Bulletproof (27 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

MORGAN

The studios were now ready to go. I had a class starting on Saturday morning, and I was near giddy with excitement and terror. Isabella had been around the night before, and we’d gone over all the last checks. Ella had also put me in touch with the guy who helped them market Reynold’s, and I had spent most of my day with him.

He was getting the website up and running, putting together some flyer options for us to choose, and he’d also given me a contact list for all the local schools. It looked like I’d be spending a day on the phone tomorrow.

I wrinkled my nose, hating that idea but knowing it needed to be done.

Placing my hands on my hips, I stretched high, rising to my toes and leaning into an arabesque. As soon as the marketing guy had left, I’d changed into my tights and run through my class for Saturday. I had eight seven-to-ten-year-olds to work with, and I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what I was doing. That way, I could spend my energy on group management rather than worrying about what to do next.

The forty-five minute session was full, and my only concern was fitting it all in rather than having dead time at the end.

Skipping over to the stereo, I flicked through my iPod, wondering if I should go through the class one last time. It was only ten p.m., and I could always sleep the night here if I wanted to.... But the idea of doing my own thing for an hour before locking up was too tempting, so I selected my own playlist and decided to just dance.

I had put this list together last week, ten softer songs I could unwin
d
to. Rather than sharp, static movements, these songs brought out the flow in my muscles. I moved like water across the floor, letting the tune lap against me.

“Is It You” by Cassie swirled around me and I jumped over the notes, landing softly and kicking my leg back for a simple spin.

I was trying to let the words wash over me and focus only on the steps, but I couldn’t. They haunted me, digging into my heart and making me ask.

Moving to the mirror, I grabbed hold of the barre, gripping the wood tightly and asking, “Is it him? Is he the one worth waiting for?”

I sucked in a breath, tears welling in my eyes. I let them fall. Since finally letting go on the night I’d labeled
my titanium moment
, I’d found that letting the tears out actually hurt a lot less than I thought it would.

Crying didn’t make me weak; it made me open, and that in turn gave me a strength I never knew existed.

The song ended and I brushed the tears from my face, looking at my reflection in the mirror and gasping.

I spun around and drank in the figure leaning against the doorframe.

Oh man, he looked good.

His long legs were fitted with a pair of dark jeans, and a white tank was stretched over his buff torso. And then there was that black jacket of his. I loved that jacket.

My eyes traveled the length of him, until they crested over his chocolate face and my heart melted.

“Sean,” I whispered, pushing off the barre and walking toward him. “What are you doing here?”

And how did I feel about it?

Did I want to run into his arms? YES.

Did I want to pretend that three months of radio silence never happened? YES.

Could I?

No.

I swallowed, stopping in the middle of the room to wait out his answer.

He pushed off the frame with his shoulder, his shoes echoing in the studio as he slowly moved toward me. “I just came to ask you a couple of questions and...” He pressed his lips together and clicked his fingers before running a hand over his head. “Depending on your answers, I’ll stay...or leave you alone.”

I wanted to shrug as if I didn’t care either way, but my shoulders were too tense to move, so I stood like a Terracotta Warrior awaiting my fate.

“Man, I’d forgotten how beautiful you are.” His words breathed into the room, stealing the air from my lungs. A little grin pushed at his broad lips. “Well, I hadn’t forgotten, but now that I’m seeing you again...damn, woman, you fine.”

His white teeth appeared and I couldn’t help a grin.

He thought I was fine?

I could barely breathe around this guy! And that was plain frustrating, because part of me felt like I should be really mad at him. Another part felt this huge weight of caution. Why was he back? Had he come to woo me and then just let me go again?

I’d never felt so confused before, and it pissed me off that above all those important questions, the only thing I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and pretend we’d never been apart.

I brushed my hands down my thighs, resisting the urge to jump for him.

“So.” I licked my bottom lip. “What do you want to ask me?”

The second his mouth opened, my phone started ringing. I glanced at it on the table, willing it to shut off, but it might have been Jody.

“Just a sec.” I held up my finger to Sean and raced over to the table, picking up my phone with a slight frown. “Hey, Cole. What’s up?”

“It’s happening.”

“What’s happening?”

“She was here, complaining about a tummy ache and then she just doubled over like someone had punched her in the gut and then whoosh.”

“Whoosh?”

“Yeah, her waters broke, all over the floor. Grossed out quite a few customers, if I’m honest.”

“Wait a second, Jody’s waters broke?”

“Yeah, Ella’s taking her to the hospital now.”

“She’s having the baby now? She’s not due until next month!”

“Well, from the way she was wailing when she left, the baby really doesn’t care what her due date is. It’s coming. Now.”

“Holy shit! I gotta go. I gotta...”

“Take a breath, Morgan.” Cole chuckled. “Ella will keep an eye out for you.”

“Okay, I’m leaving right now.”

“Drive safe.”

I hung up, panic sizzling through my body as I went through the checklist.

“Is everything okay?”

I spun at Sean’s question, blinking twice to remind myself he wasn’t an apparition.

“I’m sorry. I have to go, Jody’s having her baby early and she needs me.”

“No, I get it. You go.”

Snatching up my purse, I dug out the keys and threw my phone inside. “Okay, I guess I’ll see you...” I pointed at him, wondering if I’d just lost my chance.

“I can drive you if you like?”

“No!” I surprised us both with my snappy answer, but a small part of me wasn’t ready to hear what he had to say and I certainly wouldn’t be able to absorb it while racing to the hospital. Jody needed all my attention, and I couldn’t give that to her with Sean around.

I swallowed and mouthed an apology.

A smile spread over his lips. “It’s okay. I’ll wait here.”

“Okay.” I nodded stupidly.

“You go.” He pointed for the door.

“Okay. I’ll go.”

“Okay.” He chuckled. “Morgan, go.”

“Right.” I grabbed my slip-on shoes at the door and shoved them on my feet, hopping down the stairs and trying to push Sean out of my brain.

My sister was having a baby.

She needed me, and that was all I could focus on right now.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

MORGAN

I heard Jody’s wail before I saw her face. She was in room 317, Ella by her side, wiping a cool cloth on her face. I stepped into the room, dropping my bag on the chair and rushing to her side. Jody screamed my name, crying like a school kid as a contraction ripped through her. Grappling for my hand, she squeezed my fingers tight and whimpered.

“It hurts.”

“I know, sweetie.” I kissed her forehead. “But you can do this. Breathe through the pain, just like you practiced.”

“But we’re only halfway through the classes,” she wailed. “This is like way early! I’m not ready. I’m not ready, Morgan.”

She started hyperventilating, panic scoring her features as another contraction rolled over her. She tipped her head back and groaned, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes.

“Good work, Jody, honey.” The obstetrician patted her knee. “You’re doing great. It’s going to be time to push soon.”

“Already?” I squeezed Jody’s hand.

“Yep, this one is ready to say hello to the world.” I could hear the grin in the doctor’s voice and smiled.

“Wow.” I looked across at Ella who had tears welling in her eyes, her face alight with wonder. “I can’t believe how fast this is happening.”

“I’m not ready,” Jody cried again, fear stark on her face. I knew exactly what she was talking about. Crunch time was just around the corner: keep or adopt was looming large, and she still hadn’t made up her mind.

“It’s okay. You’ll know.” I patted my chest. “In here. Just listen to your heart.”

She nodded, her face bunching as another contraction blindsided her. Her grip on my hand intensified to painful. I winced and breathed in through my nose. Finally she relaxed, and I wriggled my fingers to try to get the blood flowing again.

Jody was out of breath, already exhausted after only three hours of labor. Ella updated me in between contractions, and I soon had the full story. Cole had called once to let us know that Dad had gone down to collect Grandma Deb, and they would be here waiting as soon as the baby was born.

I looked at the clock. It was past midnight. Jody’s baby was going to be born on May 12th...a date we would never forget no matter what her decision.

“Okay, Jody. It’s time to start pushing, sweetie, so when that next contraction hits, I want you to bear down and go for it.”

She pulled in a shaky breath, looking like a lost kid as she gazed up at me.

I smiled and gave her hand a light squeeze. “It’s nearly over,” I reassured her, before shooting Ella a nervous glance.

Her smile was soft and calm. She kissed Jody’s cheek just as the next contraction came on. Helping her sit up, we repeated the doctor’s words, coaching her through the first push.

By the tenth push, my arms were cooked spaghetti as we lowered her back down.

“I can’t do this anymore,” Jody whimpered.

“Yes you can, Jody.” The doctor’s voice was firm. “Only a few more to go. You’re nearly there. Let’s do it.”

The contraction followed the doctor’s words and Jody sat forward, a scream ripping out of her as she strained to set the baby free.

Ten minutes later a feeble cry whispered into the air, growing in fervor as a small, pink body was lifted away from Jody. Ella and I stared at each other, our lips parted in wonder as we listened to the sound.

Jody lay back, an exhausted mess, her chest heaving.

“Well done.” I kissed her forehead, feeling more proud of her than I ever had.

She replied with a shaky smile, tears brimming on her lashes.

The doctor’s voice was soft as she approached the bed. “She’s all checked out and healthy, doesn’t need the incubator and seems to be sucking fine.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

The doctor placed her hand on Jody’s arm. “Do you want to hold her, or should we take her straight to the nursery?”

Jody sucked her lower lip, her bright eyes searching mine.

“It’s your choice.” I nodded.

“A girl,” she whispered.

I grinned at her awestruck whisper.

“I need to hold her.” She hiccuped over the words, stretching out her arms as the nurse carried the bundle over. The little thing was still wailing pitifully as the nurse placed her in the crook of Jody’s elbow.

Jody’s fingers were shaking as she gently skimmed her daughter’s face. “Oh you’re beautiful,” she breathed. “Like a little cherub.”

The baby stopped crying as soon as she registered Jody’s voice, looking straight up at her with dark-blue eyes.

Jody let out a laughing sob. “Hello, baby girl.”

With that, the baby turned her head and started nuzzling, hunting for a new lifeline now that her umbilical cord was gone.

Without missing a beat, Jody arranged her top while the nurse moved Ella out of the way so she could help the baby latch on.

“I guess we’re keeping her then, huh?” I gently rubbed Jody’s shoulder as Ella stepped up beside me, squeezing my hand.

“I have to.” Jody whispered. “I just feel like I’m instantly in love with her. How is that possible?”

“It’s possible.” Ella blushed.

“I don’t know if I’m cut out for this, you guys. I don’t know if I’ll be a very good mother or not, but I have to try.” Jody ran a knuckle down her baby’s cheek. “I made my decision the second I slept with Stefan. This little girl’s mine, and I have to choose her and live with whatever consequences that brings.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, squeezing her shoulder with a nod, knowing she’d be okay. She was biting the bullet and living with the fallout, something I needed to do.

I thought of Sean waiting for me in the studio and wondered what he had to say to me.

“So what are you going to name her?” Ella brushed the baby’s arm, looking completely enamored.

Jody gazed down at the girl and murmured, “My little angel, what should I call you?”

“Angelia,” Ella softly sung the Richard Marx song and giggled. “She is like an angel.”

“I love it.” Jody grinned. In spite of her pasty skin and slick hair, she looked radiant.

“You do?” Ella’s eyes rounded and she bit her lower lip before breaking into a wide grin.

“Yes. Angelia Morgan Pritchett. That’s your name, little one,” she whispered, stealing the air from my lungs.

“Jody, you don’t have to do that.”

She glanced at me, perplexed. “Of course I do. You’re my rock, Morgan, and my daughter’s going to carry your name, because you’ll no doubt be her rock, as well.”

I smiled and leaned my head against Jody’s. We gazed down at the little dot in her arms. For some reason she felt like mine, too, and I knew without a doubt I could love her with all my heart.

Aunt Morgan. I shook my head with a grin.

“I bet she’ll be a dancer,” Ella whispered.

“And I bet she’ll be able to sing like an angel, too.”

We softly chuckled together; The Terrible Trio had just become a foursome.