The Running Series Box Set: Books 1-3 Page 17

  “The training is kicking my butt. They even told me I have to add more small meals a day. It seems I am losing too much weight and have no energy. Something to do with my iron count on my blood work.”

  Cooper was instantly alert. “Are you seeing a doctor there? What exactly did the trainer say?”

  “I’m calling on Monday to make an appointment. I’ll let you know what I find out. They sent all my records up, so I’ll take those with me.” I finished off the last of the omelet while we talked, trying not to scarf it up too loudly.

  “Do you want me to come up and go with you?”

  “No, you don’t have to do that. But you’re incredible for even offering. I just hate making you worry.”

  “Well, somebody’s got to do it, so it might as well be me, right? Bet I can still make you look good, even from halfway across the country. Lemme guess, you haven’t gotten out of that Bears T-shirt all day, have you?” He sounded so smug and sure of himself I really wanted to say something snarky, but sadly, he was right.

  “Are you spying on me? What, are there cameras installed and you can watch me from your laptop? Well, it’s comfortable, what can I say?” I smiled, remembering his utter loathing for my favorite old T-shirt. I was about to ask him a question when he called out his goodbye.

  “Love ya, girl!” Abruptly, he was gone, off to do his thing.

  I settled in and got my boxes unpacked then dove in on some paperwork for the coming week. By the time I looked up from my projects, it was evening and I was ready to go for a swim. I made my way to the pool and managed a few laps, but didn’t really have the energy for more than that. Even after my stroke, it just wasn’t like me to be this run down. I should be gaining strength, not losing it.

  After my Monday morning work appointment with Drew came to a close, I remembered I needed to make the appointment with the doctor. I looked up the referral the training team had given me. The receptionist remembered receiving all of my information from Dallas and asked me to come in on Friday.

  After a productive week, I had all but decided the geography change of moving into Harrison’s building had been exactly what I needed. I still didn’t have tons of energy, but I chalked it up to the new apartment and the lights from the city seeping in all night. I was able to get a lot more training done than usual and even kept Drew happy with my reports coming in earlier than expected.

  By Friday, I was ready for a great weekend after a long work week and was in such a good mood I almost didn’t keep the doctor’s appointment I’d made. Cooper would have my head if he called and I told him I’d cancelled it, and besides, he knew when it was. He was sure to check on me.

  I found the address for the office and took a new patient clipboard when I signed in. Luckily, most of my information was already up-to-date since my doctor in Dallas had sent everything ahead.

  “Hello, Ms. Morrison. I’m Dr. Davis,” said a kind looking older doctor. He looked like he still got a lot of exercise, but had the soft features of a man who spent a lot of his time smiling at people.

  “Please, call me Alex,” I replied, shaking his outstretched hand.

  “I’m sorry for the wait, but I’ve been reviewing your chart. Seems like you were a lucky young lady a few months back, and you’ve been healing well for the most part. The trainers sent over a note that their charts show a low energy level and a very low iron count. Can you tell me when your last normal menstrual period was by chance?”

  “Well, since my accident, it hasn’t returned. They told me that was normal and just encouraged me to eat more small meals a day, which I’ve been doing. But I have zero energy and feel like I am still really pulling myself around these last couple of weeks. I’m also having bits of nausea, and sometimes, food will taste weird or not be appetizing at all.”

  “Alex, I am going to run a few tests. I have a few thoughts in mind, but I want to be sure. I don’t think this is anything to worry about. You’re my last patient today, so if you don’t mind waiting around a little while, I’m sure we can have the results shortly and keep you from worrying over the weekend.” As Dr. Davis showed me to the lab, my mind raced with the possibilities. Hopefully, low iron could be causing all of my symptoms.

  After almost an hour, Dr. Davis took me into his office. Not the exam room I’d been in earlier, but his actual office. One thing I’d learned from working with doctors and hospitals was that the office was not where they took you to give you good news, or to tell you everything was fine. I swallowed, trying to relieve my desert-dry mouth.

  “Alex, your symptoms are very normal for this type of thing, and your blood test confirms you are, in fact, pregnant. Your iron count is seriously low, but I am confident we can get that up with iron supplements and iron rich foods. My nurse will give you all of the information when you leave and the prescriptions for the vitamins. With your recent history of stroke and your symptoms, I asked Dr. Creek, an obstetrician in our group, if she could see you today. Are you okay with that?”

  I vaguely remembered mumbling something like, “Yes, that’s fine.” I shuddered at his words.

  Pregnant, how could that be? This was impossible. We’d had sex one night, and we’d used a condom.

  Oh, no, not in the shower we didn’t. What was I going to do now? Couldn’t I get a break, just once? I walked numbly to the receptionist’s desk and handed her my paperwork.

  Dr. Davis’ nurse gave me directions up to Dr. Creek’s suite. As I entered the room with a full view of several expectant ladies, the realization of what was happening came over me. I could feel myself slumping into a chair nearby.

  Seeing what was happening, the receptionist rushed out to assist me, but not before I passed completely out.

  When I came to, I was in a private room with several people attending to me with cold cloths and fanning my face with a magazine. I couldn’t even muster an apology in my mortified state.

  The staff were really helpful and then the tall brunette spoke up. “Hi, I’m Kelly. I’m Dr. Creek’s nurse. Sorry we had to meet this way. I know you feel embarrassed, but don’t be. You certainly aren’t the first patient to faint on us. It’s quite common in the first trimester, just recline here and relax. Dr. Creek will be joining us momentarily, and we will take a look at your baby and go over some dos and don’ts. We also need to take a look at your leg, seems you may have quite the bruise. Dr. Davis has sent up your records, so Dr. Creek can go over all of your history with you and what you can expect going forward. Sound good?”

  “Yes, thank you. You’re so kind. I apologize for being so much trouble, it seems to be the norm for me lately!” I placed a hand over my eyes, partly for the cool touch but also to hide my embarrassment at passing out like a wimp.

  “Well, Alexandra, pregnancy is one of the few times when you can just enjoy the attention!” She giggled slightly, but all I could manage was a pathetic smile, still reeling from my news of a baby.

  Dr. Creek knocked on the door and entered gingerly. “Hi Alexandra, I’m Dr. Creek,” she said as she sat down on a chair beside my bed and gave me a pat on the hand. “You’ve had quite an exciting last few months, haven’t you?” Before I could answer, she flipped open my chart and continued. “Your body is still healing from your head injury and stroke, not to mention you are already thin and losing weight. There are additional factors that make your pregnancy higher risk, meaning we have quite a few guidelines you’re going to have to follow to help us get to a successful delivery. Everything we go over today will be in a nice packet for you to take home and read over the weekend. You’ll also have complete access to us at all times, so either Kelly, or one of my nurse practitioners, or I can be reached by cell phone twenty-four hours a day.”

  Dr. Creek set up the ultrasound machine and lowered the lights in the room, so she could look at the view screen. As she moved the wand around, she had a questioning look on her face. “Your bladder isn’t completely full, but I can still see the slight swelling in your uterus, and there is a t
iny gestational sack right here,” she said, as she pointed to a dark circle on the screen. “Do you know when your last menstrual period was?”

  “I haven’t had one since before my injury, but I’ve only been…intimate…once, and that was a month ago.” Great. The health teacher had been right; it only took once.

  “Well, that’s about what I measure here. It’s still too early to see or hear a heartbeat at this point, but we’ll repeat the ultrasound when you come for your next visit.” She finished and helped me sit up, then took a seat on the stool beside the table.

  “I’m going to write you a prescription for extra vitamins and give you a list of iron rich foods. We’ll get your iron up, and you’ll feel better and stronger in a few weeks. Please call me if you have any questions. I want to see you again in three weeks. Congratulations!” She gave me a motherly hug on her way out.

  I stopped by the receptionist’s desk to schedule my appointment, then walked out to the car, still reeling from the shock.

  A baby. I’m going to have a baby.

  I stopped, frozen, as another thought blinded me.

  I’m having Grayson’s baby.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  I needed Cooper.

  He was the only person I could think of to share this news with and who wouldn’t judge me. Of everything going on in my life at the moment, the baby just jumped to the front of the line and was now the most important thing. I couldn’t imagine going through this without Cooper. Not that I necessarily had the energy to return to Dallas, but I didn’t want to drag Cooper out of town, especially if he was busy with a shoot.

  I called Daddy’s pilot to see if I could use the corporate jet. He said he could be ready in forty-five minutes and would have Rueben pick me up.

  Back to the apartment, I packed a quick bag for just a few days and waited for Vinnie to let me know Rueben was here. While I waited, I sent Harrison a text.

  Something in Dallas needs my attention. Car is in the garage, keys with Vinnie. Rain check on dinner?

  Harrison replied, U bet, anything I can help with?

  I could read between the lines. He thought I was going to see Grayson.

  I responded, No, but thanks.

  Grayson. I tried thinking about how I was going to break the news to him or if I even wanted to. Did he have to know so soon? I couldn’t keep this information from him forever, he would find out and hunt me down. This was his child, too, and he had rights as a father.

  Would he think I had done this on purpose? I pondered all my options. Once Rueben arrived to take me to the airport, I had plenty of time to think. I boarded the plane and thanked the pilot for flying on such short notice, on a Friday evening no less, then took my seat to organize my thoughts.

  Once we were in the air, a song caught me by surprise from my iPod, “Someone Like You,” by Van Morrison. How ironic. I had been waiting for someone like Grayson to come along and put sunshine where there had been only darkness, fill my heart where there had been despair, only to have it all fall to pieces.

  I had to wonder if Grayson would blame me for getting pregnant. Would he think I did it on purpose? Would he come to the conclusion that women everywhere were trying to get their claws in him, and that a baby was the fastest way to snag him?

  The words from the song continued, the best is yet to come.

  I could only hope that was true.

  Cooper would know what to do. He would be there to help me as he had been all my life, the big brother with all the answers.

  I got into a cab at the airport and turned on my phone, and there were messages from Cooper and Dad. Dad had learned about the use of the jet and was concerned about the abruptness of my trip.

  I called his voicemail and let him know I was fine. I made up an excuse about needing to take care of some paperwork on the apartment. I was not being completely dishonest, but the last thing my dad needed clouding his vacation was worry over my health. And truthfully, I just wasn’t ready to share the news yet. If Cooper was going to sublet the apartment, I would need to sign paperwork, so it wasn’t an outright lie.

  I dialed Cooper’s number. “Hey, Coop, what’s up?”

  “Alex, your dad called me looking for you, something about the plane. Where the hell are you? And don’t give me the run around!” He was worried and yelled at me angrily.

  “I came back, and I’m pulling up to the apartment, are you home?”

  He opened the door and ran to me, grabbing me into a hug and holding me tight, carryon bag and all. He knew something was wrong; he could always read my moods. As he closed the door to the apartment behind us, the weight of everything broke my resolve.

  I began to sob, quietly at first while Cooper stood by in shock, only to cry harder when he rushed to me and held me close, guiding me to the sofa and pulling me down onto his lap for a good cry.

  Finally breaking the silence, Cooper laughed at me. “Girl, I don’t know what stylist you’re using in Chicago, but I’m taking out a mob hit on him.”

  We both started laughing. Not realizing I was going to be judged on my fashion, I had thrown on the nearest clean outfit, a warm sweatshirt, jeans, and flats, something easy to travel in.

  “Are you ready to tell me what’s really gotten you so worked up that you jumped on a plane, flew to Dallas, and started crying all over my shirt?” Cooper asked playfully. He knew me well enough to know I’d never get around to telling him if he didn’t make me.

  “Cooper, I’m pregnant!” The tears started again as I clutched a throw pillow from the sofa.

  “Well, is that all? Alex, I thought you knew where babies come from,” he said with a light-hearted, soothing voice as he pulled me into another warm hug.

  “I know where babies come from, smart guy,” I launched back at him. “What I don’t know is why this is happening to me! Grayson and I only had sex that one night, and we used protection, but then…” I couldn’t finish the details. Coop looked like my father at that moment, and I wasn’t comfortable spilling my guts.

  He smiled at me. “Have you told Grayson yet?”

  I shook my head. “I just found out this afternoon. You’re the first person I’ve told. I couldn’t bring myself to utter the words.”

  We sat together in silence, Cooper holding me comfortingly while I tried to quiet my sobs. I only succeeded in giving myself the hiccups.

  Just as I expected, he started again about Grayson. He said the last thing I expected to hear, “Alex, you cast Grayson away, and all this time you’ve been punishing him for not being honest with you. Don’t be a hypocrite.”

  I sat up suddenly, glaring at him for the name calling. “Me? A hypocrite? I poured my heart out to Grayson, and he didn’t say so much as ‘Pass the soap’ to me in return. I put myself out there and was honest with my feelings, and I got nothing from him. And nothing is exactly what Grayson deserves from me.”

  “Honey, you have to live by your own words. You wanted truthful and open, but you’re keeping a giant secret. A ten-pound, fourteen-ounce secret, judging by your bone structure,” Cooper joked menacingly.

  Ten pounds? I didn’t think so.

  “Besides, he’s got a right to know. I’m sure you’ll do the right thing, but if you don’t want to call him, I will.”

  “You can’t force a relationship to happen between us. I want him to love me because he does, because he finds me to be the center of his earth, because he needs me and desires me as much as I do him. Because he loves me. Don’t I deserve that? What did I ever do to piss off the love gods?” I was trying to make light of the situation, but deep down, I was still very much wounded. My tirade would have been more profound if my stomach hadn’t growled in mid-speech. It had been a long day, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten.

  “Have you had dinner? Of course you haven’t, what a stupid question! Fine, we’ll go grab something light since it’s so late. I’ve found this cool bistro that just opened up. It should be quiet this time of night, and they w
on’t care how you’re dressed.” He eyed me up and down with a look of pure disgust mixed with a twinge of pity. “Are you up for a short walk? I won’t let anyone mistake you for a homeless person in that outfit.”

  I rummaged through my luggage and changed my shirt, and at least tried to comb my fingers through my hair. Cooper had a reputation to maintain, even if I didn’t seem to care about appearances at the moment. We headed out to the bistro.

  “So, I’m going to have a niece or nephew. That is so cool. Uncle Coopy. I want dibs on name approval!” He linked his arm through mine as we walked.

  “I think it’s too soon to get carried away with names. The doctor seems to think this is a high-risk pregnancy due to my stroke. Let’s get through the first trimester. I’m just thinking about how I should break the news to Grayson.” Before I could finish, there was a tap on my shoulder.

  “Break what news to Grayson, Alexandra?” a stern voice from behind me demanded.

  I turned and found Grayson glaring at me. “Cooper! What the hell did you do? Did you call him and let him know I was here? I’m sick of you two conspiring!”

  Coop put his hand over my mouth, shushing me. “This is a total coincidence, I swear!” His eyes searched mine for any sign that I believed him.

  I didn’t know whether to believe him or not, since he had done nothing but sing Grayson’s praises for the last month.

  For his part, Grayson didn’t care if I believed Cooper or not, he just wanted answers.

  I decided to buy myself some time. I wanted to make it a private moment; he deserved at least that much. “I just got in a few minutes ago and was going to call you, so we could get together. I thought it might be tomorrow, so I didn’t get dressed up.”