Rock the Heart

by Michelle A. Valentine

  Zach places his hand on my shoulder. “It’s going to be fine.”

  I stare into the eyes of my best friend. Marrying Aubrey and both of them preparing to have a baby of their own has changed him so much. We’ve gotten even closer, bonding over married-life with pregnant wives together. If someone would’ve told me a year ago, when we where fighting all the time, that we’d be here in this exact moment, I would’ve called them a liar.

  The elevator doors open with an audible ding. The screams of a woman in pain ring down the hall and Riff stops in his tracks. “Come on, man.”

  Riff shakes his head. “I think I’ll find the waiting area and hang out. Keep an eye on Aubrey, would you?”

  “Lane’s not the one yelling like that,” I say, trying to convince him to come with us.

  Another loud wail comes from the open door to our right. “Just the same, I don’t think it’s me she wants to see.”

  Riff presses the elevator button and steps in as soon as the doors open.

  I start after him, but Aubrey grabs my arm. “Let him go. He’s freaked out because we watched a birthing video yesterday. He’s afraid he’ll be scarred for life once he sees that with our kid.”

  I nod, completely understanding. “It’ll be different when it’s you. He’ll man up. I know he will.”

  She laughs. “We’ll see. Who would’ve thought bad-ass Zachery Riff Oliver gets turned into a scaredy-cat when it comes to childbirth.”

  I smile. “It’ll be so much fun to tease him about this later.”

  The moment Aubrey steps into the room, Lane reaches for her and cries, “I didn’t think you were going to make it.”

  Aubrey pushes strands of loose hair away from Lane’s face. “Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t miss the birth of my Godson for anything.”

  Lane smiles and I sigh. It’s the first smile I’ve seen since her labor started ten hours ago. “I can’t wait until my son and your daughter can play together. Have you picked out a name?”

  A contraction hits Lane hard, and she closes her eyes and breathes through it. Aubrey holds her hand and counts down, watching the arc of the monitor come down. “Good job, girl. You did it.”

  Lane sighs and opens her eyes. “Keep talking. It distracts me. What’s her name going to be?”

  “We’re naming her Hailey Lauren after Zach’s sister and mom.”

  “That’s so sweet.”

  The nurse that’s been with us for the last five hours comes into the room. Her dark hair is pulled into a tight ponytail on top of her head, making her short stature seem a little taller. “How are we doing in here?”

  “In a lot of pain,” Lane says.

  “Means you’re getting close. I’m going to check you again. Hopefully you’re at ten centimeters and you can start pushing. I’m going to need everyone but Dad to clear the room,” the nurse orders.

  Aubrey kisses Lane’s forehead. “Be strong, sweetie. I’m so excited to meet him. I’ll be with Zach in the waiting room.” Aubrey steps to me and hugs me. “Take care of her, Dad.” We laugh and I promise I will before Aubrey leaves the room.

  The nurse washes her hands and slips on a pair of gloves before sitting on the edge of Lane’s bed and reaching under the sheet between her legs. After a couple seconds the nurse grins. “Good news. You’re ten. Let me go grab the doctor and you can have this baby.”

  The moment she leaves the room I drag my chair up to Lane’s bedside. “I can’t believe we’re going to meet our son today.”

  She sniffs as tears roll down her face. “Me neither. I can’t wait to hold James in my arms.”

  I wipe her tear away with my thumb. “Your dad would love that we named our son after him.”

  “I love that, too,” she whispers.

  The doctor and a team full of nurses come charging through the door, setting up equipment and putting blue gowns overtop their clothes. The doctor finally turns to us after his mask is in place and asks, “You two ready for this?”

  Lane nods. “We are so ready.”

  I grab Lane’s hand. “Let’s do this.”

  Everything happens so fast. Stirrups pop out of the sides of the bed and the nurse that’s been with us all day grabs one of Lane’s feet and instructs me to do the same with the other. My eyes widen as the physician uses his fingers to massage the opening between Lane’s legs as my son’s head begins to crown.

  Nervous energy fills every inch of me. I’ve never been so excited to see something so gross in my entire life.

  The minutes tick by and Lane’s yells out in agony as she pushes James’s head completely out. “Oh, my god, Lane. You’re doing it, baby. Almost there! Just a little more. I see his face. He’s so beautiful.”

  “Okay, Lanie. One more big push to get the shoulders out, sweetheart and we’ll be all done,” the nurse encourages my wife. “On the count of three—push with everything you got. One, two, three...push. Push. Push. Push.”

  She bears down and grits her teeth. James continues to slide out, and the doctor grabs him and begins to pull at the same time. The medical staff suction his nose and mouth as both of his shoulders pass through the birth canal and a moment later our baby is completely out.

  My entire body shakes as I watch them suction his mouth out completely and he begins to cry. I lean down and kiss my wife, who is just as caught up in the moment as I am.

  “Congratulations! It’s a boy,” The doctor announces as he wraps the baby up and lays him on Lane’s chest.

  “Hi, James,” Lane whispers. “Welcome to the world.”

  I lean down and kiss his little forehead. “Happy birthday, little man.”

  Instantly the need wish my son a happy birthday overwhelms me, so I open my mouth and begin singing the infamous birthday song.

  Everyone in the room joins in and I smile as my son stares up at me with dark blue eyes, taking in the room around him. As soon as we finish singing I kiss my wife on the top of her head and thank the heavens above for the most perfect life I’ve been given.

  ROCK THE BEAT

  Black Falcon, #3

  by Michelle A. Valentine

  Prologue

  It Will Rain

  Two Weeks Prior...

  For some strange reason there are socially acceptable jokes made all the time about women being late for dates, but there aren’t any for guys. Take my boyfriend, Jackson Cruze, for example. He has a face like Channing Tatum, a body that David Beckham would be envious over, and the time management skills of a well-trained baboon. The guy couldn’t be on time if it saves his life.

  I check my watch again and sigh. Surely he wouldn’t forget to pick me up tonight? We’ve had this date planned for our two-year anniversary for some time now. He’s not that big of a jerk, is he?

  I pull out my cell and call my best friend, Max, while I wait. Like clockwork, he answers on the second ring and I ask, “Where are you?”

  Max laughs into the phone while the sounds of a wild party fill in behind him. “I’m at Paulo’s. Why aren’t you here? This is the biggest end of summer bash I’ve ever seen. You’ve got to get your ass over here.”

  Paulo’s has the best Mexican food, drinks and DJs this side of the border. It’s one of my most favorite places to hang out with my friends, and it sounds a whole lot better than waiting on my date who’s already over an hour late.

  I pick at my nails. “I can’t. I’m waiting on Jackson. It’s our anniversary.”

  “Um, Holly, Jackson’s here.”

  My nostrils flare and my brow crinkles. “What?! Why is he there? He’s supposed to be here.” This makes no sense.

  “I’m not sure, baby girl, but by the looks of him, he’s been here for a while.”

  Un-freaking-believable. “Is he drunk?”

  There’s a bit of rustling on Max’s end. “Judging by the number of beer cans piled on the table and slight wobble in his stance, I’d say he’s hammered. Better forget tonight, Blondie, and plan on reaming his ass for it tomorrow. Come over and ha
ng out with me. I miss you.”

  I resist the urge to chuck my cell out into the gravel parking lot in front of my house. Phones are expensive, and I don’t have an extra penny to waste. “I’m not really feeling up to it. I think I’m going to head on to bed.”

  “All right. Love you. Call me tomorrow. I want to know what excuse he feeds you this time,” Max says.

  He’s never been a big fan of Jackson’s, and this little incident certainly won’t help win Jackson win any favor points. I can’t count the number of times Max has encouraged me to break up with my boyfriend over the last two years.

  “Sure thing. Good night and have fun,” I tell him before ending the call.

  I haul my ass out of the old, white, rocking chair on the front porch and trudge up my stairs. I can’t believe he forgot—I even reminded him today. You’d think after two years, being together with me would mean something.

  I close my bedroom door and then fall onto my bed. The yellow sundress I bought special for tonight becomes my blanket as I curl my legs inside it. Tears push their way down my temples before landing in the long, mess of blonde hair spread across my pillow. I can’t believe Jackson did this to me.

  Don’t I mean anything to him? You don’t blow off people you love for a stupid party.

  I know he’s not been the best boyfriend in the world, but I didn’t expect for him to totally blow me off like this. I know things have been rocky between us since I came home from college this summer, but that’s one of the reasons I decided to stay home this fall. To mend what a year away at school had broken.

  I close my eyes, feeling stupid for loving someone that obviously doesn’t love me back, and cry myself to sleep.

  The next thing I know my shoulder is gently shaken, stirring me out of a deep sleep. “Holly. Wake up.”

  It’s Jackson, no doubt still drunk off his ass and feeling guilty. I roll over and rub my eyes while trying to make him out in the dark. “What time is it?”

  “It’s nearly five,” he whispers.

  I sit up quickly. “Are you out of your mind coming in here at this time of night? If my dad catches you, he’ll kill you. How’d you get in here anyway?”

  After blinking a few times, my vision adjusts to the moonlit room. Jackson’s sitting on the edge of my bed with his lips pulled into a tight line. I tense. I’ve seen that look before. It’s the expression he wears when he’s nervous.

  His polo shirt hugs his toned body as he bends at the waist, resting his elbows on his knees while he drops his head. “The front door was open, so I let myself in.”

  I sigh heavily. “Really, Jackson, this can’t wait until the morning? I know you’re sorry for standing me up. I forgive you for that. People make mistakes.”

  He turns toward me and grabs my hand. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that. I don’t want you to hate me.”

  I don’t like the way I can sense desperation on him as he’s touching me. There’s something wrong. I’ve known him long enough that I can just feel it. “Why are you here, Jackson? Did something happen?”

  Jackson runs his hand over his shaved head and shoots his gaze down at the floor. “I didn’t mean to do it, Holl. You have to believe me.”

  I lean down trying to catch his gaze, but it doesn’t work. He won’t look at me and this causes my stomach to drop. “Didn’t mean to do what, Jackson? You’re scaring me.”

  He takes a deep breath. He takes a deep breath. “I’ve been sleeping with someone else while you were away at school, and well, I did it again tonight, so I figured it was time you knew.”

  My breath catches at the same time my heart crumbles in my chest. I clutch my throat. There’s no air and I can’t breathe. One word keeps assaulting my mind. “Why?”

  “Because I don’t think I love you anymore. If I’m being honest, I don’t believe I have for a while now. We’ve grown apart Holly and I want to date other people.” His words are barely a whisper, but he might as well be screaming them at me.

  Hot tears pour down my face as I toss his hand aside. “Get out.”

  Jackson stands and shoves his hands deep in his jean pockets. “I’m sorry, Holl. I’ve wanted to tell you for a while now, but I—”

  I cover my ears. I don’t want to hear anything else he has to say. He’s already said enough. “Get Out!”

  The sound of me shouting must’ve been loud enough to wake my dad in his bedroom downstairs. Footsteps pound up the steps and my father comes bursting in the door with a baseball bat in hand. Panic wells in my father’s eyes until he spots my boyfriend in my room, then his expression turns from fear to anger. Before Dad has a chance to scold Jackson for being in my room, Jackson runs out of my door and out of my heart for good.

  Chapter 1

  Closer

  Holly

  I lay on my bed staring up at the ceiling. It’s been two weeks since Jackson dumped me. Two weeks since my heart was obliterated. Two weeks since I basically stopped living my life. For the last two years Jackson has been my world. Without him I’m not even sure how to carry on.

  A loud pounding on my bedroom door makes me jump. “Blondie, I know you’re in there. Get decent, because I’m coming in.”

  “Max...” I whine. “Go away. I don’t want to see anybody.”

  The door flies open and my best friend, Max, comes barreling through. He marches over to my bed and grabs my wrist, tugging me to sit up. “Jeesh, Holly, this is pathetic. Get your cute, little ass up. We’re getting you out of this house. It’s been two weeks.”

  I groan and try to fling myself back onto my pillow, but Max’s hold won’t allow it. “Oh, no. No more lying in this dark room, depressed over a man that’s good riddance as far as I’m concerned. You, missy, are going out and rejoining the land of the living, whether you like it or not.”

  I try to protest, but Max grabs my arm and leg and hoists me over his broad shoulders. “No, Max. Please.”

  He sighs. “Holly, this is for your own good. I’m tired of seeing you waste your energy on Jackson Cruze. He’s an asshole, and I’m glad you aren’t with him anymore.”

  “But, I love him, Max. I don’t know how to live my life without him,” I argue as Max carries me down the hall towards the bathroom.

  Once we’re in the bathroom, Max sets me down and turns on the shower before facing me. “You need to find new happiness without him. It’s over between the two of you. I’ve already seen him with other women. Trust me, he’s not pinning away over you. It’s time to move on.”

  Tears burn my eyes of how little I actually meant to him. “He’s dating already?”

  Max nods and places his hands on my shoulders. “It’s time for you to get back out there too. Now get your skanky ass a shower and get ready. I’m taking you to a club.”

  A couple hours later I find myself downtown with Max. It’s 90’s Nite in one of the hottest clubs in town, and I love to dance and drink. It’s the perfect combination to wipe away the memories of a man that’s done me wrong.

  I glance around and survey all the men in place. Why are all the really hot men either gay or taken? I swear there’s one decent man left in Tucson. Thank God my best friend is with me. I have terrible gaydar.

  “I told you this would be great,” Max yells over the music as he dances with me to the beat of a Roxette song blaring through the speakers. “You’ll be saying, ‘Jackson who?’ by the time we leave this heavenly bar filled with hot men.”

  I giggle and take another sip of my Sex on the Beach—compliments of Max and my fake ID. “This is a great idea—nothing like celebrating your birthday two weeks after getting dumped by the biggest jackass in the state.”

  Max laughs and his brown hair falls over the corner of his left eye before he takes me by the hand ready to spin me. “That was the best thing that ever happened to you, Holly. Trust me. He didn’t appreciate what he had.” He raises his glass of soda. “Here’s to a new start in your twenties, may they be better than your teen years.”
<
br />   “I’ll drink to that!” A tingle erupts in my hands, signaling I’ve nearly hit my limit, but I’m not about to let this yummy drink go to waste. Plus, it’s hot in here. I down the last of it and hand Max the glass. “One more?” I give him the best pleading puppy-dog eyes I can manage.

  I’m not ready to stop having fun yet. It’s nice to not have to think about Jackson for a change and just have fun with my friend.

  He sighs. “One more and that’s it. And it’s only because you’re finally smiling for once in the last two weeks, but we’re leaving while you can still walk out of here.”

  I throw my arms around his neck, leaning up on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. “Thanks, Max. You’re the bestest friend and designated driver a girl could ever have.”

  He laughs. “Remember how much you love me when you’re praying to the porcelain god in the morning and cursing me for letting you drink so much.”

  “Deal,” I say as I release him and go back to rocking my hips to the beat.

  I fling my hair from side to side and sing along to the song, dancing like I’m alone in my bedroom instead of at a crowded bar. Normally, I’m reserved, but tonight I’m cutting loose and living up being single. I need a break from my straight-laced life.

  Half way into the song, a body presses up against my back, dancing in time with me. That didn’t take long. I tug the bottom of my little, black dress down around my thighs. The dang thing rides up every time I move and it’s getting on my last nerve.

  The music pumps all around me and the faceless stranger while the amount of alcohol I’ve consumed has my head swimming. I close my eyes and lean my head back against the hard chest behind me and breathe in the spicy scent of men’s cologne. He smells mouth-watering, and I just pray that when I turn around he’s as hot as I’m imagining.