by Kari Lemor
Luke darted after the ball and stopped, holding it aloft. “Okay, men. I’m looking for your best advice. All of it. Anything that seems to have worked in any way. Lay it on me.”
His brothers and cousins all chuckled. God, he was screwed.
Chapter Twenty
Elle twisted the hair elastic around the end of her braid, then coiled it on the back of her head. By the time she got the bun secured, she had to lean against the wall. God, it didn’t take much to make the room spin these days. How was she going to get through today and the big party for Storm Electric? If it was next door at Alex’s or Greg’s she might have been able to sneak back for a rest every now and again, but it was at The Inn at the Falls. As much as she loved the quaint inn they’d gotten married at, it wasn’t home, and she needed to be perky and on show as one of the Storm family.
She readjusted the cute dress she’d gotten from Tessa over her belly and checked herself in the mirror. Now that Tessa was expecting again, Elle would have to be extra cautious not to spill anything on the garment, so she could return it intact.
“How you doing, babe? Almost ready or do you need more time?” Luke poked his head into the bedroom.
“Ready as I’ll ever be. Take it or leave it. This is what you get today.” She glanced at the large belly protruding and hiding her feet from view. Three more weeks and she might find them again. It didn’t help that she’d put on three pounds just this week. Hopefully, it had all gone to the baby and not her thighs.
“I’ll take it every time. You are gorgeous.” He took her outstretched hands and pressed his lips to hers. The emotion that was always close to the surface these days welled up and brought tears to her eyes. Luke froze and frowned.
“Are you all right? Don’t you feel well?”
There was no way she’d ever tell him how tired and lightheaded she was at the moment. Or about the ever-present headache. Her doctor knew and had suggested more rest, something she’d been trying to do while still accomplishing everything else on her list. She’d had some cramping this past week, but it was most likely only the baby shifting and trying to find more space. She had to pull herself together and get through this event. This was an important day. It didn’t matter if she wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a month. The show must go on. She would not be the one to throw a damper on the celebration.
“I’m good. I’m sorry if I’ve held you up. We can get going now.” Even though life with Luke had been wonderful, she still had little niggles in the back of her mind that if she didn’t do enough, things would fall apart.
“Don’t apologize, Ellie. I know this isn’t the best time to be having a huge party, but at least it’s not here.”
True. As it was, she’d been hustling quite a bit the last couple weeks making centerpieces, putting a scrapbook together, and a variety of other chores she’d helped the other Storm cousins do. All while getting the baby’s room ready, keeping the house picked up, and working full time.
As they drove down the street, she glanced into the back seat of her sedan at the base and the infant seat in it. It had been a gift from Molly and Pete. They’d even gotten a base for their car, as well, just in case they needed to take the baby while Elle and Luke were busy.
Her mother-in-law was so excited about this baby. About all the babies coming this year. But Tessa lived in Maine and Sara on the Cape. Their child and Gina and Alex’s would be right here in town. Elle figured Molly was chomping at the bit to have regular access to her grandchildren.
With the way Elle had been feeling lately, she wondered if she’d have any energy left at all once this baby arrived. How the heck did Tessa do this with three other children constantly needing her attention? She and Luke would have to do one-and-done if she couldn’t get her act together.
Of course, Luke might be done with her after the child arrived anyway. If she couldn’t keep him happy and fulfilled sexually, would he go looking elsewhere? He claimed he wouldn’t, but he was used to a certain lifestyle. Would she and the baby be enough for him?
Luke pulled up to the function room door and let the car idle as he ran around and helped her out.
“Why aren’t you parking?”
He guided her to the entrance. “With so many guests, I might need to find a spot a few streets over. The Inn parking is limited, and we want it for guests.”
She was about to argue that she could walk a few streets, then thought again. Not today. Caressing the side of his face, she kissed him. “Thank you. That’s very sweet.”
He kissed her again. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Taking a deep breath, Elle entered the hall and gazed around. People bustled about doing last minute things. Tessa sat in a chair on one side of the room, Joey between her legs, while Matty and Kiki stared at the floor pouting. There was definitely some disciplining going on there.
She found Sara, Gina, and Alandra amongst the crowd with some of the cousins she didn’t know as well. Erik and Alex looked to be attaching something to a wall, while Nathaniel had Tanner on his hip as he went around pushing in chairs that all seemed to be out. Perhaps the reason for the scolding?
Through the door to the office, she noticed Darcy nursing Faith while her other daughter, Hope, stood next to her, gazing at the infant.
What should she help with? Searching the room, she zeroed in on Greg, who seemed to be handing out assignments on what still needed to be done. She waddled over, taking her time since moving too fast left her short of breath.
“Is there something I’m signed up to do?”
Greg’s face softened when he saw her. “Yes, you need to sit and put your feet up.”
That sounded wonderful, but she’d feel like a shirker when everyone else was running around. “Is there anything I can do while sitting?”
Greg narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the function hall. “We’ve got some pamphlets that tell the history of Storm Electric. They should have been folded at the printer, but communication got screwed up. You can do that while sitting.”
“Perfect.” She waddled to the ladies’ room first, then settled in a seat and used another one for her feet. Sara joined her soon after.
“If you get to sit, I should, too. I’m only a month behind you.”
“Glad to have the company.”
As they folded, they chatted and compared pregnancy ailments. Gina and Tessa dropped into chairs near them a few minutes later and added to the conversation. Darcy skirted around them, the baby on her shoulder, calling out, “You may all be contagious, so I’m staying clear for a bit.”
They all laughed, understanding Darcy’s desire not to have another baby so close to this one.
As much as Elle felt like crap today, this family was wonderful and fun to be around. She didn’t even have to paste a fake smile on her face right now. Once the guests started arriving, Luke made sure to get her anything she needed, and her new sisters and cousins kept her entertained.
However, as late afternoon turned into early evening, her head grew heavier, and her limbs felt like she was walking through maple syrup. So many people wanted to meet Luke’s new bride and congratulate them on the soon-to-be addition. Elle wasn’t sure how much longer she could stay on her feet. Sweat trickled down her back. Often, the room spun around until she managed to find a nearby seat. Then, another friend of the family wandered by, and she was on her feet again, abandoning the plate of food she’d picked at and pasting on a smile that was harder to find each time.
Would anyone notice if she walked home? It was less than a mile. Taking inventory of her aches and wooziness, and the cramping that twinged now and then, she was pretty sure she’d never make it that far.
After her seventh trip to the ladies’ room, she stood in the doorway of the function hall, gripping the frame to keep from falling over. Why, of all days, did she have to be dizzy today? She closed her eyes for only a second and clutched the door frame tighter. When she opened them and glanced across the room, Molly darted
her way.
“Ellie, you need to sit down now.” Molly helped her to a chair, then her eyes narrowed as her head pivoted right and left. “I’m going to get Luke to take you home. The party’s winding down now anyway.”
Elle patted Molly’s hand. “We need to help clean up first. I’ll be fine.”
Molly sent her a stern but loving look. “There’re plenty of people with no kids who can do that. Greg, Nathaniel, Erik, they’re all being sent home to put their kids to bed.”
“But I don’t—”
Patting Elle’s belly, Molly grinned. “Yes, you do, and we need to make sure the little pumpkin is fine. I’ll be right back.”
There wasn’t enough strength left in her to even attempt an argument. Junior was taking up so much room, it was hard to get a deep breath in. Moments later, Luke marched her way, his lips in a straight line.
“My mom said to take you home. Are you all right?”
“Yes, it’s just been a busy day.”
“Stay here, and I’ll get the car. Be back in a few.”
Before she could object, he dashed off and out the door. Doubtful she could make it to wherever he’d parked anyway. While she was waiting, she found her purse, said good-bye to as many people as she could, then waddled to the door.
Her sedan pulled up right next to the door, and she managed to get to it before Luke had rounded the vehicle. Thank God they only lived a short distance away. Greg and Alandra were packing up Ryan and Jillian right behind them, while Nathaniel and Erik rounded up their crew. The fact others were leaving alleviated her guilt a tiny bit.
When they got inside the house, Elle barely made it to the couch in the living room before she collapsed. So tired.
With her eyes already closed, she attempted to kick her shoes off. Somehow, they came off and the homemade quilt from the back was laid over her. Luke. He was a good husband.
She tried to thank him but wasn’t sure if anything came out. She must have used every available ounce of energy to get through the party. There was nothing left.
Some sort of noise buzzed in the background, but she couldn’t make out what it was. Had Luke said something? Why couldn’t she hear? And why was the room spinning when she was laying down?
After placing a quilt over his wife, Luke tugged on his tie and shrugged out of his suit coat. What bad timing this had been. The party had been planned months ago, long before he had gotten back and discovered Elle pregnant with his baby.
He’d attempted to keep his eye on her today, but too often he’d been pulled into conversations with his father’s friends or loyal customers. Elle’s smile had stayed firmly in place, but he’d watched it grow dimmer as the day progressed. When his mother had tugged him aside and told him he needed to get Elle home to rest, he hadn’t argued. Luckily, many of the kids were ready to go home, too.
Kneeling on the floor by the couch, he brushed back a few stray strands of her gorgeous auburn hair. Her skin was pale and almost clammy. His heart pounded harder, worried there was something wrong. But she’d said she was just tired. With only three weeks to go, it was natural she’d be exhausted.
As he stared at her face, her eyelashes fluttered, and she mumbled something he couldn’t understand.
“Ellie? What’s the matter, babe? You should get some rest. How about I carry you upstairs to bed?”
“Luke.” Her voice was weak and slurred, her eyes glassy as she stared at him vacantly.
This couldn’t be normal. God, what did he do? He hated to call an ambulance if she was just tired, but what if something was really wrong with her?
“Ellie? Wake up, babe. I need you to open your eyes and let me know you’re okay. Then, we’ll get you upstairs and you can sleep all night. Okay? Ellie?”
Her eyes fluttered as she murmured incoherently. She didn’t seem in any way lucid. Maybe he should call his mom. Would she still be at the party?
Luke dug for his phone from his jacket pocket and paced toward the window. The lights were on at his cousin’s house. That’s it. Greg was a paramedic. He’d know what to do.
He quickly scrolled, then tapped his cousin’s number. He picked up on the third ring.
“Greg, I hate to bother you. I know you’re putting the kids to bed, but Ellie’s acting strange. She basically passed out on the couch when we got home, and now I can’t get her to wake up completely. Her eyes are open but they’re unfocused, and she’s babbling, not really saying anything.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t sound right. I’ll be over in a minute.”
Before Luke could say thanks, Greg hung up. Moments later a quick tap on the front door preceded it opening. Greg rushed in still in his suit from the party. He held a small medical bag.
“Thanks for coming so fast. I’m sorry—”
“Ali’s got the kids.” Greg knelt next to him and touched Elle’s face and neck, then picked up her wrist for her pulse.
“Kind of fast. Let me take her blood pressure.”
He pushed up her sleeve, attached the cuff, then pumped it up. Sliding the stethoscope inside the cuff, he squeezed the bulb a few more times, then let it go. Greg’s face grew fierce as he pumped the bulb a few more times, then released it.
His eyes focused on the gauge as he growled, “Call an ambulance. Now. We’ve got to get her to the hospital. Her blood pressure is dangerously high.”
Luke backed away, his eyes never leaving Elle’s face, as he pressed nine-one-one and asked for an ambulance. When they confirmed the address, his hand dropped to his side still clutching the phone.
“Can’t you do something for her?”
Greg’s lips clamped together as he shook his head. “I don’t have the right equipment. She needs an IV and medication that I don’t have authority to give her.”
“What can we do?”
Greg took a deep breath. “Let’s see if she’ll take a little water to get her hydrated better.”
Luke darted into the kitchen, grabbed a water bottle and straw and attempted to get Elle to drink. Her eyes fluttered again, and she took a small pull at the straw.
“Did she eat much at the party?” Greg asked.
Luke shrugged. “She had a plate of food, but I’m not sure how much she actually ate.”
“This could partly be a reaction to not enough food or drink.”
Luke held the straw to her lips again. “Come on, babe. Drink some more.”
Sirens wailed in the distance, and Luke said a prayer of thanks that they lived so close to the station. Greg met his coworkers outside and escorted them in. As Fallon and Bobby approached Elle, Greg filled them in on her symptoms. Luke knew these people from around town. He’d never dealt with them in a professional capacity.
“We’ll be taking her in now, Luke,” Fallon said a few minutes later, helping to lift Elle onto the gurney. “You can follow in your car.”
“You okay to drive?” Greg clapped him on the shoulder as they left the house.
He nodded, then noticed as Alex and Gina rushed across the yard between their houses, their faces masks of concern.
“We saw the ambulance. What’s going on?”
Luke faced his brother. “I don’t know. Greg says her blood pressure is too high, and she’s been out of it since we got home. I’ll let you know when I get more information.”
Luke headed toward Elle’s car, but Greg stopped him before he got in.
“I can drive you there if you want.”
Taking a deep breath, Luke shook his head. “I’m good. Thanks for the quick response.”
As Luke put the car in drive, Greg called out, “Keep us in the loop.”
Luke’s hands shook as he followed the ambulance to the hospital in town. It was just past the adult community his parents lived in. Had they even gotten home yet? Should he call them now or wait until he had more information?
He didn’t even have the chance to call them as Elle was brought right into a room in the Emergency Department. She was transferred to a bed, and Fallon whe
eled the gurney out.
“Good luck, Luke. We’ll check in with Greg to make sure everything’s good.”
The hospital staff asked him questions as they took blood and examined his wife. His mind was filled with dire thoughts as he attempted to answer them.
They adjusted her IV and added something to it. Luke didn’t want to disrupt them to ask what it was. More pulses and blood pressure, listening to her heart and to her stomach.
“There’s an OB-GYN in maternity who’s just finished a delivery. We want to send her up there for an ultrasound to make sure the baby is okay.”
God, he’d been so worried about Elle, he hadn’t even thought something might have happened to their child. Elle said the heartbeat was strong at her appointment just the other day, and Luke had felt plenty of kicks when they’d been in bed at night.
He couldn’t do more than nod as arrangements were made, and he followed Elle into the elevator and up to the maternity floor. As he went through the security doors, the nurse at the desk took a pair of wristbands and attached them to both his and Elle’s wrists.
“This is so we can match you together.” She gave a reassuring smile. “And if we end up with a baby today, they get a matching one, too.”
“She’s still got three weeks to go. Will the baby be all right if it comes out now?”
The nurse’s smile got bigger. “That’s pretty close to full term. We’ve had them much younger without too much difficulty. Did you get a tour of the facility?”
“Yeah, during childbirth classes.” He didn’t think he’d be here with his wife being so sick.
“We’ve got her going to room three-twenty-four. The doctor will be in shortly.”
They brought Elle into the room and got her situated in the bed. Two nurses entered, and the staff who’d brought her up here left.
“Why don’t you use the bathroom to clean up while we get her into a hospital gown and make sure her IV is all set?”
