Raine

by J.C. Valentine

  “Shark Week, huh? Scares the crap outta my boyfriend, but good show,” the attendant commented. He accepted the meager tip Raine offered him and smiled as he headed back out. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  “You, too.” Locking the door after him, she inhaled the heavenly aroma of bacon and eggs. She’d ordered enough food for her and Jarret to both get stuffed with, telling herself that he might make it back to eat his half. But if he didn’t return by the time she was done with her breakfast, she’d make sure nothing went to waste.

  True to her word, Raine ate everything on the cart. She was disappointed that Jarret hadn’t made it back yet, but the extra slices of bacon helped alleviate some of that. After crawling back into bed and placing a few extra pillows behind her back, Raine rubbed her full belly. The baby had been quieting down lately, moving around less the closer it got to B-Day, or Birth-Day, as she was now calling it, which her doctor explained was perfectly normal.

  “Are you awake in there?” she asked as she poked around her stomach. The sharp response came in the form of a kick just under her ribs. Raine’s back arched reflexively, but she wasn’t fast enough. Her breath hissed out of her. “Is that your way of telling me to leave you to your beauty sleep? Maybe your uncle was right about you being a girl.”

  Raine released a yawn as she settled deeper beneath the blankets. She’d been so tired lately. It felt as if she spent half her days sleeping. Another pain hit her as the baby squirmed to find a more comfortable position, and Raine cringed as she rolled onto her side to relieve the sudden pressure in her lower back. Having a baby was tough work.

  As the television droned on in the background, Raine fell into a fitful sleep.

  ***

  “You went to the police?” Returning to his parents’ house was the last thing Jarret had intended, but it was better than having them in his house. No charges had been brought against Camron yet, but he had been questioned, and that was enough to set them off. His parents were out for blood. When Jarret informed them that he was the one who took Raine to the station, his mother freaked. “How could you betray your brother like this?”

  “Betray him?” Jarret asked in disbelief. “Camron committed a crime. He raped a girl and got her pregnant and then he ditched her as if she was the problem. He needs to answer for that.”

  “I told you, Vivian,” his father drawled as he located the number for the family lawyer in his phone, “the boy doesn’t know the meaning of loyalty. Yes, Draper, this is William Moss. I need you to do some damage control.” Spinning on his heel, his father stalked from the room.

  “William was right. You’re a disgrace to this family. If the tables were turned, your brother would be right by your side supporting you every step of the way, not throwing you to the wolves over some tramp.”

  Jarret met his mother’s hate-filled gaze, seeing the same blue eyes he looked at in the mirror reflected back at him. In that moment, he realized that, despite the shared trait, they were nothing alike.

  “You’re the one that’s a disgrace,” Jarret shot back and with equal venom. “As a woman, you should be appalled by what Camron did. Instead, you stand here acting all high and mighty, as if having money gives you the right to adhere to a different set of rules than the rest of us, and maybe you’re right. Your husband,” he snarled, “has enough money and power that Camron will probably avoid any real charges, but that doesn’t mean people won’t know what he’s really about.”

  “You talk about him as if he’s the villain, but the only person I see trying to hurt someone here is you. Why are you really doing this, Jarret?” his mother questioned. “It’s that girl, isn’t it? She’s got you wrapped around her little finger.”

  Jarret crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re right, it is about her. Raine is an amazing person, and if you gave her even half a chance you’d see that for yourself.”

  “I already gave her a chance and it only took looking at her to know what kind of person she is. It’s too bad you can’t see it for yourself, but mark my words, one day you’ll wake up and realize that she’s bad news. You’ll come crawling back only to realize it’s too late. Because of her, you’ll have lost everything and everyone.”

  Jarret’s laughter echoed through the foyer. “You couldn’t be more wrong, Mother. Raine is everything and everyone to me, and that’s all I need to walk away from here and never look back.”

  Jarret saw himself to the door, ignoring his mother’s angry words of vengeance as she trailed after him. He couldn’t care less if he was written out of the will or if he was blacklisted from all their stuffy events. He was too busy digesting his own words. When he’d said Raine was everything and everyone, it had just kind of spilled out. Up until that moment, he had no idea just how much Raine meant to him, but now… Shit.

  With each light Jarret drove through, bringing him closer to the hotel, his pulse quickened and his head became more jumbled. Stopped at a light a block away, Jarret was faced with a decision. Turn left and return to Raine, or turn right and go home.

  A car horn blared behind him, shaking Jarret from his thoughts. He turned right. He needed time to think. His head was too mixed up to face her right now. He needed to be absolutely sure that this was what he wanted. To be with Raine, Jarret would be taking on a tremendous responsibility. He’d be walking into a ready-made family, and there was the question about his own family. Was Raine right? Would he come to resent her for coming between them? When he considered all the lies he’d been told by his own parents, he didn’t think so, but it was worth taking time to think it over. Hopefully, some time alone would help him clear his head. But as Jarret drove away, he had a nagging feeling he’d made the wrong decision.

  TWENTY-SIX

  Groaning, Raine rolled over and looked at the time on the clock display. It was getting late, and Jarret still hadn’t returned. She wanted to call him, but knowing that he was trying to sort through some stuff with his family held her back. She didn’t want to interrupt anything important, so she closed her eyes and breathed deep.

  Her back had been hurting for hours, and was only getting worse. Usually she could place a pillow between her knees or do a few cat stretches, and it would go away, but not this time. Raine was miserable. The added baby weight was pulling her out of alignment and she could really use a massage. Jarret’s big hands would do just the trick, but he wasn’t around.

  Throwing back the blankets, she put her feet on the floor and padded into the bathroom. Running a warm bath would help, and adding a few bubbles would turn an ordinary soak in the tub into a luxurious experience. Raine went through her usual bathroom routine, brushing her teeth and combing her hair up into a ponytail to keep it out of the water, pausing in between to bend and stretch to relieve the cramps in her back. Once the tub was full, she slid into the water and sighed as it enveloped her.

  The muscles in her back eased, but not completely. Raine closed her eyes and tried to focus her thoughts on happier things, like finally having her car back, even though she wasn’t entirely sure she’d be able to fit behind the wheel anymore. Jarret really had done a great job. The car had never run smoother. It practically purred.

  But Raine’s escape was brief, as her thoughts were once again derailed. This time, the cramps were stronger, and they had moved around to her front, wrapping around her like a thick belt. She was reminded of her doctor’s words at her last appointment. She could go anytime. She cried out, folding over as she held her stomach and panted as reality sank in.

  She was in labor.

  After that, it was a struggle to get out of the tub and dry off enough to walk across the slick tiled floor. Once Raine made it back to the bed, she reached for the phone, no longer caring if she interrupted. There was no more waiting. The baby was coming.

  ***

  “Jarret, I need you.”

  The desperate, breathless voice on the other end of the phone jolted Jarret out of bed. He glanced at the clock, realizing that he must have fall
en asleep. He cursed to himself. “Is everything okay?”

  “No. Please…hurry.”

  Fewer words had never said so much. “I’m on my way.” Jamming his legs into a fresh pair of worn jeans, Jarret rushed from the room, pulling a black hoodie over his head on the way down the stairs. His feet smashed into a pair of work boots and he was out the door.

  Flying down the deserted highway at twenty miles over the speed limit wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done, but hell, neither was falling in love with a woman who was pregnant with another man’s kid. Had someone told him eight months ago that he’d willingly give up everything for this… whatever this was; he’d have laughed in their face.

  But as Jarret pulled up to the hotel and rushed inside, there was only one thought on his mind: This isn’t just about me anymore.

  With determined strides, he entered the elevator, punched the button, and watched the numbers light up as they climbed closer to the fourth floor. Once the doors reopened, he blazed down the hall, nearly knocking a man holding an ice bucket on his ass, until he reached the last door on the right. Swiping his key card, Jarret walked through the cramped living area, following the low, pained moans into the bedroom.

  Dark, frantic eyes found his as he paused in the doorway. Sitting on the corner of the mattress, lips pulled into a tight line, full, round stomach rising and falling with every labored breath, she still managed to take his breath away.

  Beautiful, intelligent, and full of fight, he couldn’t possibly be more in love with anyone. As he crossed the room and hefted her to her feet, Jarret held tight to the only thing left that mattered in his life.

  “How we doing?” he asked, as he led them back through the room and down the elevator.

  “Remember that movie, Species, when the alien gave birth to her baby?”

  As Jarret helped her into the passenger seat and stretched the belt over her stomach, he recalled vividly the scene when the alien baby split its mother open, and shuddered. That was not an image he wanted in his head right now, but it did give him a little perspective into what she must be going through. Placing his hand over her hard stomach, he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “We’ll get through this,” he assured her, looping a lock of golden hair behind her ear.

  He watched helplessly as her face scrunched and her breath held. Another contraction. Another second closer to everything changing… again.

  Can I go through with this? Can I take this on?

  Once it passed, her face tilted up, warm, solemn brown eyes peering into his. Her delicate fingers found his, entwining them. “Thank you for doing this with me.”

  The note of fear in her tremulous voice mirrored the emotions swirling through him. But was it enough to turn his back on her, like everyone else? Meeting her unwavering, trust-filled gaze, Jarret already knew the answer to that question. He wasn’t his brother. He wasn’t like the rest of his family. He didn’t cut and run the moment life got hard and he didn’t turn his back on the people he cared about. He faced life head-on. His parents were wrong about so many things. He wasn’t giving anything up by choosing this path, by choosing her, and there was no doubt in his mind that this was going to be the toughest job he’d ever faced. But for her, for this woman who’d stolen his heart, it was absolutely, one-hundred percent worth the sacrifices he’d had to make.

  Pressing his forehead against her sweaty brow, Jarret closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “There’s nowhere else I would be.” Caressing her flushed cheeks, Jarret kissed her once more then hurried to the driver’s side.

  “I forgot my bag.”

  Jarret glanced up at the hotel. “I’ll come back for it later.”

  Raine nodded, grimacing as another contraction hit her. “Okay, let’s just go.”

  “How long has this been going on?” he asked as he turned into traffic. When he left that morning, everything had seemed okay.

  “Since this morning. I’ve been having a lot of pain in my back lately, so I didn’t think much of it, but after my nap it started to get worse.”

  “Have you been timing the contractions?” He’d read that in a magazine, although he couldn’t remember how far apart they were supposed to be.

  “No.” Raine’s eyes squeezed shut and she pressed her chin to her chest as she rode another wave.

  Reaching over, Jarret rubbed her stomach, feeling utterly useless. “Did you call the doctor to let her know we’re coming?”

  “No, okay? I didn’t do anything but call you.” Raine’s sudden attitude was startling, but Jarret shrugged it off. No man in their right mind would argue with a woman in labor.

  “I’ll make sure someone at the hospital contacts her then. How are you feeling?”

  “Like Species. I feel like Species.” Raine gasped and Jarret exchanged worried glances between her and the road.

  “What?”

  “I hope you have flood insurance, because my water just broke.” Her head fell back and she started laughing. “It feels like I peed in my pants. I haven’t done that since the fifth grade.” She glanced at him, taking in Jarret’s quizzical look. “I was at a sleepover. A bowl of warm water was involved.” Hissing through clenched teeth, Raine grabbed ahold of his hand and squeezed.

  Jarret pressed a little harder on the gas pedal. “We’re almost there, Peach.”

  Minutes later, Jarret was carrying Raine in through the St. Anne’s emergency room doors and a wheelchair was brought out. After signing her in, they were taken to a room where Raine was hooked up to monitors. He learned a lot about Raine in the hours leading up to the birth.

  Raine was afraid of needles. When the older nurse prepped her for the IV and started walking a younger nurse through the procedure, Raine made it very clear that the girl wasn’t going to touch her. In not-so-nice words, she told her to take a hike. When the older nurse took over, Raine nearly passed out from the sight of the needle.

  From that incident alone, Jarret expected her to be a screamer. Apparently it was a standard for a lot of women on that floor. He could hear them clear down the hall each time the door to the room opened, but if he hadn’t been watching Raine’s face the whole time, he wouldn’t have even guessed she was in labor.

  Jarret stuck by her side, rubbing her back, holding her hand, bringing cool, wet cloths for her forehead. For every hour he stood by her, Jarret fell a little deeper. “You’re amazing,” he told her as she came down from another contraction.

  “What?” Tired brown eyes met his.

  “I thought you were great before, but looking at you now, going through all this…you’re amazing. You’re about to bring another life into the world, Peach,” he said, hearing the awe in his voice.

  “I don’t really have a choice,” she joked, smiling weakly.

  “You always had a choice and you chose the hardest one. That makes you the strongest person I know.”

  “I’m not that strong,” she argued, looking away. “Women give birth every day.” The numbers on one of the monitors climbed higher, and Raine’s body tensed.

  Jarret felt her stomach grow hard beneath his palm, waiting until the moment passed and she released her breath. “Those women aren’t you, Raine. They don’t even compare.”

  The doctor chose that moment to walk in. Jarret looked up at the small, elderly woman and smiled. She winked back. Snapping on a pair of latex gloves, Dr. Sheridan sat on the edge of the bed and lifted the blankets high enough to slide her arm under.

  Jarret tried not to focus on what the woman was doing, and instead focused on Raine. She appeared tense, so Jarret squeezed her hand in reassurance.

  “Well, Raine, you’re ten centimeters dilated and I can feel the baby’s head.” The doctor stood up and smiled. “Who’s ready to have a baby?”

  Things moved fast from there. Two nurses came in, one to assist the doctor, and another who took a post at the head of the bed, opposite Jarret. “Okay, Dad,” she said cheerfully. “Grab a leg.”

  Jarret looked at
her, befuddled, and then at Raine, who looked a little out of it. His knee-jerk reaction was to explain to the woman that he wasn’t the baby’s father, but when the nurse urged him again, showing him what to do by example, and the doctor moved in, he knew it wasn’t the time to argue over titles.

  “All right, Raine, you have the hard job. When you’re ready, I want you to start pushing.”

  “I’m ready,” Raine said, her voice urgent as her face scrunched up and she started to push.

  Jarret’s grip on her foot had to be hurting her, but he couldn’t seem to relax. His heart was practically beating out of his chest. The only thing keeping him from passing out was his connection to her, but even that turned shaky when Dr. Sheridan said, “The head is out! Take a look, Mom.”

  Lord help him, Jarret looked. He didn’t mean to, but when someone said to look at something, it was an involuntary reaction, at least for him.

  He must have gone pale, because the nurse was looking at him funny. “If you need to sit down, go ahead. It’s better to have you asleep in a chair than crashed out on the floor with a skull fracture.”

  “No, I’ll be okay,” Jarret insisted, although his head felt a little fuzzy. If Raine could push a human being from her body, he could damn well witness it without acting like a pansy.

  “You can sit down,” Raine said through her teeth. “I’m fine.”

  That did it. Jarret’s head cleared almost instantly and he stood up taller. “I’m not going anywhere, Peach,” he said confidently. “I told you we were doing this together, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

  “One last push. Slow and easy, Raine,” Dr. Sheridan coaxed. “And…it’s a girl!”

  Jarret watched, speechless as the doctor placed the slimy, pink bundle on top of Raine’s stomach and roughed it up with a blanket. The baby’s mouth parted and she let out a tiny wail that looked angrier than it sounded.

  Raine started crying, and Jarret felt his eyes begin to burn. He’d never seen anything so little in all his life.