Someone knocked on my door. Closing my eyes, I ignored it.
The knock turned into a pound.
I lifted the beer to my lips and took a drink.
The pounding got louder, and I heard my name being called.
“Preston?” I answered.
There was no doubt my heart rate had doubled as I jumped up and ran to the door. Opening it, I looked at him and asked, “What’s wrong? Harmony? Presley?”
He shook his head. “They’re fine. It’s Rory.”
Fear twisted my stomach. “What about her?”
“Colton called. Said she passed out for no reason at the club right after you left. The paramedic thought it might be—”
“It might be what?”
“He thought it might be an aneurysm.”
The air left my lungs. Barely able to breathe, I forced myself to speak. “What? I just saw her. She was fine.”
“They took her to Boston Medical Center.”
I closed my eyes. This isn’t happening. God, please don’t do this to me.
“Let’s go. My car is double-parked. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Everything went silent. I no longer heard Preston talking, I only saw his mouth moving. He pushed me out the door and shut it. We headed to the elevator as I forced myself to try and breathe.
If something happens to her, I will never forgive myself for walking away from her tonight.
The elevator doors closed, and I started to have a panic attack.
“Finn. Take a deep breath through your nose. That’s it. It’s okay. Breathe, Finn.” I watched as Preston breathed in through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. I mimicked his moves. The second the doors opened, I rushed out.
“This isn’t happening,” I mumbled on the way to Preston’s car.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions until we get there. I called Wes and Angie. They both left the club at the same time as you.”
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the seat and prayed like I had never prayed before.
With every ounce of strength I had, I fought to keep my emotions under control. “Take a deep breath, Finn. We’re almost there.”
Dropping my head, I looked out the window. “She was crying,” I said.
“What?”
“Earlier at the club when I saw her. Rory begged me to talk to her and I walked away. I was still so mad at her, Preston. She fucking ripped my heart out.”
“I’m going to shoot you straight, and now might not be the best time to do it, but I’m doing it anyway. You’re a fucking idiot, Finn.”
My head snapped to look at him. “What?”
“You’re an idiot. If you really think that neither one of you is going to fuck up during your relationship…you’re an idiot. Finn, even Harmony begged you to call her when she told you she knew Rory was upset about something. Something wasn’t right with this whole thing. I honestly believed she was forced to call it off with you by her dad. Everyone thinks that but you. You’re fucking hung up on how she broke your heart, but you never stopped to think if her heart was just as broken.”
I shook my head. “He said she wanted to break things off.”
We came to a stoplight. “Finn.”
Reluctantly, I met his stare. “Do you really believe she didn’t love you?”
My eyes filled with water. “No.”
“Then something else was wrong.”
I looked away. “She got spooked. She made it clear in the beginning she didn’t want to be with a firefighter. I pushed her into the relationship, Preston. Made her a promise we both knew I would never be able to keep.”
“Bullshit. I’m not buying it, and I know deep down you don’t either. You’re pissed because she hurt you. Well, I’m telling you right now, Finn: You need to get off it, because when we get there, we have no idea what we’re going to find. So you better decide right now if she’s worth fighting for. And I say she is. Because as far as I can see, she’s been putting up one hell of a fight for you.”
My throat felt like it was closing.
“I love her, Preston. I’ll always love her.”
He hit the gas pedal. “Don’t tell me—tell her.”
Preston pulled up to the front of the ER. I ran to the check-in desk. “Excuse me, my girlfriend was brought in by ambulance. Rory Adams.”
An older woman typed on her computer and then looked up at me. “The sixth floor.”
“Is she okay?”
She smiled softly. “I’m sorry, sir, I can’t give you any information. Go on up there and they’ll be able to help you.”
I nodded. “Thanks. Elevators?”
She pointed behind her. “Around the desk and to your right.”
Preston rushed in through the front doors. I motioned for him to follow me. “She’s on the sixth floor.”
“How is she? Did they say what was wrong?”
My hand shook as I reached out and hit the button for the sixth floor. I was barely able to get the words out. “They didn’t say.”
With each floor we passed, the feeling of dread loomed heavier over me. Please let her be okay. Please.
The doors opened and I inhaled a deep breath. The first person I saw was Clare. She stood and waited for me to make my way to her. Glancing around the waiting room, I asked, “Where is everyone?”
“They went on a search for coffee. We haven’t been able to get ahold of her parents. Colton headed over to the house.”
“How is she?”
She shrugged. “No one will tell us anything, because we’re not family.”
Every one of my muscles tensed. “What?”
“The only thing they said was she wasn’t in surgery and was being taken to the sixth floor.” A tear slipped from her eye and she quickly wiped it away. “I’m scared, Finn.”
I walked over to the nurses’ station. “Excuse me, they told me my fiancée was here on the sixth floor. Rory Adams.”
The nurse glanced at her computer. “Your name, sir?”
“Finn. Finn Ward.”
“If you’ll wait here, I’ll see if the doctor can speak with you.”
The pit of my stomach fell. I slowly turned and walked back to Preston and Clare. “Um…I told the nurse Rory was my fiancée, and she’s going to get the doctor.”
Clare covered her mouth. “Oh God.”
My heart drummed in my chest so loudly I could hardly hear Preston telling Clare everything was going to be okay.
An older gentleman rounded the corner and made his way over to us.
“Mr. Ward?” he asked while extending his hand.
“Yes. Is she okay? Was it an aneurysm?”
The doctor frowned and drew his head back. “Who told you it was an aneurysm?”
Clare took a step forward. “The paramedic said it might be the cause of her passing out.”
“And you are?”
“Her sister, Clare.”
Preston and I both looked at Clare. I guess she figured we might get more info if she said she was family.
With a furrowed brow, he shook his head. “The paramedic should have kept his thoughts to himself.”
“So it wasn’t an aneurysm?” Clare asked.
“No. It was not an aneurysm, and they’re both going to be okay. Her blood sugar was low; add stress on top of that, and she simply passed out. It does appear that she bruised a rib when she fell. Hopefully we can get that nicely healed before she’s too far along.”
My eyes widened in shock, and I heard Clare suck in a breath of air.
“I’m sorry. Did you say they were ‘both’ going to be okay?” I asked with a smile.
A wide grin covered the doctor’s face as his cheeks turned pink. “I’m sorry. With her only being about three to four weeks along, I should have guessed neither of you probably knew she was pregnant. I’m sure I just dropped a bombshell on you, Mr. Ward.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The doctor took that as a sign to keep talking.
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“When the blood work showed she was pregnant, we did an ultrasound. The baby looks perfectly fine. She or he is still pretty small and was nicely protected.”
Preston reached out and grabbed my arm; he must have seen me wobble. Both of Clare’s hands were covering her mouth and she was crying.
“But Rory’s okay? Nothing bad besides the rib?”
The doctor hit my upper arm. “She’s perfect. Well, minus the low blood sugar.”
Clare gasped. “She drank two beers tonight!”
With a laugh, the doctor winked. “She’ll be fine.” He pointed to me. “Now, you make sure she’s eating and drinking plenty of water. She was a bit dehydrated, so I’d like to keep her overnight to watch her and see how that rib feels. We’ve got an IV going, and you’ll need to make sure she gets in to see her doctor regarding the pregnancy.”
I nodded. “Yes, sir. When can I see her?”
“She woke up a little while ago and asked where she was. But she fell back asleep pretty quickly.”
I cleared my throat, and asked, “Does she know about the baby?”
He shook his head. “No. No one has said anything to her yet. I’m assuming you’d like to tell her.”
With a smile, I answered, “Yes, sir. Very much so.”
He motioned for me to follow him. Turning to Preston and Clare, I flashed them a huge grin. “I’m going to be a dad!”
Clare did a weird laugh-cry thing and Preston shook my hand. “Congratulations, Finn. Wait until Mom finds out.”
I laughed. “Listen, would you guys mind keeping the baby a secret for right now? I’m not sure how many people Rory will want to know, and with her being not very far along and all…”
They both nodded. “Of course we won’t say anything, Finn. Until you and Rory decide it’s time to announce it, we’ll be locked lips.”
I leaned down and kissed Clare on the cheek. “Thank you, Clare.”
Spinning on my heels, I jogged to catch up with the doctor.
We stopped outside of room 306. “Here ya go. Congratulations, Dad.”
Tears filled my eyes. “Thank you, sir. I’m not going to lie—I’m completely surprised.”
He threw his head back in a loud laugh.
“Babies are the best kind of surprise, son.”
After a quick slap on my back, he walked down the hall.
Pushing the door open, I walked into the room. Rory was sleeping peacefully, with a slight smile on her face. I made my way to a chair, quietly picked it up, and placed it next to her. Then I took Rory’s hand and gently kissed the back of it.
She moved a bit, then mumbled something. My heart dropped when she whispered my name.
“Finn.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I felt a tear fall, and finally let go of the emotions I had been holding back.
“I’m here, Éan. I’m here.”
Chapter 51
Rory
A new life
I could feel him in the room before I even opened my eyes. My hand felt warm and I could hear his breathing.
Please don’t be a dream.
Peeking my right eye open, I saw Finn. Both eyes opened and I locked on to him at the side of the bed. He was holding my hand and was face-planted on the bed.
I tried to swallow, but it felt like I had cotton in my throat. Forcing the word out, I spoke his name. “F-Finn.”
His head popped up, and he looked directly at me. “Rory,” he whispered before getting up and pressing his lips to mine. I moaned softly as he deepened the kiss. My heart felt light again and every nerve ending in my body tingled. When he drew back, I groaned in protest.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
He shook his head. “No, Éan. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I let my anger get between us. I swear to you I’ll never let that happen again.”
Reaching up, he wiped my tears away.
“Thirsty.”
He stood and poured a cup of water and stuck a straw in it. He placed the straw at my lips and I drank the whole cup.
When he sat back down, I started talking. I needed to get it all out while I could.
“My father threatened your job if I didn’t break things off with you. I was so confused. I didn’t want you to resent me for the rest of our lives over that, but I knew if I told you the truth you would quit so we could be together, and I couldn’t have lived with that.” I started to cry. “It about killed me to walk away like that…knowing I was hurting you. I swear to you, if you forgive me I will never hurt you again.”
Kissing my lips again, he whispered, “I love you, Rory.”
A sob escaped as I spoke. “I love you, Finn.”
Finn placed his hand on the side of my face. I leaned into it and felt the warmth flow from his body to mine.
“When Preston told me you had been taken to the hospital, I swore I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. I’m so sorry I walked away from you earlier. The only thing I could think about when Preston was driving here was how I was going to pull you into my arms and tell you how much I loved you. How you’re the only woman I’ve ever seen a future with. I hope you feel the same way, Éan.”
I nodded. “I do. That night, when we watched Presley, you made a comment that I wanted desperately to ask you about.”
He lifted a brow. “Oh God.”
I looked directly into his eyes. Swallowing hard, I spoke. “When you were holding Presley, you said you hoped our baby would be as beautiful as Presley. Have you thought about kids?”
He nodded. “I have.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Smiling, I replied, “Me, too.”
He lifted a brow. “How soon?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I’m not in a rush. We can figure all that out later. For now, I just want to be with you.”
Finn kissed me again, then spoke against my lips. “Éan, I’ve got something to tell you. It’s a surprise. And the best kind of surprise.”
I was drunk on happiness and was positive nothing else he could say would ever top his thinking about having a baby with me.
“What’s that?” I asked with a huge grin on my face.
“You’ve only got me for about eight months. Then you’re going to have to share.”
Giving him a confused look, I asked, “What do you mean?”
He looked deep into my eyes, and I felt myself lost in a sea of emerald green.
“Éan, listen to me, sweetheart. We’re going to be parents.”
My mouth opened to say something, but the only thing that came out was, “What?”
Laughing, he nodded. “You’re about three or four weeks pregnant.”
What was this emotion I was feeling? Elation? Excitement? Fear? Shock?
“I’m…I’m what?” Finn reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. He dropped my hand and unfolded it. Turning it, I saw the picture and started to cry. A warm and fuzzy feeling rushed through my veins.
“We’re pregnant.”
The picture was blurry as I tried to focus on it through my tears. “It looks like a blob!”
Finn chuckled. “That’s our baby.”
Darting my eyes from Finn to the picture and back to Finn, I repeated his words. “Our baby.”
Finn kissed me again. The kiss was filled with excitement and passion.
When he sat back down and gazed into my eyes, he wore a huge grin. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
“What does it mean?” I asked.
“Flash is going to be pissed when we tell him we’re bringing home a baby in eight months.”
—
There was a light knock on the hospital door. “Come in,” I softly called out.
My mother poked her head in and smiled. “Hey.”
“Hi, Mom.”
When my father walked in, my smile dropped. Finn stood and took my hand in his.
“How are you feeling, darling?” my mother asked, making her way to my side.
“I’m fine. My rib hurts a bit. The doctor said I must have hit it when I fainted. But it’s only slightly bruised.”
Clearing his throat, my father looked at Finn, then me. “I’m glad it wasn’t anything serious.”
Finn squeezed my hand.
“Colton scared us to death,” my mother said, “but luckily by the time he got to our house Clare had called and said you had just fainted from low blood sugar and they were keeping you overnight for observation. Honey, you have to make sure you’re eating healthy. If you’re not taking care of yourself then you’re going to run into—”
I closed my eyes and looked away from them both. “Mom, stop.”
Finn’s thumb moved gently across my skin. Almost as if he was attempting to keep me calm.
Finn finally broke the silence. “The one thing the doctor said she doesn’t need is stress. She needs to relax.”
“Then maybe you should leave.”
“Rick!” my mother said with a harshness to her voice. “Maybe you should leave, Rick.”
“I’m not leaving, sir. Ever. And if this is where you want to do this, then so be it. But I love your daughter and she loves me and there will never be anything you can do about that.”
I turned to face my parents. My father’s face was turning red. I took in a slow deep breath and decided to let Finn handle this.
“You really think you’re good enough for my daughter?”
Turning, my eyes landed on Finn’s handsome face. He shook his head while lifting the left corner of his mouth into a slight smile. “No sir, I don’t. I honestly don’t know what she sees in me. But what I do know is that I plan on loving her until the day I take my last breath. That I will do whatever I can within my power to make her happy. Tell her every day how much I love her and appreciate her. Thank God for her every single morning when I wake and when I close my eyes at night. What I will never do is hurt her.”
A tear slowly trailed down my cheek. My heart couldn’t have been filled with any more happiness.
“And before you attempt to threaten my fiancée with my job, I’ll take that option away from you right now. I quit.”
The sharp intake of air from both of my parents sounded like it bounced off each wall and circled back around.