He couldn’t believe she’d banished him to the waiting room, but he’d seen the impenetrable look in her eyes when she’d asked him to stay behind, and he hadn’t wanted to argue with her in front of Nurse Ratched.
But enough was enough. Abby had been gone way too long, and each time he looked at the clock over the doorway and saw that more time had passed, his spirits sank lower and lower.
Their baby was gone.
The thought ravaged his body like a fast-acting cancer, making it difficult to breathe.
He’d really wanted this kid. He’d only known about the baby for two days, yet it had already felt real to him.
And now he only felt a sense of crushing loss.
“Mr. Woodland?”
He’d been so lost in thought he’d neglected to hear the nurse’s footsteps or notice her approach. Some soldier he was.
Gulping, he met her eyes, but her expression revealed nothing. “Your wife is waiting for you. Come with me.”
He dove to his feet, his strides impatient as he followed her to the corridor. They took the elevator up to the third floor, Kane wishing like hell that she would walk faster, but the woman took her sweet-ass time as she ushered him down another long hallway.
“She’s right in here,” the nurse said, leaning in to open a door for him.
Kane brushed past her and skidded into the room—only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw Abby.
She was lying on an examination table, wearing a blue hospital gown and a serene expression he didn’t expect. Next to the table was an ultrasound machine, but the screen was off.
Kane’s heart stopped beating. “Are you . . . is it . . .”
There was an excruciating silence.
And then Abby smiled.
“The baby is fine.”
The relief was so strong he nearly keeled over. “Oh my God. Oh fuck. Thank God.” Kane launched himself in her direction and threw his arms around her. He forced himself not to cling too tight, the kiss he dropped on her forehead gentle and brief.
“What did the doctor say? Why are you bleeding? What’s happening to the—”
He halted at the sound of footsteps. His and Abby’s heads swiveled at the door, their hands instinctively lowering to their waists, and they both grinned when they realized they’d each gone for a gun neither one had brought.
“Well. At least our kid will have vigilant bodyguards,” she quipped.
His heart leapt at her words. Their kid.
Kane couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off his face as the door swung open and a pretty woman in her forties walked in. She had dark eyes and skin the color of creamy mocha, and she wore a white coat, pink scrubs, and bright red sneakers that squeaked on the floor. Kane liked her on sight.
“Mr. Woodland, I presume? I’m Dr. Diaz, but you can call me Sylvia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The woman spoke perfect English, but with a Spanish accent, and she easily extended a hand toward him.
After they shook hands, Sylvia gave him a warm smile. “Your wife wanted me to go over what she and I talked about. She said you two had quite a scare.”
Understatement of the year.
Kane nodded and sank into the chair at Abby’s side. “Why is she bleeding?”
“Actually, the bleeding has stopped,” Dr. Diaz answered. “And it was very light to begin with, which is a good sign. The blood and urine tests we ran did show that your wife is pregnant, and the ultrasound confirmed it.”
His gaze strayed to the machine. “You did an ultrasound?”
“We did, and it showed that your baby is strong and healthy. We even heard the heartbeat today.” The doctor continued in a calm, reassuring tone. “It’s normal for some women to experience spotting in the first trimester.”
He swallowed. “But isn’t that a sign of miscarriage?”
“Sometimes, but it doesn’t always result in one. Your wife mentioned that the two of you had intercourse last night. Sometimes that can cause bleeding, since the cervix becomes very sensitive during pregnancy.”
Discomfort roiled in his stomach. Jeez. He felt like a teenage boy in health class again, cringing at words like cervix.
“But Abby isn’t experiencing any cramping, which is another good sign, and as I said before, the bleeding has already stopped. The ultrasound didn’t raise any red flags, so at the moment, I can tell you that the pregnancy seems to be progressing normally. If the bleeding returns, and if it’s heavier than normal and doesn’t stop in a few hours like it did now, then I’d like Abby to come in immediately. But for now, there’s no reason to keep her here.”
Another wave of relief swept through him, before his curious gaze moved back to the ultrasound machine. “Do we know if it’s a boy or a girl?”
“It’s too early for that,” the doctor replied. “If you two would like to know the sex of the baby, we can arrange for another ultrasound in the second trimester.”
“I hope it’s a boy,” Abby murmured from the bed. She glanced at Kane in distress. “What if it’s a girl and she prefers to play with dolls instead of knives?”
Dr. Diaz coughed wildly. “Pardon me?”
“Nothing,” Kane said quickly. “My wife is just joking.” He shot Abby a death stare. “We don’t have a preference. We just want a healthy baby.”
Abby spoke up again. “I forgot to ask you—what about morning sickness? I’ve been feeling queasy, but I haven’t thrown up at all.”
The doctor shrugged. “Not all women do. Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. But if the morning sickness does come, you don’t have to worry. It’s perfectly natural.” She clapped her hands with a smile. “You can get dressed now, and then we’ll schedule your next checkup.” The smile widened. “And don’t forget to show your husband the picture.”
They thanked the doctor, who waltzed out of the room on her red sneakers. Once she was gone, Kane turned to his wife with an inquisitive look. “What picture?”
Grinning, Abby gestured to the machine next to them. “It’s on top of that. Take a peek.”
Kane stood up and swiped the glossy print she’d indicated, then flipped it over and stared. The grainy, gray scale image was impossible to decipher, but he knew their baby was in there somewhere.
“I don’t see it.” He pouted.
Abby leaned close and studied the photo, then heaved out a sigh. “Honestly? I don’t either. She pointed it out to me like ten times, but I can’t see a damn thing.”
The two of them exchanged a look before bursting out in laughter.
“Don’t you dare tell our kid about this,” Kane warned her. “Far as he or she knows, we spotted his little peanut-size face instantly, and it was the most beautiful thing we’d ever seen.”
Abby’s lips twitched. “Agreed.” Her amusement, however, faded fast, replaced by a cloud of uncertainty that floated into her eyes. “I’m still scared.”
“I know.” His tone softened. “I am too, if I’m being honest.”
He saw her pulse throbbing in her throat. “Can we really do this?”
“Sweetheart, we can do anything. As long as we’re in it together. We’ll help each other through this, no matter how overwhelming it gets.” He swallowed, a dark thought creeping in. “But . . . I need to know something . . . do you want this baby, Abby? Like, really want it? Or are you only saying you do because of me?” His chest ached. “I need to know you’re not keeping it just for me.”
“That’s partly it,” she admitted. “Because I do want to make you happy. So yeah, maybe I’m only ninety-five percent sure right now, but I know that other five percent will come. I know that as scared as I am right now, you’re going to help me stop being afraid.” She shifted awkwardly. “Back in Cairo, when I was holding Tommy Aberdeen . . . I felt something, Kane. And I was good with him. I was able to give him comfort.” Her tone became fierce. “
I know I’ll love this baby, and I’ll protect him or her until my dying breath.”
Emotion filled his chest. “I know you will.”
“But you have to promise to be patient with me,” she said softly.
When he saw the unshed tears clinging to her eyelashes, his heart squeezed. “Always. As long as you promise to be patient with me.”
“Always,” she echoed.
Kane tenderly brushed away her tears. “Okay, no more of these. It just makes me want to grab a gun and shoot whoever made you cry. And in this case, I think it was that super nice doctor, and I really don’t want to hurt her.”
A laugh shook out of Abby’s mouth. “Yeah, she doesn’t deserve that.”
He brought his mouth to hers in a sweet, gentle kiss, then pulled back and searched her face. “Ready to go home?”
She smiled. And then she uttered two words that told him everything he needed to know. Not just about her state of mind, but about their future.
“I’m ready.”
Want to see how it all started for Kane and Abby?
Check out Midnight Rescue.
And if you love Morgan and Noelle, be sure to preorder their book Midnight Action, out in November!
Elle Kennedy, After Midnight
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