CEO's Pregnant Lover Bundle (Books 1-3)

by North, Leslie

  Seth watched Chelsea and wondered at the worry he saw fill her eyes. Was she worried about the landing? Getting her attention again, he told her, “Hey, don’t worry. I’ve flown with this pilot plenty of times. He knows what he’s doing?”

  Chelsea nodded her head but the worry didn’t leave her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m just wondering what’s going to happen once we get to the hospital. Do you think I could call my sister before the police arrive? She’s going to be so worried when this all hits the news.”

  Seeing the tears form in her eyes, Seth scooted a little closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “Stop worrying so much. No one said anything about calling the police. If my guess is right, Trent’s going to want to deal with this himself.”

  “But…. I don’t understand… won’t the police have to be called in?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll speak with Trent. He’ll want to keep his and Brianna’s name out of the papers so maybe there’s another way to work it. Besides, Marco’s the one who stole the baby, not you.”

  “Yeah, but I was caring for her. Doesn’t that make me an accomplice or something?”

  Seth smiled at her and shook his head, “No. It doesn’t. You didn’t know what Marco had planned, right?”

  Chelsea shook her head, “Certainly not. In fact, if I’d known what he was doing I wouldn’t have accepted the job.”

  Seth squeezed her shoulder again, “See. You have nothing to worry about. In fact, you’re the hero here. Without your cooperation, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this much today.”

  Chelsea blushed at his praise and then looked down to see the baby staring up at her with her big blue eyes. Chelsea reached out and lifted one of the tiny hands, marveling at the tiny perfection of her fingers and hands. She was thrilled that the baby was being returned to her mother, but a part of her was also sad. She loved the feel of holding a baby in her arms and wondered if she would ever know the joy of holding her own child, or forever hold the babies of others.

  Bending over, she placed a gentle kiss on the baby’s forehead, whispering to her, “You are so precious. Your mommy and daddy are going to be so happy to see you. Just you wait and see. You’re going to have such a special life.”

  Seth heard Chelsea’s words and they reached right into his soul. In a little over six hours, she had fallen in love with the little girl she held in her arms. He heard the longing in her voice and vowed that after this situation was resolved, he was going to take her someplace and get to know her a little better. He wasn’t quite sure what it was about her that spoke to him, but he wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass him by. Maybe she was what he had been looking for.

  *****

  Chance exited the elevator onto the maternity ward and made his way towards the Coldwell room. Entering with a rap of his knuckles on the door, he saw Trent sitting beside Brianna in the bed, both of them looking at something on his phone.

  “Hello?”

  Trent glanced up and smiled when he saw Chance enter. He had only been working with Shawn and Seth for a few months, but was already an integral part of their business. “Hey man. Tell me you have good news.”

  Chance smiled at Trent and then addressed Brianna, “How you holding up, momma?”

  Brianna gave him a tremulous smile, attempting to put on a brave face, “I’m hanging in there. Have you found her yet?”

  “Not exactly. I just came from the house where we think the nurse who was hired to care for your daughter lives. Her sister was there and said that Chelsea, that’s the nurse’s name, promised to call her tomorrow and tell her where she was staying.”

  “Tomorrow? Couldn’t she call her today?” Trent demanded. Tomorrow seemed like a lifetime away.

  “She already tried. The sister has her phone turned off. Rachel’s supposed to either call me tomorrow or have her sister call me. Anyone heard from Seth? He tried to call me as I was entering the hospital but the reception was bad. I tried to call him back but the call wouldn’t connect.”

  Trent pushed his hands through his hair and stalked to the window. It was getting dark outside and his daughter was out there somewhere, with a stranger.

  “Trent?” Brianna queried, worried that Trent was ready to explode. He had been so strong for her today, but she knew that his inner alpha male was screaming to get out. Unfortunately the man who deserved to encounter that part of Trent’s personality was an ocean away.

  Chance watched Trent and sympathized with his attempt to control himself. Trent was a very powerful man and used to making things happen in his time frame. Being at the mercy of others had to be hard to swallow on his best day.

  “I haven’t heard from anyone for several hours now. Shawn stopped by here and told me that Marco definitely left the states alone. He also said that Seth was checking out a lead on a potential residence Marco had nearby. Maybe Seth was calling about that?”

  “Maybe,” Chance agreed while nodding. In fact, he just bet that was what Seth had been calling to tell him. “Maybe I ought to find someplace in this hospital with cell service and see if I can get him back. Last time I talked to him he was getting ready to approach the residence on foot to see if he could confirm your daughter’s presence there. He might have been calling for backup.”

  Brianna looked so hopeful he prayed he wasn’t going to be the one to disappoint her with bad news. “Go up to the roof. There’s an atrium there that should have a clear signal,” Trent offered.

  “That’s a good idea. I’ll head up there and then come back down after I know something. Hang in there you two.”

  Just as he was heading out the door, he heard Brianna call him back, turning he asked, “Yes?”

  “Her name’s Faith. We named her Faith.”

  Chance felt his heart melt, “That’s a good name honey. A real good name. Let me go call Seth and I’ll be back shortly.” Looking at Trent, he added, “It’s going to be okay. I feel it.”

  “I hope so,” Trent and Brianna both said at the same time, laughing slightly as they realized what had happened.

  Chance left the room and headed for the rooftop, hopeful that things were about to change. Trent and Brianna deserved all the happiness a new baby could bring. He aimed to help them achieve that.

  Chapter 14

  Shawn checked his phone to see if the battery had charged back up, grinning when it turned on. “See, I told you it would charge up fast.”

  “You need one of those little chargers you carry in your pocket, then this wouldn’t keep happening,” replied his wife Janet.

  Shawn had retrieved her from Coldwell Enterprises an hour ago and run her home to change clothes and grab a bite to eat. Currently, they were heading back to the hospital to be with Trent and Brianna. Janet wasn’t sure what help she could be, but she cared for both of them and wanted to be there to offer moral support if nothing else.

  “So you keep telling me. Let’s go,” Shawn stated as he headed for the garage, checking to see if he had any messages as he went. Seeing that Seth had tried to contact him several times, he tried to call him back, but the call wouldn’t go through. Pocketing his phone, he decided to try again before they entered the hospital. Maybe he was just out of cell service right now.

  Janet seated herself in the car, “Do you think they’ve found anything yet?”

  Shawn shook his head, “I don’t know. Seth tried to call me an hour ago. I’ll try him back again before we go up to their room. Maybe he can give me some good news to share with them.”

  “I hope so. I can’t imagine what Brianna is going through. Trent either.”

  “They’re doing okay. They have each other and that bond is strong. They’re going to get through this and we’re going to find their daughter.”

  Janet smiled at him but said nothing. She was always so supportive, and he admired the way she could offer her strength without saying a word. She would make a wonderful mother one of these days. Maybe aft
er this ordeal was over, he would broach that subject again. All of this talk about babies was making him wish to hold one of his own.

  *****

  “Sir,” the pilot said, trying to get Seth’s attention.

  “Yeah?”

  “There’s a slight delay in landing. It seems the hospital rescue chopper is on its way in with a burn victim and they have priority clearance to land. We won’t be able to land for at least another thirty minutes. Shall I keep circling in case that changes?”

  Seth wasn’t happy about the delay, but it couldn’t be avoided. He and Chelsea were safe, the baby was comfortable and well cared for, and they had plenty of fuel. The victim being transported to the hospital was in dire need of medical attention and must be given priority. “No problem. And yes, stick close so that as soon as the pad opens up, we can land.”

  “Will do.”

  Chelsea could see Seth talking to the pilot and asked, “Problems?”

  “Not really. The hospital chopper is on its way in with a burn victim and needs to land first. We may have to wait for a bit, but we’ll land as soon as we can.”

  “Okay. I really don’t mind. Now that I’m not afraid of crashing, it’s actually somewhat nice up here. I can see so far.”

  “Yeah. It’s pretty amazing.” He saw her try to hide a yawn and he realized the events of the last few hours were taking their toll on her. “Why don’t you close your eyes and rest for a bit? I’ll make sure to wake you up before we land?”

  Chelsea hid another yawn and blushed, she had been hoping to hide how tired she was from Seth. She had thought about closing her eyes on the drive back into town, but hadn’t wanted to seem like she was taking advantage of him. Nodding, she settled the baby more comfortably in her arms, and closed her eyes. A little rest would hopefully help her regroup for the coming questions she was sure to be bombarded with once they arrived at the hospital.

  Seth watched her close her eyes and grinned. She was really cute. He definitely planned on getting to know her better. Maybe she would let him cook her dinner. He wasn’t up for the restaurant scene, and they both needed to eat, and hospital food was not what he considered real food. Planning in his head, he quickly took a survey of his fridge and decided that pasta would fit the bill. They would deliver the baby to Trent and Brianna and then he would whisk her away to his condo. Over pasta he would get to know her better, and hopefully the promise of a real date the following night.

  Pleased with his plans, Seth sat back and let his eyes wander over the horizon. What had looked like a disastrous day was working out very well. Very well and with nowhere to go but up.

  *****

  Chance exited the elevator on the rooftop level and walked towards the big wall of windows overlooking the city. Trying to connect a call to Seth again, he waited, watching one of the hospitals helicopters land and a flurry of medical personnel exit the hospital, stretcher in tow.

  The call failed to connect and he tried again, watching as a patient was moved from the helicopter to the hospital stretcher and then, personnel moving quickly, ushered the patient into the hospital. He hoped that whatever was wrong with the patient would quickly be dealt with and watched as the chopper lifted off, headed no doubt to rescue yet another soul in desperate need of medical attention.

  Turning away from the helipad, he once again listened as the call failed to connect. Walking to the other end of the small room, he tried once again, hoping for better cell service on the other side of the building. Seth had tried to call him for a reason and he couldn’t imagine going back downstairs without some sort of news for Trent and Brianna.

  Chapter 15

  Shawn tried to call Seth once again only to have it go straight to voicemail this time. Maybe Seth’s phone had died, or he had turned it off for some reason. Figuring that if Seth really needed to contact him he would have called him at home, he pocketed his phone and ushered his wife into the hospital.

  Janet had been strangely quiet for the last part of their drive, and he was growing concerned that the emotions surrounding the baby’s disappearance were getting to her. He hoped she could keep it together; Trent and Brianna were putting on a brave face and he hoped that Janet could do the same.

  Exiting on the maternity floor, he directed Janet to the correct room, waiting for her to enter first.

  As Janet entered the room, she was aware that this should have been a happy visit, and instead was one filled with uncertainty and fear. When Brianna saw her and started crying, Janet hurried to her bedside, taking her carefully into her arms and hugging her tight. Starting to cry herself, the two women found solace in each other’s embrace, letting the emotion of the day flow away.

  Shawn gave Trent a questioning look but Trent just shook his head. Gesturing for Shawn to follow him into the hallway, he asked, “Any news?”

  “No. Seth tried to call me about an hour ago but my phone was dead. I’ve tried to call him back several times but it either doesn’t connect or goes straight to voicemail.”

  “Chance had the same problem. He went up to the rooftop to see if he could find better service. He should be back down shortly. Any idea where Seth was headed?”

  “Up into the mountains above Morrison. Marco has a residence there, complete with a helipad. Seth should have done his recon already and know something by now. I guess we’ll just have to wait for him to contact us again.”

  Trent cursed beneath his breath, “You know how I feel about waiting, right? Why don’t we just take my chopper up there and demand entrance. Marco’s headed to Italy so there’s not much he can do about it.”

  Shawn nodded, “Believe me. I’ve already thought about it. But we don’t know who has the baby or what their capable of. Whatever we do, the safety of your little girl has to come first.”

  “You’re right. I hate this.” Trent paced the hallway, frustrated, angry and fighting off a sense of despair that kept threatening to consume his thoughts. They would find his daughter and it would be soon, he hoped.

  *****

  “Sir, we’ve been given clearance to land.”

  “Great.” Turning to Chelsea he tapped her on the shoulder, “We’re landing.”

  Sitting up, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, anxious to reunite the baby with her parents but dreading what might come after that. Seth had assured her that the parents would want to keep the police out of it, but she wasn’t convinced.

  “Remember, let me come around and help you out. The pilot can’t turn off the rotors, and I don’t want you to get blown away.”

  Chelsea nodded, watching as the roof of the hospital came closer and closer. The landing went smoothly and before she knew it, Seth was helping her from the chopper, keeping hold of her arm and running with her towards the doors that led into the hospital.

  Entering a wide open area, she glanced around and saw that the room only held one other occupant. Maybe Seth’s plan to take the baby down to the parent’s room before notifying the hospital or authorities would work after all.

  Switching the diaper bag to his far shoulder, Seth wrapped an arm around Chelsea’s shoulder and asked, “Is she okay?”

  Chelsea peered down at the blanket covered baby, relieved to see that she had managed to sleep through most everything. Smiling up at him, she replied, “Yeah. Amazing she could sleep through all of that.”

  Seth laughed, “I hear babies can sleep through most anything.” Turning to head towards the elevator’s when a voice he recognized had him turning swiftly around.

  Chance had given up trying to contact Seth and had been trying to figure out what he could say to Brianna when a familiar laugh permeated the air of the small room. Turning, he watched his brother smile down at a petite young woman carrying a baby.

  “Seth?”

  Seth turned upon hearing his brother’s voice, “Chance? What are you doing here?”

  Chance took long strides across the room, grabbing his brother in a bear hug before releasing him, “Man, am I glad to see
you. What are you doing here? Is that the missing baby?”

  “Whoa. One question at a time. I tried to call everyone but the calls either dropped off, or wouldn’t connect. Chance, this is Chelsea Andrews, the young woman who has been taking care of the Coldwell baby today.”

  Chelsea blushed when Chance winked at her and said, “You know I’m the better brother right?”

  “Knock it off, Chance. Anyway, I can go into details later, but right now I want to deliver this precious bundle back to her parents.”

  “Man, Trent and Brianna are going to be ecstatic. Brianna says she’s doing well, but she looks close to losing it. And Trent, his beast is barely contained.”

  Seth nodded, “Let’s go. Chelsea, no matter what anyone says, I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done today. Let me tell you what’s going to happen so that you don’t worry, okay?”

  Chelsea nodded, trusting Seth to deal with everything, “Okay.”

  “We’re going to head downstairs and you are going to present little Miss Coldwell…”

  “Faith.”

  “What?” Seth asked his brother, frowning at him for interrupting him.

  “They named her Faith.”

  Chelsea smiled and whispered to the infant in her arms, “Did you hear that? You have a name. Faith Coldwell.” Kissing the baby on the forehead, she looked up to see both men looking at her with warmth and admiration in their gazes. Blushing again, she asked Seth, “You were saying?”

  “After the reunion and a few questions are answered, you are coming with me and I’m going to fix you dinner.” Holding up a hand to stop her protests, he added, “And yes, you can call your sister on the way.”

  “Her sister’s fine. A little frazzled with both boys teething but nothing she can’t handle.”

  Chelsea looked at Chance, “You spoke to my sister?”