Donuts, Diamonds and Assorted Details, page 23
“Okay, no problem. I can wait until after Jeremy leaves tonight,” Jake remitted, nodding to the door. Gwen followed his gaze, but only saw nurses hustling down the corridor. “He’s usually around here somewhere. Probably out on the terrace or something. The guy never leaves. I swear they were going to make him start paying rent.”
“That seems to be the reoccurring theme,” Gwen pointed out. “Everyone has been telling glowing reports about him.”
“Well, it’s the truth, Gwen,” Jake replied then crossed his arms and tossed her an annoyed glance. “The only thing they aren’t telling you is how close Jeremy was to giving up on you for good.”
“What do you mean?” Gwen was surprised to hear a single iota of negativity surrounding Jeremy. The man was a saint in her eyes, but apparently not completely saintly just yet.
“Until about a week ago, he was exploring his options outside the realm of Iowa,” Jake informed. “He contacted your aunt in Arizona about your condition, but she didn’t feel comfortable getting involved.”
“Why would he do that? Did he get a job offer?” Panic struck Gwen when she realized it must be about another woman. “Did he meet someone?”
Jake picked at his fingernails nervously. “Kind of both. He was offered a job in Kansas City. It was a good one too. Everything he wanted, according to him.” He paused and licked his lips. “One of the partners down there also had a thing for Jeremy. He never admitted he liked her, but she is hot and he would be crazy not to, no offense.”
Jake’s words distressed her to a point where she wasn’t sure what to do. Jeremy was never hers, not technically, but it still stung that he was being pursued by other women while she lay frozen in time. “Oh, well, he needs to do what is best for him,” she replied after thinking over a diplomatic response. She couldn’t keep Jeremy from living his life even if she wanted him for her own. It was selfish and even though the baby was his, she didn’t expect him to give everything up just for her. She worried her bottom lip and wondered if she should even tell Jeremy about the paternity of the baby at all. Obviously, he thought it was Devon’s and if she let him believe that, he would be free to explore the opportunities in front of him. “He should take the job. If it’s what he wants, then he should do it.”
“I think you’re missing the point, Gwen,” Jake said, moving from the chair to sit on the bed beside her. “Jeremy didn’t take the job because he’s too stupidly in love with you that he would break his own heart if he did that.” He offered her a lopsided grin. “He might be crazy, but he’s crazy for you and that’s what’s important.”
“I guess you’re right,” she replied, still thinking about what Jeremy wanted versus what she wanted. If her alternate reality taught her anything, it was that things change faster than anyone ever imagines.
“Oh, I am right.” Jake gently nudged her shoulder with his. “Plus, I’m 99.999% positive that baby is Jeremy’s and even if it wasn’t, he would still stick around if it meant he was in your life.”
Gwen nodded in agreement. Jeremy was loyal to the end even if it was his best flaw. “Thanks, Jake. I needed to hear that.”
“Anytime,” he said then stood. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the screen. A boyish grin filled his face and Gwen instantly knew there was a message from Denae that he was reading. “I’ll let you get some rest. Denae is meeting me in a few minutes.” He planted a kiss on Gwen’s forehead then added, “Jeremy deserves to know, Gwen. He needs to know. All this waiting is slowly killing him and I know we both don’t want that.”
Pulling him in for a hug, Gwen remarked, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.” Jake hugged her tight then tossed her a smile before nearly sprinting from the room. “Looks like he’s got a keeper too if she got him running around again,” she murmured, settling her head against the pillow. The day thus far was jam-packed of visitors and ironically, all Gwen wanted to do was sleep. She glanced at the clock on the wall. The doctors would be back in a little over an hour for her ultrasound. If she was honest with Jeremy, he would get to enjoy the ultrasound just as much as her. She slid her hand over her stomach and felt the smallest of flutters from within. “All right, all right, I’ll tell him,” she promised her unborn babe before drifting back to slumber.
Chapter 11
Brushing his hair from his forehead, Jeremy watched the hustle of the hospital from his chair in the waiting area. This was the second waiting area he had been in that day already. The first was too close to Gwen’s room and he didn’t want to watch the drama unfold, and now he was in the communal area on the opposite side of the hospital floor, the farthest from Gwen’s room. The coffee in his hands was long gone, but he didn’t bother throwing the cup away. He forced himself to give Gwen her space even though it chipped at his very soul. After being booted from Gwen’s room, Jeremy stopped by his house to change, eat and squeeze in a quick workout before he returned to the hospital. Gwen was sleeping when he dropped by her room half an hour ago and he didn’t have the nerve to wake her. He was somewhat giddy that Devon wasn’t by her side.
A group of nurses walked by talking and laughing and Jeremy envied their carefree attitude. He knew them all by name thanks to being at the hospital day in and day out for the last three months. One even liked him, according to Yvette, yet the desire to pursue anything was void to him. He couldn’t move on, especially not until he knew what was going on with Gwen and her baby. He didn’t think any amount of time would water down his feelings for Gwen.
He glanced at his watch then his phone. Gwen’s ultrasound was set for ten minutes from then. “Just enough time to walk up to her room,” he told himself. He pushed off the bench and tossed the coffee cup into the garbage nearby and started walking down the hall. He needed a stiff drink right about now. He chose to attend every test the doctors ran and now he chose to see the baby growing inside the woman he loved. Whether that child was his or not, he wouldn’t leave her. He couldn’t force himself to do it. Even though it would make everything so much easier. The temptation to leave her and take a job in Kansas City only lasted a day. He would never shove her off onto someone else when she chose him to make medical decisions if it ever came down to it. Plus, the fact that he couldn’t break his heart was at the top of the list too.
He ambled through the winding halls and smiled at nurses then nodded at the doctors he had become friends with over the months. They all pitied him, that much he was certain, but they all seemed to be cheery today after hearing the “coma girl” finally woke up. When he reached Gwen’s room, he paused at the doorway. She was attempting to stand. A feat that looked strenuous from where he stood. Her legs seemed wobbly and her balance was off thanks to the added weight at her midsection. Picking up his pace, Jeremy caught her waist before her legs gave out. “You should really wait until someone is here to help you,” he chided.
Gwen offered him a worn-out smile and Jeremy was taken aback by her. Her hair was freshly washed and her skin smelled like Shea butter. “I did. No one showed up, so I figured if I did it once before, I can do it again.” She frowned. “Apparently not.”
Jeremy kept his arm around her waist. It was smaller than he remembered and the slight swell of her hips urged him to keep his hands there forever. It just felt right. “You are still as stubborn as ever. I suppose that’s a good thing.” He led her to a chair and reluctantly let go. “You think you’re ready for this?”
“For what?” Gwen asked, peering up at him. Her fathomless blue eyes captured him in his place.
“Um, the ultrasound,” he voiced then cleared his throat. He was suddenly at a loss for words. Small talk seemed pointless at that point so instead, he asked, “So, where is Devon? I expected to see him glued to you.”
Gwen shrugged absently, appearing unconcerned. “I couldn’t say. Home probably. Or work.”
Her lack of response surprised him. Why wouldn’t she want him to be here? He saw the way Devon looked at her and only imagined she reciprocated the emotions. He leaned against the wall as they waited. If it came to it, he would give his left arm if he was on the end of a loving glance from her. “Oh, okay. So you’re going at this alone then,” he replied not so subtly.
“I never said that,” she shot back and twisted her hair into a braid.
Jeremy watched the outline of her face for any sign of doubt or worry, but saw nothing. If she was having the baby on her own, then that must mean he wasn’t the father. “Then what do you mean?” he asked, barely above a whisper.
Before Gwen answered, Yvette waltzed into the room with a bright smile on her dark face. “Ah, my favorite patient. I’m glad you woke up, doll, he was getting worried.” She nodded her head to Jeremy. “We were about ready to hitch him up to one of the young doctors down the hall if you didn’t wake up.” She winked at Gwen and Jeremy was suddenly very lost. “Good thing you woke up because you’re not gonna find a better fiancé than this one right here.”
“I’m not—” Jeremy began but then stopped. The entire hospital knew he wasn’t her boyfriend much less fiancé, but Gwen hearing it may help his case. Though, he admitted Yvette was acting strange, even for her. The aging nurse’s smile was filled with secrecy today and he wished he knew why.
“Get on out while I help her change into a different set of clothes. She needs a different color for those beautiful blue eyes of hers.” She shooed Jeremy from the room and he reluctantly made his way to the door.
He sent Gwen a quick smile as he shut the door. She nodded in return then added an undisclosed smile. Gwen was never one to keep a secret. At least not very long and it seemed she had a big one. Jeremy didn’t see a ring on her finger, so that must mean she and Devon were through. He found himself grinning, but it faded when he realized a guy like Devon wouldn’t pop the question to a woman just because she was pregnant. Or would he?
Jeremy fingered the small jewelry box in his jacket pocket. Jake snuck it in there a few months back and he never bothered to take it out. It was the only jacket he wore, so it made sense to just leave it there. “When she wakes up, you demand she marries you,” Jake said on a Wednesday that seemed like so long ago before he shoved the box in his hands.
Jeremy smiled fondly at the memory. The ring was his grandmother’s, but he cleaned it up and added a larger center diamond, plus smaller ones to accent it. His grandma would be proud, as would his mother. She always swore he would end up with Gwen, but that prediction fell on deaf ears for the longest time. He pulled the box out and his fingers froze. He tried to open it, but his hands wouldn’t move. If he asked and she said no, that would be the end. Was he really ready to put his heart on the line? Stuffing it back in his pocket, Jeremy leaned against the door and wondered what was taking so long. They were changing clothes not making the clothes! His nerves overtook him and he began to pace. If he didn’t get in there soon and ask her, he might lose all gumption.
* * *
“That man out there is an angel,” Yvette crooned, helping Gwen into the baggy hospital gown that Gwen detested. The nurse kept talking and talking and though Gwen liked her company, she would not leave the subject of Jeremy alone. “Every Friday, he brought a little white sack full of powdered donuts, hoping you would wake up.” Yvette nodded to the bed and Gwen wrinkled her nose, but obeyed. She was already sick of the hospital bed and wished she was strong enough to escape the hospital’s grip. “He said they’re your favorite.”
“They are,” she input, getting comfortable. Gwen was touched that Jeremy did that simple act that meant so much to both of them. He remembered the little things and that was one of the many reasons she loved him. That thought stopped her actions. She loved Jeremy. In her dream-like state, she knew it, but waking up and seeing him in front of her so desperately in love with her only intensified her feelings for him. He was the Ying to her Yang, the peanut butter to her chocolate, the very reason she lived was because of him. He was the force pulling her away from the inevitable light at the end of the tunnel. She didn’t have a chance to truly love him before, but now she did. Now she could pester him with her love until he grew tired of her. She smirked. She knew he would never wear out of her.
A second nurse came into the room with a smile on her face. As she set up, Yvette asked, “Do we need to run the paternity test? Jeremy asked about it when he found out you were pregnant. I wouldn’t let him, though. A man should be told by his woman that she’s carrying his babe not through a test.”
Gwen shot a glance to Jeremy pacing outside the door. He was nervous and if she was honest, so was she. It was like there was an invisible screen between them and neither could act like themselves. There was too much history and too much at stake. She looked up and saw Yvette still waiting for an answer. She wet her lips and replied, “No, we don’t need the test.”
Yvette hooted with laughed and nudged the other nurse. “See, I told ya! Jeremy is the daddy just like I predicted. There was no way Devon was, even though he is a pretty face to look at.”
“How did you guess?” Gwen asked, now curious at the nurse’s evangelical dance moves.
Yvette shook her finger at her. “No way would the man that fathered that baby be sneaking around with the interns like that Devon fellow did while you were sleeping.”
Gwen gasped at the revelation. “He was?”
“Mhmm,” Yvette hummed. “I knew the second I saw your guy out there, though. The look on his face when he saw you every day is the same look I make when I get home to my husband of thirty years.” She propped a pillow up for Gwen to rest on. “You are his home. No doubt about that.” She turned to the other nurse. “All yours. Oh, and you owe me a hundred dollars. I won the bet.”
“What bet?” Gwen wasn’t fond of the idea of the hospital staff betting on her, but she was still curious.
Yvette shook her head. “Nope, not going to tell you. You’ll find out soon enough.”
Gwen wanted to question further, but the gynecologist entered with Jeremy hot on her heels. “Let’s take a quick peek at your little bundle of joy,” she said with a broad smile before squeezing jelly on Gwen’s stomach.
Jeremy took his place at Gwen’s side and she heard his breath catch when she grabbed his hand. He laced his fingers through hers as the doctor began.
“And here is your baby,” she announced, tilting the screen toward them. “It’s a miracle the little one made it through the entire trauma, but it seems to be healthy and active.”
Tears welled up in Gwen’s eyes. It was nothing short of a phenomenon that a baby survived the brutal car crash and her coma. She craned her neck and saw Jeremy’s eyes fixed on the steady rhythm of the baby’s heartbeat. “He’s beautiful,” she murmured.
The doctor scanned the sonogram. “A boy? Well, if the little bean moves, I can tell you for sure.” She looked up at Jeremy. “What do you guess? A boy or girl?”
Jeremy didn’t respond. He was still staring at the monitor, so Gwen squeezed his hand. He blinked a few times and looked down at her. His eyes shone with turmoil, but he put on a tough front. “Uh, I don’t know. Any healthy baby is good with me.”
He let go of Gwen’s hand and she knew she had to tell him. Now. “Can you give us a moment?” Gwen asked and felt her stomach jumble into a heap of knots as Jeremy put distance between them.
The blonde gynecologist nodded as though it wasn’t uncommon for her to hear this sort of thing. “Of course. We’ll be back to reveal the gender,” she promised and skirted out of the room with the nurse in tow.
Gwen saw Jeremy’s retreat to the window from the corner of her eye. She knew what he was thinking and she had to fix it fast. Trying to stand only complicated the matter, so Gwen patted on the bed. “Come sit by me,” she asked to his back. “Please.”
He turned slightly and the setting sun hit his profile. God, he was perfect. “Why?” The apprehension in his voice plagued her.
“Because I need to tell you something,” she retorted, patting the bed again.
With slow and guarded movements, Jeremy took the seat beside her and kept his eyes anywhere but on her. “Okay, shoot.”
Growing impatient with him, Gwen grabbed his chin and pulled it up until they were nose to nose. His sugar brown eyes were vulnerable. Something she never wanted to see in those depths again. She grazed her thumb on his jaw and memorized every detail of his face. He was by far her favorite person in the entire world. “I wanted to let you know that this,” she placed his hand on her swollen stomach, “this baby is one hundred percent, without a doubt, entirely and completely yours.”
Jeremy looked up so fast it made her dizzy. “What? It is? You’re sure? How do you know?” He peppered questions faster than she could remember them.
She pulled him closer and kissed the side of his neck. He smelled like heaven, a musky cologne heaven, but heaven all the same. “Because in the last year, you are the only man I slept with, that’s how I know.”
Jeremy pulled her face up to meet his gaze and searched her with his eyes. “I am?”
She nodded despite the tight grip he held on her face. “Yes, you are.”
He let out a heavy sigh and his face broke out in the biggest smile. “That is the best thing I’ve heard in a long time. I’m sorry. I didn’t believe in you. I should have—”
Gwen didn’t want his apologies. She wanted him. Pressing her lips against him, Gwen enjoyed the interruption just as much as he did. He dug his fingers in her hair and kissed her back with enough force to make her forget anyone except him. “I love you,” she managed breathlessly between kisses. “I always have.”
