Maybe for You--A Whiskey and Weddings Novel

by Nicole McLaughlin

  “Thanks,” Charlotte said, rubbing Alex’s shoulder. She’d sat down on the metal bench and had her head resting on the back. She looked horrible, and it was killing him. Couldn’t people die from salmonella or E. coli? He didn’t know what was wrong with her, but there was no way to guarantee it was just something that would work itself out.

  On the way over to Dean’s car, he met him in the street. “Hey,” he said, stopping his friend. “You may need to take her to the hospital.”

  Dean’s eyes narrowed. “I realize that.”

  “You keep me updated. Okay?”

  “Okay. I will.”

  Jake put a hand on Dean’s arm. “I mean it. Let me know how she is.”

  Dean hesitated a moment and then finally responded. “I will, man. I promise.”

  Somewhat satisfied, Jake walked to Dean’s SUV and put Alex’s purse in the back seat. As he laid it down, he noticed her journal inside. Shaking his head, he shut the door and headed for his own car. He’d already snooped once, but now more than ever, he was dying to know if she was thinking of him the way he was thinking of her.

  Nineteen

  When Alex woke up, she was in a hospital bed, with an IV in her arm. How long had she been here? Her eyes could barely make out the giant clock on the opposite wall. Finally, she focused and saw that it was almost nine. In the morning? What day?

  She had a vague memory of going back to Dean’s house after vomiting in the park. She’d then thrown up again in the bathroom, Fernando sitting beside her on the cold tile. A groan came from her lips as she recalled things turning violent after that, her body letting go of fluid in every possible way. Oh God. It had been so bad.

  Moving her head to the side, she tried to find clues to who might be here with her and saw Charlotte’s purse on the chair. But no Charlotte.

  Lying back on the pillow, she closed her eyes. She remembered walking into the ER, getting hooked up to an IV, but beyond that, things were a bit of a blur. Had admitting her really been necessary?

  She lay there for a while, wondering what was going on. Finally the door opened and a nurse walked in, her smile bright. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

  She checked a monitor beside the bed, waiting for Alex to answer. “Okay. Tired.”

  “I bet. How’s your tummy feel?”

  Alex put a hand on her abdomen. “Like I did a hundred sit-ups.”

  “Not surprised. You were one sick woman. I think the worst of it has passed. The fluids should be helping a lot.”

  “It was food poisoning, right?”

  The nurse nodded as she put a thermometer in Alex’s mouth. “Dr. Benson is on her way in. She’ll discuss it with you.”

  Alex opened her mouth when the thermometer beeped. “Okay.”

  Her head pounded as she relaxed into the pillow. She felt like she’d been in a car accident. Where was her brother?

  A few moments later the door opened again and a middle-aged woman with red lipstick came in. She smiled back. “Morning.”

  “Morning,” Alex said, giving a weak smile.

  “I’m Dr. Benson. How are you feeling?”

  “Like garbage, honestly.”

  “I can imagine. Do you recall talking with the ER doctor last night?”

  Alex tried to think and finally shook her head. “No. All I can remember is puking and going to the bathroom at the same time. TMI, sorry.”

  Dr. Benson raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “No such thing in a hospital, I’m afraid.”

  Alex laughed, but it hurt her stomach so she moaned. “I’m sore everywhere.”

  “I’m sure. Your body was traumatized by this. You’ll need to take it easy for a while.” Dr. Benson stepped closer. “Alexis, we ran a stool test and blood work last night. I need to ask you … are you aware that you’re pregnant?”

  Alex inhaled, her breath stuttering. Opening her mouth, she felt her heart beating in her head. “What?” she whispered.

  “Your blood work revealed that you’re pregnant, which is why we went ahead and admitted you for observation. The severity of your symptoms, in addition to the bacterial infection itself, and the alcohol in your system. Well, all of that combined could negatively affect a growing fetus. It will probably be fine, but we didn’t want to take any chances.”

  “What?” she repeated.

  “When was your last period, Alex?” Dr. Benson asked, her face a mix of business and sympathy.

  Alex whimpered. “I don’t know.” Shit, she hadn’t even thought about it. She’d used protection. And life had been so busy. She tried to think back. It had definitely been before the trip. “At least five or six weeks.” Oh God. “This can’t be happening. Are you sure?”

  “I’m afraid I am.”

  Alex closed her eyes, the pounding in her forehead making her feel nauseous again. “I think I might be sick.”

  She could hear the doctor moving around and then gently placing something near her. “Here you go. I’m sorry to have to tell you this news like this. But it’s better that we know so we can help you and your baby the best way possible.”

  As Alex’s thoughts warred in her head, something occurred to her. Her eyes shot open. “Does my family know this?”

  Dr. Benson shook her head. “No. Dr. Ellis, who treated you last night, chose not to tell anyone until you were coherent enough to discuss this. He made the judgment call that you probably weren’t that far along, and that you may not have even been aware yet. So only the staff who helped you know right now.”

  She sighed in relief. “Okay. Thank you. Please don’t say anything to them.”

  “No one will. That will be up to you. I’m going to recommend you stay here today. Possibly until tomorrow. Once the antibiotics start to work and the fluids help you feel better, than we’ll reevaluate this afternoon. Sound good?”

  “Sure,” Alex said, tears pooling in her eyes.

  Dr. Benson nodded. “I’ll be back in a few hours. And Alex, everything will be okay.”

  Alex wasn’t so sure, but she just nodded. The minute the woman left, she sucked in a hard breath. How had this happened? Dammit, she knew exactly how it had happened. But how? They’d always used a condom. Every single time.

  Rolling slowly, holding her stomach tight against her, she maneuvered herself onto her side. That’s when the tears fell, sliding down her temple and onto the pillow. What was she going to tell her brother? What was she going to do? What about her job?

  A baby? She didn’t want a baby. It wasn’t part of her plan. Not at all. How had she been so stupid to let herself get knocked up? And how in the world was she going to tell Jake?

  She lay there for what seemed like an hour, her mind racing, when a quick knock sounded on the door before opening. Charlotte peeked her head in smiling. The minute she saw Alex, it turned into a look of concern.

  “What’s wrong? Did you get sick again?” She asked, glancing down at the bedpan resting near Alex’s arm.

  “No, I just…” Dean walked into the room, a cup of coffee in hand, his brows narrowed. “I don’t feel great. That’s all.”

  Charlotte scooted a chair closer to Alex’s bed. “I bet. Last night was awful for you.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been that sick in my life.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Charlotte reached up and grabbed Alex’s hand. “Do you still feel like anything needs to come out?”

  Alex shook her head. “Not at the moment.” Her lip began to quiver again. The weight of the news she’d just received was so heavy, she was tempted to just scream it out. But another part of her wanted to just pretend every word out of Dr. Benson’s mouth had been a dream. How could your life change so much in a matter of moments?

  A stupid question. She’d already survived several life-altering moments. Ones she’d been certain would destroy her.

  The image of Nate that popped into her head had her tears coming fresh. She pinched her eyes shut, embarrassed to be losing it in front of her brother and Charlotte
. Nate had wanted children so badly. Talked about it constantly, even going as far as telling her he wanted a son named after his father and grandfather. They’d waited, because they had big plans for their future. How could she do this to him? Just let herself be so careless as to get pregnant by accident?

  “It’s okay, Alex,” Charlotte said quietly. “You’ll feel better soon.”

  She shook her head. Now she just wanted them to go away. “You guys can go if you want,” she said, her voice teary.

  “No way,” Dean said. “We’re not leaving you.”

  “I’m fine, Dean.”

  “Should I tell Jake to go?” Charlotte asked. “He came by to check on you a while ago. He’s been really worried, sitting in the waiting room all morning.”

  Alex nearly groaned. Was now the time to drop this bomb on him? She hadn’t even had time to process the news or what she was going to do about it. “Yes. Please tell him to go. I don’t want to see anyone.”

  “Okay,” Charlotte said, her voice full of concern.

  “I’ll go tell him,” Dean said before leaving.

  Alex could feel Charlotte’s presence beside her but she couldn’t open her eyes. Between the pain in her head and ache in her heart, she wasn’t strong enough to make eye contact. Charlotte was easy to talk to, and Alex was afraid she’d spill.

  “Jake really cares about you, Alex.” Charlotte said. “I know you don’t feel up to it now, but if you need to talk about what happened between the two of you, I’m here for you.”

  Alex breathed deep. That was so typical of Charlotte, who was too perceptive and kind for her own good. Eventually Alex would have to deal with what was happening to her. When she was ready she’d turn to her future sister-in-law, but until then, she just wanted to wallow in her sadness.

  *   *   *

  Jake watched Dean come down the hall toward the third-floor waiting room. His face looked serious, and that was when Jake knew what he was about to say.

  “She doesn’t want me to come back. Does she?”

  “Nah. Sorry man.” Dean eyed the items in Jake’s hands. On a whim, he’d picked up a stuffed giraffe with big eyes wearing a pink T-shirt in the gift shop along with a balloon that said GET WELL. He was pretty sure the stuffed animal was intended to be a new baby gift, but for some reason it had made him think of her, so he’d grabbed it, not even questioning the twenty-dollar price tag or the tiny diaper it was wearing.

  He held the items out to Dean. “Uh, I just … got these. You can give them to her.”

  “Cute,” Dean said. He flipped over the tag on the giraffe’s ear and raised an eyebrow. “‘It’s a Girl’?”

  “I just liked its face, okay? I thought she’d like it,” Jake said defensively.

  Dean laughed. “She will. You’re right.”

  “So it’s officially food poisoning, right? She gonna be okay?”

  “Yeah, that’s what they say. IV fluids and antibiotics.”

  “Seems weird they admitted her. Could it be more serious?”

  “I don’t think so. I think they’re just being cautious.” Dean shifted on his feet. “She wouldn’t appreciate me getting graphic or anything, but last night when we went home, it was really bad. I don’t think she had any fluid left in her body. About three in the morning she was so weak she couldn’t stand up to leave the bathroom. That’s when we brought her here.”

  Jake winced, his head hammering with worry and fear.

  “I appreciate you coming, man. I know you guys got to be close friends on that trip. She’ll be ready to see you when she’s feeling better.”

  Jake nodded. “I know. I understand.”

  Dean gave him a tight smile and held up the giraffe and balloon. “I’ll go tell her it’s a girl. That might cheer her up.”

  Jake just shook his head and backed up toward the elevator. “Call me if anything changes.”

  “Will do.”

  Twenty

  A week later, Alex poured herself a big glass of water in Joel’s kitchen. He was in the living room reading, so she quietly walked back to her room, grabbed the plastic bowl she’d just barfed into, and sneaked back into the kitchen.

  After washing it out, she grabbed a paper towel to dry it off, intent on taking it back to her room and shoving it under the bed before she climbed back into it to sleep most of the day away. The excuse of needing to recover from her illness had been an excellent cover for the kind of depression that made it difficult to function like a normal person.

  The minute she turned around she jumped at finding Joel sitting at the kitchen table.

  “Jeez, you scared me,” she said.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to.” He smiled. “Sit, Alex.”

  She sighed, put the bowl on the counter, and sat across from him at the little breakfast table. “Everything okay?” she asked brightly, attempting to redirect.

  He gave her a long look. “You tell me. I’ve seen you tiptoe into this kitchen with that bowl for the past four mornings.”

  She sagged into her chair. So much for him being old and aloof. “I thought I was flying under the radar.”

  “Close. I’m not the most perceptive guy, but I heard you the other day. And you turned down my bacon this morning.”

  She groaned, “Oh God, the smell. I can still smell it.”

  Joel nodded in understanding, then went silent for a moment. “Who else knows?”

  “No one.”

  His graying eyebrows went up. “Not even the father?”

  She shook her head.

  “How come? You’re a grown woman. You have no reason to keep this a secret.”

  “I don’t know, Joel. I’m not handling it well.”

  “That’s understandable. Have you considered what you are going to do?”

  With a long-suffering sigh, she leaned on the table. “Live here forever, sleep the days away, and pretend this isn’t happening?”

  “If only life were so grand,” he teased. “Who’s the father, Alex? You’re obviously not going to have to be alone in the decision making.”

  She pinched her lips together and looked down at her fingers. “Jake Cooper.”

  When she looked up and risked a glance at Joel, she didn’t see even the smallest trace of surprise or even judgment on his face. “Well, you’ve got one thing going for you then.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What’s that?”

  “You’ll have one good-lookin’ kid.”

  She couldn’t help smiling. Probably for the first time in a week.

  “And what do you think Jake will say?”

  “I have no idea. I considered not telling him,” she said, wincing.

  “Alex,” Joel chided, then sighed. “He deserves to know. Sooner rather than later.”

  “How do you inform someone you’ve ruined their life?”

  Joel’s head jerked back, and he let out a chuckle. “That’s quite a bold statement, young lady. Babies don’t ruin lives. Are they difficult and sometimes unexpected?” He shrugged. “Of course. Also, it’s been a while I’ll admit, but if I recall, this isn’t something you did to him. You did it together.”

  Ugh, what a conversation. But she had to admit, talking about it took a weight off her chest. But she still wasn’t convinced by what he was saying. “This news will absolutely blindside him.”

  “Did it blindside you?”

  “Of course. I nearly passed out.”

  “Then why spare him? You don’t need to go through this alone.”

  Alex considered that. “I know you’re right. But part of me still isn’t ready to deal with it. It’s like, I can just keep pretending it’s possibly not really happening.”

  He nodded to the bowl on the counter. “The consistent reoccurrence of that bowl tells me it’s definitely happening. And pretty soon you won’t be able to hide it.”

  “I know that.” She looked at him. “I’m scared. And angry. And sad. And guilty.”

  “Guilty? What for?”

  H
er lips twisted, and she glanced out the window. “Joel … I don’t want this baby. I’m a horrible person, but I don’t want to be a mother.”

  The look of sympathy on his face was disarming and she had to look away. Why did he have to have faith in her? She didn’t have any in herself. Not when it came to this. “How do you know that, Alex? The news is still brand new.”

  “Having a family was no longer part of my plan. That was something I was going to do with Nate. Not on my own. What about my job? What about … everything?”

  “I can’t answer these questions for you. You’ve got to tell Jake, though. He might surprise you. Hell, you might surprise yourself. I think you’d be surprised how everything might be okay if you open your mind up to the possibilities. There are too many people who love you for this to be bad.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. Right now it feels like … the end.”

  “Well, the only thing to do at the end of something, is start a new beginning,” he said.

  Alex slumped in her chair. “Thanks, Joel.” Although she wasn’t sure if she felt better.

  “Anytime, darlin’. Now.” He tilted his chin and gave her a serious look. “Start going in the bathroom and vomiting like a civilized person. No more bowl.”

  She couldn’t help laughing as she got up and went over to give him a hug. He hugged her back and then she went into her room and lay down on the bed.

  Her hands instinctively sought out the “It’s a Girl” giraffe stuffed animal. Her first thought when Dean had given it to her and said it was from Jake had been to throw it in the trash. What kind of sick jokester was the universe for doing that to her? But then, she hadn’t been able to let it go, cuddling with it in the hospital and sleeping with it every night since she’d been home.

  She’d only talked to Jake once, briefly, to assure him she was recovering. The worry in his voice had only made her more depressed. He’d been up to the hospital twice. Each time she’d turned him away, which she felt bad about, but how was she supposed to face him without telling him the horrible news?

  First, she’d needed time to process it herself. Not that the seclusion had helped. In fact, she was more confused and angry than ever. It also hadn’t helped that recovering from the food poisoning and night from hell—as she liked to call it—had been harder on her body than she’d anticipated. Add in some awesome morning sickness and a bleak outlook on the future, and she was basically a bedridden head case.