Lucky Bounce: Game On, Part 2 by Jennifer Lazaris

22

Holly curled up under the comforter in the living room, her knees pulled up to her chest. It was 11:00 am, and she didn't have the emotional or physical stamina to get up and take a shower or get dressed.

Miss jumped up next to her, and she buried her nose in the calico's silky fur.

"I've gone and done it this time, Moo," she whispered, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "I've gone and done it good."

Pregnant.

God, how in the hell did this even happen? She was late taking her pill one time, and only by a few hours.

The tears slipped down her cheeks and down onto the top of Missy's head.

How on earth was she going to tell Eli she was pregnant?

And when?

The last thing he needed right now was news like this. Not during the playoffs. He'd dealt with his mother's issues, meeting his absentee father, and meeting sisters he never knew he had. And now she was supposed to drop this bomb on him?

It was too much. Hell, it was too much for her, too.

Terror swept through her at the thought of telling him she was pregnant. Especially since he was adamant that he never wanted to be a father. The conversation they'd had after meeting Hunter at Castle's Cupcakes was still fresh in her mind.

"I don't even know what I want to do about the pregnancy," she told Miss, giving her a hug. "I don't know if I'm ready to be a mom right now. It might not even be safe for me to have a child."

The doctor had mentioned that pregnancy was a risk factor for a Myasthenic Crisis. It was something she needed to discuss with him, and soon. She didn't want to jeopardize her health, or the health of her future child, if she decided to keep it.

Was it even fair to bring a kid into the world when she had this disease? What if it progressed further as she aged? And could she raise a child on her own with this diagnosis? Because based on how Eli felt about kids, if she kept this baby, she was going to be a single mother.

"I can't tell him until the playoffs are over, Moo. I just can't."

Miss climbed up onto her chest and lay down, purring loudly. She closed her eyes as Holly stroked her head.

Sighing, she picked up her phone and searched for information on Myasthenia Gravis and pregnancy.

"Shit," she muttered, scrolling further down on a medical website. Possible risk of a Myasthenic Crisis, just like her doctor had said. More scary things on the list of risks included respiratory failure, difficult deliveries due to exhaustion of muscles, and a ten to twenty percent chance the baby could be born with a transient, short-lasting form of MG.

"Right. No worries there." She tossed her phone down on the fluffy rug next to the couch.

Her finances were another huge problem. Her job situation at The Lucky Bounce was precarious at best thanks to Lyla, and she wasn't having any luck with her freelance submissions. If she was going to go through with this, she had to have decent health care coverage. The money she'd get for the feature would be helpful, but it wasn't going to be enough to make a huge difference. She needed a stable, regular income.

Ugh. This was a total clusterfuck.

Miss snored softly, cuddled up on her chest, and the warmth and weight of the chubby cat was reassuring and familiar.

Holly's eyes grew heavy, and she stifled a yawn. A nap sounded like a great idea right now. Thinking about all of this had worn her out, and worrying wasn't getting her anywhere anyway.

Besides, there would be plenty of time for that later.

* * *

"Holly? Are you home?"

She came awake with a start. "Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm in the living room."

She swiped her phone off the floor. Ugh, it was past 1:00 pm. How had she slept for so long?

Miss had moved and was now curled up at her feet, still snoring away.

"Hey," Eli paused in the doorway and held up a bag. "I brought you soup from Castle's Cupcakes."

She struggled to sit up. "You did?"

"You said you weren't feeling great this morning. And Sloane makes mean chicken and dumplings."

Her eyes welled up with tears over his thoughtfulness, and she had to fight hard to not start blubbering all over the place.

Fucking pregnancy hormones.

"Thank you." She started to stand, but Eli waved a hand.

"Sit. I'll bring you a tray."

"You don't have to do that."

He gave her a stern look. "You can get up after you eat your chicken and dumplings. Relax for now. What do you want to drink?"

"Iced tea, please."

A few minutes later, he came in with a tray of food. On the tray was a beautiful pink lily in a small vase.

"I thought you might like something pretty to cheer you up." He kissed the top of her head and placed the tray over her legs.

"Eli, it's lovely," she murmured, kissing his cheek. “But you have to throw it away. Wrap it up and get it out of here, pronto."

He stared at her like she'd lost her mind. "Um, what? Why?"

"Because lilies are deadly to cats. And you know this cat tries to eat everything. It's not safe to have in the house."

"Jesus," he muttered. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. I'm sorry. It was really sweet, but I can't risk Moo's health."

Miss lifted her head, looking up at them sleepily and giving them a polite meow.

"And on that note, this thing is out of here." He picked up the vase. "I'll put it in a garbage bag and bury it deep in the trash. I'll take the bag out after we finish our meals. I don't want anything happening to my second favorite girl."

"Thank you. We appreciate it."

Holly took a spoonful of the chicken and dumplings, then made an appreciative noise as he walked back into the living room with his lunch. "Wow, this is good, Eli."

"Told ya." He took a bite of his sandwich, then washed it down with a gulp of water. "So, my sisters and my—well, Troy—are coming in for the game tomorrow. I managed to get the girls tickets. I guess he bought his own."

"I’m glad your sisters are coming. And Troy is making an effort, I see."

"Apparently he's going to visit my mom before he goes to the game."

"That's good." She paused. "What if you win tomorrow, Eli? Do you want Troy to be down on the ice with you afterward? Maybe you should find out where he'll be sitting."

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Not gonna think about it right now."

“True, I guess you'll know if and when the time comes."

"When," he said confidently, then winked.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before she worked up the nerve to ask him what had been on her mind for most of the morning.

"Eli, do you mind answering a few more questions for the feature?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"I know you haven't decided whether to let me use the information on the twins and your father coming back into your life in the feature, but you need to consider it. We don't have to go seriously in-depth on your past, but I think it's important."

"I'm leaning that way."

"Good. So in case we do go that route... now that you've gone through so much with your own family, has it changed your outlook on what you want for your future?"

He poured vinaigrette on his salad, then glanced over at her. "What do you mean?"

"Finding out that your dad fathered two daughters, and getting to meet your sisters... did that change your opinion on having your own family someday? Your own children?"

He made a face. "Hell, no. I love that I've gotten to meet my sisters. Knowing I have family besides my mom has been life changing. But no, I still don't want anything to do with having kids. That's never going to change."

Holly's heart leaped into her throat, and she swallowed hard. "Why not? You're great with kids."

Eli chuckled. "Because I want to have a life, Wilkes. One that involves travel and excitement. Picking up and going somewhere at a moment's notice. A girlfriend or wife? Now that I can see. But kids aren't my deal. I like them, but I like that I can hang out with them and leave, you know? They're noisy and messy. And babies cry and scream. To be honest, the whole thing sounds like a fucking nightmare. Can you imagine me changing a diaper? Fuck, no."

"No, I guess not." She pushed away her bowl of chicken and dumplings. The meal had turned to a giant rock in her stomach, making her queasy. Whether it was from hormones or what he'd just said, she didn't know.

Probably both.

"Are you okay?" Eli asked, frowning. "You look kinda pale. Do you think you're coming down with something?"

"I'm fine."

If she decided to have this baby, she'd be doing everything on her own. It made her sad, because she knew he'd be a great father. But having this child also meant something else—they wouldn't have a future together.

It was obvious that him wanting to be her boyfriend didn't mean that he wanted to be with her long term. If that was the case, he might consider what she wanted for her future, too.

But Eli Donnelley didn’t focus on the future. He was a here and now kind of guy. Why she thought being with him might end in some happily ever after scenario, well... it was foolish thinking on her part.

"Any more questions?" he prodded.

"No, not now."

She had all the answers she needed. They just weren't the ones that she wanted.