CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
May
Joel tapped a pen as he sat in his home office. Checking his watch, he realized that they needed to leave in five minutes. He knew better than to go up and see how Vivi was doing. Every time he’d done that over the last couple of months, she had rebelled. So he kept his butt glued to the chair and tried to find his patience. There was nothing better than living with Vivi, with the small exception of having to wait for her. No matter the circumstance, no matter the occasion, she was always ten minutes late. It drove him nuts, but he was doing his best not to let it bother him. To be fair, a lot of her lateness was due to the fact that she was fighting nausea most of the day. It was her belief that if she moved quickly, then it made it worse.
The SEAL mentality of embracing the suck wasn’t something she was ever going to do. It was her feeling that he could suck whatever he wanted to. She, however, would not. Truth be told, she was right. After all, she was giving him the best thing in the world, the thing he wanted most…a family.
The sound of footsteps alerted him to her arrival. Standing, he moved to the door and watched her approach. “Hi, honey.”
“Hey.”
“I have your water, 7-Up, and Starburst packed. Ready to go when you are.”
“Okay.”
“Do you have any ideas about where you want to go for lunch?”
“No.”
The one-word answers were not a good sign. Vivi liked to use ten words when three would do. Something was going on, and he needed to figure it out. Striding toward her, he embraced her gently and kissed her head. “Anything you want to share with me?”
“No.” Stepping back, she walked out of his office and stood by the door. “I’m ready.”
He grabbed the bag that he’d packed for her and took her hand. Guiding her out to the truck, he studied her. She looked healthy and rested. He knew that the nausea had not been that bad this morning. What in the hell was going on? “I’m excited to see the baby this morning. Do you think they will give us a picture?”
“We’re seeing the specialist, and we’re having the 3D sonogram. Since I have advanced maternal age, they’re going to make sure that the baby is progressing normally.”
As he pulled out onto the street, she stared out the window and played with her hair. “Are you worried about anything?”
“No. I think the baby is happy and healthy and settling in. I have no reason to believe that there are any issues.”
“Then what’s bothering you? And if you say nothing, then I’m going to pull over and wait for an answer.”
Her head spun around, and she glared at him. “Why don’t you tell me what is going on? Clearly, something is, and you should just admit it, and we can deal with it.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
“Fine, it seems that I have to be the adult.” Straightening her shoulders, she sat up straight and stared out the window. “It seems that you’re no longer attracted to me. I think the chase is over and you’ve lost interest. I understand that having a pregnant girlfriend isn’t what you had in mind. It would be better if you just admitted it and we could move on.” Folding her hands together, she studied them.
Joel was about to lose his shit spectacularly, so he decided to pull into the Wal-Mart parking lot. It might be a better idea not to be driving when he lost his mind. Cutting the engine, he unbuckled his seat belt and took a large, calming breath. When that didn’t work, he took five more.
“We’re going to be late. We should go.”
“Oh, no. You dropped the bomb, and we’re going to deal with it.”
“I didn’t drop a bomb. I simply reported the current state of affairs.”
His shoulders dropped, and he took her hands. “Honey, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The way her eyes dug into his made him realize that he should have some clue, but he didn’t. “Can you please explain it to me?”
“You don’t touch me anymore. And, when you do, it’s so polite and restrained. I know that I’m starting to show, and you probably are not that attracted to me anymore. Maybe we can just be friends.”
Letting out a strangled shout, he pounded his head against the wheel. “You have lost your mind.”
“You take that back right now.”
Sitting back, he crossed his arms. “I want you more every day. My feelings grow stronger and stronger as each day passes. I see how you’re tired and nauseous, and I’m trying to behave. Viv, there is nothing sexier to me than you. You’re carrying our child, and every change in your body makes you more desirable. It’s taking every bit of control I have to hold myself back.”
Flapping her arms around, she let out a small cry. “Stop it.” Tears slipped down her face, and she tried to wipe them away. “I thought you were tired of me already. All I want to do is eat, float in the pool, and watch TV. I’m not even practicing medicine right now. I’m just a sloth.”
Pulling her into his lap, he kissed her all over her face. Gently at first and then with greater urgency. “I love you, Viv. Please believe me and understand that I want you in ways that don’t make any sense. I don’t know how much is too much. I don’t want you to get scared by how much I desire you. I’m like a freaking animal. It never stops.”
“If we weren’t running late for a doctor’s appointment and parked in the Wal-Mart parking lot…I would show you how much your words mean to me. But I think what I have in mind is illegal in at least three states.”
Resting his head against hers, he felt his heart return to beating normally in his chest. “As soon as we’re done with our appointment, I’m taking you home, and I’m going to do all the things that I’ve been thinking about for the last week. And then you can show me what you’re thinking about. Jeez, Vivi. I could have you three times a day and it wouldn’t be enough. What I feel for you is a mixture of steadfast love, loyalty, and the indecent lust of a heated one-night stand.”
Smiling against his lips, she relaxed for the first time in a week. “I thought you were losing interest.”
“Honey, that’s never going to happen. If I were you…I’d save my worry for all the possessive thoughts that I have about you. That’s something that might be worth your time. This is it…us together…always.”
“Oh.”
Vivi’s phone buzzed, and he knew it was the doctor’s office. He slid her off his lap and buckled her seat belt. “Tell them we’re on our way.”
He adjusted himself, fastened his belt, and pulled out of the parking lot. When they hit the main road, he glanced over and noticed that she was smiling. It seemed that he was going to have to do a better job about letting her know how he felt. Apparently, she was under the impression that this wasn’t a forever thing. And nothing could be further from the truth.
***
Vivi lay on the exam table and studied the monitor as the tech passed the paddle over her stomach. Joel leaned over and stared as images came up on the monitor. The sound from the sonogram was being played over the small speakers.
“It sounds like the ocean. It must be relaxing in there,” Joel remarked.
“Some people spend their whole lives trying to get back in,” the tech commented.
Vivi snorted in response. “That’s a good one. Both physically and emotionally.”
Joel noticed that the two women had a moment of understanding pass between them, and he wondered what it was all about. “How does everything look?”
“Just got started.”
Vivi’s attention was glued to the monitor, and the tech moved the paddle around to locate the baby. Her hand tightened on his when an image came into focus. Well, all that came into focus was a blob. But it sure made Vivi excited. Then the tech moved the paddle again and something else came into view. Leaning up, Vivi studied the screen. Pointing to something, she asked the tech to focus it closer. “Everything okay, honey?”
She didn’t respond right away and waited for the image to come into view. None of it made sense to him. It just looked like two marshmallows. Wait…two?
Vivi turned her head toward him, and there were tears in her eyes. “It seems that you’re an overachiever. You gave me two babies.”
His head detonated with the knowledge, and he stared at her mutely. How in the world had they managed that? The synapses finally fired together, and he stood, pumped his fist in the air, and shouted, “Hooyah.” Looking down at Vivi made emotion roll over his chest, and he was the happiest he’d ever been in his life. Not only did he have the woman of his dreams, but she was giving him two kids. Leaning down, he held her face in his hands and kissed her again and again as tears slipped down his cheeks. For a hard-ass SEAL, he sure was losing it enormously “Thank you, honey. You just made a dream come true. A dream I didn’t know I had.”
He felt her kisses, and she held on to his hand tightly. “Thank you, Joel.”
The tech cleared her throat, and they both glanced over. “I still have a lot to look at. Lie back and relax and let me get some measurements, and then I can give you pictures of babies McDade.”
Nodding, Vivi lay back and remained still. Babies McDade! The phrase circled his brain endlessly. He felt like shouting again, but held himself back. This was their blessing. They had both faced hard times, and this was a hell of a way to come out of it. Love and babies. Shit, it doesn’t get better than this. Kissing Vivi’s head again, he stared at his two kids. Yep, his mind and heart had finally shattered. That was what happiness did to a person.
***
As they stepped out of the medical building, Vivi slipped her glasses on and hitched her purse over her shoulder. “I feel a lot better about how much I’ve been eating.”
Resting his hand on her stomach, he grinned. “Eating for three is going to take some serious work.”
“It’s a good thing that I’m up for the job.” She opened her purse and pulled out a mini notebook. “I want to put the sonogram pictures in here. I don’t want them to get wrinkled. I’ll buy some frames this week.”
Holding his hand out, he waited until she placed the picture carefully in his palm. “We make some cute kids, Viv. I’ve never seen a better looking pair of mini-marshmallows in my life.” Leaning against his shoulder, she kissed him. “When do we find out what flavor we get?”
“Between eighteen and twenty weeks.”
“That seems like a long time…” Joel’s attention was caught by a woman standing on the other side of the parking lot. Something was off. She was pacing and talking to herself. Maybe she was here to see her doctor. He sure as hell hoped so. Handing back the pictures to Viv, he watched her place them carefully in the notebook.
“Ronnie Bedford! Ronnie Bedford!”
Joel’s eyes flew to the woman as she approached them. She had a large purse over her shoulder, and her hands were gesturing wildly.
“Don’t ignore me, bitch!” the woman shouted.
Joel took Vivi under his arm and led her in the other direction. “Follow me and my instructions.”
“Why is that woman shouting my sister’s name?”
The sound of a gunshot rang in the quiet morning air. Joel pushed Vivi behind him and drew his weapon.
“You ruined my life and got me sent to jail. All my problems are because of you!”
The hysteria in the woman’s voice was evident. A couple exited their car and heard the woman shouting. They got back in their car, and Joel could see them on their phone. Hopefully, they were calling 911.
Vivi poked her head around and replied, “I’m not Ronnie Bedford. My name is Vivi. What’s yours?”
When Joel saw the flash of metal in the woman’s hand, he acted instantly. Everything slowed down, his instincts, his breath, and his movements. Making his body as big as he could, he made sure that Vivi was fully behind him. He was a big guy, and the chances of a bullet getting lodged in him was pretty good. Ultimately, that was what he wanted. When the woman pointed her gun at them, he fired, and she crumpled to the ground. But not before she got a lucky shot off.
Screaming filled the air as his body absorbed the impact of the bullet. Better me than her, he thought as he tumbled backward. As long as Vivi and the babies were all right, that was all that mattered.
When his body hit the ground, he felt Vivi catch him. That didn’t make any sense. Vivi was tiny. Why would she put herself in danger? His eyes closed for a moment, and he assessed the damage of the bullet. Didn’t seem to hit anything major.
“Damn it, Joel. Don’t close your eyes.” Taking her sweater off, she pressed it against his wound. “This isn’t terribly serious, but I’m sure it hurts like hell. The bullet grazed your shoulder, and you have a flesh wound. I’m going to make sure that I’m the one who stiches you up. I’m not letting anyone else near you. My goodness.”
When their eyes met, he grinned. “That was the third thing. Everything happens in threes, and that was the last thing.”
The sound of sirens filled the air, and she kissed him hard. “I love you, Joel McDade.”
“Damn, Viv. I had to knock you up to get you to agree to date me, and then I had to get shot for you to tell me that you love me. I hope it gets easier from here.”
“You’re a SEAL; you wouldn’t know what to do with an easy day.”
Laughing, he felt his arm start to burn. “That’s true. Turns out I fell in love with the perfect person.”
Leaning down, she kissed him. “Me too, sailor.”
The ambulance screeched to a stop in front of them. “Take a look at the shooter first, GSW in the abdomen, five minutes,” Vivi stated flatly. Another ambulance came around the corner, along with three police cars. When the paramedics came over, Vivi introduced herself and waited for them to load Joel inside. “I’ll take over from here. Feel free to open my wallet. My medical license is in there as well as my temporary one for Florida.”
Sitting next to Joel on the bench, she chatted away like they were out at lunch. She worked with the paramedic as they got Joel hooked up to fluids.
He watched Vivi clean the wound with efficiency, and admired the mother of his children. She was a kick-ass human being, and he had no idea how he got so lucky. When they stared at one another, he grinned. This was by far his best experience with being shot. It had happened about a half a dozen times, so he had something to compare it to.
“I wonder who that woman was and why she thought I was my sister?”
“That was the woman who was after Ronnie last year. She must’ve gotten out of jail. I can’t imagine how or why.”
Sitting back, she let out a breath. “Wow. So many questions are buzzing in my brain, and I don’t know where to start.”
“Me either,” Joel said. He closed his eyes and said a small prayer of thanks. Shit like this didn’t always turn out so well, and he appreciated that it had. Vivi’s lips were on his, and he opened his eyes.
“I love you, Joel. Thank you for saving my life and the kids’. We appreciate what you did today.”
“Always, Viv.”