Love, Again, page 18
We hung up just as Cole came through the bedroom door, holding a plastic bag full of stuff. He sat down on the bed and pulled out a couple of different cold medicines along with some antinausea pills. But then, the last thing he reached for was the one thing I really needed.
“I got this, just in case. It doesn’t hurt to find out.” He handed me the pregnancy test. “Would it be so bad if you were?”
Looking into his soft, gray eyes, it killed me to have to tell him. “No,” I whispered. “I’d love it more than anything. It’s just…if I am pregnant, we’re not in the clear.”
His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“You know I have the IUD.” He nodded so I continued. “If I’m pregnant with that still in place, we could have a miscarriage.”
A look of panic passed across his face. “Can’t the doctor take it out?”
I nodded. “Yes, but the process could cause us to lose the baby, but leaving it in increases the chances as well.”
More tears fell down my face, and he held me tight. “It’ll be okay, sunshine. Whatever happens, I’ll be right there with you.” He kissed the top of my head. “Go take the test. We need to know.”
I breathed him in, and then slowly let him go. My hands shook as I carried the test into the bathroom. Deep down I already knew what the answer was going to be.
Taking a deep breath, I peed on the stick and closed my eyes. It was as if everything moved in slow motion. I always thought finding out I was pregnant would be one of the most joyous times in my life. It still was, but now I was terrified.
When I opened my eyes, I got my answer.
Chapter 28
Cole
I was going to be a dad.
Even though the circumstances weren’t ideal, I was so fucking happy. Aubrey was worried sick, but we had her doctor’s appointment scheduled for early afternoon. They were going to do an ultrasound and take out the IUD. I had to believe everything would be okay. I couldn’t afford to think otherwise. We’d been through way too much shit to have our world fall apart now.
Aubrey had fallen back asleep, and I didn’t want to wake her. We still had about four hours before we had to be at the doctor’s office. I wrote her a quick note and set it on the nightstand so she’d see it if she woke up. The fire chief had called and wanted to see me at the station.
On the way there, my phone rang. I looked down to see Bennett’s name on the screen. Aubrey said she had talked to Emilia, but at that time she didn’t know for sure if she was pregnant.
“Hey, brother,” I answered.
“Dude, what the fuck’s going on? Em said that Aubrey might be pregnant.”
I sighed. “She is.”
Bennett burst out laughing. “Holy fuck, that’s awesome. Congrats, man.”
A part of me wanted to shout with happiness, but Aubrey’s concerns had me fucking terrified. I didn’t want her to see that though. I had to put on a good face for her. “Thanks. We have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon. They have to go in and take out Aubrey’s IUD.”
“Yeah, Em mentioned something about that. I’m sure it’ll all be fine, brother. The baby will be okay.”
My chest ached just thinking about it. “I sure as hell hope so.” Aubrey and I had talked about having a family together for years. The thought of something bad happening to our baby made my heart feel like it was being ripped out.
“Keep us posted,” Bennett said. “If everything goes okay, we’re celebrating tonight. I’ll bring the whiskey.”
That made me laugh. “You do that. I’ll be sure to drink a shot or twelve.”
We hung up just as I pulled into the fire station parking lot. Chief Brody was in his office when I walked inside. He looked up and waved me in. “Damn, son, you look different.”
My hair had grown out, and my skin was a little more tanned than usual. He stood and held out his hand. I shook it and sat down across from him. “The Caribbean sun will do it to you, sir. Aubrey and I spent the last month in Turks and Caicos.”
Brody laughed, and sat back down as well. “I’ve heard amazing things about that place. The wife and I might have to make that our first stop when I retire.”
“I highly recommend it. I’d like to go back for our honeymoon.”
Brody’s eyes widened. “You’re getting married?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Yep. Christmas day.”
Brody nodded in approval. “It’s about damn time. I’m happy to hear it.”
“Thanks, Chief.” I glanced around the office that would soon be mine. I’d waited years to be fire chief. My time was about to come. “What all did you want to talk to me about?” I asked.
Brody opened the small file cabinet and pulled out a file. “Nothing, really. I just needed you to sign these promotion forms for me.” He handed me the papers, which I signed and handed back to him. He looked them over and smiled. “I take it you’ll be back here on Monday?”
I nodded. “Yes, sir. Believe it or not, I’ve missed this place. I take it nothing extremely bad happened while I was gone.”
Brody shook his head. “Not really. There was a wildfire out west, but it got contained rather quickly.”
“Good,” I said, remembering the last wildfire I had to help with. So many people had lost their lives, both civilians and firefighters. There was even a moment I thought I wasn’t going to make it out.
“Where’s your wedding going to be at? Hopefully I’m invited.”
“Of course you’re invited. All the guys here will be. Unfortunately, we don’t know where we’re going to have it. We can’t do it at the botanical gardens this time of year, and personally, I don’t want to have it there anyway.”
Brody nodded. “I understand. That’s the place you were supposed to get married ten years ago.”
“Exactly. Not the best of memories. I even got her a new engagement ring. I didn’t want anything to be similar.”
Brody chuckled. “I don’t blame you.”
With a heavy sigh, I ran a hand over my face. “There aren’t too many choices here in Dusty Valley to get married in the winter.” I looked over at Brody, who smiled as if he knew something I didn’t. “Why are you smiling like that?” I asked.
He leaned back in his chair. “Because I know a place that’d be perfect for you to get married at.”
“Where?”
He told me and I couldn’t agree more. It was the perfect place.
* * *
—
The waiting at a doctor’s office was always the worst. I held Aubrey’s hand to help calm her, but she tapped her heel continuously on the floor like she always did when she was nervous. Even as a kid, she was like that. Now that I knew she was pregnant, it made perfect sense. That was why she got sick on the boat, and why she’d had episodes of being sick and tired when we were in Turks and Caicos.
I kissed the side of her head. “It’ll be okay. I promise.” There were other women in the waiting room, a few of them obviously pregnant. It was strange to think that Aubrey was going to look like that soon. Or at least, I prayed to God she was.
The door to the back opened, and a young nurse in pink scrubs called out Aubrey’s name. Aubrey squeezed my hand, and I helped her up. “We got this.”
She smiled up at me, but I could see the sadness on her face. “I hope so.”
The nurse held the door open as we walked past. “Good afternoon.” She focused on Aubrey, her voice soft and light. “I just need to take your blood pressure and go over your medical history before I take you back. I know you haven’t been here before.” She asked Aubrey a bunch of questions, and they talked about how long she’d had the IUD. The doctor was going to do an ultrasound to see where the IUD was and where it was in relation to the baby.
Once we were in one of the medical exam rooms, Aubrey had to take off her pants and sit on the exam table with a sheet around her waist. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through. All I knew was that it killed me to see her having to suffer through it. We were about to see our baby for the first time, and I wanted it to be a moment we never forgot.
A knock sounded on the door, and the doctor walked in. She looked to be in her midforties, with short blond hair and wearing a white lab coat over her green scrubs. “Hello. I’m Dr. Christine Byrnes.” She shook Aubrey’s hand, then extended a hand to me.
She sat down and opened Aubrey’s file. “All right, let’s see what we got here.” She went over everything with Aubrey, asking her a ton of questions about this and that. Then she got to the part about what she was going to have to do to get the IUD out. It sounded so fucking painful. The doctor did an exam on her as I stood there, waiting not so patiently. All I wanted to know was that our baby was going to be okay.
When it was time for the ultrasound, Aubrey lay back on the table while the doctor slid a small-looking condom over a wand that looked like a sex toy. I held Aubrey’s hand as the doctor put it inside her, and concentrated on the screen. I didn’t know what the hell I was looking at, but then our baby came into view. He or she was small, in the shape of a peanut.
Aubrey gasped and squeezed my hand. “There she is.”
“She?” I said, chuckling low.
A tear fell down her cheek and she nodded. “It’s definitely a girl.”
Dr. Burns grinned. “Unfortunately, we can’t tell just yet, but in another ten weeks or so we’ll get you back in for another ultrasound.”
“How far along am I?” Aubrey asked.
The doctor kept her focus on the monitor. “I’d say you’re around eight weeks right now.”
Aubrey’s eyes instantly shot to mine, and I chuckled. That would put her getting pregnant that first night we had sex. What were the odds of that?
“You must be very potent,” she whispered.
I shrugged. “Hey, I’m a Haywood. What’d you expect?”
The doctor tried not to smile and failed. However, her face turned serious as she focused on the monitor. “I see the IUD.” She pointed at it on the screen. “It’s right there.”
Aubrey saw it and blew out a nervous breath. “How often do you see cases like this?”
Dr. Burns glanced at us both and sighed. “You’re only the second patient I’ve seen this with in my fifteen years of practice. The IUD is supposed to be 99.7 percent effective.”
“Can you get it out easily?” Aubrey asked.
Dr. Burns concentrated on the location of the IUD. “I can get it out, but you know the risks. Just understand I’m going to do everything humanly possible to keep the baby safe.”
Aubrey looked up at me, and I nodded. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before turning to the doctor. “We’re ready.”
Dr. Burns reached over and pressed a blue button that was on the wall. “I just signaled for my nurse to come in and assist me. When she gets here, we’ll get started.”
Aubrey’s lips trembled, so I leaned down and kissed her. “I’m right here with you, sunshine. The baby’s going to be fine.”
She nodded, but I could see the fear in her eyes. I’d have given anything to take that away. Now all we had to do was wait.
Chapter 29
Aubrey
I felt like I was floating on air. The IUD came out with no harm to the baby. The doctor did recommend a little bed rest, but other than that, I should take the normal precautions with any pregnancy. Cole had called his family the second we got out of the doctor’s office, and I called Emilia. Tears of joy fell down my face. We weren’t out of the woods yet. With any pregnancy, there were bad things that could happen. I just hoped and prayed we’d be okay.
“I can’t believe I’m eight weeks pregnant. Who would’ve thought our first time in over ten years would be the baby maker.”
Clearing his throat, Cole grabbed his groin to move things around. “If I’m so potent, I’m shocked I didn’t knock you up a long time ago.”
I shrugged. “It wasn’t the right time. If I’d known I was pregnant, I never would’ve jumped off the cliff in Turks and Caicos.”
Cole’s smile faltered. “Yeah, things would’ve been different.”
Excitement bubbled in my chest. “We should celebrate tonight. Why don’t we see if your family wants to come over for dinner?”
He burst out laughing. “Are you even going to be able to eat? I thought you were nauseous.”
I waved him off. “I’m too excited not to eat. If I throw up, oh well. I have nine months of this. Luckily, once you get in the second trimester it’s not so bad.” Slowly, I rubbed a hand up his thigh. “I also hear that pregnant women get super horny.”
Cole sucked in a breath and moaned. “That’s definitely something to look forward to.”
“You know what else is something to look forward to?” I asked.
He waggled his brows. “All the sex you’re promising me?”
Rolling my eyes, I smacked his arm. “Not just that.” I rubbed my stomach and smiled. “Picking out names. If it’s a girl I want to give her my mother’s name.” Madeline. I’d name our daughter Madeline Emilia Haywood. Emilia would get a kick out of it.
Cole nodded and reached for my hand. “We can do that. I’m sure your mother would love it.”
My chest ached at the thought of my child and my future children. None of them were ever going to know how amazing my parents were. They would’ve been the best grandparents.
“What if we have a boy?” I said. “Any ideas on his name?”
Cole looked over at me and winked. “How about Colton? It’s not exactly my name, but it’s close. I want him to be like his daddy.”
That made me laugh, but I did like the name Colton. “All right, Colton it is.”
We pulled down the street to our house, and what I saw surprised me. Waiting in our driveway with balloons and flowers were his parents, along with Bennett and Emilia. “Cole,” I murmured. “What’d you do?”
He kissed my hand and smiled. “Nothing, sunshine. They’re here on their own.”
Before he could even get out, Emilia ran over to my side and opened the door. She flung her arms around me and cried. “I was so worried about you this morning.”
I hugged her back. “So was I.”
She helped me out, and Bennett was right there for his turn. “Congrats on the baby. The Haywoods have good, strong genes. Your boy will get all of them.”
I let him go and winked. “I think it’s time the Haywood family had a girl. I’m holding out hope.”
Regina and James walked over and hugged me. “So am I,” Regina said, snickering when the guys stared at her. “I’d love to have a granddaughter. I’ve been outnumbered for years.”
James put his arm around Bennett’s and Cole’s shoulders. “Hey, we’re not that bad, are we?”
Emilia and Regina both looked at me, and we laughed so hard I cried. “Okay, guys. Keep thinking that.” We walked past them into the house and sat at the kitchen table. Bennett brought in a whole bottle of whiskey so the guys tossed back some celebratory shots.
“What room do you want the nursery in?” Regina asked.
I nodded up at the ceiling. “Probably the one beside ours. That way, the baby will be close in the middle of the night.” Right now, Cole had it as a guest bedroom, just like all the other bedrooms in the house. It was crazy to think that in a few years, those rooms would be our children’s bedrooms.
“How many kids are you planning on having?” Bennett asked, getting ready to take another shot.
Cole and I hadn’t exactly talked about it, but he looked at me and waggled his eyebrows. “If this one’s a girl, I’m definitely going to try for a boy next time. I don’t want to stop until then.”
Emilia gasped. “Yikes, Bree. What if you have five girls and still no boy?”
I shrugged. “Guess I’ll be going for a sixth.” I winked over at Cole, and he winked back. I’d always wanted a big family.
Regina patted my hand. “What we really need to be talking about is the wedding. Have you figured out where you want to have it? There aren’t many choices around here at Christmas.”
I’d racked my brain trying to figure that out, and the only thing I could think of was in the backyard of my family house or at the Haywood farm. “We could always have it at my place,” I suggested.
I turned to Cole to see what he thought, but he shook his head. “I have a better idea. Chief Brody mentioned it to me today, and I think it’d be perfect.” His father’s eyes lit up, and he nodded in agreement.
“What is it?” I asked, excited to hear.
Cole walked over and sat across from me. “As you know, the guys go all out at the firehouse for Christmas. What if we had it there? It’s a large enough place to hold everyone, and it’d be a good time. We can invite the town, and anyone you want from California.”
Regina and Emilia both seemed to approve by the smiles on their faces. Emilia already had her phone out and was typing away. “It’ll be perfect, Bree. I’m texting our stylist to get him out here to do your hair and makeup. Also, I have a special designer coming out to measure you for a wedding gown next week.”
“Seriously?” I laughed. “You don’t have to do this, Em.”
She scoffed. “Please. I’m your maid of honor. I don’t want you having to do any of the work.” Her gaze landed on my stomach. “You’re in a delicate position now. I want that little bundle of joy to have a stress-free mother.”
I pulled her into my arms. “Thanks, Emilia. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Tears fell down my face. “I don’t know what I’d do without any of you,” I said, glancing at each and every one of them. “I’m so thankful to be back here and a part of this family. This is my home. I never thought I’d get a second chance.”
