Take Me On

  “Ask them to test her for pertussis,” she said. The woman looked at her with big eyes.

  “For what?”

  “Whooping cough. It’s making a comeback. Just…in case they don’t think of it.”

  “Oh…okay. Thank you.” She went on cooing worriedly at her baby, and Gabby felt an emptiness yawn in the pit of her stomach. No matter what, she didn’t want to give up medicine. It was only going to get harder, she knew, but…the woman sitting across from her with her sick child was a prime example of why she couldn’t imagine quitting. She knew she would be good, good enough that it was more than feeling as if being an MD was simply something she wanted to do. She felt needed, bureaucracy and bullshit aside.

  Her mother fidgeted beside her, a bundle of nervous energy. Gabby could relate. She wanted to get up and walk around to relieve some of her own, but figured she should rest as much as possible.

  Gianna had something to say; Gabby could tell. Before the woman could fidget off her seat, Gabby sighed and leaned closer to her. “Okay. Say what’s on your mind.”

  “I want to know who the father is.”

  “I told you it’s not anyone you know. But he knows I’m here. So…we’ll see if he comes.”

  “I’d had such hopes, I guess, that once you went back to Dallas, you and Mark might patch things up.”

  What the fuck? Gabby had to squelch a screech. “The man who dumped me at the altar? I can’t believe that would even cross your mind.” Let alone that it would cross Gabby’s own, even for a second. But it had, during a weak moment when she was craving the stability of her former life. That had all been an illusion, though, hadn’t it? Maybe her whole fucking life had been an illusion.

  “I know it was a terrible thing to do. I simply thought you two were so good together.”

  Yeah, she’d thought so too. Enough to accept his proposal and prepare to walk down the aisle to vow it in front of God and everyone. “It’s over,” she said.

  “Indeed it is.”

  Slowly, the room began to empty as people were called back, but it wasn’t long before any empty seats were filled with new patients. Her mother let it drop for a while, but Gabby had known her reprieve was temporary.

  “Tell me about him,” Gianna said.

  Gabby started to play stupid and ask, “Who?” But that was pointless. None of this was her mom’s fault; she should stop giving her grief.

  “Brian knows him.” She didn’t have to look at her to know her feelings. The tension that crept into the air between them was palpable.

  “The one who gave you the tattoo, I suppose.”

  “Ding-ding-ding.” Gabby mimicked a prize-winning bell.

  “You must’ve gone out with him that night. You didn’t come home.”

  Good God, she hadn’t expected her to take that much of an interest. “Yep.”

  “So you’re two months along.”

  “Roughly.”

  “And I take it he knows, if you told him you’re here. So let me ask this. Does he care?”

  Why had two of the people closest to her jumped to the immediate conclusion that she’d hooked up with some deadbeat asshole who was going to drop her like a bad habit? She’d been drawn to Ian partly because he’d been so kind to her through a difficult time. Granted, you couldn’t base a person’s entire character on one chivalrous act, but it was a pretty good indication he had a heart. “He knows, and he cares. If anyone is holding back, Mom, it’s me. He’s younger than me, he lives here, and apparently he plans to stay here, so…I’m not sure how it’s going to turn out. We’re still figuring things out. Part of the reason I hadn’t told you and Dad is because I don’t have any answers for you yet.” Her gaze strayed toward the double doors leading back to the treatment rooms. “And who knows if we need them anymore.”

  “Well, let’s think positively,” Gianna said. “If you want this, fine. You know we’ll support you no matter what. But it seems to me you don’t know what you want, Gabriella. If you cared about the path you were on, I’d have thought you’d be a little more careful about not sabotaging it.”

  “Just so you know,” she said coldly, “we took precautions. They simply failed.” Gabby wanted to throw in that she could ask her two sons about that, but God, she didn’t even know about Brian yet. “Please stop stressing me out.”

  “Fine, fine.” Gianna wiggled her foot impatiently, staring at the TV mounted in the corner. “I wish they’d hurry. This is ridiculous. You could hemorrhage to death out here and no one would care.”

  “I doubt it. I’m going to the bathroom.” Carefully, Gabby stood. Her mom started to rise with her, but Gabby waved her back down. “I’m fine. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Once alone, she checked her pale reflection in the mirror. A wave of nausea took her over, and she struggled not to throw up, hoping she could find a vending machine with some crackers or something. An empty stomach seemed to make it worse, and she hadn’t eaten all day. Her bleeding wasn’t any worse, so that was a good sign. Idly, she checked her cell phone even though she knew she hadn’t heard it alert her to a call or message.

  God, Ian. Where was he? Her mother’s question echoed in her head. Does he care? He seemed to. She’d love it if he swooped in here and put everyone’s fears to rest, including her own, but that was romantic tripe.

  She stalled at the mirror because she didn’t want to go back out there to her mom’s questions and opinions. A moment later, though, the door opened, and Gianna stuck her head in. “They called you back.”

  Taking a deep breath, Gabby tossed her phone in her purse and followed her out to the waiting area.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The door closed behind the exiting client Ian had been working on for the past two hours, and he allowed himself a nice, long stretch to work out the kinks in his muscles. There had been a steady stream of business today, and they’d had to start putting people on a waiting list or set appointments for later, but right now there were no pressing matters, so he headed back to the break room. Brian was in there pouring the fifth cup of coffee Ian had seen him drink today, even though it was late afternoon.

  “Doing all right, brother?” Ian asked, going to the fridge to get an energy drink. He needed his own jolt.

  “Ah, God, dude. I need an IV,” Brian said, replacing the carafe with one hand and gulping the black coffee with the other.

  “Jesus. I’d say so.”

  “She wanted watermelon Oreos last night. I didn’t know they even fucking made watermelon Oreos. But three o’clock in the fucking morning, I’m out looking for them.” Candace’s intense cravings had been a source of amusement for everyone at the studio.

  Not for the first time, guilt ate into him for the secret he was keeping from his boss and good friend. But when was the best time to tell your boss/friend you’d knocked up his sister? Certainly not when he was half-dead on his feet because of his own pregnant girlfriend’s midnight cravings.

  “And you know, I’m not complaining,” he clarified. “She doesn’t ask me to do this stuff, she just has to say, ‘Some watermelon Oreos would be awesome’, and I’m gone. Really, I can’t wait for what she wants next. It’s pretty damn funny.”

  “That’s good.” Ian cranked the tab on his can and drank in lieu of saying more. Had Gabby had any wild cravings? He wouldn’t know. He’d do the same for her, though, if she stayed with him. But that would never fucking happen. Dr. Asshole no doubt had a mansion on a hill, and Ian expected her to shack up with him in his one-bedroom apartment? What a laugh.

  As he lowered the can from his lips, he noticed his cell phone sitting on the counter next to the microwave. He must’ve forgotten it there when he’d heated up a pizza pocket before they got so busy.

  Stepping around Brian, he retrieved it and checked the waiting text message.

  And felt his knees almost give out. “Jesus. Oh, fucking hell.”

  “Hey, what is it?” Brian asked.

  Ian looked the guy in the face a
nd couldn’t lie to him anymore. Not now. Not about this. “Your sister is at the hospital.”

  “Wait. What?”

  Ignoring him, Ian checked his watch. “Fuck, that was almost three hours ago. Brian, man, there’s a lot of shit I need to tell you but—I gotta go.”

  Brian caught his arm as he bolted toward the door. “Hold up just one goddamn minute. Why is she at the hospital, and why is she telling you before she tells me?”

  He needed to come clean, but there wasn’t time to get into it now. She’d told him she was headed to the ER but hadn’t let him know any results. God only knew what she was going through or what was happening. He had to get there now, and he would go through the guy if he had to. Ian yanked away, looking Brian straight in his blue eyes. There was no way of sugarcoating it. “Your sister is pregnant. It’s mine. And she’s having complications. I need to be there.”

  It might very well be rage building behind that stare, but he hoped Brian was only trying to come to terms with the words he’d heard fall from Ian’s mouth like stones in a still pond. That once he did, he’d relax and take it in stride.

  But then he spoke. “I really, really want to knock you the fuck out right now.” So much for hope.

  “Hey, I’ll give you a free shot later, man, whatever you want, but right now I gotta go.” He let his hand shoot out to clutch Brian’s shoulder, trying to insinuate his urgency into the words. “She needs me. She wants me there. Come on, you gotta know how this would feel.”

  “All right. You go.” Brian’s voice vibrated with barely repressed fury, and his jaw was tight enough that he could probably crunch glass with his molars. “And you let me know what’s going on. Then you and me? We’re gonna have a long fucking chat.”

  Ian didn’t look forward to that. But whatever it took to get him out of here, to get away from the accusation in his friend’s eyes. Whatever could get him to Gabriella as fast as possible.

  “Where the fuck you goin’, dude?” Ghost yelled after him as he ran through the front of the parlor toward the door. He didn’t stop to answer. Brian could tell whoever he wanted. Ian didn’t give a shit.

  He broke a few traffic laws getting to the hospital, using his bike to his advantage to weave through cars. He wouldn’t do her any good dead, but every time he slowed down, his frustration reached a fever pitch. Cussing a blue streak, he finally made it through and wheeled into the hospital parking lot.

  People probably thought he was insane, and he was sure he scared the lady at the front desk to death. She directed him toward the back, no doubt to get him out of her face. Another nurse pointed out the room Gabby was in, and he sprinted toward it, halting in the doorway like he’d hit an invisible wall.

  She lay partially upright in the hospital bed, her gorgeous dark hair stark against the white sheets. She saw him, and her face lit up, and nothing else mattered…until the couple standing beside her bed turned and looked at him.

  Shit. Obviously her parents. Even if Gabriella hadn’t looked like a younger version of the woman, the way they both stared at him as if they wanted to rip his fucking spine out was a dead giveaway.

  “Ian, I presume?” her dad rumbled, moving toward him. He was a big guy, gray-suited and authoritative, and Ian contemplated backing up. But instead of delivering the punch Brian wanted to give him (and the dude did look at him a lot like Brian had), the man stuck his hand out.

  “Yes, sir,” Ian said, cautiously shaking it.

  “Alex Ross.”

  “Pleasure to meet you.”

  Mr. Ross didn’t return the sentiment, but that was all right. He was just glad not to get coldcocked. Mr. Ross nodded and held an arm toward his wife, introducing her as Gianna. Gabby watched, amusement lightening the worry in her eyes. “Well,” her dad said at last, “let’s give the kids some privacy.”

  “We’ll be in the coffee shop,” Gabby’s mother told her, leaning over to stroke her daughter’s forehead. “See you soon.”

  A moment later, the two of them were alone, and Ian suddenly remembered: Holy fucking hell, I hate hospitals. But the itchy anxiety wasn’t creeping under his skin this time—all that mattered was the woman on the bed, who hopefully still carried his child.

  He didn’t know what to do or what to say. Now that he was here, he didn’t want to know what had happened.

  “You made it,” she said finally, holding her hand toward him.

  “Yeah,” he softly replied, awkwardly running his fingers through his hair as he approached her bedside. “Drove over a few cars on my way, nearly gave a couple of pedestrians heart attacks.” She chuckled, and he nearly broke. He seized up the hand she’d offered. “Baby, I am so fucking sorry. I left my phone in the break room, and I was with a client. I got here as soon as I saw what had happened. Are you okay? Is everything…okay?”

  “They’re thinking so,” she said, rubbing her free hand over her stomach. Her voice sounded so sweet right then. “They did an ultrasound, and everything looked good.” She smiled. “I could see the little heart beating. Just flickering away.”

  He stroked the hair from her forehead. It felt so good against his fingers, he kept doing it. “I wish I could’ve seen it with you.”

  “They want to monitor my bleeding before they send me home, and we’re waiting on labs. I might be looking at bed rest if it doesn’t stop, but if it does, I should be good to go. Sometimes this just happens, I guess.”

  He sighed, relief a balm to his every sense. She was so beautiful, a dark angel. Drinking in the sight of her, her emerald eyes, her lips that slightly trembled, he wanted to grab her and never let her go. “I might have, um, told your brother.”

  “Well, after this, I couldn’t expect it to be a secret for very long.” She winced. “How did he take it?”

  “I got away unscathed, but just barely.”

  “Leave him to me.”

  “No. I’ll handle him myself.”

  “Gotta be men about it, I guess?”

  He chuckled. “Something like that. Gabriella…” She gazed at him expectantly, color flushing along her delicate cheekbones. He moved his stroking fingers to the curve of her eyebrow. “I’m…so glad everything is okay.”

  “Me too.”

  “I know I don’t have a fucking thing to offer you.” His voice nearly cracked, but he struggled to keep it steady. “I know you’re a woman who has it all in the palm of your hand.”

  She lifted one of those hands and put it to his cheek. “Maybe now I do,” she said, smiling. His heart jumped and pounded hard. “I’m so sorry for acting like I wanted to shut you out from the start,” she went on. “When this happened, all I could think about was how I wished you were with me. I knew something had to come up for you not to be here. I was so scared I might lose the baby, and I kept imagining having to tell you—” She stopped and shook her head, closing her eyes against tears. They escaped anyway, getting caught in her spiky lashes. He gently stroked them away with his thumb until her erratic breathing returned to normal.

  “We still don’t know each other very well, sweetie, but I’m ready to give this thing a shot if you are. It might work and it might not, but I can’t stand never knowing. I want to be around. If you wake up craving weird shit in the middle of the night, I want to be the one to go get it for you. If you have to go on bed rest, I want to be the one taking care of you.”

  “Are you saying…?”

  “I’ll do whatever you want me to do. I’ll stay. I’ll move. We’ll work it out. I just want to be with you. If I’m scaring the shit out of you with all this, I don’t mean to. Just…please don’t keep me at arm’s length.”

  Her tremulous smile warmed his heart. “Good, because I don’t think I can stay under my parents’ roof anymore. Not that they’ll kick me out. They’ll just drive me nuts.”

  Was she serious, or was he hearing things? Maybe he’d hoped so hard for this that he’d finally gone insane. “You want to stay with me?”

  “Is that weird? Too soon, right?
Ugh. I’m sorry.”

  “No, no, it’s…it’s what I was getting at. I can’t believe you want to do it, though.”

  “What better way to see if it’ll work than finding out if we drive each other nuts?”

  “There’s one thing I want to make clear, though.” When she frowned at him, he sighed and dragged a chair from the corner to her bedside. Her fingers were warm and supple as he reclaimed her hand in his. “I realize none of this would be happening with us if you hadn’t gotten pregnant.”

  He lifted his gaze from her hands to her face, counting on her to be honest with him. She didn’t let him down. “You’re right about that. No use denying it. It’s not that I wouldn’t have liked to see you again. I just…wouldn’t have let myself become distracted by you if I didn’t have to.” She looked down at her belly with a chuckle. “Seems someone else had other plans.”

  “Our circumstances have kind of forced us into action, but I don’t want that to be the reason you’re with me. Not the only reason, anyway.”

  “Trust me. It’s not. And I don’t think hormones are clouding my judgment or anything either,” she said.

  “When do you leave for Dallas?”

  Cringing, she raised a hand to her forehead. “Next week. And there’s so much to do. I mean, depending on how this turns out today. If I’m deemed high risk or anything, I couldn’t go back to school now if I wanted to.”

  He was so fucking tired of feeling guilty, but he couldn’t do anything to stop the gnawing ache of it in his chest. All the girl had wanted was a night of abandon. She’d chosen him—and holy shit, thank God she had and not one of those other bastards at her pool table. Now, because of that, her world had been upended. “I’m sorry, baby. So sorry to interfere with your dreams like this.”