A Baby for the Vet (Boys of Rockford Series Book 4)

by Henley Maverick

  I knew that was one of those worst things to say in a situation like this, but I had no idea what else I was supposed to tell him.

  “What happened?” His eyes were trained on the road as he swerved to take our exit.

  “I went to see Tenley, and when I came back, I used the bathroom, and there was blood,” I said, in a small voice. “I was about to drive myself to the hospital when you showed up.”

  “Why didn’t you call me?”

  He wasn’t scolding me. He was just genuinely confused.

  I hesitated. “I wasn’t sure if I could after what happened -”

  When I trailed off, Dean dragged his eyes off the road and gave me a look. “Kaitlyn. I don’t care what’s happening between us, but if you ever need to go to the hospital, you shouldn’t think twice about calling me, okay?”

  I bobbed my head up and down. “Yes, I know. That was out of line and selfish of me. I’m sorry. I’m glad you were there.”

  I honestly had no idea what I would’ve done if Dean hadn’t showed up.

  This didn’t qualify as an emergency, so I couldn’t call the ambulance, and everyone I knew lived too far away, so I knew it was a distinct possibility that I would have to drive myself.

  I picked up the phone and dropped it a few times because my nerves were shot.

  I’d never been more freaked out to see blood, and I’d seen my fair share. I clutched my stomach protectively as the lady on the phone explained that the nearest hospital was only 15 minutes away, and the ambulance was stuck on the other side of the city.

  My hands were shaking as I picked up my keys and told myself to get it together. When I saw Dean on the other side, I knew God must be on my side.

  It was pure fate that he happened to be there right when I needed him the most.

  Dean took one hand off the steering wheel and loosely intertwined his fingers with mine. “It’s going to be okay. We’re 8 minutes away, okay?”

  I squeezed his hand. “Okay. It’s going to be okay.”

  “How are you feeling now?”

  “I feel fine,” I said after a minute as I stared down at my body as if it would somehow give me cue cards.

  A small smile lifted in the corner of his lips. “Good. That’s a good sign I think. I’m not a gynecologist, but the fact that you’re upright and acting normal has to be a good sign.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Let’s talk about something else till we get there,” he suggested. “How’s Tenley? And Co?”

  “They’re good. It was strange seeing her like that though,” I commented as I leaned back into the chair and tried to push my worry for our baby out of my head.

  “How so?”

  “I wondered if I was looking into a mirror, you know. Is that going to be my life? Vomit in my hair and snot dripping off my shirt?”

  Dean choked back a laugh till he realized I wasn’t kidding. “Oh, wait. You’re serious?”

  “Of course, I’m serious. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “I’m sure it won’t be that bad,” he assured me, and I could see the faint outline of the hospital up ahead. It was shorter than the other buildings, but its presence was more keenly felt.

  “I don’t know.” I looked down at our hands.

  Dean pulled to stop and turned to face me. “I know things are weird between us now, and we still need to talk about stuff at some point, but for now, you know you’re not alone, right?”

  “Really?” I peaked at him. “Are you sure?”

  “Kaitlyn, I’ve been here since you told me, haven’t I? If that doesn’t prove that I’m in this for the long haul, I don’t know what else will.”

  He unsnapped his seatbelt and was by my side in an instant, instinctively wrapping his arms around my waist as I leaned into his warmth.

  As soon as we stepped in through the doors, he yelled for a nurse as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders protectively. Someone ran across the linoleum floors to get the doctor, and we were taken to the ER.

  “I know you’re here,” I said, finally. “Thank you.”

  He offered me a surprised smile. “You’re welcome.”

  “Ms. Alexander, how are you feeling today?” The doctor greeted as he pulled back the curtain and shut it behind him.

  He looked like he was in late 40’s with salt and pepper hair, a lean build and intelligent brown eyes. I leaned back wearily as I kept an eye on him.

  I was suddenly feeling quite protective of my little Bean even though I knew the doctor was here to help me.

  “I was doing fine until recently,” I said as I watched him slip on latex gloves and reach for his equipment.

  “Good, good,” he commented as he walked up to me with a smile on his face. “How are your eating habits?”

  “They’re good?” I phrased it as more of a question than a statement as I shot Dean a look. Dean shrugged in response as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “So, you eat well and exercise regularly?”

  “I eat relatively well. I don’t really exercise, doc,” I admitted as I tucked my hair behind my ear.

  The doctor clucked as he pulled up a chair and asked me to shift my legs apart. I coughed awkwardly as I spread my legs open.

  “You should exercise,” he advised. “You should tell your wife to exercise.”

  Dean looked startled for a second. “She’s not my wife, but sure. Doctor, she was bleeding. Aren’t you concerned by that?”

  “Of course, I am, but I need to determine the cause first, and panicking won’t help you now, will it?” he said, calmly. He sounded like a professional who’d been in this situation before, and who knew exactly what he was doing.

  I relaxed infinitesimally as I leaned back and breathed deeply.

  “What do you do for a living, Kaitlyn?” the doctor asked.

  “I’m an event planner,” I responded, promptly.

  “I don’t know if that’s a stressful job, but be careful of any undue stress. Babies are easily affected by that sort of thing.”

  I tilted my head and pushed my head up using my elbows. “They are?”

  “Oh, yes, of course. Babies can sense a lot of what you’re sensing. That’s why you have to be careful,” he said, gently. “Let’s take a look then.”

  His salt and pepper hair disappeared between my legs, and I tried not to squirm as I felt him down there. Dean looked like he would rather be anywhere else as he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the next.

  I had a sudden unquenchable urge to laugh.

  The man who got me pregnant was standing across from my doctor who had his head between my legs.

  There was something comical about the whole thing, and I had to bite down on my lips to keep the laughter from bubbling over. I didn’t know it would be entirely appropriate.

  Was this what hysterical laughter felt like?

  “How far along are you?”

  The doctor’s muffled voice floated up.

  “Almost 4 months,” I calculated. “I just had a checkup recently.”

  The doctor poked his head up and smiled. “And everything was alright? No problems?”

  “None at all,” I confirmed.

  The doctor wheeled the chair back and slipped off the latex gloves. He reached for his clipboard and began to mark a few things.

  “Is everything okay?” Dean asked, his voice tinged with concern.

  “Just eliminating the possibilities, but yes, everything is fine.”

  He left the room for a second and returned with a sonogram machine. “Just dotting my i’s and crossing my t’s.”

  The wand moved slowly over my stomach and we could hear the whooshing of the baby’s heartbeat. After a few minutes, the doctor wiped my stomach clean and announced that our son was fine. Son?!

  I looked at Dean, and even he was a little teary-eyed at the unprompted gender reveal. Then, we realized the doctor was talking so we refocused on him.

  The doctor looked between us, and repeated his question. �
�Have you been sexually active recently?”

  I began to cough suddenly, the question hitting me out of left field as I hacked. Dean stepped forward and began to pat me on the back to help it subside.

  The tips of Dean’s ears were pink as he studiously avoided the doctor’s gaze. I glared at him accusingly, but he was refusing to make eye contact with me.

  The little coward.

  This was not how I imagined this conversation going.

  When I pictured discussing my sex life with Dean, the last thing I expected was a man who was in his 50s holding up a clipboard and hanging on my every word.

  I sighed as a blush stole across my cheeks. “Yes.”

  The doctor’s grin widened. “Ah, then we have the root of the problem.”

  “Having sex makes you bleed?” Dean blurted out, his mouth slightly agape as his eyes bulged out of their sockets.

  He looked about as shocked as I felt, and I wanted to pick his mouth up off the floor and drag him back to the corner where he was quiet.

  The doctor gave a hearty chuckle. “Not like that. It’s not serious. It’s not that common, but it’s not unusual.”

  “What does that mean?” I mused as Dean said. “Huh?”

  “It means you’re fine. Slight bleeding if you have intercourse isn’t anything to worry about,” he clarified as he stood up and rubbed his hands against each other. “This is the first time this has happened, right?”

  “Having sex?” I asked, confused.

  The doctor threw his head back and laughed. “I meant bleeding after intercourse.”

  “Oh.” The color in my cheeks deepened. “Yes. It’s the first time I’ve been sexually active since the baby.”

  Dean shot me a look that I spotted out of the corner of my eye.

  “Okay then there is nothing to worry about. A little bleeding is not a major concern. Just remember to take it easy, and if it gets worse, give me a call.”

  He handed me his card, but before I could reach for it, Dean took it in and placed it in his pocket. I shot him an irritated look but said nothing.

  “Thank you, doctor,” I said gratefully as I stood up and held out my hand.

  He shook my hand firmly.

  “Thank you, doc,” Dean said, sincerely as he held the door open for me, and we made our way out.

  20

  Dean

  Kaitlyn and I didn’t speak as we headed towards her car.

  I wanted to ask her how she felt and if she was okay. There was a myriad of questions zooming through my brain at warp speed, but just when I got a hold of one, it flitted away, and I was left feeling speechless.

  Standing across the room from that doctor and not having the courage to say anything wasn’t my finest moment, but I wanted to play it safe.

  I didn’t know how much Kaitlyn wanted me to share, so I figured I would leave it up to her, but the truth was a lot simpler.

  I was a coward.

  For all my talk about being there and not abandoning them, I was scared shitless. What did I know about being a father?

  I had no idea what to do.

  Sure, I had a stable job, but that didn’t guarantee that I could provide for my child. To be able to give him all the things he wanted and needed. And what about Kaitlyn?

  I wanted to take care of her too.

  Why would having a secure job mean that I was going to be able to do any of that?

  It wasn’t just about finances.

  My parents taught me that lesson.

  Emotional support was just as crucial if not more important than their physical well-being. Unfortunately, I wasn’t entirely sure how to go about expressing that.

  Aside from the people I was close to, and there were a handful, I couldn’t even begin to understand the dynamics in a family.

  My parents were divorced.

  They were those people who were still friendly and civilized after separating though, and that’s why they instilled such a strong sense of right and wrong in me.

  They just didn’t prepare me for this.

  Not that they would know what to say.

  Nobody did.

  Not even Charity did, and she was my best friend who usually had a hair brained scheme for everything. She looked stunned enough when she learned I was going to be a father, so how did I explain this to her?

  This feeling that was growing inside my chest?

  I could barely explain it to myself.

  I nearly sagged under the weight of my relief when the doctor said that both the baby and Kaitlyn were okay. I would just have to be more gentle with her.

  I could do that.

  If she’d let me.

  Of course, now I wondered if I was going to be allowed anywhere near her.

  She didn’t seem too keen on that idea when the doctor told her that’s what harmed the baby, even though he was quick to tell her that she didn’t have to stop.

  In any case, it wasn’t like I wanted to jump back into bed with her.

  There were a few things we needed to discuss first.

  Namely us.

  If there was an ‘us’.

  The walk to her car seemed to take forever because we were both moving at a snail’s pace.

  “Kaitlyn,” I said. “Why are you so afraid of love?”

  She froze and looked at me over her shoulder. “What are you talking about?”

  “Why are you afraid of love?” I repeated. “I’ve seen the way you clam up and scoff in disbelief whenever you see genuine displays of it, so my question is why.”

  She eyed me cautiously. “It’s not that. It’s a bit more complicated than that, Dean. My parents weren’t exactly the typical loving type. They care for each other, but they don’t love each other, and there is a fine line between the two. Even kids notice that.”

  I nodded and gestured for her to continue.

  She sighed as she leaned against the car and crossed one leg over the other. “I don’t know what real love looks like, Dean. I mean, sure I love my parents and my siblings, but the romantic love? I don’t know anything about that.”

  “You’ve never had that?”

  A lot of things became apparent to me about Kaitlyn in that moment. It changed my view of her, and I immediately softened towards her.

  “No, I can’t say that I have,” she admitted. “I thought that I knew, but I guess looking back, I always went for guys who either had commitment issues or just didn’t want to commit to begin with. That way it was easier not to get attached. If we felt like things got too serious, we’d call it off.”

  “Sounds lonely.”

  “Not really.” She shook her head. “It worked out. Both parties knew what they were getting into. We weren’t under any illusions because we went into it clear-headed.”

  “But you can’t stop people from getting attached to each other,” I protested. “It isn’t human nature.”

  “You can if you set certain boundaries.”

  “Such as?”

  “No family events or hanging out with close friends. No cuddling. Other rules vary depending on the person,” she clarified as she cleared her throat. “Look, I know what it sounds like, but it wasn’t that bad. It was a good way to keep our hearts from getting broken.”

  “Yeah, but it was also a good way to make sure you never opened yourself up to anything real,” I pointed out.

  She bit down on her lip and didn’t say anything for the longest time. “Yes, I guess so, but I thought I wasn’t missing out on much. The white picket fence dream just isn’t for me, or at least, I thought it wasn’t.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know, Dean. Jesus. It’s not like I was expecting you. You just came out of nowhere, and everything’s been different since you came along. I find myself wanting things I didn’t used to crave before. I used to scoff at my friends whenever they’d talk about their partners. Like someone really pulled the wool over their eyes. Now, I wonder. I think the wool was pulled over my eyes all along.”


  She shook her head and laughed. “I know I’ve been horrible to you, but it’s only because I was afraid.”

  “It’s okay to be afraid, Kaitlyn. As long as you don’t let that fear control you,” I said, gently as I reached out for her hand. Our fingers were loosely intertwined, and I was surprised she let me.

  “I don’t know if I know how to do that,” she admitted as she stared down at our hands. “I’ve never been in a real relationship, Dean. I’m used to taking care of myself which isn’t a bad thing, but what if I don’t know how to let anyone in?”

  “You do,” I assured her. “It’ll come to you naturally if you let it.”

  “What if it doesn’t? Why would you want to be with someone like that? I don’t understand.”

  I used my other hand to run my thumb across her cheek. I tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear. All the while her eyes followed my every movement, and I could see the fear reflected there, and I wanted to help.

  “Do you know that when we’re young, boys are taught that they can’t be afraid? That it doesn’t make them manly? I always hated that. Emotions are meant to be felt, not suppressed, especially fear.”

  Kaitlyn gave me a bewildered look.

  “I realized that fear is what makes me human. It means I have something that I don’t want to lose, so it’s something I want to fight for. I can’t see the future, Kaitlyn, and I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  Kaitlyn nodded, her eyes welling up with tears.

  “You drive me nuts, do you know that?” I laughed as I shook my head and clasped both her hands in mine. “You can be an annoying know-it-all, stubborn as hell and generally a pain in the ass.”

  “That speech was going so well,” she commented, dryly, an amused smile tugging on the corner of her lips.

  “Let me finish,” I responded. “However, you also still seek your parent’s approval in spite of the strained relationship, you love what you do, and you work hard to make sure that whatever event you’re planning flourishes, but most of all, I’ve seen how big your heart is.”

  Kaitlyn opened her mouth then shut it again.

  “So, you’re afraid to get your heart broken. Who isn’t? I think it would be weird if you didn’t. You’ve never had a man treat you like a goddess, Kaitlyn, and you deserve that. You deserve someone who will hold you close at night and challenge you in the morning. Someone who isn’t afraid to push back when you have an attitude and will kiss you when you’re feeling down.”