by Tania Joyce
“Glow?” The pink in her cheeks deepened. “I’d say the glow is caused by the continual wave of nausea.”
“You still get morning sickness?”
“Yeah. Most days, it’s all day. After today, I’ll have to tell work I’m pregnant. I can’t hide my baby bump anymore. The excuse of gaining a few pounds and wearing loose-fitting clothes has reached its expiration date.” She glanced at her watch and pointed down the hallway. “Come on. Let’s go.”
Hunter walked ahead, then opened the door to the medical suite for Kara. As he did so, a bald man stepped out. Hunter’s knees buckled.
Son of a bitch.
The man’s beady eyes bore into him. “Well, well, well. Now . . . this is a surprise. I would never have expected to see you here, Mr. Collins.” His eyes lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July.
“Gerard.” The name dripped like rancid acid off Hunter’s tongue.
“What a pleasure to see you.” Arrogance swung in Gerard’s tone.
“Can’t say the same thing about you.” Hunter’s stomach flipped. Of all people, why did he have to run into one of the biggest jerks in journalism?
“My wife’s doctor is running late, so I was on my way to grab a decent coffee from the café downstairs.”
“What are you doing here?” Hunter spoke through tight lips. “Don’t you live in LA?”
“I got a promotion.” Gerard straightened his necktie. “I’m now on TV for Entertainment On-Show and moved to New York two months ago.” Gerard eyed Kara, who was standing with her arm brushing against Hunter’s.
Stress throbbed in Hunter’s temples. “Shouldn’t you be on vacation like most people?”
“Oh no. This is the busiest time of the year for us. All the New Year’s parties. The concerts. The shows. There is always something of interest to report.” An evil smile drew across Gerard’s weaselly face. “So . . . who’s this lovely young lady?”
“Just a friend.” Hunter gripped harder onto the door to stop himself from shaking.
“I seeeee.” Gerard’s sleazy drawl and cocked eyebrow were clear evidence he didn’t believe what he was hearing. “I’m Gerard.” He thrust his hand out at Kara. “And you are?”
“I’m Kara. Nice to meet you.”
Hunter’s skin crawled as Kara shook Gerard’s hand. This was not good.
Gerard eyes shot to Kara’s belly then back to her face. “Are you pregnant?” Kara stiffened beside Hunter. But her lack of response gave Gerard his answer. “Congratulations. How nice of Hunter to bring you to your appointment during his hectic schedule. You must be very good friends.”
Kara gaped. “We’re . . . um—”
“Gerard, we’re done. This is none of your business.” Hunter’s voice sliced through his clasped teeth.
“It is now.” Gerard’s voice rose higher and higher. “Are you the father?”
“You can burn in hell.” Bitterness rolled off his tongue. “Kara needs to get to her appointment.”
Hunter wanted to wipe the smug look off Gerard’s face, but he had more pressing matters. He placed his hand on the small of Kara’s back and ushered her in to the clinic.
His whole body trembled. Of all the doctors in New York, Kara had to end up in the same place as Gerard and his wife. Just. Fucking. Great.
While Kara checked in at reception, Hunter sat with his back to everyone in the waiting room. Panic gurgled in the pit of his stomach. His and Kara’s situation was about to blow out in epic proportions. The world would know he was here by the time morning broke, thanks to Gerard.
“Hey?” Kara took a seat next to him. “Who was that guy?”
Hunter scraped his hand over his face. “That was Gerard Rivers. Remember the drama Gem, Kyle and I had in Hawaii, and there was a heap of gossip printed about our relationships? Gerard was the guy who had interviewed us.” He sucked in a jagged breath and tried to clear his head. “Kar, I know we wanted to keep this quiet, but it’s about to explode. We’ll be in the headlines by tomorrow.”
“What are we going to do?” Fear flashed in her eyes. If she twisted the scarf in her lap into a tighter knot, he was sure it would tear. She had enough to worry about without having to deal with the paparazzi. But they’d be after her within a matter of hours.
“We better meet with Kate, Bec, and Sophie as soon as possible. Maybe after the meeting at Sony, if you’re up for it.” A cold chill seeped into his bones. “And here I was hoping that no one would ever find out about this. So much for wishful thinking.”
He loved the cameras, the attention, and the spotlight. But this was different. This wasn’t about him. Kara had never wished for a life in the limelight. She’d always hung back from the mania that followed Everhide everywhere. “Kar, I’ll organize security for you straight away. Might be best until this blows over.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“You will once this gets out. Trust me.”
Hunter cursed under his breath as he texted Mick, his bodyguard, Sam, their head of security, and Kate. His shaky fingers wouldn’t co-operate. Predictive text kept replacing his misspelled words with utter nonsense. Finally, he managed to send the messages.
He could understand what Gemma and Kyle had gone through. Protecting those close to you was all that mattered. Shit! Was he falling into the realm of caring about Kara and what happened to her?
He had to make sure she was safe. Kate needed to prep Kara on how to deal with the media, how to respond and handle their onslaught of questions. He’d thought he had months to get these elements in place, but now he had a matter of hours and days. Whether she liked it or not, Kara’s life was about to change.
“Miss Knight?” The doctor peered over the rim of her glasses, standing in the hallway that lead to the medical suites.
“That’s me.” Kara stood, hooking her purse over her shoulder.
Flicking his jacket collar up high to avoid recognition, Hunter followed Kara into the doctor’s room.
A huge mahogany desk inset with dark green leather sat to one side of the office, and an examination table lay to the other. The sickly vanilla smell from the diffuser on the desk churned his stomach, and the gynecological lamp seemed to stare at him, mocking him wherever he looked within the room. His heart pounded. Sweat broke out on his brow. Maybe he was the one who needed to lie down.
The doctor closed the door behind them. Hunter pulled on the neckline of his shirt that suddenly seemed tight around his throat. There was no way out. Nowhere to run.
Shit!
“Please sit down.” Dr. Blakley pointed to their chairs in front of her desk and took her seat. Her wide frame squeezed between the arms of her office chair. “Nice to meet you, Kara. And who’s this?”
Hunter and Kara glanced at each other, and he wondered if the doctor was joking.
“Um . . .” Kara turned back to the doctor. “If you don’t know who this is, can you assure me that what goes on in this room, stays in this room? There is strict doctor–patient confidentiality, right?”
“Yes, of course.” Dr. Blakley looked down the bridge of her nose.
“Good. I can’t believe you haven’t recognized him by now, but this is Hunter Collins. He’s the father of my child.”
Hearing those words made his heart batter his ribs.
“Mr. Collins. Nice to meet you. Should I know who you are?”
A short, sharp laugh burst from his mouth. “Are you serious? I’m sorry, but I don’t meet too many people who don’t know me. I’m in Everhide.”
“Who or what is Everhide?” Dr. Blakley looked from him to Kara and back again.
“Aaaaa . . . rock band.” Hunter sat back in his chair and gave the doctor a disbelieving look. Where had this woman been to not know who he was? “We’re performing tomorrow night at the ball drop.”
“The name sounds familiar, but I don’t listen to much music by the young generation.” She typed on her keyboard, scrolled and clicked through some computer screens. “While you�
��ll be singing and partying, I’ll be delivering babies, which is much more fun and reason to celebrate.” She smiled at Kara and placed her hands together on the desk. “Kara, your GP has sent me a report on your history. Because of your endo, we need to monitor the baby’s progress closely. We’ll do a scan today, then one at twenty weeks. Let’s start, shall we?”
Hunter swapped chairs with Kara to keep out of the way. His mind blurred as the doctor checked Kara’s weight, and blood pressure, and sent her to the bathroom to pee in a cup for testing. For what he didn’t know. This whole baby thing was like a foreign language to him. He had absolutely no idea what was going on. When Kara returned with the cup in a brown paper bag, the doctor snapped on a pair of rubber gloves.
The color drained from Hunter’s face.
“Right, Kara. Up on the table for the ultrasound. I’ll take some measurements, check the heartbeat, and be able to confirm how far along you are.”
“Okay.” Kara slipped off her shoes, lay down on the table, shimmied her skirt lower and rolled her shirt up to her bra-line.
Oh wow . . . her boobs were even bigger than before. Now where was he supposed to look? He dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands and his stupid leg wouldn’t stop jiggling.
“Mr. Collins.” Dr. Blakley waved at a chair. “If you’d like to go around the other side of the table, you’ll be able to see the monitor as well.”
Hunter shuffled around next to Kara. As excitement lit her face, something tugged deep inside his chest. After all their arguments, differences, and fights, she still wanted to have this baby. It was something he couldn’t understand.
“You ready, Hunt?” She realigned the pillow underneath her head.
“No. Not at all.” He pulled the chair in closer to the bed. He wasn’t ready for babies. Or for Kara to get inside his head. Or for her to look so radiant and happy.
The doctor squished clear gel onto Kara’s tummy.
“Ew . . . that’s warm and disgusting.” Kara’s hand shot out and clutched onto his arm. Her fingernails dug into his flesh, and his muscles tensed. The heat from her touch and the sharp scratch of her nails matched his crazy thoughts. Pleasure and pain. Turmoil and a lack of logic. Every moment he spent with her, talked to her, read an email from her, the more his confusion grew. She was so stubborn, pigheaded, and determined. She never wavered; she knew what she wanted and pursued it with her all. And he hated to admit it, didn’t want to admit it, but he liked that about her. Baby stress had messed with his head.
He took her hand and gently placed it on the bed. “You’ll be fine. I’m sure.”
The doctor ran the probe over Kara’s belly. The softest and tiniest grunts and groans rumbled in Kara’s throat as the doctor pressed against her skin.
“Let’s find your little one.” The doctor watched the monitor.
“How big is it supposed to be?” Hunter squinted to make sense of the blur on screen.
The doctor steadied her hand and an image formed. Hunter’s breath snagged his chest when the kidney bean shape came into view.
“If Kara is twelve weeks, it should be about two-and-a-half inches long. About the size of a plum.”
Hunter leaned in closer, resting his elbows on the side of the bed, mesmerized by the image before him.
The white outline of the skull came into focus. The curve of the baby’s face and button nose. “This is the head. I’ll take the measurements.” The doctor clicked some keys and typed on the keypad.
“I don’t see it.” Kara twisted her head this way and that, peering at the monitor. “I can’t see my baby.”
The doctor ran the cursor across the screen and pointed to the fine little ridges that formed the spine. “This is the back, the tummy, and the legs.”
Hunter’s hand shot over his mouth. Every little curve and wriggly line hit him right in the chest. What was happening to him?
The doctor continued to scan over the fetus. “Do you want to know the sex of your baby?”
Hunter’s mouth ran dry. He looked at Kara, not sure if he could speak. It wouldn’t make any difference to him. The choice was hers. He cleared his throat. “It’s up to you.”
Kara nodded to the doctor. “Yes, please.”
The doctor scanned across her tummy and focused on the baby’s legs. “Ah, there we go.”
“I still can’t make anything out. It’s just blurry lines. I can’t see my baby.” A tear fell from Kara’s eye and ran toward her temple.
“Hey. Come on. Here. See.” Hunter leaned over and pointed at the screen. “Here’s its head, its back, and . . . oh . . . something big between its legs.” Okay . . . it was a nub. “Is that what I think it is?” Hunter’s pulse rose like the crescendo in a song.
“It’s too early to be one hundred percent sure.” Dr. Blakley peered closer. “But at this stage it looks like it’s a boy.”
Hunter clutched his chest. His eyes watered, and the hairs on his arms stood on end.
Holy shit! A son!
“A boy?” Kara’s voice wailed. Her head sunk deeper into the pillow. “Oh God please help us. Another Hunter Collins in the world? Are you sure it’s a boy?”
“Look at him.” Hunter beamed. The baby on screen rolled and spread his legs. “He’s like me already. Proud of his package.”
“Your package got me into this predicament in the first place,” Kara moaned.
The doctor continued. “Let’s check out his heart.”
Hunter’s eyes fixed on the monitor. Little pulses shimmied across the screen. Red and blue squiggles shot this way and that.
“Would you like to hear the heartbeat?” the doctor asked.
Hunter stared at the screen and nodded. He didn’t care what Kara wanted. He wanted to hear it. This was mind-blowing, absolutely insane, crazy shit.
The doctor turned a dial on the panel before her and a swooshing noise filled the room. Hunter’s heart raced as fast as the heartbeat on the monitor. Some invisible force wrapped itself around him and tightened with a hard tug.
That was his baby. His son.
There.
On the screen.
In Kara’s belly. Just inches away.
This was not how he expected to feel. Like landing their first record deal, like their first number-one single, like winning award after award—this was one of those life-changing moments he’d never forget.
“Ryan.” The name shot into his mind and whispered across his lips. “His name. Can we call him Ryan?”
“What?” Kara asked. “Where and how on earth did you come up with that?”
“It just came to me. With my good looks and talent, and your smarts and creativity, he’s going to be one handsome, popular man. He’ll be hotter and more skilled than Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling combined.”
“I haven’t even thought about names.” Kara’s hand shook as she brushed her hair from her forehead.
“Don’t bullshit me, Kar.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “You’ve probably had names picked out for years.”
She closed her eyes. “You’re so irritating. Sometimes, I hate you so much. You know that, right? Because Ryan was one of the names at the top of my list.”
It was? How freaky was that?
“So . . .?” He rubbed her arm. “How about it?”
She smiled. It was like sunshine. Warmth glowed in his chest.
“Yeah. I love it. Ryan. Our baby boy is going to be called Ryan.”
Hunter fought his watery eyes. He gazed at Kara. Tears trickled down the side of her face. Hunter grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. “Hey. You okay?” He turned back to the monitor. “See that? That’s our baby. We’re going to have a baby, Kar. We’re going to have a fucking baby.”
***
Folding the printout of the baby scan picture into his wallet, Hunter followed Kara out of the doctor’s office. Mick met them in the building’s lobby.
“Bud, two photographers are outside.” Mick jerked his head toward the door. “The car i
s waiting. Let’s get you out of here.”
Shit! Gerard!
“You protect Kara.” Hunter jammed on his beanie and knotted his scarf. “I’ll follow.”
Mick shielded Kara, and they dashed out the door. Cameras went off as the three of them raced for the car. The commotion attracted curious gazes from several pedestrians. Hunter slipped into the back seat after Mick and Kara, and slammed the door shut.
He turned away from the cameras flashing outside the window. “Go. Go. Go,” he called out to the driver.
The car took off down Lexington. Hunter rested his head back against the seat and stared at the roof. Until now, the baby had been nothing. It wasn’t tangible to him. Seeing that heartbeat on the monitor made it a reality. There was no turning back. Kara was carrying his child. His. That little munchkin inside her belly had somehow cast a spell on him.
After the scan, his heart beat to a new rhythm. One for Ryan. “Hey, Kar?” He turned to face her. “Thank you for persisting and making me go with you. That was amazing.”
“You mean that?” Her voice was soft and wary.
“Absolutely.”
She touched his cheek. “Thank you for coming. I’m glad you got to see one scan. You won’t see him again for five months. I’ll be super fat and ready to pop when you get back.”
An ache lodged in his chest. He was going to miss seeing Ryan grow.
“Subject to time zones, can you call me after your appointments? Will you send me updates? Because, Kar, that little guy in there is all that matters.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” A tear fell on to her cheek.
He placed his hand on her knee and squeezed. “Yeah. I am.”
His cell buzzed in his coat pocket. He grabbed it and read the screen.
“Who is it?” Kara asked.
“It’s Kate.” He fumbled with the phone in his hands, knowing that life for Kara was about to change. “She’ll meet with us after our meeting with Sony. Are you ready to be the fox being chased by a pack of hungry wolves?”
Chapter 13
Kara held her breath. Her heart raced as she gripped onto Giles’s shoulder. Her bodyguard, courtesy of Hunter and Everhide’s management, had become her latest accessory. The only positive was he looked like Channing Tatum. She kept her head down to avoid the onslaught of cameras flashing in her face. In the span of forty-eight hours, her world had become manic.
