Chapter 24
Claudia lay still in the hospital bed, listening to the sound of her baby’s heartbeat on the monitor next to her. She tried to take deep, calming breaths. Her blood pressure was higher than the doctors would have liked, so they’d hooked her to an IV in an attempt to get it under control.
She shouldn’t have left the office when she realized what was happening. She had a feeling she could be in labor, but she thought she could make it home and wait for Brody. The roads iced up quickly and when the pain got to be unbearable, she veered off the road. Luckily, she had a roadside assistance service that knew when she was in trouble. She had her overprotective boyfriend to thank for that.
She wiped the tears from her cheeks and tried to breathe through the pain. The interns kept checking on her, but said she could be in for the long haul since this was her first pregnancy. They waited for the attending physician about how to proceed, but Claudia didn’t want to do anything until Brody arrived.
“Hey.” Brody rushed into the room and took her hand. “I was so worried.” His cheeks held a rose hue from the cold weather and his hair was sprinkled with melting snowflakes.
“I’m sorry.” She tried to sit up, but the pain in her back kept her from accomplishing the task. She winced over the contraction. They were coming quicker now.
“Are you okay, baby? What can I do?” He looked stressed and helpless. Claudia knew how in control he liked to be, but in this situation there wasn’t much he could do.
“You’re here, and that’s all I need.”
“Claudia, I was sick when you didn’t return my calls. I feared the worst. When John found out what happened, I couldn’t get here fast enough.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think I’d go into labor today. I thought I had a few more weeks. I wanted to call you, but you were in a meeting.”
“What were you thinking by confronting Gavin?”
“I think I upset him. I said things to him and now he’s really mad.” Claudia couldn’t stop thinking about the look in Gavin’s eyes when she’d told him he wasn’t fit to be a Callahan. She’d struck a nerve and now her words could cost her big time.
“No.” Brody ran his fingers along her cheek. “We’re not going to worry about him.”
“He wants to take the baby.” The monitors caused a commotion, beeping and clicking. She had to calm down, but how could she knowing Gavin could take her baby?
“Shh.” He pressed his lips to hers. “You have to calm down. I promised I would never let anything happen to you or our baby. You’re going to have to trust me.”
“I do,” she said.
“Then why did you go to the office?”
“I was trying to help. I wanted Gavin to leave us alone, but I made it worse.”
“I’ll take care of everything.” He took her face in his hands. “Right now you have to think about the baby. I need you to focus. This is a happy time. We’re having a baby.”
She bit her trembling bottom lip and tried to hold back the tears. “I’m scared.”
“You can do this. I don’t know about you, but I’m dying to meet this kid.”
“You’re so cute.”
“I’m impatient.” He laughed. “I’m not used to waiting for anything.”
“Mr. Callahan,” the doctor said as he entered the room. “We’re glad you could make it because it’s time to deliver this baby.”
“She’s not due for another three weeks. Will everything be okay?” Brody asked. Claudia could hear the protectiveness in his voice. “Will Claudia be all right?”
“Claudia is in full labor and her blood pressure is higher than I’m comfortable with, so it’s better to do this now. The baby is developed and ready. They’ll both be fine.”
Brody turned and his smile made Claudia’s heart flutter. “Let’s have a baby.”
* * * *
A few hours later, Claudia held her brand new baby boy in her arms. Brody hadn’t left her side since he arrived at the hospital. She’d gotten through the labor and delivery without any issues. Her little one made it into the world without any complications. All the stress and worry that surrounded his existence were wiped away as soon as they placed him in her arms. She didn’t care about anything else that was going on in her complicated life. She had her baby.
“He’s so precious.” She placed a kiss on his round, little, bald head. “I can’t believe he’s here.”
“He’s perfect.” The baby gripped Brody’s finger in his tiny hand. “Just like his mother.”
“I know what I want to name him.”
“I forgot about that.” He laughed. “I’m just glad he’s finally here.”
“I thought about this a few weeks ago,” she said. “You’ve given me so much and I want to do something special for you.”
“You already have.” Brody continued to stare at the baby. “More than you know.”
“I want to name him Jason.” Claudia watched Brody’s expression. “Your dad was kind to me, and I’d like to name his grandson after him.”
“Jason Callahan?”
“If you want.”
“I like it.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “Thank you. He’d be so proud.”
“I wish he were here to see him.” Claudia remembered all the afternoons she’d spent in Jason’s study, drinking iced tea and discussing her future. She never imagined that one day she’d end up having his grandson.
“But Dad wouldn’t be very proud about everything.” Brody frowned. “Gavin and I have made a mess of things, and I don’t know how we’re going to fix any of it.”
“I’m sorry.” She hated to see Brody so conflicted.
“It’s not your fault.” Brody shook his head. “My father’s wishes left more tension between me and my brother than any of us could have comprehended. It’s not worth it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going to talk to the lawyers and the board in a few days. My family is far more important to me than that company. I’ll walk away if I have to.”
“I don’t want you to do that for me.” Claudia wiped the tears that dampened her cheeks. Brody’s love for her knew no boundaries.
“I’d do anything for you,” he said. “But I’m not doing it for just you. I’m doing it for us and Jason. We need some measure of peace, baby. You and I barely had time to live together without Gavin hanging over our heads. We’ve had too much drama and I’m tired of it. I can be the bigger man. I can give in.”
“You’ve always been the bigger man.” Claudia kissed him. “Just take some time to think things through. I’ll support whatever you decide, but I want you to make your decisions based on the right reasons.”
“I can’t think of two more important reasons than you and my son.”
“I like the way that sounds.”
“Me too.”
* * * *
Claudia called her grandmother to let her know everything was okay. She was thrilled when her grandmother told her Brody had arranged for her to stay with them for the holidays. He always thought of everything. She’d missed her grandmother’s presence in her life and couldn’t think of a more fitting time for her to come.
To Claudia’s surprise, Angela called to congratulate her. When Brody answered the phone he warned Angela not to upset Claudia before he put her on the phone. She was quite pleasant and said she couldn’t wait to meet her new grandchild. Angela knew the truth, but she never made an issue about it or confronted Claudia. Not a very Evil Queen approach to take, but Claudia wouldn’t complain. Maybe things could work out after all.
Dozens of floral arrangements filled the quiet hospital room. Every business associate of Brody’s had sent flowers and gifts. It smelled like a florist shop. She’d finally convinced Brody to go home and shower. The nurse took Jason to the nursery for some routine tests. Claudia missed them both so much. She glanced out the window and noticed it was still snowing. She said a silent prayer to whatever force helped her make it to the hospital and get her baby into the world safely. The accident could have been much worse, and she and the baby could have been hurt.
There was a soft knock at the door. She looked up, hoping to find Brody and Jason, but that wasn’t the case. Instead she saw the last person she ever expected to visit her in the hospital. Could he be that cruel?
“What are you doing here?” she asked. Gavin’s presence surprised her. She didn’t think he’d show up. “Brody isn’t here, and I don’t want to talk to you without him.”
“I didn’t come to fight,” Gavin said as he approached the bed. “I don’t want to fight anymore.”
“Why did you come?” She didn’t have a good feeling, not after the way they had left things before she went into labor.
“I wanted to see him,” he said. “I needed to see him.”
“Did you?” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Whether she liked it or not, Gavin had every right to see Jason.
He nodded.
Claudia didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure what Gavin wanted, but she had a strong feeling now that he had seen his son, he’d never allow Brody to adopt Jason. She should have prepared herself for that possibility sooner, but she believed Brody would find a way to make it all work out.
“He’s perfect.” He smiled. “So little and fragile. I had no idea he’d be that tiny.”
“He is perfect, isn’t he?” She looked down at her lap. “I was so scared when I went into labor. I was afraid no one would find me. Everything happened so fast, but now he’s here and none of the stuff that happened before matters. Jason is healthy and beautiful and here.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “He fine.”
“You named him after my father.”
“It seemed fitting,” she said. “I wanted to honor the Callahan name.”
“It’s a great name.”
“I thought so too.” Her voice trembled. She wanted to be strong, but the man standing before her hadn’t made her life easy the past few months. He had the power to shatter her.
“I need to apologize for the things I said to you. I never meant for you to get hurt. I was so worried when I heard you were in an accident.”
“I guess Brody was too,” she said. “Did he do that to your eye?”
“He was pissed.” He shrugged. “I have a way of bringing that out of him.”
“I’m sorry about all the problems I’ve caused between you and your brother, but I—”
“No, stop it.” He held up his hand. “You didn’t do anything. You told me you were pregnant and I abandoned you. I didn’t want any part of it. You didn’t come between me and Brody. I tried to come between the two of you to get my way. I used our child as leverage.”
Our child?
“Are you going to try to take Jason from me?”
“Claudia, I don’t think that—”
Before he could finish, he was interrupted. “Do you think I’ll ever let that happen?” Brody stood in the doorway, glaring at Gavin. “You can take the whole damn company before I ever let you hurt them again.”
“Brody, no,” Claudia said. “That company means everything to you.”
“Not everything.” He walked into the room. “I have more important things in my life now.”
“I don’t want the company,” Gavin said. “That’s not what I’m doing here.”
“What do you want?” Brody sat on the bed and put his arm around Claudia. The tension in his muscles made her worry he’d go after Gavin again. “Are you pursuing custody today of all days?”
“I came here to apologize to Claudia for the things I said before she ran out. I also wanted to say I’m sorry for all the stress and pain I caused her during her pregnancy. I was stupid.”
“You think?” Brody’s voice was laced with anger and frustration. “Too little, too late.”
“Brody,” Claudia said. “I want to hear what he has to say.”
“Thank you.” Gavin stared at his brother. “I made so many mistakes with both of you. I didn’t want the baby because I didn’t believe he was mine in the beginning. I know I was wrong.”
“So, what, now you want to be a father?” Brody tightened his hold on Claudia.
“It would be my right,” Gavin said. “And you know it.”
“I can’t believe you would do this.” Brody stood from the bed. “Actually, I can.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “You’re nothing but an irresponsible idiot who can’t make a solid decision one way or the other. What kind of father do you think you’d be?”
“Brody.” Claudia got up and moved toward him. Labor and delivery slowed her down, but she didn’t want them to fight over the baby. “If you fight with him, it won’t help anything. You’ve been fighting for months and we’ve gotten nowhere.”
“She’s right,” Gavin said. “I didn’t come here to upset Claudia.”
“Just tell me what you want.” Claudia took Brody’s hand and tried to calm him. “Are you going to be part of Jason’s life?”
“Yes.” Gavin looked at his brother.
Brody’s grip increased around Claudia’s hand. She moved closer to him because she needed him to feel her, to let him know they could get through this as long as they had one another.
“I want to be Jason’s uncle,” Gavin said.
“What?” Brody relaxed into Claudia’s touch.
“I’m not his father, Brody. I’ve never been,” he said. “You love them both. I’ve seen that since the day you announced Claudia was pregnant.” He reached into his inside pocket and took out an envelope and handed it to Brody. “I’ve signed these.”
Brody took the envelope and then looked back up at Gavin. “You’re going to let me raise him?”
Gavin nodded.
“No strings? No blackmail?” Claudia heard the skepticism in Brody’s voice.
“I signed the papers,” Gavin said. “I don’t want anything. I’m just glad Claudia and Jason are okay. I could never have forgiven myself if something had happened to either of them.”
“You’re sure this is what you want?” Claudia asked. “You have to be sure. Do you know the devastation this will cause if you change your mind later?”
“I won’t,” Gavin said. “You have my word. I know it might not mean much to you, but I wouldn’t do that to Jason or you.”
“I believe you.” Claudia sobbed. “I know this must be hard for you, but Brody loves Jason so much already. You have to see that.”
“Shh.” Brody kissed the top of her head just as the nurse brought Jason back into the room.
“Your little one is ready to eat, Mama.” The nurse lifted him out of his cart. Claudia couldn’t wait to hold him.
Brody led her to the bed and helped her ease her way into it. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He gently kissed her. “Everything is going to be fine.”
“I know,” she said. “I have you.”
The nurse placed Jason in Claudia’s arms. She looked down and smiled at her baby.
“I missed him.” She ran her hand over his head.
“He was only gone a little while,” Brody said.
“Brody,” Gavin said. “Can we talk in the hall?”
“Go ahead,” Claudia said. “We’ll be waiting for you.”
As Brody stepped into the hallway, she called for Gavin.
He turned and smiled at her and the baby. For the first time in months, she saw the charming and witty man she had been so taken with. He’d gotten lost, but now she remembered they used to be friends.
“Thank you,” she said.
He glanced down at Jason one last time before turning and following Brody out into the hall. Gavin had given up so much. Even if he wasn’t prepared to have a family, Jason was still his son and Claudia knew in her heart, he’d always carry a part of their baby with him.