The American Heir(30)

The baby! I pulled my hand free from his and felt for the baby bump, hoping I hadn't imagined those bubbles.

Still there.

Riggins covered my hand with his over my bump. A small kick from inside brought tears to my eyes.

"It's been active while you were sleeping," Riggins said softly. "You   scared the shit out of me, duchess. You've been out three days."   





 

I relaxed, but only somewhat, and smiled, shakily, almost afraid to ask. "The baby? Is it-"

"Perfect. Waiting for you to come to." He squeezed my hand. "It hasn't   been sleeping. Much, anyway." He paused. "You fell down the stairs. Do   you remember what happened?"

I frowned, trying hard to remember something. Most of it was a blank. "I   remember tripping. And falling." I paused. "And then … nothing. Until   now."

He nodded. "That's not surprising. You banged your head pretty badly at   the bottom of the stone stairs in the Ghost Tower. It was a miracle you   didn't crack your skull."

"Thank goodness for hard heads," I said, but it really wasn't funny.

He smiled softly. "You broke your left arm. You wrapped it around your   abdomen as you fell. You were trying to protect the baby." He paused   again like he was trying to compose himself. "Thankfully, that's the   extent of your main injuries. Otherwise, you're just bruised and banged   up. Your doctor says the break in the arm is a pretty simple break and   should heal without any lasting effects. You'll soon be back to  normal."

Memories were coming back in snatches. There was something … something else that was worrying me …

My thoughts were clearing slowly. "Your father?"

Riggins squeezed my hand. "Still dead. As far as anyone but us knows."

He leaned close until we were eye to eye. "I had to make a deal with the   devil, but I'm still the duke." He kissed me lightly. "Want to know a   secret?"

"More secrets?" I raised an eyebrow.

He grinned. "I know the sex of our baby."

"What?"

He nodded. "They did an ultrasound while you were out. I got to see all ten fingers and ten toes."

"No fair." I paused, waiting for him to fill in the blank. "Are you going to tell me what we're having?"

He shook his head. "Not on your life. We're going to throw that grand   gender-reveal party. You'll find out then. Along with everyone else."

I tried to judge from his face. But he was inscrutable. "But I'm the mother-"

He nodded. "Yes, true. But I'm the duke. And fair is fair. You want a   girl to inherit the dukedom. Then I think it's high time a father got to   tell the mother what they're having.

"I want to surprise you with the grandest gender-reveal party ever. And   see the look on your face when you find out boy or girl." His Adam's   apple bobbed. "It's an incentive. Something to keep you going. Something   to shoot for. Get well and get out of here. Come home. Okay?"

What could I say? Although it was frustrating, it was also sweet and touching. I smiled back at him and nodded.

"Sid's here at the hospital. She'll kill me if I don't call her   immediately. She'll want to see you. She has something to tell you and   someone she wants you to meet. And I'm sure the doctors will want their   turn."

He leaned his forehead against mine. "But first, I have to tell you how ardently I love and admire you."

"Ardently, do you?" I teased, and relaxed against my pillow.

"Desperately. Tragically. Ceaselessly." He took a deep breath and squeezed my hand. "I was a fool not to realize it sooner."

I squeezed his hand in return.

"I can't imagine life without you. Or the baby. Almost losing it … " His   voice broke. "Tell me we can raise this baby together, Haley. I'll do   anything-"

I put a finger to his lips. "Yes, duke. Of course we'll raise this   little lord or lady together. I've been waiting for you to realize the   only way we'll ever be happy is together."



Riggins texted Sid, but I didn't get to see her until my doctor examined me and proclaimed my recovery "Brilliant!"

"Just for a minute," Dr. Brace warned. "We can't have her tiring you   out. You need your rest." She motioned to the nurse who was assisting.

A minute later, Sid poked her head in the room. "Finally, you're awake, lazy bones!"

"Lazy bones?" I propped myself up on my pillows.

"What else do you call someone who's been in bed for days?" She grinned.

"Are you going to lurk in that doorway forever?" I shook my head. I was tiring. "I thought I taught you better."   





 

She laughed and came over to me, bending down to hug me. "I'm so glad   you're back. You gave us a scare! We've all been terribly worried about   you." She looked suddenly hesitant, but her eyes burned with  excitement.  "I hope you don't mind. I brought someone with me. He's in  the hall,  waiting for a signal that he can come in."

"Don't tell me you've met some handsome Brit and eloped while I've been   out," I teased, knowing full well whom she wanted me to meet. I relaxed   against my pillow.

She just grinned.

"I'm fading fast." I grinned. "I want to meet him too. Call him before I fall asleep on you both."

She jumped up and went to the door, motioning to someone in the hall. A   tall, blond young man stepped inside. I recognized him immediately from   his pictures as Bird's son Will. She took his arm and brought him to  my  bedside.

"Hale, meet my brother Will." She beamed.

I smiled back. But it sounded so odd to hear her say "my" brother. She   had a brother. And I didn't. I felt that pang of jealousy again.

"Nice to meet you, Will." My voice was still scratchy and soft with emotion.

He hung back slightly.

"Will, meet my sister Haley, the Duchess of Witham." Sid laughed and   pulled him forward. "Don't let her title scare you off. She doesn't   bite. She's really just a regular person and the best big sister in the   world. She only married and became duchess to save me." She winked at  me  again and laughed. "Isn't this fun? Savior, meet cure!" She bumped  Will  playfully.

My gaze bounced between them. They looked almost less alike than Sid and   I did. At least Sid and I had the same accent and mannerisms. I took   pleasure in that.

"Cure?" I said. "Are you sure?"

Sid nodded. "We're being tested to be double sure. But yes, we're pretty confident. And so are our doctors."

The whole story tumbled out, with Sid, and Will, who was amazingly smart   and funny like Sid, fighting to tell me all the details.

The night at the Ghost Tower, more than one ghost came to life. Sid came   running from the castle at the same time as Bird and Will came from  the  cottage. When they met in the driveway, Bird took one look at Sid  and  thought he'd seen the ghost of his half-Chinese, half-white  mistress.  Until he put two and two together and realized he was really  looking  into the eyes of his twin daughter.

Thorne had been right about what he'd overheard-Sid did have a twin! I   was so relieved I could have collapsed. Luckily, I was already in bed.

Bird had hugged Sid, accepted her immediately, and broken down in tears   to think of all he'd missed with her and how happy he was to have a   daughter. When Thorne realized they'd met and pieced together their   relationship, he'd released the "cure" from the Dead Duke-the DNA   results and details of their births and adoptions that proved they were   full brother and sister.

"You're willing to donate your marrow to save Sid?" I asked Will   directly, not caring if I put him on the spot. I meant to. He'd better   be willing.

He grinned at her affectionately. "Absolutely. Look at her! I have a   beautiful American sister," he said in his gorgeous British accent.

He put his hand to his mouth in an aside to me. "She has to have hot   friends she can introduce me to, right?" He gave me two thumbs up and   winked. He was completely adorable. "Besides, how many times does a   bloke get a chance to save a life? That's something, really something.   I'm gobsmacked I get to do it."





Chapter 14





Haley

As I got ready for my gender-reveal party a few weeks later, I realized   that I did believe in fairytales. I really did. After all, I was living   one, a beautiful one with a happy ending. In as much as real life has   happy endings, anyway.

While I recovered, Sid, Will, and I became close. I called Will my adopted little brother. He called me Duchess Big Sis.

Bird told Sid that her mother was the only woman he'd ever truly loved.   And related the whole grand story of his love affair in China. Sid told   me he seemed relieved and happy to finally share it with someone and  get  the truth out.