Southern Riders (Scars Book 1)

by Robin Edwards

  “What was her name?” I asked, as she silently taught me to wrap the dress around her using her tiny fingers.

  “Elaina,” she whispered, looking into my eyes with her clear blues.

  “That’s a beautiful name,” I smiled while tying the thin strips of silk into a bow.

  Her baby bump protruded much further than it had the last time I saw her, and I instantly noticed that every day I was away, I lost an opportunity to witness our child grow. With my hands placed on her belly, I leaned down to kiss her forehead. I could feel her lean into me and I knew that despite her proud stance, she needed more help from me. Emily presented a strong front, but anytime I pushed past it I could tell how much she appreciated even the slightest assistance from me.

  “Ready?” I asked, and she nodded.

  The doctor’s office was nicer than I expected. I knew Emily wasn’t poor, but I had prepared myself for a lower standard than I was used to. I was relieved to see that she was receiving the best care for our child. My nerves grew by the second as we waited for the doctor. The nurse had already weighed Emily and checked her blood pressure. I found it hilarious that she made me look away when she stepped on the scale, as if her weight gain may affect how attractive she was to me.

  “Hi Emily,” the middle-aged doctor excitedly greeted Emily before turning her attention to me. “And hello to you, Mr. Beckett. I’m Dr. Lindsey Stevens, and I’m a huge fan. I hope you’re taking good care of my Emily,” she warned before shaking my hand.

  “I’m doing my best,” I grinned as she went to wash her hands before settling onto her stool.

  “So how is everything? Liz gave me your vitals; it looks like you’re right on schedule with your weight. Don’t be afraid to have a little meat, Emily. I know you want what’s best for the baby, but you have to be careful not to eat a bunch of junk just to avoid it. You can get protein from a lot of places – leafy greens, beans, nuts, eggs, even supplements; just make sure you get it.” She advised while reaching for a pink cylinder.

  “I think I’ve been doing pretty good. I’ve had a little meat occasionally. I’ve had a few cravings for hot wings,” she admitted to my surprise. She hadn’t mentioned her cravings to me. It was another element of her pregnancy that I was missing.

  “Just listen to your baby. You’ll know what’s best.” She smiled as she paused. “So are we ready to see this little angel for the first time?” She eagerly asked.

  “Will we,” I coughed to clear my throat before continuing, “Will we be able to tell the sex today?” I nervously smiled at the doctor and then at Emily.

  “I think it’s a little early for that, but we’ll see what we get,” she smiled as she instructed Emily to pull her shirt up.

  I scooted towards the bed so that I could see the small screen to the left of the exam table. My nerves were indescribable as I prepared to see our baby for the first time. The doctor squeezed a gel like substance on Emily’s stomach before moving an electronic device across her small baby bump. Instantly the screen came to life. A black and gray image popped onto the screen, as a loud whirling sound played through the monitor.

  “Do you hear that? That’s your baby’s heartbeat,” the doctor said while looking directly at me. My own heartbeat seemed to slow as I stared at the screen. Following my line of vision, the doctor began pointing at the screen while explaining what I was seeing.

  “That’s your baby. They’re just a little nugget right now, but they’ll keep growing, and the next time we may be able to tell if you’ll be having a son or a daughter,” she smiled.

  I felt like the entire scene was playing in slow motion. I’m sure Emily had already come to grips with the fact that she was having a baby, but for me, it was all a bunch of talk. Now, seeing my baby on the screen, everything became very real. I started thinking about all of the things we needed in preparation. I wondered what kind of father I would be and what life would be like for a child living in the spotlight beside me.

  “Do you have any questions?” The doctor asked, jolting me from my thoughts.

  “Uh, no… None that I can think of,” I answered slowly, my mind racing with so many questions that only I could answer.

  “I know, it's real for the moms when they pee on the stick, but the dads get their dose of reality here. And wait until you get to hold this bundle of joy. It’ll all set in, don’t panic,” she chuckled as she removed the device from Emily’s belly and wiped the gel with a large blue paper towel.

  “So when do I need to come back?” Emily asked while sitting up on the table.

  “We’ll get you all squared away at the front desk. Just remember what I said about the diet and keep doing whatever you’re doing. Everything looks great. It was nice to meet you, Aiden,” Dr. Lindsey said after washing her hands again.

  “It was a pleasure. See you soon,” I responded as she left the room.

  I could see Emily smiling in my peripherals. I hope she was happy that I would be joining her because I didn’t plan on missing any appointments.

  We scheduled the next ultrasound on a morning when I didn’t have a game and made our way to a few baby stores my assistant had lined up. Much as I expected, Emily was very easy going about the shopping. She was apprehensive about making any purchases until we learned the gender of the baby, but I was too excited after the doctor’s appointment.

  “Let’s just make a list for a boy or a girl, and then when we find out the gender we can have the store send the matching list,” I suggested.

  “We can’t do that,” she whispered, appalled by my idea.

  “Sure we can,” I laughed before calling over a store clerk and relaying my plan. She left and quickly returned with two handheld scanners before giving us instructions on how to use them.

  “Okay, you scan for a baby girl,” I handed Emily one of the scanners, “and I’ll scan for Aiden, Jr.” I held my scanner up.

  “Aiden, Jr.?” She scoffed.

  “Yeah. Are you against juniors?” I smirked.

  “You just seem a little more enthused than usual,” she giggled.

  “You heard the doctor. The ultrasound makes it real for the dads, babe,” I briskly kissed her cheek before heading towards the furniture department.

  After two hours we had scanned half the store and Emily was exhausted. I could have shopped even longer; I had no idea how much things babies needed. The aisles seemed endless, and I made a mental note to do some more shopping online.

  We were heading to lunch when I noticed Emily’s leg twitching and wondered what was bothering her.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “I’m nervous,” she whispered while biting her lip. She was so sexy even when she didn’t try. I had to force myself not to be distracted.

  “About what?” I was completely confused as I stared at her now red bottom lip.

  “Your parents,” she said as if I should know. Honestly, I had completely forgotten about it being their first meeting. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to meet Emily’s parents so I couldn’t imagine her anxiety.

  “Don’t worry. They’ll love you. My parents are really laid back, and they’re super excited about meeting you.” I assured her.

  I had never introduced a woman to my parents. I hated the fact that Emily might think she was only meeting them because she was pregnant. While I might not have done it so soon, I definitely think Emily would have been the first woman that met my parents, regardless of the pregnancy.

  “I hope so,” was all she murmured.

  We barely spoke for the rest of the ride as I ran my thumb over Emily’s skinny fingers, hoping to relax her. She leaned her head on my shoulder, and I kissed the top of her head as the city passed us by.

  My mother had reserved a table on the patio, I’m sure so that she could see us as we arrived. She could barely contain herself as we made our way to the table.

  “Oh, look at your little bump!” She immediately hugged Emi
ly before placing both of her palms on the baby bump. Luckily Emily didn’t seem to mind, but I was a little uncomfortable for her.

  “I’m Debra, by the way. And that’s my husband, Christian,” my mom said before kissing Emily on the cheek. I was grateful that I had warned Emily about my parents’ excitement, although I’m not sure anything could have prepared her for my mother’s overly affectionate introduction.

  “I’m Emily,” she smiled as my mom pulled her towards the chair seated next to her.

  “Yes, we know. Tell us more about you!” She eagerly pleaded while beckoning the waitress. Everyone had settled into their seats before Emily began.

  “Well, I’m a gymnastics teacher. I’ve worked at Wilshire Academy for a couple of years now, and I do a lot of private lessons,” Emily smiled while looking towards me. I didn’t notice I was grinning while watching her until I caught my mom’s gaze and knew she was gawking at us.

  “Well, you won’t get to do too much of that now, huh?” My dad asked, and I wanted to kick him under the table. Why would he bring that up so carelessly?

  “No, my doctor has told me I’ll need to take six months off, which is much longer than I expected. I already miss it, but I think I’ll be able to get back out there soon after the baby’s here,” Emily explained, and I realized we hadn’t discussed her plan before or after the birth of our child. I didn’t want to tell her what to do, but I also didn’t want her rushing back to work. It wasn’t the right time to discuss it, so I decided to bring it up later.

  “Oh, you’ll probably want every second with that baby when they get here. When can we know the sex? I’m dying to tear through the children’s department in Saks!” My mom squealed.

  “As if she needs another reason to shop,” my dad teased as he opened the menu.

  “The doctor says it’ll be a couple more weeks,” Emily explained.

  “You’ll have to put your mom in contact with Debra so they can shop together. That’s all the grandmas want to do,” my dad said and Emily’s smile instantly faded.

  “Christian!” My mom chastised my dad as I cut him a stern look. I had already told my parents about Emily’s mother and father passing away, but my dad barely listened, so I knew he’d forgotten.

  “It’s okay. Both of my parents passed away while I was in college, Mr. Beckett, so it's just me,” Emily forced a smile, but I could sense that she wanted to cry.

  “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. But it’s not just you, we’re here to help you,” my mom rubbed Emily’s back, and I was grateful for her overbearing tendencies.

  “I’m sorry, Emily. Aiden did tell us that, I must have forgotten.” My dad explained, and Emily shook her head as if it wasn’t a problem, but I knew it made her a little uncomfortable.

  “Let’s get a little food in that belly,” my mom rubbed Emily’s bump, and it seemed to brighten her spirit just a little.

  The waiter came over, and my mom listed the entire menu practically as she ordered for everyone without even taking requests.

  “Did you get enough, Dear?” My father jokingly asked after the waiter retreated.

  “Well, it’s a party of five, Christian, we need a nice spread,” she winked at Emily.

  “Mom, Emily isn’t eating meat,” I explained.

  “Oh, you try that for your first trimester, by the eighth month your body won’t even be yours anymore. You’ll be eating whatever that baby wants!” My mom laughed as she poured lemon water into Emily’s glass.

  “He’s already been demanding chicken wings,” Emily giggled while rubbing her belly.

  “He?!” My mom excitedly asked.

  “Well, I’m not sure. People have told me they think it’s a boy, but I don’t really know,” she was flush after her slip up. She had never referred to the baby as a boy to me. I wondered if she had any inclination about the gender.

  “Either way, we’ll be ready to spoil them rotten when they get here,” my mom grinned.

  The rest of lunch passed quickly as my father, and I discussed business and the hockey season while my mother gushed over Emily and our baby. I wasn’t sure how Emily would feel, but I thought the meeting went pretty well.

  Emily excused herself to use the restroom as the waiter cleared the table and my mom used the time to interrogate me.

  “Aiden, what are you going to do about your living situation?” She asked bluntly.

  “What do you mean?” I asked confused.

  “I mean, where do you expect your child to be living?” She answered matter-of-factly.

  “Mom, we really haven’t discussed all of that,” I admitted.

  “Well, it’s obvious you care for her, son. Trust me, you don’t want to miss a day of your child’s life,” my father mumbled, and I knew he was speaking on his own regrets. He had missed a lot of my childhood running his hedge fund, and he often told me how much he wished he could go back and change it.

  “And she shouldn’t be raising your child alone. It’s a lot of work, Aiden!” My mother scolded me.

  “I don’t intend for her to be alone, mom,” I responded sharply, a little annoyed.

  “She’s a sweet girl. I won’t have you tossing her to the waste side as you’ve been known to do,” she glared at me from the corner of her eye.

  My mother hated whenever she read a story about my personal life. She constantly asked when I planned to grow out of the ‘bad boy phase,' as she called it. Her questioning at lunch seemed uncalled for and quite frankly inappropriate. Deciding there was nothing I could say to rectify the situation, I chose to stay mute until Emily returned.

  When Emily finally re-emerged from the restroom, the waiter was just returning with two large bags filled with all of the leftover food we hadn’t eaten. I was eager to get away from my parents after my mom’s unexpected lecture, but she seemed to have other plans.

  “You two go ahead, I’m going to walk with Emily,” my mom announced as I reached for Emily’s hand to head towards the car.

  I was worried what she might say to Emily but trusted she wouldn’t go too far.

  Chapter Fourteen

  EMILY

  I wasn’t very surprised Aiden’s mother wanted to walk me to the car alone. She was all over me during lunch, so I figured she just wanted to grope my belly once more before we said our goodbyes.

  “You know I didn’t grow up rich, Emily,” was the first thing she said once we were out of earshot of Aiden and his father. I was caught off guard by her serious tone and couldn’t find my words.

  “I know you’re worried about being looked at as a gold digger or a groupie; but honestly, they’ll say those things about you regardless,” she continued as my confusion deepened.

  “I’m not sure why you’re telling me this,” I frowned.

  “I know you don’t want Aiden paying for everything. But my grandchild will have the best, and I won’t have you depleting your savings to make it happen,” she paused to look into my eyes as we slowly walked towards the car.

  “I don’t want you to worry about your job either. Gymnastics may be your passion now, but believe me, you’re about to have a new purpose, and you’ll want to spend every second caring for this sweet baby. Don’t you dare let money be the reason you deny yourself that privilege? Because that’s what it is, being able to enjoy time with your child is a complete privilege, and you only get one opportunity at it. They grow so quickly, so you’ve got to make your decision early, Emily.” She smiled as we arrived at the car.

  Throughout the entire lunch I felt a strong connection to Debra and her extreme kindness, but now I was really taken by the depth of her care. She was advising me like she’d known me for years, or like Aiden wasn’t her son. I really appreciated her objectivity and felt emotion begin to climb from my chest.

  “You’re not alone anymore, Emily. You have my grandchild, so that makes you my daughter, regardless of what you and Aiden choose to do,” she whispered in my ear before quickly helping
me into the car.

  I watched as she seamlessly turned her kind charm back on while she said goodbye to Aiden. She was back to being cheerful as her beautiful smile lit up her aging face. Gone was her serious demeanor that had just taken me by surprise, but her words stuck with me and I was appreciative of her candidness.

  I tried to hide my face by looking out the window while Aiden settled into the backseat. My eyes were filled with tears of gratitude, and I knew they would soon overflow.

  “So that was interesting,” Aiden said as he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his side.

  “Mm-hmm,” I mumbled, fearful that words would be the catalyst for my tears to fall.

  “Did my mother upset you, Emily?” He barked as he pulled my shoulders, forcing me to face him.

  One tear slipped when I saw his handsome face. His mother was another layer to him; another layer that I knew I wanted in my life permanently. I had never felt a connection with anyone as a mother figure since my parents passed away. I had never felt the need for one either, but Debra really showed me just how much I could use one to help me through this journey.

  “No, no. They’re happy tears,” I tried my best to smile as another tear slid down my face. Aiden looked a little confused, and then he pulled me into his chest. We rode to my condo in peace, as Debra’s words replayed in my head.

  ****

  A couple of days had passed since I met Aiden’s parents and things between us had changed a bit. Ever since the ultrasound, Aiden had been way more involved and curious about my pregnancy. He was always checking on me, asking what I’d eaten and how it had made me feel. Once, he even asked when I planned to begin my maternity leave, which made me a little uncomfortable. Questions like that confused me about our stance because they made me feel like he was my companion.

  I loved Aiden, so it was easy for me to slip into a relationship mode with him. I was carrying his baby for Christ’s sake! More than that, I wanted to be with Aiden. He wasn’t perfect by any standard, but I loved every second I spent with him. Without trying he was the man of my dreams – kind, considerate, protective, handsome, and sexy beyond belief. I knew he was going to be a great dad and I really wanted to experience it all together.