Hart of the Matter (A Love of the Game Novella) (4 page)

Some things never changed.  No matter how big and bad he got, it still choked Hart up every damn time.  They teased him unmercifully.

Harley made a pouty face.  “Aww, Hart.  You’re so
sensitive
.” 

“Zip it, Harpy.  It’s a great movie.  Stop trying to ruin it for me.”

“Here you go, Hart.”  Bailey offered him a box of tissue.  “We know the emotional roller coaster of a man period…or your
meriod
, as Harley and I call it.  Let it out.”

Scowling at them, Hart mumbled, “You two suck.”

It was so familiar, she could almost forget. 

* * *

Two hours after finally falling into a fitful sleep, Harley’s gasp of pain jostled her awake.  She knew instantly that something wasn’t right.  Her friend had the highest pain tolerance of anyone she’d ever met. 

“Harley?  What’s wrong?”  Reaching out, she flipped on the bedside lamp and a horrifying possibility flitted through her mind.  “Are you in
labor
?” 

Panting through the pain, Harley told her, “I don’t think so.  My water didn’t break.”

“Shit.  I’m getting your mom.”  Bailey jumped off the bed and slammed through the apartment at a run. 

Shaking the older woman almost violently, Regina didn’t react to the panic that must have been coming off her body in waves.  She sat up, turned on the light, and gave Bailey a reassuring smile.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

“I think the kid is coming.  Harley’s in pain.”

With a small frown, Regina said, “That’s odd.  Are you sure?”

“It woke me up…come, you need to come, Regina.”

“It’s alright, Bailey.  Everything will be just fine.”  Reaching behind her, she spoke to her husband who was staring at them sleepily.  “Darling, I have a feeling we’re about to be grandparents.”

He grinned and gave her a nod. 

Regina walked calmly to Harley’s room and leaned over her daughter.  “Are you feeling sharp pain now?”

“Yeah but my water didn’t break.”  She curled into the fetal position. 

“Sometimes it doesn’t, honey.”  Regina smoothed Harley’s hair from her face.

Harley scowled.  “Well it always does in the
movies
!”

“Ah, yes.  The movies…a veritable cornucopia of reality.” 

She held out her hand and Peter gave her his watch, then she sat on the edge of the bed.  Neither of them looked the least worried and Bailey was ready to pass out. 

“Let’s see how much time before another one happens.  Darling, you should get dressed.” 

He nodded, kissed Harley’s temple, and left the room.  Three minutes later, Harley tensed but didn’t cry out. 

Regina’s eyes widened slightly.  “Honey, how long have you been getting these pains?” 

“Since this morning but it only got bad when I laid down.”

“Harley Marie Jamison!  You’ve been having contractions since this
morning
?” 

Oh sweet baby Jesus.  Shit just got real.
 

“I thought it was gas!” Harley shot back.

Regina stood up and started barking orders.  “Bailey, get her dressed.  Hart!”  There was a crash from the other room as Hart fell off the air mattress and hit the coffee table.  “Get dressed and go start the car!  Your sister is in labor.”

“Oh, fuck…going!”

The second her husband appeared fully dressed at the door to the bedroom, she instructed, “Peter, take Harley’s bag downstairs.  We’ll be right behind you.” 

Bailey helped Harley sit up and worked a sweatshirt over her head.  “It’s freezing outside.  This
one
time, I’m letting you leave the house looking like a hot mess.” 

Laughing, they worked together to get clothes on.  She stepped into lined boots and managed to stand as Regina came back in the room looking as if she’d been dressed and waiting for an hour. 

Thank God for this woman.

“Mom, you’re a machine.”

In a robot voice, Regina said, “Get in the fucking car…”

“Your mom is such a badass.”  Bailey was dressed and had a huge purse over her shoulder.  “Let’s hustle, pretty girl because we’re not having that baby
here
.  I don’t even like clipping a hang nail.”

Another contraction hit on the outside stairs and Harley sat down on the steps to keep from falling.  She was making a small keening sound that stopped when her brother bent down, scooped her up, and carried her the rest of the way to the car. 

I’m going to have a coronary before this is over.

Hart said gently, “It’s alright, Harpy.  Let’s get you to the hospital.” 

He carefully tucked her into the passenger seat and got behind the wheel.  Bailey kept her hands on Harley’s shoulders from the backseat. 

“My water just broke.  It’s all over the place.”

As the words drifted into her brain and registered, Bailey almost lost her shit completely.

Hart
laughed
and she wanted to slap him.  “At least we’re in a rental, Harpy.”

“You’re an ass.”

“I know but you love me anyway.”

He made it to the hospital in under five minutes and Bailey remembered the time he’d almost been killed racing the back roads of Central Florida with his friends.  It was a
horrible
memory and she shoved it away violently. 

As he braked in front of the emergency room doors and came around to pick her up, Harley tried to slap him away.

“I’m gross!  Hart!”

“Shut it, Harley.”  Then he picked her up and walked through the sliding doors, depositing her carefully in a wheelchair.  Bending until they were eye to eye, he said, “Everything is going to be just fine.  You hear me?”  She nodded and he winked.  “Don’t have that kid before I park the car.”

* * *

Bailey was in a daze as they rushed her friend back to labor and delivery.  They worked an ugly ass gown around her that made her normal caramel skin appear green. 

No sense of style or understanding that clothes affect emotion.  Yuck.

Then Harley started to cry quietly and Bailey knew instantly that she should never have children.  If it made her best friend in the world cry, there was no way she was letting that shit go down. 

A nurse came in with a smile on her face that irritated her.  “I’m just going to see how dilated you are, honey.  Don’t worry about any little thing.” 

Lifting the sheet, Bailey caught the look in her wide eyes before she went blank. 

Uh oh…

In the same cheerful tone, that was complete bullshit, she told them, “Be
right
back.” 

Regina frowned and Bailey was glad she wasn’t the only one who realized something was up.  She moved to the end of the bed and took a quick peek.  Her hand clapped over her heart in shock. 

“The baby’s
head
is
right there
!”

Lightheaded, ears ringing, Bailey looked back and forth between them. 

Did she just say…?

“Doesn’t someone need to
handle
that?  Where’s the fucking catcher?”  She shoved past the two men who looked like they’d rather be anywhere but in the room and ran to the door.  “Hey!  Somebody with a medical degree want to get their ass in here?  Like…fucking
now
?”

Then her silly bitch friend – who obviously had no sense of the
seriousness
of the situation – started to laugh.  With her hands on her hips, she stared at her irritably.  That seemed to make it worse.  Eventually, she had to join in.  Harley had the
best
laugh.

Less than two minutes later, Harley laughed Bailey’s little goddaughter into the world.  She named her Alexis Becka Jamison. 

Bailey’s heart clenched in agony at the expression of loss and sadness that crossed her face an instant before she began to sob brokenly. 

It was Hart who worked to calm his little sister and a piece of the tear inside Bailey healed a bit. 

Chapter Seven

Peering over Regina’s shoulder as she held the baby, she murmured.  “She doesn’t look like an alien.  I’m so glad I don’t have to lie when I say that’s a beautiful baby, Harley.  You know ugly babies freak me out because I’m the only one who ever seems to notice.”

“You’re a mess, Bailey.  Do you want to hold her?” 
No, she did not just ask me that.
  “You’ll be awesome at this aunt thing.  Don’t be a baby.”

“You remember your words if I damage the goods.” 

“Hey,” Harley whispered as their eyes met.  “Her value can only go up if you hold her.  You’re one of the very best people on the whole planet.  Take your niece.”

Nodding, tears flowing – finally for a good reason, she lifted Alexis inch by inch from Regina’s arms and smiled into a pretty pink face that appeared strangely calm. 

“You really are just so damn pretty.”  She took a seat along the wall.  “I’m your Aunt Bailey.  I’m going to spoil you absolutely
rotten
…and you’re going to love every minute.”

Hart said to no one in particular, “I’m going to ask when they plan to move you to your own room.  Be right back.”

“Thanks, Hart.”

* * *

Eventually, they moved Harley to a room of her own and she talked them all into heading back to her place.  “Get some sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Bailey lagged behind as her family kissed and hugged her goodnight.  Harley held the baby in the crook of her arm and she just looked so…natural.

As Harley’s parents passed her, she said, “I’ll be right down.”  They nodded and told her to take her time. 

Sitting beside the bed, she held her friend’s hand.  “Hey.  I love you.”

“I love you, too.  You did great, Bailey.”

That made her laugh. 

“I didn’t push a seven-pound bundle of joy through my woo-hoo but okay.”  She took a moment to stroke her goddaughter’s cheek.  “Anything you need, Harley.  I’ll even move if you need me to.”  Meeting green eyes that were filled with tears, she added, “You aren’t alone.  You’re never alone…even if it feels like you are sometimes.  We always have each other.”

“I know.  I’m so grateful for you.  Lexie is going to love you.  She’s going to be a girly girl, I can already tell.”

With a smile, she asked, “How?”

“Watch.”  She stroked her fingertip over Lexie’s tiny lower lip and she pursed them.  “Just like you when I bother you awake.”  Glancing up, she grinned.  “It’s because you’re part of me, Bailey.  Part of every good memory, holding my hand for the bad ones, and always in my corner.  I don’t think there’s a prettier, fiercer fighter in the world.”

She scrubbed away the tears that slipped down her face.  “You give me way too much credit, Harley.  You’ve been incredible through all this.”

Staring at the baby for a long time, Bailey whispered, “Do you think it will make you seem weak if you call him?”

Harley nodded.  “I was so weak and stupid already.  I’m embarrassed and ashamed for that.”  She closed her eyes.  “For still loving him and Dex as much as I do.  I don’t ever want Lexie to know, Bailey.  Please help me pretend I wasn’t as dumb as I was.” 

Bailey stroked Harley’s curls away from her face.  “You know, you didn’t do anything but love with your whole heart.  That’s what makes you special.  You
shimmer
, Harley.  Everything about you is beautiful and kind.”  Smiling softly, she added, “We complement one another so well.”

Standing, she leaned over to kiss Lexie’s head, then Harley’s.  “I love you and all this baby needs to know is that she was conceived with love in your heart and you were happy to bring her into the world.  That’s all that really matters.  The rest of the ugly details don’t have to exist in her world…or yours.”

Hugging her carefully around the baby, Harley sobbed into her shoulder.  “Thank you, Bailey.”

“You’re going to be such a good mom.  Get some rest and I’ll see you in the morning.  I’ll smuggle in a bagel and some real coffee.”

Sniffing, Harley nodded.

“Hooker, you best not have snotted on this sweater.”  They laughed together and rubbed noses before Bailey kissed the baby once more and grabbed her purse. 

From the room, she walked to the nurse’s station.  Beaming the women behind the low counter with a fake smile, she said, “You’ll all be here for a few more hours, won’t you?” 

They nodded.

“That’s my best friend and my goddaughter in that room.  I love those two humans more than anyone else in the world.  I’m on all her paperwork but I’m going to give each of you my card.  It has my cell phone on it.  If she so much as starts running a fever, call me.” 

She took a hundred from her wallet as well as several business cards.  “And please enjoy breakfast after your shift on me.  Thank you for taking such good care of her.”

“Ma’am, you don’t have to pay us.”

“I’m not…I’m making sure you remember me.  I want you to know where my number is if she needs me.  I can be here in less than ten minutes.” 

The oldest of the three women smiled warmly.  “She’s lucky to have a friend like you.”

Shaking her head, she whispered, “No.  I’ve
always
been the lucky one.”  With a small wave, she headed for the elevator.  As she rounded the small wall into the hallway, she ran into Hart.

“What are you…?”  Holding up her hand, she said, “Nevermind, Hart.  I can’t deal with you right now.  I’m off-balance and if you make me cry, it will make me angry.”

He nodded and followed her to the elevator.  As the doors slid closed, she rubbed her temple. 

“Are you okay, Bailey?”

She stood up straight, pushed her hair over her shoulder, and pasted on a smile.  “Always, Hart.  I’m great.  Don’t worry about me.  I have
got
this.”

“I hurt you so badly.”

“Nah, we’re good.” 

“Bailey…”

Jesus, what did he want from her?

“Leave it the fuck alone.  Leave
me
alone so I can get on with my life.  You do you, Hart.  I take care of me just fine.” 

The doors slid open and the Jamisons waited for them across the lobby.