“Cori, you’re pregnant.” Dr. Best shakes her head at me. “And Daxton, you know it’s too early.”
“Dummy,” I whisper to my husband.
Daxton cups my cheeks and plants a kiss on my lips. Momma Had soon shoves him away and hugs me tight.
“Don’t worry, baby. We are going to take such good care of you and my grandbaby.”
There’s a flurry of activity in the room. Dax’s phone blows up throughout the ultrasound, and once the doctor finishes, he excuses himself.
According to Dr. Best, I’m seven weeks along, and everything appears to be normal. She refers me to an OBGYN and prescribes me prenatal vitamins.
“I can’t wait to go home.” Haddie sits next to me and pulls me into her arms. She kisses my forehead.
“Are you okay, sweetheart? Those men didn’t—”
“I’m fine. I was scared, but I knew Dax would find me.” I let out a laugh. “Now I sound like one of those stupid women. Don’t tell him I said that.”
“There’s nothing wrong with depending on your husband. He depends on you, too, you know.”
“He does?”
“Yes. He loves you. He needs you. He was so lonely before, but now, he’s happy, and that’s because of you.”
“But I didn’t do anything.”
“You’re you, and that’s enough. My son’s a good man, and he will be a wonderful father to this baby.” She rubs my belly. “I didn’t ask him, but he helped me raise his sister. And don’t worry about a thing. You have me now. I will be a bonus mom to you.”
“Don’t be a bonus mom. Be my mom.”
“You got it.”
“Do you think you—”
My request to have her cook us dinner is interrupted when Dax returns. From the look in his eye, I know something iswrong. Haddie must sense it, too, because she sits up as if she’s waiting for bad news.
My husband opens his mouth, but no words come out.
“What is it?” I ask.
“That was your father on the phone. Your mom is in the hospital. He thinks it’s a heart attack.”
Chapter 66
Dax
I rub my wife’s shoulders, but what I really need is a drink and a vacation away from home.
It’s been a week since the drama with the Brennans. The Titans came through, and their deaths were ruled a murder suicide. The Titans' reach is long. They will bribe or blackmail whoever they need to. Of course, they charged me for all of that and reduced it from my payment.
Now, I’ll be involved with them longer than I'd like, but it was worth it. I’ll never admit it, but they came through for me.
That’s behind us, but Leander is outside the shop, and I’m pretty sure I know why.
While my wife is on the phone with a distributor, I open the shop's back door for her father.
“What you’re not going to do is blame my wife for shit like you tried to do when yours faked that heart attack.” I stand in front of the door, not letting him in. But Ruby, who is inhis arms, jolts in excitement when she sees me. She extends her arms, and I take her from him.
“I didn’t mean to blame her, and I thought it was a heart attack.”
