His Best Man's Baby (13 page)

“Ma, I wanted to ask you something.”

“What’s that, sweetie?”

She hesitated and then plunged ahead. “This is going to sound crazy at my age, but… Ugh. Okay, how do I know when I’m really in love with the right one? I mean, you and Dad have been together since the beginning of time and…”

“Thanks, sweetheart.”

Tae chuckled at her mother’s dry tone.

“Are you in love, Tae? I remember how hurt you were when you broke up with Daniel. I liked him. I thought he was a wonderful man, and even Dad said you let a good one go. He could have been the one.”

“Okay, Ma, I get it.”

“He got married though, so he’s off the market.”

Tae wondered where her mother had heard that news. She never told her. “How do you know?”

“Oh we talk sometimes.”

Tae’s throat closed. She swallowed. “Excuse me?”

“I called him not long ago to see how he was doing. We had a nice long talk. He told me he married. I congratulated him. To be honest, he didn’t seem all that happy, but I encouraged him to keep working at it. Marriage is no picnic. I can tell you.”

If Tae didn’t cut her off, she’d keep rambling on. “What else did he tell you?”

“What else was there for him to tell me?”

Damn, her mother was clever when she wanted to be. “I just wanted to know about love.”

“I think you know what love is. You loved him, Tae. You may still love him. Is there someone else?”

With every passing moment, she regretted asking the question.

“You never talk to me,” her mother complained. “I used to always hear your news from Janita or your younger sister, Sasha.”
As if I don’t know who Sasha is without her explaining.

“I’m sorry, Ma.”

“You were a closed-off little girl coming up, always wanting your own space. You would hide in the closet to get it, but Janita and Sasha would find you and pick at you until you gave in and joined the family. I put it down to being a middle child.”

Tae rolled to her back and stared at the ceiling, letting her mother ramble on. Her personality was what it was and wouldn’t change this late in the game. She loved her family, but her mother was right, she’d fought for her own and lost the battle too many times. She hadn’t told her mother about the baby, and now didn’t seem like a good time. Her mother would be thrilled, but she would no doubt descend upon Tae with others in tow. Tae wasn’t ready for that, not with her emotional tug-o-war over Jax and Daniel.

Her mother broke through her wandering thoughts, and Tae realized she’d started to drift off. “You will know when you love
the one
, Tae. Just trust your heart. It will never lead you wrong.”

“Thanks, Ma. Well, I’ll talk to you later. I’m going to get some sleep because I have to be in early tomorrow.”

“Okay, sweetie. Call more often. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Good night.”

“’Night.”

Tae disconnected the call and dropped the phone at her side. Exhaustion hit her hard, and she decided she’d put the phone on the nightstand in a minute. She shut her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter Twelve

The jagged pains across Tae’s belly woke her from sleep. She cried out, fear gripping her chest. This should not be happening. What was this pain? Blowing out shallow breaths, she tried to roll over from her back, and another cramp dropped her flat again. She pushed a hand beneath her hip to give herself a bit of leverage, and her fingers touched something damp. She froze.
Can’t be, can’t be!

Feeling something hard on her other side, she realized she’d fallen asleep with her phone in the bed. Somehow she worked it out from under her and dialed Jax. He answered on the first ring, his voice thick with sleep.

“Tae, baby, what is it?”

She burst into tears. “Jax, I think something’s wrong. It hurts so bad, and I think… I don’t know. Please come get me.”

“I’m on my way. Don’t move, baby. I have the key. I’ll let myself in.”

She had argued with him when he insisted on making a copy of her apartment key. Jax wouldn’t let it go. He claimed she might need him unexpectedly, and she’d told him he just wanted to come and go as if he lived there. The man had had the nerve to tell her he didn’t care what she thought of his motives. He wanted to be sure he could get to her if he needed to. Now she was glad she’d given in to his bullying.

Sobbing but trying her best to calm down, Tae waited what seemed like an eternity. She took Jax’s advice not to move, hoping and praying it would save her baby’s life.
Please, please…anything…I’ll do anything.

The front door banged against the wall, and she jumped. Seconds later, Jax rushed into the room and flipped the light on. He bent over her, touched her cheek, and whispered words of comfort she couldn’t understand, but she saw his expression, the anguish and tears when he examined the bed.

“No, no, no,” he whispered, this time his voice a concentration of pain. “We don’t have time to get you dressed. I’m going to wrap you in a blanket.”

He did, and soon they descended the stairs to the first floor and out to his car. Jax drove like a demon all the way to the hospital, running red lights. Tae shut her eyes, trying her best to hold onto the strap and her belly at the same time. As he drove, Jax’s hand covered hers, and he never stopped talking to her. His smooth, deep voice kept her from panicking.

When they screeched into the hospital parking lot, Jax barely made time to park before he ran around to her side of the car and scooped her into his arms. She marveled at the care he took not to jostle her when his usual way was so rough.

He barreled through the emergency room entrance, demanding service. “She’s cramping and bleeding. I need someone to look at her, now!” Nurses scrambled. Soon Tae found herself ensconced in a bed and a doctor examining her.

After a tense few moments when he asked her questions, the man looked up. Tae crushed Jax’s hand in her hold, but he never even winced. She shook from head to toe and pulled Jax’s hand to her cheek, desperate to absorb some of his strength.

“Your baby’s heartbeat is steady, and there’s been no major change in the condition of the amniotic sac. However, there has been as you’ve noted some leakage. I’m prescribing rest and absolutely no stress. You must remain calm. This is important for the health of your baby. Do you understand?”

Tae resented the condescending attitude, but she nodded her head. “For the rest of the term?”

“Not necessarily. Your regular doctor can monitor you, but for now you need to take a few days to put your feet up and stay in bed.”

“She will get the rest,” Jax promised.

“Good.” The doctor scribbled something on his clipboard. “It’s a good idea to see your regular doctor, no longer than a day or two from now.”

“Of course.” Tae sighed and lay back on her pillow. She loosened the death grip she had on Jax’s hand, and he flexed his fingers. “Sorry.”

He grinned and brushed the sweaty hair off her forehead. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t feel a thing.”

“Because you’re Superman?”

He stroked her cheek and then touched her belly. “Because I was terrified. I’m a man, but I’m only human.”

Her heart stirred. She recalled how he looked like he would cry. Jax thought the baby was Daniel’s, but he loved the little one, maybe as much as she did.

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “I’m going to go out and call Daniel. He should know.”

“Wait.”

He had started for the door but stopped and turned back. “What is it? Do I need to call the doctor back in?”

“No, not that.” A cramp rolled through her belly, and she breathed deep, shutting her eyes.

“Tae, whatever you’re stressing about, stop it. You heard the doctor. I’m going to be right there to make sure you do as he says.”

She opened here eyes, looking at him. “I’m not going to fight it. Trust me. This scared the crap out of me, and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize m-my…” She hesitated.

“Tae?” He leaned close. “Baby, what’s wrong.”

“It’s your baby, Jax,” she blurted out. “You’re the father. I never slept with Daniel—I mean not after we broke up.”

The silence was deafening.

He straightened and moved away from the bed, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and said nothing. She could no longer see his face and worried about his reaction. What was he thinking? Did he hate her? Of course he did. For almost five months she’d let him believe the baby he loved wasn’t his but his best friend’s. In fairness, she hadn’t known until she was two months pregnant, but three months was too long.

“I’m so sorry. I was wrong to keep it from you. I have no excuse.”

“You’re right. You don’t,” he interjected, and she felt tears start that she blinked away. He heaved his shoulders and rolled his neck, then turned back to her. The smile on his lips didn’t reflect in his eyes. They appeared sad, but the sadness vanished, hidden away she knew because he wanted her to stop worrying. “We’re going to concentrate on you and the baby.”

She couldn’t help it. She cried, and he sank onto the bed and drew her into his arms. The trembling wouldn’t ease for long minutes until he rubbed her back. Later, when the doctor determined she’d be better off at home for the time being, Jax helped her dress in a gown the hospital provided and disposable panties she never knew they had. Too tired to be embarrassed, she said nothing to Jax the whole time, and he finished up by pulling socks with rubber on the bottom onto her feet.

Tae did complain when he insisted he carry her from the wheelchair to his car, but he disregarded her protests and tucked her in. By the time they got back to her apartment, she fell in and out of sleep, and he tucked her into her own bed. Sometime later, voices woke her, and she strained to hear who it was in her living room. She picked up Jax, Zerita, and Daniel’s voices.

“We can take turns caring for her, if you want, but there’s not going to be anymore arguing, Daniel.”

“Who do you think I am that I would risk her baby?” Daniel shot back. When he spoke again, she could tell he’d forced himself to get better control of his temper. “You’re right. No fighting.”

“Good,” Jax said, “and while we’re on the subject, I want you both to know. The baby is mine. Yeah, that’s right, Daniel. She told me the truth at the hospital, and I’ve been thinking if she never slept with you, you couldn’t have thought he was yours. That means you knew.”

Zerita and Daniel must have gasped, but her friend said nothing while Daniel spoke up. “We can discuss this another time.”

“We definitely will,” Jax said, his tone a dark warning.

Tae didn’t realize she’d moaned, but it couldn’t have been very loud. Jax appeared at her bedside. His rough hand raised her chin, and thick fingers caught the teardrop at the corner of her eye. “I’m here,” was all he said. Her throat closed. She couldn’t form words. Over his shoulder, she spotted Daniel and Zerita, both worried. Daniel appeared devastated, and knowing it hurt her to her core. He’d wanted to be her baby’s father even if he wasn’t the biological one. She knew he’d kept her secret for selfish reasons, but now with her lies, she had made things worse with him and Jax.

The tension between the two men wasn’t the only problem though. As Jax shifted his position so he blocked her view of his best friend, she came to an awareness she never saw coming. She loved Jax. He had been by her side from day one and worked his way into her heart. He cared. That much was obvious, but it didn’t mean he was in love with her or that he would commit himself to only her.

“Tae, get some rest, and I’ll come by tonight to see you, after work,” Daniel said. His familiar voice rolled over her, bringing memories of his intimate touch to the foreground of her mind again. Feelings for him had never died, and she knew even without Jax reaffirming it Daniel still loved her.

“Okay,” she said, lowering her gaze so Jax wouldn’t read the emotion in her eyes. “Thanks for coming by.” Her words sounded too formal, but she had no idea how else to be.

Zerita nudged Jax aside, and he moved now that Daniel had left. She bent down to kiss Tae’s cheek. “Hey, girl. I know you and that little fighter are going to be okay. I’ve already spoken to the boss lady and let her know you need a few days. When and only when you’re up to it, give her a call about how long you will be out. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Tae grinned and smirked. “You’re bossy.”

“I love you. Between all of us, we’re going to make sure you get stronger, and if I have to later, I will beat yo’ ass.”

Tae snickered. Zerita almost never fell into what the woman called “lazy speak.”

“Okay, Mama. I got you.”

“You better.”

Zerita left, and Jax saw her out. When he returned, he brought a tray with food and a glass of grape juice, Tae’s favorite. She went to sit up, but he tsked frowning and shaking his head. “Lay still until I get you.”

“I’m not an invalid, Jax.”

“I thought we agreed you would obey me.”

“Doesn’t sound familiar.”

“You’ve been warned.”

She laughed as he set the tray down on foldable legs and sat beside her. His strong hands gripped her waist, and he hoisted her to a sitting position, then fluffed pillows behind her back.

“If you try to feed me, we’re going to fight,” she told him.

He grinned but placed the tray on her lap and let her help herself. Tae tucked into the bacon and eggs and toast, a treat since she’d been eating oatmeal and fruit for a while in an effort to be healthy.

“Are we off my diet?” she asked him.

He fingered a bit of honey from the side of her mouth and licked it from his finger. Her thighs should have caught on fire she rubbed together so hard.

“No, I thought the bacon would put you in your happy place.”

She grinned. “You know me well.”

The smoldering look threw her off balance, but he left the room before she begged him to forget everything and just make love to her. While she finished her food, the phone at her bedside buzzed, and she reached for it. A text message. She slid her finger across the surface of the phone to unlock it and retrieved the messages. Her heart stuttered in her chest at Daniel’s name.