Page 20 of Rome
“There’s plenty of room for more names after hers,” he had teased me the day he’d shown me the design for her name, a week or so after we’d found out her gender.
“Seriously?” I’d groused, rubbing my stomach after a particularly hard kick from our little bun in the oven.
“Damn straight I’m serious,” he’d said, nuzzling my neck then planting a kiss on the tip of my nose. He’d tapped his finger along the bridge of my nose, and over each cheek. “I want one baby for each freckle. I think that’s fair.”
I’d rolled my eyes. “Only if you figure out how to carry those babies yourself, stud. I think two is my max.”
“Four,” he’d countered.
Maybe three,” I’d conceded, seeing the pleading look on his face. He’d given me that slow, sexy smile that always made me agree to whatever the hell he wanted, and I knew I was in trouble. We’d probably end up with enough kids to form our own soccer team.
I felt the tension in Caleb’s body ease as he relaxed at my touch. He reached for my hand and raised it to his lips to kiss each of my fingertips.
“Goodnight, baby girl,” he whispered, then lowered his hand to my stomach to gently rub my baby bump. “Goodnight, sweet pea.”
“Goodnight,” I whispered around a yawn. “I love you.” I felt him drop a kiss on the top of my head as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
The rest of the week went by in a whirlwind of school pickups and dropoffs, a haircut for Ethan, and trying to get things in order for Bull and Irish in preparation for my maternity leave, which Caleb wanted me to start at the end of next week. I’d worked up until Ethan’s arrival, but Caleb was vehemently opposed to that this time, especially with my blood pressure being elevated. I had agreed, knowing it really was for the best, and quite frankly, I could use the rest.
Caleb was working long hours, trying to fill in for Pic and deal with some things they’d discovered in his absence from the shop. What those things were, he didn’t say, and I didn’t ask, even though I felt I had a right to know what was causing my husband so much stress. “Club business” could just kiss my ass sometimes.
So now here I was on Friday afternoon sitting in the waiting room at my obstetrician’s office, waiting on my husband who should have been here ten minutes ago. I was scrolling through my cell phone when it chimed with an incoming text.
CALEB: Some shit kicked up again, and I’m not going to be able to get away from the shop. I’m sorry, baby girl. Let me know as soon as you’re done so I can hear what the doctor said.
I tried not to worry about what else had happened, figuring I didn’t need to raise my blood pressure any more than it already was.
Forty minutes later, I left the doctor’s office with appointments for the next three consecutive Fridays, and stern warnings to continue limiting my salt intake, stay hydrated, elevate my feet as much as possible, and get plenty of rest. My blood pressure was still higher than they ideally wanted, but Dr. Chen was at least pleased that I was going to be starting my maternity leave early.
I sent a text from the parking lot to give Caleb an update, then made a quick stop at the grocery store before heading to the school to pick Ethan up.
My feet and ankles were swollen by the time we got home, so I ended up ordering a pizza to be delivered – with a salad for me – and sat with my feet propped up most of the evening while Ethan and I watched a movie.
Caleb didn’t make it home until after eleven. I’d fallen asleep on the couch and woke up when I heard his bike pull into the garage.
He greeted me with a tired smile when he came in the door. I stood and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck as he hugged me close. He buried his face in my neck and breathed deeply.
“I missed you, baby girl.”
“I missed you, too. Did you get everything straightened out?”
Caleb shook his head and loosened his hold on me as he stepped back and pulled his boots off, then slipped off his cut and hung it up on the hook. I waited patiently for him to expound on the head shake. He looked at me and sighed heavily as his shoulders slumped.
“It’s a clusterfuck, Abs. Bingo came back this afternoon looking for Pic. That’s why I couldn’t leave to meet you at the doctor’s office. He trashed the lobby and scared the hell out of Lacey before I could get out there. He took off when he saw me, knocking over the glass case with all the damned piercing jewelry in it.”
“Oh no!”
He shook his head in disgust. “Yeah, it was a fuckin’ mess. I had to call in a couple of the prospects to clean all the shit up so Saint, Dax and I could finish the appointments we had scheduled. Gotta go in early tomorrow morning. Our supplier agreed to deliver a new display case and the jewelry first thing, for a hefty-ass fee, of course. It’s worth it though, to get back to business as usual as soon as we can.”
“I’m so sorry, honey.”
“The only good thing to come out of it was that Bingo fishtailed his bike racing out of our parking lot and ended up almost losing control of the damned thing right in front of a cop car waiting at the stoplight down the block. The prospects saw him in handcuffs at the side of the road when they rode by. King made a call and found out he was being cited for reckless driving, but when the cops ran his ID, they discovered a felony warrant for him out of Cincinnati. We don’t need to worry about him coming back anytime soon.”
“That’s a relief, but it sucks that you have to go in early again tomorrow. You look so tired.”
“I’m fuckin’ exhausted.”
“You go on up, and I’ll take care of things down here.” Caleb gave me a grateful smile before turning and heading upstairs to our bedroom. I took a few minutes to lock the doors, set the alarm and turn off the lights, before heading up myself.
