A Wedding For Baby (Baby Boom)

by Laura Marie Altom

  “Yes,” he said. “And Lamaze partner.”

  “Okay, then,” the doctor said, dizzying Gabby when she directed the nurse to circle back, rolling her in the opposite direction. “Ms. Craig, let’s get you to a room.”

  “Dane, it hurts,” Gabby said through a fresh onslaught of pain. “I don’t want to be alone.”

  “I won’t leave you,” he assured her, grasping her hand.

  “Thank you.” She managed a faint smile before the nurse wheeled her into a private room.

  When Dane tried following, the nurse cut him off at the pass. “If you’d wait outside, we’ll get Ms. Craig changed.”

  AFTER REASSURING Gabrielle that he wouldn’t go far, Dane abided by the nurse’s wishes and now walked blindly down the antiseptic-smelling hall, barely dodging a food cart and two robe-wearing patients strolling with IV poles. Away from the bustling nurses’ station and crowded waiting area, Dane found a windowed alcove occupied by two shabby blue chairs and a side table piled with fingered magazines and a potted ivy. Stumbling into a seat, he hunched over, resting his forearms on his knees.

  Why did this feel so personal? If something happened to Gabrielle or her baby, the loss would be inconceivable. But she was Ben’s girl. The baby, Ben’s. Not only was it dishonorable for Dane to feel any connection beyond friendship for Gabrielle, but self-destructive. Neither she nor her baby would ever be his.

  So why was his heart pounding? Why were his mouth dry and his palms wet? Why? Because the God’s honest truth was that his time with Gabrielle had turned into much more than the cleanup job he’d expected. Being with her was no longer solely about making good on his little brother’s mistakes, but trying to put meaning into Dane’s own life.

  Only since spending time with Gabrielle instead of focusing on his career had Dane realized just how much he had left to figure out. Namely, how to get through the remainder of Gabrielle’s pregnancy without losing his mind.

  “IS IT NORMAL TO HURT THIS BAD?” Gabby asked the nurse once she’d changed into her hospital-issued gown.

  “Fraid so,” the older woman said, patting Gabby’s blanketed thigh. “And I hate to tell you, but if the doctor can’t stop your labor, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

  Gabby groaned.

  Hands cupping her bulging belly, she squeezed her eyes shut and prayed. For her baby. For her friends and the Bocellis to soon be with her. For her to have the strength to see this through.

  “Sir?” Across the room, the nurse who’d introduced herself as Nancy held open the door. “You’re welcome to come back in.”

  Dane, decked out in blue scrubs and paper booties, entered while Nancy left. “You decent?”

  “Sort of,” Gabby said, flopping her hands at her nonexistent waist.

  “What’d I miss?” Snagging a guest chair, he moved it closer to the head of her bed. With sunlight streaming through generous picture windows and the room’s yellow-and-white-striped wallpaper, floral bedspread and matching drapes, Gabby could’ve almost imagined herself at a hotel—almost. The steady, reassuring beep of the fetal monitor gave away the illusion. As did the too-tight blood pressure cuff and IV making her left arm throb.

  “How’re you doing?” Dane asked. “Need anything?”

  Wincing through another contraction, she shook her head. “Thanks, though. Did you have any luck finding my friends?”

  “No, but I left messages with everyone.”

  Nodding, Gabby said, “Thanks.”

  “You bet.” Covering her hand with his, he asked, “I saw the doctor come in. What’d she say?”

  “To try and stop my labor, they gave me a steroid shot. But at twenty-nine weeks, if my labor can’t be stopped, the doctor said my baby will most likely survive, but could suffer all kinds of things like respiratory distress, sleep apnea, eye problems and even sudden infant death syndrome, so…” Her eyes stung with tears, but she didn’t want to cry. She wanted to stay positive. Correction—she would stay positive.

  “The key thing to remember is that your baby could have any one of those problems, or none. So see? Sounds to me like either way the night goes, you and your little guy are going to be great.” He smiled, and if only for that instant, she believed him. Yes, her labor would be stopped and her baby would be fine. A couple of months from now, her baby in her arms, she and Dane would laugh over this close call. She and Dane. It was nuts how much she’d come to depend on him in such a short time. Or was it just emotional spillover from Ben causing her to lean on his older brother?

  “Thirsty?” He offered her a spoonful of ice chips, which she gladly accepted, relishing the cool moisture in her parched mouth. “Thanks.”

  Nodding, he asked, “Need anything else?”

  Wincing through her latest contraction, she said, “Distract me.”

  “How am I supposed to do that?”

  “I don’t know,” she grumbled through the most intense part of the pain. “Think of something. Tell me a story. What were you like in college? Were you always the polar opposite of—arrrrgh—B-Ben? Or did you used to be different?”

  The question caught Dane off guard.

  Especially since the truth—the exact, biting moment he’d changed—had been forever burned into his memory. But since he wasn’t a masochist, the incident wasn’t often revisited.

  “Please…I’ve got to have something to get my mind off this pain.”

  “Okay, well…” A story, huh? Clearing his throat, he said, “Point of fact, my brother and I have more in common—or, at least, we used to—than you might think. In college, I had a knack for throwing the best gatherings on campus. I got roped into being my frat house’s party chair.”

  “Like theme stuff? Or just regular booze—arrrrgh—fests?”

  He chuckled. “Both of the above, but to back up a little—not to mention defend myself—I do come by my appreciation for a good time honestly. You may not have noticed,” he said in a teasing tone, “but my crazy Italian family looks for any excuse to celebrate.” Chuckling, he added, “I swear, if I so much as brought home an A on a math test—Ben, a C—Mom would bust out the good china and call the grandparents over for a feast.”

  “Sounds a-amazing,” Gabrielle said. Was there a wistful note to her tone?

  “It was.” Back then, though Ben had still been a screwup, they’d at least been friends.

  “You’re 1-lucky. My cousin, Kate, and her family are all I have left. But they live in northern Kansas, so I don’t see them much.”

  He couldn’t fathom not being surrounded by family—even though his was sometimes a pain. “How long ago was it?” he asked, stroking sweat-dampened hair from her forehead. “Since you lost your folks?”

  “Six years. Th-they were rafting the Colorado River. It was supposed to have been the vacation of a lifetime. A storm hit miles upstream. Caused the box canyon they were in to flood. Their raft capsized, and—Arrrgh!”

  “I can guess the rest,” he said, tightening his hold on her clammy hand.

  When Gabrielle’s next contraction hit, Dane swore he felt it with her. She held on to him for all she was worth, and he returned the favor.

  A knock sounded at the door, and in walked a huge bouquet of baby-blue carnations and baby-themed Mylar balloons. “Hello?” Stephanie called out. “Anyone home?”

  “You came.” Gabrielle held out her arms to her friend. “I’m so glad. Thank you.”

  “Wouldn’t have missed it,” she said. “But I couldn’t find Olivia. Her cell’s off. I think she’s out for an early dinner.”

  Gabrielle managed to laugh through a grimace. “I’m glad someone’s having fun.”

  “Now that I’m here,” Stephanie said, sending a grin Dane’s way, “you’ll have fun, too. I’m only too happy to rescue you from Mr. Personality.”

  “He’s—arrrgh—actually been a godsend. I didn’t want to be alone.”

  “I know the feeling.” Expression wistful, Stephanie twined her fingers through the
curling ribbons dangling from the balloons. “It’s good we found each other.”

  AT A LITTLE AFTER 2:00 A.M., Gabby woke, momentarily disoriented.

  Save for the light spilling through the open bathroom door and the glow from the various monitors, the room was dark. The fetal monitor showed her baby’s heartbeat to still be regular and strong.

  “How do you feel?” Dane asked, his voice coming from the shadowy corner. He stood, then walked into her view, resting his hand atop hers. “You’ve been sleeping for hours.”

  “Where’s Stephanie?” Gabby’s mouth was dry. Her lips felt cracked. Every inch of her body ached as if she’d spent the afternoon hauling bricks.

  “I sent her home at midnight. She looked beat. The whole family was here, but once your contractions slowed, and then stopped, Mom and Pops took Nana home to bed.”

  “Then I’m okay? The baby?”

  “Perfect,” he said, lacing his fingers with hers. “Your nurse told us the doctor will be by in the morning to sign your release papers.”

  “That’s it? Just like that? What caused me to go into early labor?” She tried sitting up, but it took too much effort.

  “The nurse wouldn’t tell us a damned thing, other than that for the moment you and Baby Günter are fine.”

  “Why’d you stay?” she asked.

  “I promised I wouldn’t leave you alone, remember?” His smile radiated strength. Assurance. Comfort. “We’re partners, right? In this together?”

  “How come you never showed this side of yourself while Ben and I were together?”

  He pulled his armchair to the head of her bed and sat. “What side? With me, what you see is what you get. Maybe you just haven’t been looking.”

  She laughed. “I suppose that’s one way of putting it. Seriously, Dane, when I was with Ben you were standoffish to the point of being rude. What was up with that? Because the more I’m with you, the more I’m seeing a side of you I never knew existed.”

  Arms crossed, he leaned his head back. “Any particular reason you’re choosing now to bring this up?”

  “There’s nothing better to talk about. I mean, I’d like to drill my doctor, but seeing how she won’t be here for at least five or six hours, I might as well drill you.”

  “Thanks.” Stretching, he eased his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles.

  “Seriously, Dane. I’m curious.”

  “As well as a pain in my you-know-what.” Sighing, he cast her a wary gaze. “I stayed away from you because I figured any woman with Ben had to have a loose screw.”

  She rolled her eyes. “There’s the Dane I know and love.”

  “Love, huh?” He winked.

  Had she had a spare pillow, she’d have pitched it smack between his infuriating eyes. “You know what I mean.”

  “Yes, I do, and in case you haven’t noticed, I’d just as soon talk about something else.”

  “Why?”

  Sighing, he said, “Because the topic is asinine. I’m the same man I’ve always been. Will always be. The only thing that’s changed is you. Before now, Ben has been the focus of your attention. You’re thinking, Where is he? When is he coming home? Why did he leave? Was it something I did? Said? If I could replay our last time together, would it make a difference?”

  “Stop,” she said in a sharp whisper. Dane’s words pricked her already tender emotions. “I don’t think any of that,” she lied. “You act as if I have nothing better to do but pine after your brother like some lovesick teen.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, easing upright. “Calm down before you bring on a fresh batch of contractions.”

  “Like you’d care?” She instantly regretted her harsh words. Of course he cared, or he wouldn’t be there. The question was, why did he care?

  “HOW LONG?” GABBY DIDN’T MEAN to come across as dense to her doctor, but surely she’d heard wrong. No way did she have time to be on total bed rest until the end of her pregnancy. “I misunderstood.”

  Making notes on Gabby’s chart, Dr. Yan, a petite brunette, grimaced. “Sorry, but yes, I did say you’re out of commission until this baby’s ready to be safely out of your oven.” Chart closed, the grinning doctor patted Gabby’s belly. “Before I sign your release papers, I need to know you have round-the-clock care.”

  “Done.” During the doctor’s visit, Dane stood, arms crossed in the corner, leaning against the wall. “I’ll make all the necessary arrangements.”

  “Dane,” Gabby objected, “you’ve already done too much.”

  “This isn’t the time to be prideful,” the doctor said to Gabby. “You need help. Now, from all of the tests we’ve run, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to carry this baby to term—if you stay off your feet.”

  “Why is this happening?” Gabby asked. “Have I done something wrong?”

  “Not at all,” the doctor reassured her. “I wish I had a definitive answer for you, but for all we know about the human body, sometimes Mother Nature does what she wants.”

  Hating the tears stinging her eyes, Gabby wrapped her arms protectively over her stomach. Damn Ben. If only he’d stayed, maybe her stress level wouldn’t have been quite so high. Moreover, she wouldn’t be forced to accept Dane’s charity—again.

  After the doctor had left final instructions, a nurse removed Gabby’s IV and monitor connections before helping her dress in a red maternity warm-up suit that Stephanie had brought by. Waiting for an orderly to come with a wheelchair, Gabby couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt more helpless.

  “Quit scowling,” Dane said.

  “I’m not,” Gabby protested. “Why would you even say such a thing?”

  “Because you are. This is the same frowny face you had when I forced you into going to the E.R. The face that says, I’m letting you help me, but only because I have no other option.”

  Though Dane had captured her mood with uncanny accuracy, she’d never admit it. “Leave me alone. I don’t even like you.”

  “Aw, now,” he said, his tone signaling he was on the verge of giving her grief, “how can you say that when just last night you were telling me how much you love me?”

  “What is this? National Pick on Pregnant Women Day?”

  “You didn’t get the memo?” Damn him, but his broad smile made her stomach flip-flop. What was wrong with her? Other than the obvious baby-health issues, was her subconscious developing a thing for Dane? If so, it needed to stop!

  Chapter Five

  “This’ll do,” Dane said after checking out Gabrielle’s guest room. It was a little flowery for his taste, with wallpaper that looked like daisies had been thrown at it, but he’d bring over a flat-screen TV and his laptop along with a few other electronic gadgets and he’d be right at home.

  “What?” Gabrielle called out from her room.

  “Nothing! Just talking to myself.” They’d only been back at her place for ten minutes, and already she’d been a handful. Complaining about him carrying her to her bed, whining about him putting too many blankets over her, demanding he stop bringing her food when the doctor specifically said she’d need regular meals.

  “When you get a chance, could you please come here!”

  He stopped in the doorway of her room. “What’s up?”

  “I’ve been mulling over this whole bed rest thing, and I’m thinking the doctor must’ve misdiagnosed my condition.”

  Perching on the foot of Gabrielle’s bed, he asked, “Have you already forgotten the miracle you’ve been granted? This time yesterday, we were afraid you were losing your baby. Now all you have to do to keep him safe is stay put. Why is that so hard for you?”

  “I-it’s not,” she said, her gaze darting anywhere but at him. “This has all happened so fast, I’m not sure what to do with myself. Nancy, the spa owner, was great about contacting all of my clients, and my accountant already handles most of my Internet sales. But I hate feeling like I’ve just dumped my responsibilities on friends.”

&
nbsp; “Why does that sound like only a portion of the truth?” He patted her quilt-covered leg. “Talk to me. Tell me what else is eating you.”

  For the longest time, she said nothing. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words. Finally, in a halting tone, she said, “Have you ever stopped to consider that my added problem might be you?”

  “Me?” He laughed. When his cell phone rang, he said, “Hold that ridiculous thought.”

  While his secretary confirmed potential court dates, Dane tried focusing, but even though he’d wandered into the living room, he couldn’t get Gabrielle’s words from his head. By the time Cassidy had finished scheduling the upcoming week, he rushed her through closing pleasantries, fighting a flash of guilt for not wanting to hear about her toddler’s latest amazing feat.

  A good ten minutes later, the call finally done, Dane returned to Gabrielle only to find her sleeping.

  Damn. What had she meant? How could he be the root of her problems when he’d done nothing but turn his entire life upside down to accommodate her?

  WAKING AFTER A NAP, Gabby felt bad for going off on Dane the way she had, but she didn’t regret it. Part of her resented his presence in her home. Another part would be forever grateful. Her problem was figuring out how to unite her warring halves.

  At least if she had to be stuck someplace for the next couple months, her room was pretty. She looked around, admiring the pink-and-white wallpaper with a lacy floral border that matched her vintage, wedding-ring-patterned quilt designed with a white background and plenty of gold-and-pink-toned calico squares. Her vanity table and dresser were mahogany, purchased at auction for far more than she should’ve paid, but she loved them. A plush gold velvet fainting couch occupied a windowed alcove, along with potted ferns and a tall palm. Pink gingham crowned with antique lace covered her matching nightstands. Crystal lamps, her favorite books and plenty of silver-framed photos of her parents and friends topped both tables. A comfy, oversize floral armchair occupied the wall next to her bed. Antique botanical prints in ornate gold frames decorated the walls. She loved this room. She’d be fine being cooped up in here if it weren’t for…