Wild Card (Texas Titans #5)

by Cheryl Douglas

  Knowing Carly had so much faith in him gave Brett the strength he needed. “You’re right.” He gave her a quick kiss before pulling a long-sleeved T-shirt over his head. “We’ll get through this. I’m sure everything will be fine.”

  “And even if it’s not,” Carly whispered, “God forbid, you’ll be there to hold her hand, to remind her that her husband loves her no matter what and she has a beautiful little boy at home who needs her to be strong.”

  Brett had faced a lot of challenges, but he was at a loss as to how he’d gotten through so many of them without Carly. When the chips were down, she’d always been there for him, and he knew she always would be. They hurried next door, mindful of the sleeping baby. Brett pulled Ellie into his arms and kissed the top of her head when she collapsed against him, sobbing softly.

  “I can’t lose this baby,” she said, curling into his arms. “I’ve already had two miscarriages, one before Johnnie was born and one six months ago. I can’t—”

  “Ssssh,” he whispered, gliding his hands over her hair as his eyes sought reassurance from Carly. He’d had no idea about her other miscarriages. Of course, he hadn’t been up at the cabin much lately and he’d often been too busy to call John back for days, if at all. Guilt weighed heavily on him as he tried to comfort Ellie. He hadn’t been the friend he should have been to John and Ellie, but he was determined to go above and beyond tonight, to prove to them that they’d made the right decision trusting him with the most important person in their lives.

  “I’m so sorry about this,” Ellie said to Carly. “You came all this way to be with Brett, and I’m intruding on your time together.”

  Carly reached for Ellie’s hand, a sad smile crossing her lips. “Brett and I have a lifetime to spend together. The only thing that matters now is taking care of you and your baby. Don’t worry about Johnnie. I promise I’ll take good care of him.”

  Ellie nodded. “Thanks, I know you will. I don’t know what I would have done if you two hadn’t been here tonight. John wanted me to go stay with my parents in New York, but I wanted to be here. This is our home.”

  “You made the right call.” Brett slipped an arm around her shoulders and guided her to the door. “Baby,” he said to Carly, “I’ll call you later, let you know how things are going.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing,” Carly said. “You just take care of Ellie.”

  He loved that she understood how important it was for him to support his friend tonight, even though he’d rather have been back in his bed with her wrapped up in his arms.

  By the time he had Ellie settled in his truck, his adrenaline had kicked in again, and Brett’s heart was thumping hard, reminding him time was of the essence. He turned over the engine before reaching for her hand. “You’re going to be fine, and so is that baby you’re carrying. You have to believe that, honey.”

  “I know.” She closed her eyes, tipping her head back as a tear slipped down her cheek. “Thank you.”

  “You don’t have to thank me,” he said, frustrated by his helplessness. He was doing the only thing he could for her, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he should say or do something to put her mind at ease. But of course, she’d been through this before, and he hadn’t. She knew exactly what to expect, which probably explained why she looked terrified underneath her brave face.

  She laid her hand on her stomach. “Maybe I shouldn’t have been lifting Johnnie so much. Of course the doctor knows we have another baby, but he told me no heavy lifting. Johnnie can walk, more or less, but he still needs me to lift him in and out of his high chair and the bath tub, not to mention his crib. That’s when I noticed the spotting, after I put him in his crib.” She tipped her head to the side. “Do you think that’s why this is happening?”

  Brett cursed himself for not offering to help her put Johnnie to bed. He should have been the one to lift him. He knew he couldn’t be there to help her every minute of the day, but he had the resources to hire someone to help his friends. He intended to do that just as soon as they got through this trial.

  “Carly really is amazing,” Ellie said, squeezing his hand. “She doesn’t even know me, but the way she stepped up and offered to help like that… She really is special.”

  “Yeah, she is.” Brett couldn’t dwell on what had happened between them tonight or the disappointment he’d felt when he realized they still weren’t on the same page about the future. They would have plenty of time to sort that out later. Right now, he needed to focus on helping Ellie.

  “I shudder to think about what I interrupted. I didn’t want to call, but I knew it would take an ambulance forever to get out here.”

  “You know how pissed I would’ve been if I’d heard those sirens, knowing you could’ve called me and didn’t? No, you did the right thing.”

  “I hope Carly thinks so.”

  He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “Let’s just say your timing was perfect.”

  She slapped her free hand against her forehead. “That’s a visual I really didn’t need.”

  “Sure, you did,” he said, releasing her hand to squeeze her knee. “It took your mind off things for a minute.”

  “That it did.” She covered his hand with hers. “You know, when we first found out some hot-shot business tycoon bought the place next door, we were sure you were going to tear down the Browns’ old place and build some monstrosity complete with an indoor pool and helicopter landing pad.”

  “That’s not my style.” The house he currently called home wasn’t really his style either. Zach and Jaxon were his neighbors, but that was the only real benefit of being in his gated community. He’d bought the property because it was available when he was ready to move and his agent had assured him it was a good investment.

  “I know that now, but we were worried for a while. As soon as we met you and you told us you planned to leave the place more or less as is, we knew we’d like you. You appreciated that old place for what it was. It isn’t big or fancy, but you can practically feel the warmth and love as soon as you walk in the door.”

  Brett had never spent much time thinking about why he felt so comfortable at the cabin, but Ellie was right. It was cozy and comfortable and made him feel he’d found something that had been missing in his life for a long time: a real home.

  “What are you thinking about?” Ellie asked.

  Her question made him realize he’d been lost in his thoughts for too long. He’d been thinking about the kind of house Carly would want to call home when they were married. He knew he was making a lot of assumptions, but he couldn’t see their future any other way. In his mind, they were destined to be together. He just prayed Carly still felt the same way.

  “I was thinking I might put my house on the market when I get home, look for something that suits me a little better,” he said.

  Ellie wrinkled her nose. “When we went to your house for that pool party last year, I thought you didn’t belong there. Don’t get me wrong, the house is gorgeous, but no way could a guy who appreciates the simple rustic charm of the Browns’ old place be content living in that modern monstrosity.” She smiled when he pulled his hand from hers, pretending to be hurt. “I don’t mean it as an insult. I just know you, and that house isn’t you. The cabin, now that’s you.”

  The cabin had been an impulse purchase he made years ago. He’d gone fishing with his uncle, who owned a cabin on the same lake, and spotted the For Sale sign as they strolled by. Brett had been ready to buy the place, sight unseen, because he loved the exterior, location, and rugged landscape so much, but his uncle convinced him to at least see the inside first. It had been love at first sight, and he’d never regretted that decision.

  “Do you think Carly will enjoy spending time at the cabin?” Ellie asked, splaying her hand across her stomach.

  Brett wanted to ask if she was okay, if she was experiencing any more pain, but the kindest thing he could do for her was try to distract her until they got to the hospital. “I thi
nk so. Carly’s always loved the outdoors. You know my parents have a place on the lake. She spent a lot of time there when we were growing up.”

  “I still can’t believe y’all have known each other since you were kids and it took you this long to realize she’s the one. That’s just crazy.”

  “Maybe it is.” Brett curled his hand around the steering wheel. If he allowed himself to feel bitter and resentful because of the years he’d lost with Carly, he would taint what they had now, and he didn’t want to do that. “Or maybe the timing wasn’t right until now. I’ve had a lot of fun, dated a lot of pretty girls, and partied like a rock star…” He smirked when Ellie rolled her eyes. He’d been trying to amuse her, and nothing entertained her more than hearing him poke fun at himself. “Maybe I needed to have those experiences to figure out that no one else on this planet can make me feel the way she does.”

  “Awww.” Ellie’s hand moved to her chest before she brushed away a tear. “That’s just about the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard you say. I didn’t even know you had it in you.”

  Brett pulled into the hospital parking lot and breathed a quiet sigh of relief because it didn’t look too crowded. Hopefully, that meant Ellie would get immediate attention. If not, he’d remind them their hospital had a new pediatrics wing because of High Rollers’ generous support. He didn’t like throwing his weight around, but there was nothing he wouldn’t do for a friend in trouble.

  He pulled up to the curb. “Tell Carly I’m a romantic, would ya? I don’t think she believes it.”

  Ellie waited until he opened the car door for her and helped her out before she said, “You have to prove it to her. Think of the most romantic thing you could do to prove to her that you love her, that the only thing that matters to you is making her dreams come true, and she’ll be committed to you for life, buddy.”

  Brett loved the sound of that. As soon as he got home, he would enlist the help of the person who knew Carly best to help him come up with the perfect plan: his sister. Kissing Ellie’s head, he gripped her shoulders. “You ready to do this, little mama?”

  She gave him a wobbly smile. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Brett had been mistaken for the expectant father so many times by the receptionist, doctor, nurse, and now the ultrasound technician, that he wondered if correcting them was a waste of breath.

  “Let’s see what we have here,” the ultrasound technician said, smearing some jelly on Ellie’s slightly rounded stomach.

  Brett held her hand as they stared at the screen. He’d never been present for an ultrasound, but his buddies had proudly shown him the pictures the equipment produced. Brett had always thought the babies looked like little peanuts floating in outer space, but he couldn’t deny he was excited to see Ellie’s baby for the first time. His thoughts flashed to Carly. He imagined holding her hand when they caught their first glimpse of their own baby. God, he wanted that. He hoped he could figure out a way to convince Carly he was sincere about taking their relationship to the next level.

  Brett’s gaze flicked between the screen and the middle-aged man performing the ultrasound. Brett was pretty good at reading people, and if there was a problem, he’d see it on the man’s face before he saw it on the screen.

  Ellie squeezed Brett’s hand. “Is everything okay? The doctor said the baby’s heartbeat was strong, but he wanted the ultrasound just to be sure. Is everything okay?”

  The technician gave her a soft smile before redirecting his attention to the screen. “Your doctor will discuss the results with you, but everything looks fine.”

  “Thank God,” Brett whispered, lowering his head before kissing Ellie’s hand. They’d dodged a bullet, and he felt relief wash over him with an intensity he rarely experienced. He’d been in hundreds of high-level meetings where millions of dollars were at stake, but the excitement he felt at the prospect of closing a big deal paled in comparison to knowing his friend’s baby would survive. Life, he realized, was what mattered. And love. Business was just business. Money, a means to an end. At the end of it all, successful relationships made life worth living. This experience with Ellie had finally brought everything into focus for him.

  Brett was silent while the technician helped Ellie clean up and promised her the doctor would be in to see her shortly.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Ellie asked, frowning at him.

  “I’m just so happy for you.” He kissed her hand. “For you and John both.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Thanks. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through this without you.”

  “I’m just glad I was able to be here.” He set her hand on the hospital bed beside her and stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “You and John have this thing all figured out, don’t you? You know what’s important. You have all along.”

  She laughed lightly. “I don’t know that we have it all figured out. We still make plenty of stupid mistakes.”

  “But you know what matters: building a life you’re proud of, honoring your love and commitment to each other, being the best parents you can be…” He sighed. “It sounds so simple. So why did it take me so long to figure it out?”

  “Everyone figures things out in their own time,” she said, smoothing the thin cotton sheets over her mid-section. “The life John and I have chosen certainly isn’t for everyone. Some people aren’t cut out to be parents and are happy being single.”

  “Yeah.” Brett would have fallen into that category only a few months ago. The prospect of settling down had never entered his head until he was faced with the possibility of losing Carly. Brett thought about all the times he’d left John and Ellie’s home with a subtle ache in his stomach. He hadn’t recognized it as longing, but that was exactly what it was. He longed for the life they had. “But I see what you and John have, and it makes me realize I want that too. I think I have all along.”

  “It looks like you’re finally going to get it. I saw the way Carly looks at you. She’s in love with you, no doubt about that.” Ellie smiled as she touched his forearm.

  Brett considered all that he still had to overcome with Carly. It wouldn’t be easy, but he had faith. “Do you think if John had blown you off in the beginning, you would have remained committed to building a future with him?”

  Ellie seemed to consider her response before she said, “I guess that depends on the circumstances. I certainly wouldn’t have wasted my time chasing a man who didn’t want me, but if I knew he loved me and was just scared to commit, I may have given him the benefit of the doubt—until I couldn’t anymore. At the end of the day, a woman has to love herself enough to walk away.”

  Brett knew that was what Carly had done the night she’d turned to Dylan. She loved herself enough to walk away from Brett and find what she was looking for with someone else. “I hate that I’ve made so many mistakes with Carly. Sometimes I’m afraid she’ll never be able to get past them.”

  “It’ll take time.” Ellie smiled. “Maybe a lot of time, but every day she’ll learn to trust you and what you have a little more. Eventually, if you continue to give her reasons to believe in you, to trust you, you’ll get your happy ending. It’ll be worth waiting for.”

  Brett fell silent when the doctor entered the room. He told Ellie that everything looked fine with the baby, but the spotting may be cause for concern, given her history. He wanted her to remain on bed rest for the next few weeks while they monitored her condition.

  “But what about Johnnie?” Ellie asked, looking panicked. “How will I care for him?”

  “I’d love to stay and help out,” Brett said, “but I have to get back to work. How ‘bout I hire a nurse for you, or maybe you’d like to have your parents come and stay for a while? I can arrange to have the company jet fly them in.”

  “Would you really do that?” Ellie asked, gripping the sheet. “That would be amazing.”

  Brett stood. “Of course. Let me go out in the hall and make some
calls. John gave me your parents’ number before he left, so I’ll call them and let them know what’s going on after I line up the plane.”

  Ellie gripped his wrist before he could leave. “I can’t thank you enough for everything, Brett. You’re an amazing friend.”

  “I’m just glad I was here to help.”

  ***

  The following morning, Carly was sitting on the floor with Johnnie, stacking blocks, when a knock on the door prompted her to jump up too fast and knock over their tower. At least Johnnie laughed instead of crying.

  Carly expected to see Brett at the door, but she found an older couple instead. “Um, hello. Can I help you?”

  “You must be Carly,” the silver-haired lady said, extending her hand. “We’re Ellie’s parents.”

  “Oh, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Carly shook their hands before stepping back and gesturing for them to enter.

  “We just left the hospital,” the woman, who introduced herself as Phyllis, explained. “Ellie and the baby are just fine.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful.” Carly flattened her hand over her stomach. She’d been worried sick and barely slept a wink all night. She tried to ignore the flash of irritation that Brett hadn’t called, as promised, to fill her in. Ellie and the baby were fine—that was the only thing that mattered. Not the fact that Brett hadn’t been true to his word…

  “Brett arranged to fly us in so we could stay with Ellie and little Johnnie—” Phyllis’s voice broke when she spotted her grandson sitting on a blanket in the middle of the floor, surrounded by brightly colored plastic blocks. “There’s my big boy!” She ran to him, arms outstretched. “Look at how big you’ve gotten. Come see Nana.”

  Carly watched Johnnie’s grandparents fawn over him and tried to ignore the stab of regret that her own baby would never get the same love and attention from his maternal grandparents. “I’m so glad everything worked out,” she said, reaching for her purse.