Twice the Malone by Laylah Roberts

15

“Snow, Snow, wake up for me.”

She groaned and brushed away the hand that was tapping at her cheek. “Go away. Wanna sleep.”

“Baby, you can sleep later. I need you to wake up and show me those pretty eyes. Please.”

Why did Beau sound so scared? What was wrong? She forced her eyes to open.

“Oh, thank fuck.” Beau cupped her face between his hands.

What was going on? Where was she?

She attempted to sit up and he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Stay still, I’ve called an ambulance. Shit, you’re naked. And cold. I’ll get you a robe. Stay right there.”

Naked? What? Why am I naked? Ambulance?

“Beau, no!” She sat up and her head spun. Crap.

He strode back in, a hotel robe in his hand.

“Call them back, cancel the ambulance.”

“No way, you just fucking fainted. And didn’t I tell you to stay still?” He scowled at her.

Okay, she wasn’t used to him looking so serious. She must have scared him. He put the robe around her and got her arms through before gently lying her back.

“Beau, I’m fine. Cancel the ambulance.”

“No,” he replied stubbornly. “It’s my job to take care of you. Socks, we need socks.”

“Beau, there’s nothing they can do for me.”

He paused with a pair of his socks in his hand. “Why? What’s wrong? What do you mean, there’s nothing they can do for you? Are you dying? Fuck! Have you had a second opinion? Oh, God. What is it?”

Oh, Lord, what have I done?

“Beau, it’s all right. I’m not dying.” She sat up again.

“Lie back down,” he barked, shocking her.

She gaped at him. He ran his hand over his face. “Shit. Fuck. Sorry, Snow. I didn’t mean to snap. Just please tell me you’re all right.”

She stared up into his tear-filled eyes and knew this was it. She had to tell him. She took a breath. “I’m not sick, Beau. I’m pregnant.”

Beau simply stared at her.His lips moved but no sound came out.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

The word rolled around in his head. She was pregnant. And she hadn’t been with anyone else since them. So . . .

“Holy. Fuck.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tell you like this. Truth is, I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”

“You’re pregnant.”

“Yes,” she replied gently. She stood and moved over to him, watching him nervously. “I am. Are you all right?”

“I think I’ve lost all feeling in my legs. I need to sit down.” He let her guide him over to a chair.

“Here, maybe you should put your head between your knees. You’ve had a big shock. Can I get you something? A glass of water?”

“Thanks, baby, that would be great. Wait! Fuck!” He jumped to his feet.

Get your head in the game, Beau.

What was he doing? Letting her fuss over him when she was the one who was pregnant. With his baby. Or his brother’s. Oh, fuck.

Picking her up, he deposited her back on the bed. “You need to lie down. You shouldn’t be up. You fainted. Where the hell is that ambulance?”

Maybe he should just pick her up and take her to the hospital himself. What would Maddox do?

Well, he wouldn’t let her keep disobeying him by getting up. He glared over at her as she went to move again.

“Stay. Still.”

“Beau, you’re acting crazy. I just fainted. I’m pregnant, not sick. I need to get up and you need to cancel that ambulance.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, he shook his head at her. “No, it’s not normal to faint. You’re going to get checked out.”

“Okay, what’s going on with you? The other night you weren’t this . . . this bossy.”

“Things are different now.”

He was going to be a dad. It was time to stop fucking around. Time to step up. And since his idiot brother wasn’t here to take a hard line with their woman when she needed it, he was going to have to step up to the plate.

Oddly, that didn’t scare him as much as he thought it might.

“Fuck! I just remembered why I was getting out of the bath in a hurry. Beau, did you take the stuff out of my pockets before you sent it out to be laundered?”

“Um.” He gave her a guilty look. “Did you have some money in there or something?”

“A flash drive. Shit. Please, can you call reception and ask them if they can retrieve it? It’s really important.”

He watched her curiously, but she seemed so anxious that he nodded. “Fine, if you stay exactly where you are and agree to let the paramedics check you over.”

She frowned. “You’re supposed to be the easygoing one.”

“Easygoing doesn’t mean I’m a pushover, and I’d never just sit back and allow you to put yourself at risk.”

“But you’d ignore me for nine weeks.” She ran her hand over her face after saying that. “Sorry, that’s not fair. There were extenuating circumstances.”

“Actually, I think it is fair. I fucked up. Although I would like to know when you planned to tell me about the baby.” He sent her a pointed look, and she bit her lip.

Yeah, she knew she was in trouble. But she wasn’t wrong about his own fuckup. He should have chased after her right away. Broken foot and phone be damned. Oh, and loyalty to his brother.

Maddox was going to flip.

The hotel phone rang before he got to it.

“Mr. Malone, there are paramedics down here for you.”

“Thank you, send them up. Also, I sent my girlfriend’s clothes to be laundered and there was an important flash drive in the pocket of her pants. Can you see if someone found it and send it up?”

He saw her eyebrows rise at the word ‘girlfriend’, but she didn’t say anything.

“Certainly, my colleague is escorting the paramedics up now.”

Thank fuck. Then maybe he might be able to breathe easier.

* * *

She sufferedthrough the poking and prodding of the paramedics, thankful when they reassured Beau she was fine. But then they had to go and tell him that she probably should get checked out by her doctor tomorrow and not to take hot baths in the future.

Nope. No way. She wasn’t going to the doctor’s again.

Once they’d left, a hotel employee returned the flash drive. Thank God. The knot of anxiety in her stomach finally unraveled. At the same time, the dinner Beau had ordered arrived.

Shoot. She was going to have to tell Beau about what was on the flash drive. She shuffled around on the bed where she was sitting.

“Do you want to eat in bed or at the table? Actually, I should just feed you in bed. First, you need to have a drink. The paramedics said you need to keep well-hydrated.” He grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-fridge.

“Don’t get it from there!”

He gave her a shocked look, glancing down at the water. “Why not? Do you think it’s been tampered with? Shit, you could be right.”

“Wait, no, that’s not what I meant. When did you get so paranoid?”

“When I learned that my woman is pregnant! Oh, and then she fainted.” He glared down at her. “You’re making an appointment in the morning with your doctor. I want to know for sure that you’re fine.”

“I am fine. I was just at the clinic, I’m not going back there.”

“Oh, yes, you are. I’m putting my foot down.”

Her mouth opened then closed. “You’re putting your foot down? Is this even happening right now?”

“Damn straight it is. I’m going to be a daddy. It’s time for me to step up, take things more seriously. Especially your health. Now, what’s wrong with the water?”

“Nothing’s wrong with the water except for it being hideously overpriced.”

“Well, Jesus, that’s nothing to worry about.”

Maybe not for him. He didn’t have to pay for this hotel room. His stuff hadn’t been trashed. He hadn’t lost his job.

Fuck. Shit.

“Baby, are you crying? Oh, hell, you’re crying! What is it? What’s wrong?” Beau was suddenly hovering next to the bed as she sat there, tears trailing down her cheeks. “Is it the water? You don’t have to have it. I’ll go out and grab you as much cheap water as you want. Will that make you stop crying?”

Oh, Lord.

“I’m not,” sniff, “crying over,” sniff, “the water.”

“Then what is it? You gotta clue a man in, baby. I’m dumb. I don’t know what’s wrong. Fuck, it’s not the baby, is it? Are you in pain? Shit. I’m calling Mia.”

“W-who’s Mia?”

“My sister-in-law. She recently had a baby. She’ll know how to fix this. Gotta fix this.”

“Beau, stop. I’m sorry. It’s not anything. I’m fine.” She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of the robe.

“Here.” He gently pulled her arms from her face and wiped her tears and nose. Sheesh. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to that.

“Please tell me what’s wrong,” he begged.

“There’s just a lot going on, and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, I guess.”

“I get that. But I’m here now, Snow. I’m going to take care of you. You believe that, right? I know I come off as a bit of a clown—”

She put her fingers over his mouth. “Hey, I don’t think you’re a clown. You make me laugh. You’re sweet. And sexy.”

“And manly, you forgot manly and strong.” He flexed his biceps to prove his strength, and she had to bite back a smile.

“Sorry. You’re very manly and strong.”

“Damn straight. And I’m here to help. You’re not on your own anymore.”

If only she could believe that. But it felt like she’d been on her own for so long, with the exception of Margo. She wasn’t sure she could believe in his words. Not after what had happened. Sure, she got that there were reasons he hadn’t answered her texts. But the hurt was still there. And trusting him . . .

“We don’t know each other very well. And I’m scared that you’ll . . . that you’ll . . .”

“Leave you? Ghost you? Give you the cold shoulder?”

She nodded, biting her lip worriedly.

He drew her lip free of her teeth. “I fucked up. For a moment there, I believed that bullshit Maddox was spouting about you, and I got drunk and mad. I was an idiot. But I’m going to be better. For you and for our baby.” He placed his hand on her tummy.

She sucked in a breath.

Here it came. The part she wasn’t sure about how he was going to react.

“I’m going to be a daddy.” He smiled then glanced up at her worriedly. “But I don’t want you just because of the baby. I mean, if you were pregnant and I didn’t want you, I’d still take care of you. But it’s not like that. I came here for you. The baby is just a bonus.”

He had come here for her. She just hoped he wanted to stay.

“Beau, that’s the problem.”

“What is?”

“Well, I don’t know that you’re the daddy.”