My Step-Dad's Brother(36)

I tried to focus on what the doctor told me about how far along I was and how their office handled pregnancy appointments. I retained maybe half of what she said, scheduled my next appointment and then made it to the safety of my car.

I was pregnant.

I let the thought really sink in. My mom and dad were both dead, and I’d never been close to my extended family since they were spread across the country. My hand cradled my stomach protectively, and I was in awe of the idea that I was going to be a mother.

A baby was growing inside me. One I was going to raise. Someone I’d love unconditionally. A life I’d do anything to protect, starting with whatever it took to fulfill the terms of my step-father’s will to ensure this child had anything they’d ever need, even if Lucas decided he wanted nothing to do with us.

I made a couple stops along the way back to my new home. I tiptoed into the house and softly closed the door behind me, hoping beyond hope that Lucas wouldn’t hear me come in. I had the bag from the pharmacy in one hand, filled with anti-nausea meds and prenatal vitamins. In the other, I had one from the bookstore with several pregnancy books inside. I might not have planned to get pregnant, but I intended to be the best pregnant woman ever now that I knew I was.

“What did the doctor say?” Lucas’s question came out of nowhere.

I turned quickly and found him standing under the archway which separated the foyer from a formal sitting room with a window overlooking the front drive. He must have been waiting for me to get home. I felt the blood drain from my face and grabbed for the doorknob as spots danced in front of my eyes. Crap! What the heck was I going to tell him? And how in the world was I going to stop myself from passing out?





Chapter 6


Lucas


I lunged forward and caught Jade right before she hit the ground. My heart was beating out of my chest. I’d worried about her all day, then she finally arrived home and passed out in my arms. I stopped pretending I wasn’t worried.

Scooping her up, I hooked her bags on my fingers and started up the wide staircase, taking the stairs two at a time. At the top, it split into two hallways, one on either side, both open with a railing allowing a view down into the foyer below. I turned down the right hall and without thought, took her into my room and set her gently on the bed, dropping her bags on the dresser. What the fuck kind of a doctor had she seen? He was clearly a quack if he sent her home like this.

Her eyelids started to flutter and I quickly retrieved a damp washcloth from the bathroom to cool her forehead as she came to. I was still vacillating on whether or not I should call nine-one-one when her beautiful green eyes were suddenly staring at me, swimming with fear. She was obviously as worried about her fainting episode as I was.

“Sweetheart. What did the doctor tell you?” I asked softly, keeping my voice low in case her head was bothering her.

She looked around before asking, “Why am I in your room?”

I hadn’t even realized I’d come straight to my bed. “Force of habit,” I lied. I’d brought her in here because it felt natural, like this was where she was supposed to be.

“I’ll take you back to your room.” I started to lift her into my arms again but she pushed my hands away.

“I can walk—“

I grabbed her wrists and held them in front of her with one hand, the other going under her ass to lift her up. “I’ll carry you,” I said firmly, my tone brokering no argument.

She remained silent, which was probably a good thing because if I had to get her to stop talking again, there was a good chance I’d be using my mouth to do it and I wouldn’t be telling her to be quiet.

Once I had her settled, I sat on the bed next to her and her eyebrows rose to her hairline with surprise. “So?” I demanded.

She closed her eyes and sighed. “Could we maybe talk about this when I’m not so woozy? I think I just need to rest for a while.”

I wanted to argue, but the faint purple shadows under her eyes convinced me she needed rest and my inquisition could wait. I brushed some of her hair off of her forehead, resisting the temptation to place a kiss there. “Alright, we’ll talk after you’ve slept for a bit.”

I stood and padded to the door, leaving the room and shutting it quietly behind me. Then I strode purposefully into my bedroom and pulled my cell phone from my pocket, pacing as I put a call into my family doctor. I didn’t care what she said, she was going to be checked out by a physician I knew and trusted.

Hanging up my phone, I dropped it on the dresser and noticed the bags Jade had brought in with her. I picked them up intending to sneak into her room and leave them where she would be able to find them. I must have grabbed the wrong end because the contents of one of the bags slipped out and crashed onto the floor, making a racket despite landing on plush cream carpet. I squatted down and picked up the bottles, only glancing at their labels for a second.