Authors: Vanessa Devereaux
He
would then raise her hand to his mouth and kiss it.
Brady
put the toilet seat down and sat on it. He ran his hands through his hair. Why
wasn’t romance ever simple?
****
Jenna
wasn’t sure if she felt sick because Brady was going to pick her up in less
than ten minutes or because the pregnancy test had revealed that she was indeed
having his baby.
How
could she possibly face him?
“I
did a stupid thing,” she said, looking into the mirror. “I’m so sorry. I feel
like a fool.”
No
that didn’t sound right.
“Brady,
please believe me when I say that I didn’t do this to trap you in anyway.”
The
doorbell rang.
Panic
set in. Maybe she could pretend she wasn’t at home. That she’d forgotten all about
their dinner date. Anything to give herself more time to practice what she was
going to say, and how she was going to say it in a way that would sound the
most apologetic and sincere.
The
doorbell rang again.
When
she committed a crime, she had to pay for it. Well, lots of her clients didn’t
share her philosophy, but right now she was living it. Get this over and done
with and pay the consequences. She walked to the door with a smile on her face,
knowing she had to keep it in that pose long enough for him not to suspect
something was wrong.
“Hi
Brady, sorry it took me so long to answer the door, but I was on the phone with
a very needy client.”
Telling
lies already and they were less than one minute into their date.
“No
problem. I know how important business is. You all ready to go?”
“Sure,
let me grab my purse.”
She
rushed back to the kitchen, grabbed her bag and then let him close the front
door for her.
“I
hope you won’t mind if we make this salmon night at Starlight a regular thing,”
said Brady as he headed out onto the main road. “Bear talked Hannah into
starting it and it’s already a hit with the group.”
“You
guys must like salmon. It was on the menu at Chloe and Ash’s wedding, too.”
“Don’t
tell me you don’t.” Brady looked at her like it was a matter of life or death.
“Sure,
I like it.” She was still feeling queasy and didn’t want to think about food.
“I’ll
let you into a little secret. I’m great at catching it, too.”
Jenna
leaned back on the seat. “I can’t imagine you having the patience to wait for a
fish to bite.”
“I
have a special technique. I’ll show it to you sometime. I assume your father
fished as well as hunted.”
“Oh
yeah. He loved the outdoors.”
“Perfect
place to live if you do,” said Brady. He pulled into the parking lot by the
Starlight Café. Jenna had never seen it so full.
“You
are right. This salmon evening must be popular.”
Jenna
got out of the car and pulled up the collar on her coat. She took Brady’s arm
as they headed to the door.
Should she
tell him while they ate? The place was crowded and he’d be less likely to go
ballistic when he heard the news. She was assumed he would be angry.
He
held the door open for her. The warm air and the smell of salmon hit her
nostrils, making her feel like she was going to throw up.
Hannah
greeted them.
“Good
to see you two turning out to support salmon evening.”
Brady
held the back of Jenna’s coat so she could take it off. Lots of people who’d
been at the wedding were also here.
“You
have the table I reserved?” asked Brady.
“I
sure do. If you want to follow me. Remember you’re taking care of Sophie at the
end of the week,” she told Brady.
“Speaking
of which, look. There she is,” said Brady. Sophie was in her carrier which sat
on a chair next to Bear who ate with Sam, Lucy and Liam.
Brady
stroked Sophie’s cheek which made her giggle. Maybe he wouldn’t be angry, but
instead broody and happy at the news.
“I’d
hurry and get your salmon,” said Bear. “Liam, Sam and I are on our second
helping.”
“We’d
better get to our table then,” said Brady. “See you guys later.”
Jenna
sat and Brady slid onto the chair beside her. Their knees bumped.
“Guess
you know we both want the salmon. And could we have a basket of the granary
bread? I’ll have a beer.”
“How
about you, Jenna, would you like a glass of the house wine?” asked Hannah.
She
wouldn’t be able to drink now. She might even have to watch what she ate, too.
Was salmon okay?
“You
know, I think I’ll have a soda,” said Jenna.
“I’ll
go get those and the bread, and the next batch of salmon should be out in about
five minutes.”
Brady
waved to a few of the other people. Jenna waved, too, remembering the couple
named Dane and Melanie who had the cutest little boy in a high chair sitting
between them. Even he had pieces of salmon on his tray and was lifting them up
into his mouth. She didn’t know why, but he reminded her of a bear.
Hannah
came back with the drinks and then put the basket of bread on the table.
Jenna
wasn’t really hungry, but maybe the soda would help. She sipped on it. Hannah
brought them their salmon, which under any other circumstances, she would have
dived into. The rice pilaf next to it also looked great.
“Let
me know when you need more soda,” said Hannah.
Jenna
hadn’t realized she’d already downed half the glass until Hannah spoke.
“I
will,” said Jenna.
“Enjoy,”
said Hannah before she walked away and went over to sit with Bear and the
others.
“Sophie’s
so cute,” said Jenna, thinking she’d ease into her announcement by talking
about babies.
“She
really is,” said Brady.
“I
think she likes you a lot,” said Jenna, breaking off a piece of fish with her
fork.
“I
hope so because she’s stuck with me for a whole day and night.”
“It’s
good practice.”
“For
what?” asked Brady.
“For
when you have you own.”
Brady
looked at her. “Hope you’re not getting broody.”
Shit.
“No, I was just thinking out loud I guess.”
“Good
because I am not ready for children. Don’t know if I’ll ever be.”
Double
shit.
****
Brady
couldn’t help notice that Jenna had hardly touched the salmon. He hated to
think she didn’t like it because if she was going to be in a relationship with
him it meant they’d be eating it a lot. She’d have to learn how to cook the
catch he brought home.
She
pushed the rice to one side before taking another sip of soda. She was on the
second fill up. Maybe she wasn’t feeling good. There was a flu bug going around,
and being human, she’d probably caught it. She looked flush in the face, too.
Maybe he’d wait until they got back to her place to tell her what he’d been
practicing all afternoon.
Then
again, maybe he should tell her now with other shifters around so he could
point to them, show her how normal they all were. How Hannah, Melanie and Lucy
trusted them enough to marry a shifter, and be part of this wonderful big
group.
Brady
touched her hand and then wrapped his fingers around it.
“Jenna,
there’s something I need to tell you about myself.”
She
looked at him. “I’m …”
Before
he could get the words that he’d tried so hard to get right, she passed out.
She slipped off the chair and now lay on the floor.
“Jenna,
Jenna. Are you all right?” Brady rushed to her side, and then Bear came running
over and knelt beside her.
“She’s
out cold,” he said. “Let’s get her upstairs and I’ll take a look at her.”
Brady
lifted her into his arms in one easy swoop. The place was humming with
everyone’s chatter, and everyone watched as he, Bear and Hannah went out of the
café, and then up the stairs to the apartment above it.
“Lucky
there’s still a bed in one of the rooms,” said Hannah.
Brady
set her down. “I thought she didn’t look well, and she hardly ate anything.”
“Okay,
let me take a look,” said Bear. “Honey, can you go fetch my medical supply bag
out of the car?”
“Sure
thing,” said Hannah.
Brady
paced back and forth while Bear checked Jenna’s pulse.
“Does
she have a cold or flu or anything?” he asked Brady.
“Not
that she mentioned to me, no.”
Hannah
returned with the bag and handed it to Bear.
Bear
got out his stethoscope and placed it on Jenna’s chest. “Her heartbeat sounds
okay.” He pushed up the sleeve to her sweater and put the blood pressure cuff
around her bicep.
“Her
blood pressure’s too high for my liking,” he finally said. “Jenna, can you hear
me? It’s Bear McWilliams.”
She
didn’t respond at first, but then she started to open her eyes. “Where am I?”
“You’re
in the apartment above the Starlight Café. You fainted. You remember?” asked
Bear.
Jenna
shook her head.
“Your
blood pressure’s really high. You take any medication for it?”
Jenna
shook her head. “I just felt lightheaded.”
“I
think you might have a bug or a virus so I’d like you to admit you to the
hospital and run some tests.”
“No,
no. I’ll be fine.”
“No,
I think I’m going to have to insist that you…”
Bear
didn’t get a chance to finish what he was saying as Jenna passed out again.
“She
needs to go to the hospital,” said Bear, turning to face Brady. “Let’s get her
into the car and take her to our clinic.”
“You
think that’s wise? I mean what if she asks questions when she wakes up?” asked
Brady. He wasn’t much worried about her stumbling up on their secret, but he
needed to be the one to tell her the story. It had to come from his mouth first.
“No
problem. You’re one of the main benefactors. It’s some of your money that keeps
the shifter hospital running so we’ll tell her you wanted her to go there.”
Brady
nodded and put his arms under Jenna’s body and picked her up.
He followed Bear back downstairs.
“Is
she okay?” asked Hannah.
“We’re
taking her to the clinic and I’ll call you from there,” said Bear.
“Here’s
her coat, and yours too, Brady,” said Hannah.
Bear
took them. Brady followed behind and opened the back door of his car so Brady
could put Jenna on the back seat.
Brady
sat in the passenger seat, glancing behind to look at Jenna.
“She’s
going to be okay isn’t she?” asked Brady.
Bear
patted his shoulder. “I’m going to take good care of her.”
That
was good to hear because he always seemed to lose people when he grew close to
them.
****
Jenna
grimaced as she felt something sharp going into her arm.
“Welcome
back.”
She
opened her eyes and focused on Dr. Bear McWilliams. She glanced around, but
nothing seemed familiar to her. She remembered being in the Starlight Café,
waking up in a room, and then nothing.
She
glanced at the bag of solution hanging over her arm and watched as it dripped
into her.
“It’s
okay. It’s just some saline. You were dehydrated and your blood pressure’s
high.”
“I’m…”
“Pregnant,”
said Bear. “I ran a blood test. I take it you haven’t told Brady yet. Well,
that’s assuming it’s his baby.”
“Yes,
yes it is, but he doesn’t know that I…”
“That
you what?”
“That
I purposely got pregnant. But not for the reasons you’re probably thinking.”
“What
would I be thinking?” he asked.
“Rich
man and I trick him into marriage or at least supporting a baby.”
“I
wasn’t thinking that at all.”
“I’ve
ruined things between me and Brady, haven’t I?” she said.
Bear
pulled up a stool and sat beside her. “I wouldn’t say that. We all make
mistakes. That’s what life’s about.”
“So
you think I passed out because I’m pregnant?”
“I
think it’s the blood pressure which is because you’re pregnant because…”
“Because
what?” asked Jenna.
“I
going to recommend that you stay in overnight so we can give you something to bring
the pressure down, and then you’ll need to use this clinic for your prenatal
visits.”
“Don’t
take this the wrong way, but I have my own doctor.”