by Melody Anne
“Looks like he knows you well,” Chad said with a laugh. Bree shot him a glare, and then regretted it. Chad was the one person she felt ‘right’ being around. She figured they must be incredibly close, because when he walked in the door, she felt butterflies in her stomach. He stirred things inside her she couldn’t fully comprehend.
She thought she may be falling in love with him – though she had to love him already if they’d made a baby, right? She hated to start having those thoughts because they made her head hurt trying to put the pieces together of her broken memory.
“You promise?” she asked the doctor, ignoring Chad’s comment.
“I promise – but only if the ultrasound says everything is good,” he reminded her. She refused to think anything could be wrong.
She hadn’t felt the baby move, didn’t show any signs of pregnancy yet, but still, she had a connection to her unborn baby. Being pregnant gave her hope that her endless blank of a mind would have to someday clear.
She had a huge, obviously loving family, who visited her every day. And she couldn’t define Chad. He was by her side night and day, and he was just so… She couldn’t even put into words what he was.
Masculine.
Charming.
Manly.
Handsome.
There were thousands of descriptions, she was sure could describe him better.
“I’m ready,” she said, excited to see the first images of her baby. Maybe seeing the pictures would stimulate her brain somehow and she’d regain her memory. She secretly crossed her fingers.
Another person came in the room, pushing a table with a machine and large monitor on it. She felt her nerves flutter at the sight. She was moments away.
Chad sat silently by Bree’s bedside as he watched the hospital staff move around her room. He’d been on combat missions where he hadn’t shed a single drop of sweat, but waiting to see the first images of his unborn child was like sitting in a hole anticipating the first grenade to drop. He was terrified something could be wrong with the baby, but overjoyed to see his son or daughter.
Without thought he reached out and gripped Bree’s hand. She grew stronger each day and he hoped his child did too. She tensed at the coldness of the gel placed on her stomach, but soon there was a fuzzy image on the screen.
They both watched intensely as the technician moved the small wand around her belly, stopping every few seconds and clicking buttons on his monitor. Chad wanted to strangle the guy and demand he tell them everything was going to be all right.
Chad looked on, but couldn’t see anything even sort of resembling a person inside her. Was something wrong? He had to fight not to shout.
“I’m just getting a few pictures of the womb right now. Your baby is very small at this point. Not even the size of a shelled peanut, and there’s a lot of fluid and other internal things in the way, so it’s hard to catch a good shot, but give me a moment longer,” the guy finally spoke. It was a good thing, because Chad didn’t think he could take much more silence.
The doctor bent down and looked at a place on the monitor where the technician had paused. They both spoke quietly for a moment and Chad felt a bead of sweat run down his brow. He was startled by how intense his emotions were. He’d never thought it possible to love something so much that he hadn’t even known he wanted.
“You both will be pleased to know the baby is developing exactly as it should at this point in the pregnancy. This first machine gave us valuable information we needed. Now, Henry is hooking up our three dimensional ultrasound. Your baby is in a great position, so you’re going to get a fairly clear image of him. At ten weeks along, your child is about an inch long and weighs less than an ounce,” Dr. Bailey explained.
They both let out relieved breaths at the doctor’s words. Bree turned toward Chad and sent him a stunning smile that would’ve dropped him to his knees had he not already been sitting. She had her color back and looked even more radiant than before. Pregnancy was beautiful on her – as was everything else.
“So, I can go home, right?” she asked.
“Yes. You’re doing great. All signs point toward a full recovery and a healthy pregnancy,” Dr. Bailey answered. He left out the amnesia. They didn’t dwell on that as it would hopefully cure itself in time.
“Here’s your baby,” he said and they turned back to the screen. Before them was the image of their infant. It was obvious the baby was awake and moving around. Chad was dazed to see what looked like tiny arms moving in front of a large head. The image made it appear bigger than a peanut.
“Remember, this image is blown up, but your baby is almost fully developed. They grow rapidly at this stage of pregnancy. In a few weeks he, or she, will be fully formed, just have a lot of growing left to do. The first three months of pregnancy move the fastest in terms of development,” Dr. Bailey informed them. Neither could take their eyes from the screen and they only absently nodded at his words. It was amazing to watch the tiny babe moving inside her body.
“Would you like to hear the heartbeat now?”
“Yes.” They both answered in unison and then smiled at each other.
Chad was already filled with unbelievable love for his son or daughter, but when the sound of its already beating heart filled the room, he thought his own would burst. Such a strong sound for something so tiny.
Bree wasn’t ready for the flood of love and protectiveness that washed through her. She couldn’t remember a thing about her life, but it didn’t matter. None of it did. Before her was the image of the life she carried within her, and the room was filled with the strong sound of its beating heart. Chad was holding her hand – she felt complete. Her stress drained away and she wanted to stay in the moment for as long as possible.
“Because of the medical conditions, I want to see you next week. If everything is still going great, we’ll go to every two weeks for a couple months. I want to see you a bit more than normal, just to make sure you and your baby stay healthy and safe. If you can promise me that, I’ll sign your release forms,” Dr. Bailey offered.
Bree quickly agreed. She would sign away anything just to leave – but she wanted to keep an eye on the baby, too, so agreeing to extra doctor visits wasn’t a hardship.
Dr. Bailey left them alone to get their emotions under control, while the technician printed them their first pictures of their child.
“Thank you, Bree. Thank you for this gift,” Chad told her once they were alone. Bree looked at him and felt her heart flutter. She had so many questions, but none of them mattered in that moment. She slowly stood up, anxious to get dressed, when Chad surprised her by coming around the side of the bed and lifting her off the ground in a spine shattering hug.
She didn’t even think about resisting him, she wanted his arms around her. She wanted more – so much more. Chad loosened his grip, but didn’t release her. All of a sudden they were standing chest to chest, their faces only inches apart, and Bree’s breath hitched again. Not from nerves or fear, but from pure excitement.
She could fully understand how she’d gotten pregnant. Her stomach tightened with need, desire racing through her blood.
She watched as Chad’s eyes darkened, answering the need in her own face. She felt the pressure on her stomach as his need made itself known to her, pressing against her softness. The knowledge that she’d made this stronger than life man hard, caused her knees to tremble. She let out a moan without realizing it, and Chad quickly closed the gap between them.
As his lips brushed against hers, Bree moaned again. Sensation washed through her body as he molded his mouth against hers. She readily opened to his seeking tongue, and felt storm clouds building inside her.
She pushed against his hardness, feeling power when he trembled against her. She was turning this strong man to a quivering mass. She wanted more – wanted to make him cry out, like he was making her.
She ran her hands up his solid arms, raking her short nails against his tan skin. She reached his neck
and would’ve smiled had her lips not been occupied, when she felt bumps appear on his skin. He deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue far inside the recesses of her mouth.
Chad moved his hands to the back of her hospital gown, easily slipping inside the paper-thin robe. She shuddered as his large hands made contact with her bare skin. More. She had to have all of him.
She lost complete control and didn’t care. She was safe. She was wanted. She was needed. She loved him, she somehow just knew it.
Chad reached down to lift her in his arms, having every intention of setting her on the hard hospital bed and taking her right there, when a knock on the door stopped him cold. It was better than an icy shower. He quickly shielded Bree’s body, to give her time to get her gown back in place as the door opened.
“Are you decent, Honey?” George asked as he cracked the door. “The doctor said I just missed the ultrasound but that you had some pictures for me.”
George stepped in and looked from Chad’s flushed face to Bree’s shaking form behind him, and quickly put two and two together.
“I’m sorry to interrupt. I’ll just wait out here for you,” he said as he started to close the door. Bree was mortified to have been caught necking, by her father, nonetheless – even if she didn’t remember him being her dad. She did know he loved her – as he’d been at the hospital almost as much as Chad.
“It’s okay d… dad,” she stammered. She still tripped on the name, but felt wrong calling him George. He’d told her it was all right if she needed to, but he’d said it with suspiciously moist eyes. “We just finished the ultrasound and Chad was just getting ready to leave so I can get dressed,” she finished. She was bright red as she said the words, but George let her get away with the lie.
“I’ll wait outside with your father,” Chad said. His entire body was on fire, and he knew he was going to have a difficult time walking, but she needed a few minutes to compose herself and get dressed. He’d been hoping to help her dress… after he’d gotten rid of the gown and sunk himself deep inside her.
He tried to rid himself of those thoughts. It wasn’t helping his situation, and really not helping the pain in his lower body. He shifted as he stood awkwardly next to George. He really needed to get her alone – and in a bed.
“We’ll be right outside, then,” George answered with a smile before stepping back out the door.
“I don’t think it gets more embarrassing than that,” Bree said with a small laugh.
“It could have if he’d been two minutes later,” Chad said. He laughed as he saw the horror dawn on her face. Then he stepped through the doors and leaned his head against the cool metal. He couldn’t seem to keep it together around her. He was beginning to think that wasn’t such a bad thing.
Chapter Nine
“I don’t like it,” Trenton said with his arms folded across his chest. It seemed everyone was against him on the matter, though.
“I think it’s safest. The doctor said she shouldn’t be forced into anything, plus this way Chad can still keep a watch on her,” George argued.
“He doesn’t seem to be doing such a great job,” he snapped, instantly regretted his words because he knew Chad was eating himself up about Bree getting hurt. It wasn’t Chad’s fault Bree had been shot. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for,” he quickly added.
“I understand,” Chad replied. He would’ve gladly taken that bullet, but they couldn’t dwell on it. They had no choice but to move forward, and at that moment they were discussing where Bree was going after her hospital release.
“Look, she’s comfortable around me. I can look after her and my baby. Mark is only a couple miles away and you can camp in my back yard if you want,” Chad said. He wanted Bree with him and wasn’t compromising on the subject.
“It’s not like he can get her any more pregnant,” Mark added with a chuckle. Trenton shot daggers at his cousin.
“Like you’re a monk,” Alex added. Trenton felt they were teaming up against him. He didn’t like it one bit.
“We’re not discussing me,” Trenton said, but he knew they were right. His sister wasn’t a teenager anymore. He figured the protective feelings just never went away. He felt like Chad was taking advantage of the situation.
“Listen, I understand how you feel. But you have to realize at some point that Bree is an adult and she wasn’t hurt when she made the decision to sleep with me. She’s carrying my child. That means something to me. I plan on marrying her.”
“Besides, her memory will come back, and if she’s at home when it happens, there’s going to be hell to pay. She’ll accuse us of taking advantage of the situation, then we could lose her permanently. I think she needs to stay with Chad for now. He’ll keep her safe,” Austin jumped in.
Trenton reluctantly nodded his head but it was obvious he wasn’t happy about the situation.
“Now that we got that settled, we should stop fighting before Bree turns the corner and wonders what it’s all about. It wouldn’t do her recovery any good to know she’s got a stalker,” George reminded them.
Within a few minutes, Bree joined them in the waiting area. She had a tentative smile on her face as she glanced toward the door, obviously wanting to exit the hospital before the doctor changed his mind and told her she couldn’t leave.
“Let’s get out of here, shall we?” Chad said, placing his arm around her back. She looked a bit lost, but was more than happy to follow him from the sterile room.
“We haven’t discussed where I’m going. I don’t even know where I live,” Bree said, starting to feel her first stirrings of panic. It was disorienting to not know anything about her life.
“We’re going home,” Chad simply answered.
“Do we live together?”
“Yes,” he answered somewhat truthfully. He had been staying with her so it wasn’t exactly a lie. He had a feeling it was going to come back and bite him later, but he’d deal with that then.
“Okay,” she said, seeming unsure, but putting her trust in him, anyway.
“We’ll meet you at the ranch,” George said before giving Bree a quick hug.
“Don’t you think you all should wait a day or two before overwhelming her?” Chad asked. His question was ignored as everyone headed for their vehicles. They already had a welcome home party planned, and whether Bree was ready or not, she was about to be inundated with family.
Chad helped Bree into his truck, then went around and climbed into the driver’s seat. He turned the radio to a country station and quietly started navigating the vehicle, letting her get used to the idea of finally being free from what she considered a prison.
“How far away is the house?”
“It’s about a half hour from the hospital.”
“Do I like living in the country?”
“I just bought this property. Before you went into the hospital, we were staying in a small house on the outskirts of town. I think you’ll really enjoy the ranch, though. We have horses, cows, chickens, goats, and a few other creatures running around,” he answered, his voice filled with excitement.
Bree felt a stirring of familiarity at his words. Maybe she’d spent time on a ranch before. She started to feel excitement as they left the city and glided past fields of hay, gently blowing in the breeze.
It didn’t seem like much time passed when Chad turned off the main road and started traveling down a long gravel driveway. Her head turned from side to side as she tried to take in everything around her. She looked out at the fruit trees and could practically feel the burst of flavor on her tongue. She knew she’d spent time climbing apple trees and plucking fruit from their branches. She just didn’t know when she’d done it.
They turned a bend in the road and her eyes widened at the number of cars lined up in front of a huge three story home. She heard Chad curse and turned in his direction.
“I told your family to take it easy and let you get adjusted first, but they don’t seem to listen. It was only supposed to
be immediate family members but it looks like they brought the entire gang. If you want me to turn around and take you to a hotel for the night, I will,” he offered when he saw her frightened expression.
“No, I’ll be okay. It’s obvious my family loves me, which is great. It’s better to be overwhelmed, than have nobody at all,” she answered. Chad would see if she still felt that way in a few hours.
“You’re home. I’m so glad you’re okay,” Jennifer said as she rushed up and threw her arms around Bree as soon as she stepped from the vehicle.
“Aunt Bree, I missed you,” Molly cried out as she ran up to them and joined in on the hub.
“I missed you, too,” Bree automatically answered. She hugged both of them, though she still didn’t recognize anyone. She was then passed from one pair of arms to the next for several minutes. It brought tears to her eyes, all the love she was receiving. She seemed to be a very lucky person.
“We have the steaks going, cousin. Come sit down and relax for a while,” Mark said when she finally made it into the house. She looked around the large entrance with sparse furnishings.
“Come out back, Sweetie. We have a nice chair all set up for you,” Joseph called in a voice that made Bree jump. She knew he was her uncle, but the man was a bit intimidating. He was as huge as a mountain, with a voice that could easily command an army.
“Joseph, you’re scaring the poor girl. Let her get settled,” Esther said as she came up and put her arm around Bree.
“Nonsense. My niece would never be afraid of me,” Joseph protested.
“Humph,” Esther replied before whisking Bree away. Bree had to admit she was grateful for the woman’s interference.
“I’m sorry, this is all just a little overwhelming,” Bree admitted quietly to the kind woman leading her to a secluded space in the back yard.
“It’s alright, dear. Your family means well, and they love you deeply, but sometimes they can be a bit much to handle,” Esther said with a knowing wink.
