Unforeseen Heartbeat

by Maureen Mayer

  My shoulders slumped in relief. “Jesus, you scared me there for a second. I just got it…” I counted back to my last shot, which I had received in May. That was… oh fuck! That was nearly six months ago! I was supposed to get a shot every three months, which meant I should have gotten one at the end of August and one this past week. After everything that went down with Tucker, and all of the newly found drama surrounding my life, it must have completely slipped my mind. Ohmigod, Robbie wasn’t joking around after all… I might actually be pregnant!

  “Shit, shit, shit!” I crawled over to the toilet, quickly lifting the lid as I retched at the likelihood that I was caring a child inside me right now.

  “I take it I was right?” He resumed his position behind me, holding my hair and gently rubbing my back.

  “Please don’t rub it in,” I groaned, my stomach twisting in knots.

  “If it makes you feel better, there’s still a chance that you’re not pregnant. Sometimes it takes several months to conceive after you stop using birth control.”

  “That’s true. I vaguely remember the doctor saying it could take up to nine months after my last shot.”

  “See, there you go! I still think you should take a test to be sure, though. Just to be on the safe side. You don’t want to end up finding out three or four months down the road when you’re starting to show,” Robbie chuckled under his breath while helping me to my feet. He cleaned up my face and fixed my hair so that I looked somewhat presentable when I exited the bathroom. “Everything’s going to be fine, all right, baby girl?” I nodded, and he took my hand, leading me back to the dining room.

  All eyes were on me as I approached the table and in that moment I felt like everyone knew. What if Robbie hadn’t been the only one to suspect that I might be pregnant? My body went rigid as my mother came over and wrapped her arms around me. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to hold the tears at bay, but all I really wanted to do was cry against her shoulder and have her tell me everything was going to be okay. She cradled my face in her hands the way a mother does when she knows her child is hurting and gave me a sad smile.

  “Sweetie, why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well? Shayne mentioned that you had gotten sick earlier, too. You know we wouldn’t have been upset if you couldn’t make it tonight.”

  “I know, Mom, but I didn’t think I was going to be sick again. Besides, I really wanted to see everyone. We never get together like this anymore.”

  “Well, there’s always Christmas, sweetheart. Maybe you can bring that new man of yours with you, so we can finally meet him.” My father mumbled something under his breath about chastity belts, and Mom shot me a knowing wink. “Now, you go on home and get in bed. I’ll stop by tomorrow with some of your father’s homemade turkey soup.” Robbie draped his arm around my shoulder and handed me my purse. “You take good carry of my baby, you hear?”

  “Will do, Mrs. H.” He kissed her cheek, giving her a side hug.

  We said our goodbyes and headed out to Hunter’s car. Robbie offered to drive, and I gratefully sank down in the passenger seat, releasing a deep breath. “Do you think anyone else suspects that…”

  “That your eggo is preggo?” He smirked, and I punched his arm. “Damn, kid, your mom is feisty.”

  “Will you knock it off? This isn’t funny, Robbie! What if I am pregnant? What am I going to do?”

  “Baby girl, there is only one way to find out, and you know what? We’re going to get to the bottom of it right now.” He turned down Main Street, and I knew he was heading straight for the 24-hour drug store that remained open even on holidays.

  “Now?! No, Robbie, please. Can’t we wait until tomorrow or maybe over the weekend, so I can let the whole idea of maybe being pregnant settle in?”

  He pulled up to a red light and turned so that he was facing me. “You know you’re just going to torture yourself the longer you wait. Once you know for sure, you can figure out where to go from there, but for now, bite the bullet and chug some water because, woman, you got some sticks to pee on when we get home!”

  It was hard not to laugh when Robbie was trying to stay positive and light-hearted about the whole situation, but me, I was scared shitless. I loved kids, and I couldn’t wait for the chance to embrace motherhood and start my own family. I just never thought that day would come so soon, and my greatest fear, the one that had my stomach doing a parade of somersaults, was that Hunter might not want that with me. We had only known each other for three months and officially been a couple for one. If I told him I was pregnant with his baby, who was to say he wouldn’t go running for the hills, leaving me behind with a living, breathing reminder of the love we once shared? Even Shayne admitted that, had I told him I was pregnant at the time, he would have denied the child I was carrying was his. Would Hunter do the same? Oh God, I couldn’t lose him. Not now. I never thought I could love someone as much as I loved him, so fully and unconditionally, and losing him would devastate me. It would literally rip my beating heart straight from my chest.

  But right now, I had more important things to worry about than losing Hunter… like the tiny life I very well may be carrying inside me.

  It didn’t take long for the truth hit me like a ton of bricks and knock me flat on my ass.

  Robbie had gone into the drug store and purchased five… yes, you heard me correctly… FIVE pregnancy tests along with a liter bottle of water. He seemed even more eager to find out than I did, which was probably a good thing, because had he not pushed me to deal with this issue right from the get-go, I wouldn’t have been staring at five positive pregnancy tests laid out across the bathroom counter. I didn’t occur to me that I was holding my breath until my legs began to buckle, and I fell to the floor on my hands and knees.

  Robbie crouched down beside me and tentatively reached for my hand. “You’re gonna be a mom,” he said as a grin slowly spread across his face.

  I shook my head, and tears quickly filled my eyes as I absorbed the full impact of that revelation. “I’m gonna be a mom.” I replayed those words over and over in my head, and it still felt so surreal. I was going to be a mom.

  “So how do you feel about all of this? I mean, obviously it wasn’t planned, but you’re handling it a lot better than I thought you would. You haven’t thrown anything or hit me yet,” he teased. “And is that a hint of a smile I see?”

  I laughed through the tears and sat up, leaning my head on Robbie’s shoulder. “Yes, I’m smiling.”

  “So I take it those are happy tears then?”

  I nodded and wiped the moisture from my eyes. “Definitely happy tears. I’m surprised, that’s for sure, but definitely happy… and still scared out of my fucking mind.” I let out a small laugh.

  “Why are you scared, baby girl?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I’m just worried I won’t be a very good mom. Shit, I’m not even twenty-one yet, Robbie. What do I know about raising a baby?”

  “Maddie.” He tipped my chin up so that I could look directly into his crystalline, blue eyes. “You know age doesn’t have jack shit to do with whether or not you’ll be a good mom. My mom was only eighteen when she had me, and I couldn’t have asked for a better mother. We might not be on the best terms right now, but that’s a whole other story… My point is, everyone is clueless with their first kid, but it’s a learning experience. You’ll pick things up along the way and find what works best for you. I bet by the time you’re popping out your second kid, you’ll be an old pro.” He pressed his lips to my forehead. “Plus, you have all of us to help you out, and I know your mom will be over the moon when she hears about this. She’s been dying to turn your room into a nursery.”

  “Yeah, she mentioned that I should give her fair enough warning so she can get started on it.” I shoved his shoulder back, giggling. “And who said anything about two kids? Let’s wait and see how things go with this one first.” I placed my hand over my stomach, and that’s when reality finally set in. In a few months,
my tummy would be swollen and round with Hunter’s child growing inside me. Hunter. How was I going to break the news to him that he was going to be a father? What if he wasn’t ready for all of this? Fuck, I’m not even ready for this!

  Robbie pulled me up off of the bathroom floor and helped get me settled in bed. He brought me some dry toast and a glass of ginger ale, both of which I was glad I was able to keep down, since my stomach had been emptied of the French toast I had earlier. Lying down beside me on Hunter’s side of the bed, he propped himself up with his arm tucked beneath his head. “So, have you given any thought as to how you’re going to break the news to your baby daddy?”

  I finished the last bite of toast and brushed the crumbs off my lips. My hands sat tangled in my lap, feeling rather fidgety and on edge. “No. I think that’s what I’m more afraid of than anything. What if he doesn’t want this baby?” I splayed my hand protectively over my flat tummy.

  “Are you shitting me? You seriously think he wouldn’t want a baby with you? Girl, that man is so head over heels in love with you, I’m surprised he didn’t knock you up the second he laid eyes on your gorgeous face. He would never deny himself the opportunity to be a father to his own kid. Why would you ever think that?”

  “I don’t know. When I spoke to Shayne earlier, he mentioned that even if he had known I was pregnant, he would have denied the baby was his. I think hearing that was almost as bad as taking the life of our child.” I sniffled, feeling the tears building up once again.

  “Maddie, he was a completely different person back then, and so were you. Just promise me one thing, okay? Before you make any life altering decisions, promise me you won’t keep this a secret from Hunter. He deserves to know.”

  I nodded and looked up at him, but he didn’t appear to be entirely convinced. “I promise. Trust me, I don’t want to pull the same shit that I did with Shayne. I would never do that to the man I love. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret even if I wanted to. You really think I can pull off covering up an extra thirty or forty pounds in a couple of months?”

  “Aww man, I can’t wait to see you all fat and hobbling around like a little penguin.” He rubbed his hands together, enthralled by the image he had drawn up in his head.

  “Shut up. I’m going to look like a fucking whale.”

  “Well, you’ll be the prettiest fucking whale this side of the Mississippi,” he drawled.

  “Ohmigod, you sound like such a redneck!” I giggled. “You better not have my son or daughter talking like that, or I swear I’ll be forced to use some of those moves I learned from Hunter on you.”

  “Hey, don’t go blaming Uncle Robbie if that baby comes out wearing overalls and riding a tractor. At least the little squirt will already have the missing teeth to match the ensemble.”

  My body shook, laughing uncontrollably as I pictured what he had just described. “Now that you mention it, I wouldn’t be all that surprised, considering my little squirt’s daddy is from Texas. Oh my gosh, if it’s a girl, he’s going to scare the piss out of every boy that ever wants to date her with the way he runs his mouth about his guns!”

  I could see it now… Hunter answering the door to meet our daughter’s first date with a rifle in one hand and a shovel in the other. That poor boy would be running straight in the opposite direction before he ever stepped foot in the house. I knew I couldn’t have been more than three or four weeks into the pregnancy, and it would be another few months before I could find out the sex of our baby, but I had a pretty good feeling that it was going to be a girl. Call it mother’s intuition, but in my mind, I pictured a little girl with long blonde hair and the most beautiful gray eyes that matched her daddy’s perfectly.

  Crazy to think she was just a mere twinkle in my eye, and I already couldn’t wait to meet her.

  Sunday morning, I woke up feeling sick as a dog and had to call Liberty to cover my shift at AJ’s. I felt horrible, but bless her heart, she assured me it was no problem and that she could use the extra money toward the wedding. After getting off the phone with her, I lay back down on the couch, covering up with a throw blanket that smelled faintly like Hunter, and the second my head hit the cushions, I was out like a light. It wasn’t until I picked up on his delicious scent again, even stronger than before, that my eyes slowly peeled open. My head was in Hunter’s lap, and he was gently stroking my hair and smiling down at me.

  “Mornin’, beautiful. Or should I say afternoon?” He bent down to kiss me, and I could taste chocolate and peppermint on his lips.

  “When did you get home?” I sat up, stretching my arms over my head.

  “Few hours ago. You looked so peaceful sleeping there that I didn’t have it in me to wake you up.”

  I repositioned myself so that I was straddling his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck, peppering his face with kisses. “I missed you.”

  He ran his nose along the curve of my throat and pressed his warm lips to my neck. I felt them spread into a smile. “Baby, you have no idea how much I missed you.”

  “Did you have a good time visiting with your family?”

  His smile faded but only for a second. “Yeah, and my mom wasn’t kidding when she said she had my entire trip planned out, but we all had a good time,” he chuckled softly, reaching down to cup his balls. “I even managed to keep my boys intact.”

  I giggled, giving him a quick peck on the lips. “Well, thank heavens for that!”

  Hunter’s eyes drank me in as he held my face, his hands encompassing the round curves of my cheekbones. “I was so worried about you, baby. Are you feeling any better?”

  I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth, debating if now was the right time to tell him about the baby, but I thought it might be better to wait until my appointment the following week to confirm the pregnancy. I didn’t want to get his hopes up just yet… or possibly scare him off.

  “It’s been on and off all weekend, but I’m finally starting to feel a bit better now. I think it was just a bad case of food poisoning.”

  “Well, if you’re feeling up to it, I think I’ll make you dinner tonight, and we can talk about my trip more then.” He tucked my hair behind my ear, lingering as he brushed the pad of his thumb over my cheek. “You look like you haven’t been sleeping much lately. Are you sure everything is okay?”

  My heart thundered in my chest, begging to spill the beans, but I kept my lips sealed up tight. I threaded my fingers through his silky, chestnut hair and smiled at him reverently. “Yeah. I’m just a little more tired than usual. Nothing a nice long nap can’t fix.”

  “All right,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips as he wrapped the blanket around me. “Why don’t you go back to sleep while I unpack? I’ll wake you up a little while before dinner is ready.”

  “Sounds good.” I snuggled back down on the couch and closed my eyes. “Love you.”

  I heard him pause on his way to the bedroom, and he let out a soft sigh. “Love you too, baby. More than you’ll ever know.” The bedroom door clicked behind him, and it didn’t take long for the sandman to pay me a much appreciated visit. I was going to need all of the sleep I could get in the next coming months as I prepared for the arrival of our little bundle of joy.

  Hunter woke me around six in the evening, and I could smell the delicious aroma of garlic, rosemary and thyme permeating throughout the apartment. My stomach growled in pangs of hunger, and I was sure my little squirt was just as hungry. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and quickly changed out of the pajamas I had been wearing all day before stepping into the kitchen to see the mouth-watering dinner Hunter had prepared for me. Either he was trying to suck up to me big time or he truly knew the way to my heart, but either way, he had done a damn good job.

  “This smells delicious!” I breathed in deep. “What did you make?”

  He gave me a panty-dropping smile that made me weak in the knees and pulled me into his side, pressing his lips to my temple. “Well, since you’re such a carnivore—”
I giggled because it was true, “—I made beef tenderloin and roasted sweet potatoes. Now, I know how much you hate veggies, so I tried something a little different that I think you might like… bacon wrapped asparagus.”

  “Mmm, baby, you had me at bacon.” I leaned up and kissed his full, inviting lips. “Thank you. You really didn’t have to go through all of this trouble, but my growling tummy sure will appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now go take a seat at the table, and I’ll make up a plate for you.” I spun on my heel, and he spanked my ass as I shuffled off over to the dining room.

  There were candles softly glowing on the table, and the lights were dimmed, setting the mood appropriately. A stunning bouquet of purple irises caught my attention at the center of the table, and I couldn’t help burying my nose in them and soaking up their sweet scent.

  “You like them?” He came up behind me, setting the plate down.

  “No.” I shook my head. “I love them.” I traced my fingers along the delicate petals, and a shiver ran down my spine when his hand skimmed over the small of my back. He pulled my chair out for me like always and seated himself on the opposite side of the table. The candles illuminated his handsome smile, and I could see little flecks of silver dancing in his eyes as his gaze bore into me with complete adoration.

  “Eat up before it gets cold, babe.” He nodded toward my plate, and I smiled at him before picking up my fork and digging in. Every bite tasted like heaven, but that was to be expected when Hunter was the one cooking; he never left my taste buds unsatisfied. I even surprised myself by finishing a second plateful of food, which was a relief considering I hadn’t been able to keep much down the last few days.

  “So how was the rest of your trip? Did you get a chance to spend time with your brother, or was your mom too busy hogging you?” I smirked at him, taking a bite of sweet potatoes, but he didn’t seem as amused by my comment as I had hoped. His knee was bouncing beneath the table, and he was rubbing the back of his neck nervously. I had no idea what he had to be so nervous about… I was the one dying to let the cat out of the bag here!