Jason’s child.
“Everything is fine.” Sydney patted her hand. “But that’s why I need to monitor you for the next few days and you need to rest.”
“I was told, the other doctors told me it would be hard to…”
Sydney squeezed her hand in understanding. “I’ve reviewed your medical charts, and the doctors in New York did a wonderful job repairing the damage done to you. You should be able to carry a baby to term with little to no issues, but I do want you to be very careful just in case. You were just poisoned, and that isn’t something we can overlook.”
Bella agreed and let her head fall back on the pillow, closing her eyes, a dreamy smile softening her face. She felt tears leaking out to roll gently down to mingle in her hair.
When Bella opened her eyes again, they were shining with a happiness that had Sydney smiling, too.
“I suggest that maybe next week we find you an ob-gyn to take over that side of your care. I would be happy to recommend someone. I specialize in trauma surgery and most of the general practice that is needed around here in the land of crazy misfits, but I’m willing to do whatever you need in the interim.”
“Thank you. Can you send Jason back in? But don’t tell him yet. I want to wait to tell him. He’d freak out right now. I…I need to find the right time to tell him.”
Sydney laughed softly. “You definitely know your man well.”
The door to the room opened, and Jason quickly made his way back to Bella’s side. “Enough. Is something wrong? What’s going on?”
Sydney winked at Bella and squeezed her hand again. “I’ll check on you in a little bit,” she promised before quietly leaving the room.
Bella smiled at him and brought their joined hands up to her lips to kiss his knuckles. “I’ll be fine. She just wanted update me on my…condition. I’m fine,” Bella repeated to reassure him. She could tell he was going to press the issue so she hurried on. “I’m just sleepy. Can you take me home? I would rather sleep in our bed.”
Jason shook his head while stroking her hair in a tender gesture. “No, baby, we need to stay here for now so the doctor can monitor you. But I promise, as soon as she says it’s safe I’ll take you home. It makes me crazy thinking about you hurting. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”
Jeez, Bella could feel herself melting. That this strong man could say such sweet poetic things to her made her already-jittery stomach flutter and her face flush with heat. She loved him so much she felt stupid with it.
“Do you feel all right? You look flush, sweetheart. Should I call the doctor back?”
“No, no. I’m fine, really,” Bella promised, embarrassed by her reaction. “But, Jason, don’t go away. Please stay with me for a little while.”
Bella’s eyes were heavy, and she couldn’t keep them open any longer. She reached out her other hand into the void, and his strong hand immediately caught it and put it on his chest as he sat down next to her.
“No, sweetheart, I won’t leave you. I’m here. Sleep, love. I’ll keep you safe.”
Bella closed her eyes, secure with the fact that no harm would come to her while he was near. She drifted off to sleep listening to the sound of his voice, feeling the steady beat of his heart to dream of a little boy with laughing silver eyes.
She would worry about someone trying to kill her tomorrow.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Enough.”
Three days of bed rest was driving Bella insane.
There was only so much good will that one individual could take. Although the day after the attack Dr. Dixon had announced that Bella was out of danger, Jason had put her on lockdown. Jenna and Gio had taken over teaching her class this week, and Bella was told she was supposed to do nothing but rest and recover. People dropped by to see how she was doing, but Jason never let any of them stay for very long.
When she had talked to her parents, she felt terrible listening to her mother’s tears, but Jason had taken over speaking to them when he saw how distressed she was. Adding to that, Tony was all but camping in the living room and refused to leave. Jason said he would gladly make him leave, but Bella didn’t have the heart to let him.
Besides that, there was nothing much for her to do except for rest.
They had found out that one of the young women who worked at the spa had been paid a hefty tip by a man who wanted her to bring a glass of water with raspberries to Bella. He had claimed he was her boyfriend and said she only drank water with raspberries, so the girl thought nothing of it, wanting to please the clients. The girl had burst into tears, sobbing as she told them what had happened. No one could really blame the girl for attempted murder, just for being stupid.