The Property Brokers by Sandi Lynn
Chapter 29
Grant
“I’ll be right here when you wake up,” I spoke as I pressed my lips against her forehead and gave her a hand a squeeze.
She slowly nodded her head and they wheeled her down the hallway. My heart ached for her, and I knew the worst was yet to come. I struggled with the fact that I couldn’t call Lamar. She had told me not to tell him and Ami for she didn’t want to ruin their vacation. She was adamant about it, and I needed to respect her wishes. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I dialed my dad.
“Hello, son.”
“Hey, Dad. I’m at the hospital with Bella.”
“What? Why?”
I swallowed the lump that was in my throat.
“She had a miscarriage. She’s in the O.R. undergoing a procedure.”
“What? I didn’t know she was pregnant.”
“She didn’t want anyone to know yet. The baby wasn’t mine, Dad. It was her ex-boyfriend’s from California.”
“That’s too bad. She must be devastated.”
“She’s really upset. I won’t be in tomorrow. I’m going to stay the night with her and make sure she’s okay.”
“That’s good, Grant. Do what you need to do. Call me tomorrow and let me know how she’s doing.”
“I will.”
“Take care, son.”
I ended the call and pulled out some cash from my wallet. Walking over to the coffee machine, I inserted the cash and selected a coffee. Sitting down in the cushioned chair, I brought the cup to my lips as I recalled our time in Hawaii.
“What kind of teacher do you want to be and why?”
A bright smile graced her face as we sat on a blanket in the sand.
“I want to be an elementary school teacher because I love children. Their little brains are sponges just waiting to be filled with information. And I want to be one of the people responsible for their knowledge. I babysit for this family back home, and the kids are six and eight. They are such good kids and I love helping them with their homework. I turn it into a game, and they love it. One day, Tyler told me that when the teacher asked the class a question, he was the only one who raised his hand because he remembered what I taught him. He was so proud, and he said he felt really smart. That’s the reason I want to become a teacher.”
I reached over and ran the back of my hand along her cheek.
“You’re going to make a wonderful teacher and a wonderful mother someday.”
“I hope so.”
“Mr. Roman?” I heard my name called.
Snapping back to the present, I stood up from my chair and Dr. Mansfield walked over to me.
“The procedure went well, and Bella is in recovery. She may be in some pain so I’ve prescribed a pain medication she can take if she needs it. She does need to rest for the next few days. Physically she’ll be fine, but mentally, it may take a while.”
“Any idea why this happened?” I asked.
“No, and it’s nothing she did wrong. Sometimes, it just isn’t meant to be.”
“Will she be able to have more children?”
“Yes. She will. She’s a very healthy young woman. Unfortunately, sometimes these things happen.”
“I’ll be staying with her tonight. Is there anything I need to do for her or need to know?”
“Just make sure she’s comfortable and she rests. I can take you to the recovery room so you can sit with her, and we’ll discharge her in a couple of hours.”
“Thank you, Dr. Mansfield.”
“You’re welcome.”
* * *
Ihelped Bella to the bedroom, grabbed her nightshirt from the drawer and handed it to her. She was quiet the entire way home and she still wasn’t saying anything.
“Do you need help putting that on?” I asked her.
She slowly shook her head, stripped out of her clothes and slipped the nightshirt over her head. Pulling back the covers for her, she climbed into bed. I went to the kitchen and Duchess followed behind me. Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, I took it into the bedroom and set it on the nightstand next to her bed with her bottle of pain medication.
“Do you want to take a pill?”
She shook her head no and turned the other way.
“I just want to be alone.”
“Okay. They’re right here if you need one. I’ll be out in the living room. If you need anything at all, just shout for me.”
“You’re staying?” she asked.
“Of course, I’m staying. I’m not leaving you alone after what you’ve been through.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Bella, I want to. Now get some rest.” I leaned over and kissed the top of her head.
Walking out of the bedroom, Duchess followed me to the couch. I stripped out of my clothes, sat down and pushed the button on the side to a reclining position. Grabbing the soft blanket Bella was using earlier, I draped it over me. Duchess took it upon herself to jump up, climb on my chest and sit down. Her bright blue eyes stared into mine and she started purring.
“You really need to be laying with your mom. Why are you hanging out here with me?”
I brought my hand up to her head and started petting her soft fur.
“There. Are we done now?” I asked as she stared at me.
Sighing, I brought my arm over my head and closed my eyes. A few moments later, I could hear Bella sobbing. Regardless if she wanted to be alone, I couldn’t let that happen. This was one thing I couldn’t agree to. She needed me whether she believed it or not. I may not have been there for her in the last fourteen years, but I was now. Getting up from the couch, I walked into the bedroom, pulled the covers back on the other side and climbed in. Hooking my arm around her, I pulled her into me and held her tight as my lips pressed against the top of her head. She didn’t fight me, and she didn’t turn away. She cried until she didn’t have any more tears left in her and then she fell asleep. The last time I held her like this was on the beach in Hawaii. And from that point on, I’d never held another woman like I held her.
The next morning, I opened my eyes and Bella wasn’t in bed. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, and she walked into the bedroom.
“Good morning. I was worried when I woke up and you weren’t here.”
“I had to use the bathroom.”
She looked worn out. Her eyes were red and swollen from all the crying she’d done. She picked up the bottle from the nightstand, shook a pill in her hand and chased it down with water. I held out my arm and motioned for her to get back in bed.
“Don’t you have to get to work?” she asked as she snuggled against me.
“I’m not going to the office today. I’m working from here.”
“What?” Why?” She lifted her head.
“Because I’m not leaving you. You need to let your body rest and heal and I’m going to make sure that happens.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“Honestly, no.” The corners of my mouth curved upward. “I’m going to make some coffee. Do you want one?”
“Not just yet. I think I’m going to go back to sleep.”
“When you’re ready to talk, I’m here,” I said as I tightened my grip around her.
