Forgotten Awakenings (Awakenings #2) (28 page)

“You’re welcome.” Elle walked him to the door of her office and watched as he all but skipped down the hall. Turning back to Samuel and Derek, she sighed. “I made the right decision, didn’t I?”

“Yes,” Samuel said. “I have a good feeling about him. Think he’ll be a good fit.”

He walked over to Elle, stopping and tilting his head toward her. “You know, you sounded like the boss today.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” she muttered, ignoring his teasing laughter as he walked of their office. Closing the door, she turned and looked at Derek. “What do you think? Will Nate be a good replacement for Callum?”

“No,” he admitted. “But he’ll do.”

Echoing his sentiment, Elle settled behind her desk, the knowledge that nobody would be able to complete their team the way Callum did. But in a few months, it would matter, would it? She was abandoning all of them by taking over Samuel’s company.

Twenty-six

“She doesn’t like that blanket.”

Elle sighed and looked over her shoulder. Her husband was standing in the doorway of Flora’s bedroom, the four-month old baby in his arms. Six weeks had passed since he quit his job to be a full time dad and he’d taken to it with gusto. He loved every aspect of his time with their daughter, and watching him with her, Elle knew they had made the right decision. Flora would thrive with him with her.

“Well, which one does she like?” Elle asked, gesturing to the pile of blankets on Flora’s shelves. For mid-February, the air was cooler than normal and everyone but Elle had been bundling up to protect themselves against the cold. She, on the other hand, had been rather comfortable.

“The pink one with the butterfly on the corner. She likes to put it in her mouth,” he explained.

Elle smiled as she grabbed the blanket Sadie had given Flora for Christmas two months ago and stuffed it into her diaper bag. “Anything else I need to know?”

“Just that I love you,” he said.

“I love you, too.” Elle pulled the diaper bag onto her shoulder and grabbed her cane before turning and walking toward them.

“You okay?” Callum asked, holding Flora with one arm as he wrapped his other around Elle.

“Yep,” she lied.

With the changes in her body, the pain in her leg had increased. At sixteen weeks, she’d officially popped. As of last week, there was no more hiding her pregnancy at work. She hated the attention, even the well-wishes and congratulations. She’d had more than her share of time in the spotlight.

“Hmm, okay.”

It was clear that Callum didn’t believe her, not that she expect him to. Elle did her best to keep her pain to herself, even when they asked how she was feeling. She was tired of being weak, being the one who needed special attention, and at sixteen weeks pregnant, she was getting more attention than she wanted.

“You ready to head downstairs? Derek and Sadie are waiting for us,” he added.

“Yep,” she said again.

Slowly, Elle allowed Callum to help her downstairs. Derek and Sadie were indeed waiting for them in the living room, the two were wrapped in each other’s arms, and it looked as if Derek had his hand down Sadie’s pants. Ever sincee she had been cleared to engage in sexual activity again, Sadie had been insatiable.

Flora spotted her mother across the room and started babbling, causing the two to break apart and looked back at them, not one hint of embarrassment on either of their faces.

“Oh, hey, we ready?” Sadie mumbled as she stood up and straightened out her blouse.

“If you can pull yourself way from lover boy for more than a minute,” Callum teased.

“You’re so funny,” Derek replied, dryly as he walked over to them and stuck his fingers under Callum’s nose. “You know you want some of her, too.”

“I do,” he admitted. “But we don’t have time, so let’s get moving.”

Sadie and Derek laughed, while Elle merely smiled. They were headed to Dr. Kemp’s office for Elle’s doctor’s appointment and ultrasound. They were hoping to discover if they were expecting a boy or a girl, not that it mattered. Like with Flora, all they wanted was a healthy baby.

Since Elle, Derek, and Sadie were headed to the office after the appointment, they were forced to take two cars. Elle rode with Callum and Flora in the new SUV he insisted they needed with their growing family, while trusting Derek and Sadie together. She was convinced they’d end up on the side of the road and in the backseat, but since she couldn’t drive anymore due to the weakness in her thigh, Elle didn’t argue.

“What time are the parents meeting you?” Callum asked, sliding his hand across Elle’s knee.

“Um, two,” she replied. “Do you think they’ll like what I’ve done?”

“I’m sure they’ll love them,” he said. “Of course, if you had let me see them, I could tell you for sure.”

Elle smiled. “You know I don’t like anyone seeing my work until they’re prefect.”

“But they’re never perfect enough for you,” he quipped, throwing a lazy smile in her direction.

“That’s not entirely true,” she argued. “The Anderson house was pretty much perfect.”

Callum snorted. “You were tweaking their plans till the last second, and don’t you dare deny it.”

“Whatever,” she scoffed. “Pardon me for wanting everything to be . . . well . . . perfect.” She laughed. “Okay, okay, you’re right. I have OCD when it comes to my plans.”

“Admission is the first step to getting help,” he chuckled.

“Oh, so now, I need a twelve step program, huh?” Elle teased. “If anyone needs a self-help program, it would be Sadie and Derek. Those two are addicted to sex.”

“And you’re not?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “If memory serves me right, last night you were the one who instigated everything by sliding under the blankets and sucking my cock.”

“That was different,” she mumbled.

“How?” he asked, turning into the parking lot of the Women’s Healthcare Center.

Elle waited for him to park before she pushed open her door and climbed out. Turning back to him, she said, “I was hungry, and I have to keep my protein up.”

“Tease!” Callum yelled as she closed her door.

Sadie and Derek met them at the front of the building. Flora had drifted off to sleep during the ride. Elle only had to wait a few minutes before Michelle, Dr. Kemp’s nurse, was calling her into the back.

“How are you feeling?” Michelle asked, gesturing for her to stand on the scale.

“Oh, not too bad,” she said, trying to keep her balance.

“You’ve gained another three pounds, putting you up by ten so far. Have a seat for me.”

Elle settled in the same red chair Sadie had sat in months ago. Michelle took her blood pressure, drew some blood, and gave her a plastic cup to pee in before waving her down the hallway to the bathroom.

Once she’d filled the cup, which was getting harder and harder to do as her belly grew, she washed her hands and joined her lovers and daughter in the examination room, sitting on top of the tables.

Dr. Kemp knocked on the door moments later, pushing it open and sticking her head. “Is it safe to enter? I don’t need any surprises this time.”

Elle laughed, the memory of her last visit when Dr. Kemp walked into the room as Derek was stroking Callum’s cock. “All clear.”

“Phew, I was afraid.” Stepping into the room first, Dr. Kemp closed the door and walked over to Elle, opening her chart. “Everything seems to be normal. How have you been feeling?”

“Pretty good,” she said, curtly, and when Dr. Kemp raised an eyebrow, she sighed. “Well, my leg’s been hurting more. You know, where I got shot.”

Dr. Kemp nodded. “I expected as much. With your center of gravity changing, the muscles and tendons that attach your back and legs are strained. We may have to consider alternatives as you get closer to your due date.”

“Like what exactly?” Elle asked.

“Maybe the use of a wheelchair,” she suggested.

Elle sighed.

“Look, we don’t have to decide anything right now. If the pain gets to be too intense, call me and we’ll see what we can figure out. Maybe meditation or pre-natal yoga.”

“Yeah, okay,” she murmured.

Dr. Kemp laid her chart on the cabinet before washing and drying her hands. Pulling out her measuring tape, she said, “Let’s get a few measurements and then we can see your baby. Have you decided if you want to know the baby’s sex?”

“Yes,” the four of them replied, causing her to laugh.

“We want to know,” Sadie explained.

“Okay.”

Derek helped Elle lay back on the table while Dr. Kemp pushed Elle’s blouse up over her belly. She’d already had to start wearing maternity clothes, which had been harder on her than expected. She’d never considered herself a vain person, but seeing her body so out of control had hit her hard.

“You’re measure right on schedule for sixteen weeks,” Dr. Kemp stated. “Callum, if you can hit the lights, we’ll take a peek at your little one.”

Elle’s heart raced as Dr. Kemp turned on the ultrasound machine, a low hum filling room. She squirted the gel onto her stomach while Callum lifted Flora out of her carrier. Through the baby was too little to understand what was happening, they all agreed they wanted her to be a part of the discovery. She’d be a big sister long before she knew what sister meant.

Dr. Kemp settled on her stool as she placed the transducer on Elle’s stomach and started moving it around. After making a few notes in Elle’s chart, Dr. Kemp reached up and flipped a switch on the machine. A rapid thumping sound filled the room.

“Is that . . . Is that our baby’s heartbeat?” Elle whimpered, struggling to keep her tears from falling.

“Yes. It’s a strong heartbeat, too.” Dr. Kemp turned the screen toward them. “Meet your daughter.”

Elle gasped. “I’m having a girl?”

“Yes,” Dr. Kemp laughed.

“Did you hear that, Flora?” Callum asked, his voice thick with emotions. “You’re getting a baby sister.”

“Two daughters,” Derek whimpered. “Two beautiful, amazing daughters.”

“God help any boy who looks at them,” Sadie cried as she leaned over and kissed Elle. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” As Elle turned her attention back to the screen, she smiled. She was having a daughter.

—FA—

Not even the constant throb in Elle’s thigh could wipe the smile off her face as she, Sadie, and Derek strolled into their office after lunch. Nate was perched up behind his desk, his attention focused on the computer in front of him.

Elle had been leery about her decision to hire him to replace Callum, but so far, he had proven to be resourceful. He and Derek got along, and even Sadie thought he was nice. He just wasn’t Callum.

“How’s it going?” Elle asked, leaning against Nate’s desk.

“I can’t get the specs right,” he grumbled. “What am I doing wrong?”

“Let me look,” she said, hobbling around so that she stood behind him. “You have it set for commercial and not residential.”

“Mother . . . Ugh! I changed that like eight times,” he muttered, under his breath as he made the change. Once he did, all of his specs transformed on the house he was working on, making everything look perfect. “This program hates me.”

“No, it doesn’t,” she refuted. “You just have to know how to use it.”

Nate shifted his attention back to her. “You’re in a good mood.”

“Am I usually in a bad mood?” she asked, turning and walking to her desk. She leaned her cane against the edge before she sat down, automatically leaning back in her chair and placing her hand on her stomach. Her daughter kicked, almost announcing that she was there.

“No, of course not,” Nate muttered.

“Liar,” Sadie snickered. “Don’t let her intimidate you just because she’s the boss. You think she’s a bitch, don’t you?”

“No!” Nate exclaimed, his eyes widening. 

“I think you’re lying,” Derek accused. “Be honest. It won’t count against you.”

“I don’t think she’s a . . .” Nate shifted his eyes to Elle.

“A what?” she asked.

“You know,” he mumbled.

“No, I don’t. Why don’t you tell me?”

Nate huffed. “I do not think you’re a bitch.”

Sadie and Derek burst out laughing.

“You two are bullies,” Nate muttered under his breath.

“You make it too easy, dude,” Derek scoffed.

Elle snickered as she turned her attention to her laptop. “Nate, stop taking the bait, and they’ll stop picking on you.”

“Whatever,” he muttered under his breath.

Just before two that afternoon, Elle and Sadie found themselves seated in the conference room, their plans for their parents’ new house spread out in front of them. To say Elle was nervous would be an understatement. Felt like she had to prove herself once more.

“I —”

But before she could get anything more out, the door to the conference room opened and Lucia lead Helina, James, Claudia, and Bruce into the room. Elle stood up as Helina rushed around the table, throwing her arms around her.

“Oh, hey.”

“Sorry,” Helina laughed as she stepped away. “I’m just excited.”

“Me, too,” Elle said, and meant it. Her parents’ sudden move to San Francisco had thrown her for a loop, but being able to see them more often had been a blessing. “Well, shall we get started?”

“Not yet.”

Elle shifted her eyes to the doorway of the conference room, where Samuel stood with a confused Derek behind him. “What are you doing here?”

“We have some business to take care of before your meeting,” he said, pushing Derek into the room before following and closing the door behind him.

“We do?” Elle asked, trying to remember if they had a meeting set that she had forgotten.

Samuel nodded, but didn’t say anything as he walked over to the table and pulled the phone in front of him. He cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear as he punched out a series of numbers.