”
I had no clue what she would want to do. And I fully realized how much she was putting on the line for me. But then, this was for her too. I wasn’t taking the baby away from her. I was sharing it with her.
And I could see it in her eyes; she was weighing the same thoughts I was. When she nodded, I nearly jumped for joy. “Let’s do this, Ransom. Let’s make us a baby.” She looked back at the doctor with a confident air. “I’m ready to get to this thing, Dr. Larson. Sign us up.”
Chapter Fourteen
Aspen
Lubbock, Texas – May 25th
After signing all the papers and Ransom paying the clinic upfront, I was given a shot. I had to have one each day until I started my period. It was supposed to make my ovaries sleep. I had no idea what that really meant, nor did I care much.
I’d decided to let the doctor do what she does, and I didn’t want much explanation. She wasn’t exactly the most tactful person I’d ever met, but she’d come highly recommended, so we stayed with that clinic.
Not very long after our initial appointment, I started my period. I’d been told to make an appointment for the second day of my period. Ransom and I were on our way into the clinic as I read about what they were going to do today.
Ransom had given me a new smartphone to replac
e my old flip phone. The screen was nice and big, so that I could read the e-mail sent from the clinic easily.
“Oh, no!” I gasped.
Looking concerned, he asked, “What is it?”
“They’re going to do an ultrasound today.” I handed him my phone so that he could read the message.
“That’s not a big deal, is it?” Then he read what it entailed and let out a whistle. “Oh, I see now. That sounds kind of…”
I finished his sentence. “Gross.” My stomach flipped as I thought about them doing a vaginal ultrasound while I was bleeding heavily. “It’s going to be such a mess.”
Ransom didn’t look as if it affected him much as he held open the door for me to go into the doctor’s office. “I don’t want you to worry.”
“I can’t stop worrying. This is going to be so uncomfortable. I’ve never had this done and to be on my period when it happens? It’s too gross.” We walked up to the receptionist. “Aspen Dell for an ultrasound.”
She nodded then pointed to the door to the left. “You two come on back.”
Ransom took my hand, leading me to the door. “It’s going to be fine. I’ll just sit right next to you and hold your hand and tell you a funny story while they do it. I’ve been saving this one story for you anyway.”
Every time we touched, I felt a spark. I had no idea why Ransom didn’t feel it, but it was beginning to make me a little nuts. One thing I knew was that I didn’t want Ransom in the room when this went down. “Can you just wait outside for me to do this, Ransom? It’s going to be very, um, personal.”
A nurse came around to take us where we needed to go, and he pulled me along with him. “It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
I really didn’t want him to go in with me. If I hadn’t been attracted to him, then it might’ve been okay. But I was insanely attracted to him, and I didn’t want him to see me with blood coming out of me and something being inserted into a cavity that nothing more substantial than a tampon had ever been inserted into.
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