What She Wants (25 page)

She put a five in the Coke machine, got her Sprite, and stood, breathing in through her nose, out through her mouth.

"Oh, honey. Come on and sit down." Henrietta from Cardiac came over, leading her toward the breakroom. "It's quiet tonight."

"It is. Thank goodness. How are your kids, honey? They feeling better?"

"Mmm. They're eating chicken soup by the gallon, but I think it's just that they like those noodles you gave me."

"Oh, good. I'm glad they worked." The baby -- or babies -- rolled and shifted inside her.

"They loves the stars." Henrietta opened the door to the breakroom, holding her elbow while turning on the lights with the other hand.

"Surprise!" The whole crew was there -- balloons, cake, presents, a banner that said BABY(IES) SHOWER.

"Oh, y'all. Y'all." She burst into tears, so pleased. These women were so down to earth, so kind, and she had no idea what she would do without them.

"Happy Shower!" Kayla, the unit secretary, came over to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you. Oh, god. Look at this!" They led her to the place of honor, handed her a corsage.

"Hey, you're going to be going on leave soon. We had to."

She nodded, giving hugs, squashing the little voice in her head that said that it was going to be impossible, paying for daycare for two, even in that tiny apartment. She'd chosen this path to give Adrian and Packer a safe road. Now she had to put on her big girl panties.

She had friends, a job, a best friend, and at least one healthy baby -- she had more than a lot of people.

She just... She sure wished that she had her boys, too.

"No? Thank you. Yes. Thank you." Adrian hung up and stared at the phone. They'd been at Pack's place for a week, there was no bullriding for two months, and Adrian was starting to despair.

Calleigh's best friend had been cryptic at best. "If you can find her, she's not mad at you. I would be," was all she'd said before she hung up.

So, he'd started calling hospitals. His baby girl was still a nurse. Amarillo. Austin. Corpus. Now Dallas metro. Jesus.

Irving. Grapevine. Rowlett. Allen. McKinney.

Arlington Heart Center is where he got lucky. "Oh, honey. She's on her rounds. Can I give her a message?"

"Uh." He was shocked into stupidity for a moment. "No, ma'am. I'll just come on by if she's on shift for a bit."

"Is this her husband? I know she's been missing you, worrying. Poor thing, at the shower the other day she just cried and cried. So hard, having your spouse on the road all the time."

"Shower? You-- you had one?" He knew he sounded like an idiot, but what would Calleigh be having a shower for? She was married already.

"We did. We know that there's a good chance she won't be able to work too much longer, so we wanted to celebrate, eat cake. She loved the diaper cake we did."

Diaper. Nappies? What the hell? "I'm sure she was tickled. I've been so far out of cell range..."

"Well, I can tell her you're on the way, unless you want to surprise her? Her shift's over at three."

"Oh, I'd like to surprise her." Spank her. Lock her in the bedroom for the rest of her life. "I'd hate to get her all excited, too, in case something happens. I'm a few hours out on the road."

"Right. Right. I'll make one hundred percent sure she's out on time."

"Thanks. I really appreciate you ladies taking such good care of her." Adrian poured on the Aussie for a moment, hoping it would be enough to make the lady on the other end of the line flutter a little. That always worked in his favor.

"You're more than welcome. Safe driving." He got a giggle and a chuckle. Bingo. That worked like a charm.

Adrian hung up, and stared at the phone again for a while. For a completely different reason.

Then he went to find Packer, who was out in the corral working a colt he'd bought a few days ago.

Okay, this was going to be interesting.

Or disastrous.

He took a deep breath, filling his nose with the scents of horse and hay. Pack looked good, old jeans and boots covered in dust, a smile on his face. Adrian hooked a foot on the bottom rail of the fence.

"We need to talk, mate."

Packer looked over at him, frowned. "What's wrong? Did you find her? Is she okay?"

"She's in Arlington." He held up a hand when Pack dropped the lead and started toward him. "You need to cool him down and put him away, yeah? I'll see you up at the house."

"When are we leaving? What's in Arlington? Where the fuck are you going, Chook?"

"Put the colt up, Pack. We need to SIT and talk."

"Tell me she's okay, first, goddamn it."

"She's fine, mate." Adrian waited until he knew Pack could barely hear him before adding, "She's pregnant." Then he went back into the house, waiting for Packer to take care of the horse and join him.

***

Packer stood there like he was rooting into the ground until Froggie nibbled on his shoulder, soft lips plucking at the cloth of his shirt. He jumped, swearing when the colt skittered back.

"Sorry. Sorry, darl'. I know, huh? You've worked hard today." He murmured to the colt, his voice low, steady as he walked the silly beast in slow circles to cool him down.

Pregnant
.
Christ. What was-- Did that mean he was out on his arse? It was one thing for Chook to share his wife when they were all free to play, but with a baby on the way...

His mind raced. He rubbed the colt down, got Froggie a tiny bit of feed and water, and got him secure in his stall. Then he pelted up to the house, bursting in on Adrian in the kitchen, making bloody coffee.

"What the fuck?"

"She's having your baby." Adrian met his eyes, clear and direct. He couldn't read anything there, good or bad. "They've already given her the baby shower."

"My baby? Chook, I don't understand." His heart started to kick against his ribs even harder, more mule than pony now.

"I'm shooting blanks, mate. You know that. You... Well, looks like you're not."

He sat at the kitchen table. "Can you make tea, too?" He could use a cuppa.

"I can. Damned Aussie." Adrian winked at him, but the man looked worried. "So, you want to come with me to get her? If you don't, I... well, I don't fucking know what I'll do. Probably beat you into the dirt."

"Not come?" He was gobsmacked anyway, but for Ades to think that? "Am I such a prick, Chook?"

"You just look so... bloody ropeable."

Nah, he wasn't angry, just... stunned. A baby. His baby. Oh, Lord. He started laughing, and then he was whooping, slapping the table. "What-- what if it has my jug ears?"

"Then we call it Dumbo and, if it's a girl, we don't cut her hair." Adrian was grinning, looking like a monkey. "A baby, mate. We're gonna be dads, eh?"

Dads. Him and Adrian. Hell, yeah. His Chook and him were gonna be dads. Packer thought he might explode. He hopped up and went to Adrian, hugging the man hard. "We are. Christ. We need to go get her."

"She gets off work in four hours. It'll take us three to get there."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Adrian chuckled. "Tea. Coffee. A little food."

"Our sheila is in Arlington, alone." There could be... drug dealers. Drug dealers. Gang members. Germs. She was at a hospital. MRSA.

"She's safe, okay? She works at a heart center. Those places are wicked clean." Adrian kissed him, just hard enough to stun him. The man did turn off the kettle and the coffeepot, though.

"Clean enough that you want our baby there?"

"Well, no, but I'm trying to be reassuring. She's always been a nurse." Adrian flapped a hand next to his face, making "you're crazy" motions.

"Good, she'll know what to do to take care of you when you come home hurt."

"Does that mean you're going to hurt me now or that I'll get hurt on the road without you?"

Either way, it was gonna happen, especially if they stood there yammering. "If you don't get your ass in the truck so we can pick her and her shit up, I'm going to beat you down, Chook."

"Promises, promises." Adrian kissed him again before going to grab their go bags. Christ. He'd have to call Rob Cartino to come take care of the animals again. Just for another night or two. Then their girl, and their baby, would finally be home.

Home.

Packer grabbed his phone. Goddamn, they got that girl home and he wasn't ever letting her run again.

***

"
You fixin' to go home, sugar?" Nanette gave Calleigh a smile, a nod.

"You know it. I'm wore out." Everything hurt, everything was tired, and she needed a long, hot bath, a chocolate bar, and to catch up on
Bones
.

"Well, get on home, you. You look peaked. You eatin'?"

"I am. It's just been a long couple of days."

"Well, you have some good time off. You got some comin', huh?"

"Yeah. More than I can afford, soon. There's a cold front coming. You stay warm." She grabbed her hoodie, wrapped it around her, as best she could. She'd work Thanksgiving weekend, and then the doctor said she was probably going to have to stop.

That was okay. The way her ankles were swelling, she didn't want to be on her feet any longer than she had to.

She gathered her bag, waving at Natalie on her way to the elevator. Maybe she'd stop by Popeyes and order three large orders of onion rings and a chocolate milkshake. Did they make chocolate milkshakes at Popeyes?

The parking lot was cold and windy, and she listened to her shoes on the concrete, trying not to feel weird. Like someone was watching her. She pulled her jacket tighter around her, speeding up, beelining for her baby truck. Calleigh got there, fumbling with her keys, when two men stepped out from behind the next row.

She jerked, dropping her keys. "Damn it."

Calleigh reached down, stepped on the keys, covering them with one foot and grabbing her phone.

"Shit, baby. Are you looking to get mugged?"

Her knees bent at opposite angles, and she almost went down. Adrian.

"Oh, god. Y'all scared me." Oh, god. Oh, god. There was no hiding the baby bump, no denying what was up. She bent down, carefully, getting her keys. "What... What are you doing here?"

Wasn't DFW big enough to hide in? How had they found her?

"What do you think we're doing here, luv?" Packer stepped up, mouth set in a hard line. "We found you, and you're coming home."

"I..." She looked up and her boys both reached down, helping her straighten. "I can't. You two need to go to the ranch. I have my own place."

Adrian just grinned, looking way less worried than Pack. "No, baby. It's time to quit running. Packer announced his retirement at the finals and Ace is helping him work on his citizenship."

"Retirement?" The world got a little sparkly around the edges. "You both looked so good in the fourth round."

"Thanks, luv." Packer caught her when she stumbled. "You need to talk to us. Not just disappear. Scared me to death."

"I had to." God, they were both so fine. "You're going to get in trouble."

"We'll talk about who scared you off, later." Adrian reached for her, and she was sandwiched between them, warm and good.

It wasn't fair. Not at all. She couldn't break up with them, not like this. Cold rain started to fall. "I should go."

"With us. We'll come back for your truck." They turned her toward Packer's big truck.

"But..."

Packer's hand was on the small of her back, Adrian had her purse, one hand on her ass. No one had said anything about her belly. What did that mean? They helped her into the truck, Adrian sliding into the back with her. Packer drove.

"I... I need to go home." She had to pee.

"We're going to a hotel, luv. It's not far."

"A hotel." Somehow she was just... totally out of control here. "You got a hotel?"

"We called on the way," Adrian said, pulling her up against his side. "Wanted to be comfy."

"I... I was so proud, of both of you."

Packer looked at her in the rearview. "I missed your text."

"I have them in my phone." The tears were coming, soon and hard. "Y'all have to listen to me. I... I can't choose between you and they'll... they'll fuck things up for both of y'all if I don't stay out of the picture."

"Shh. You're gonna make yourself sick." Adrian tugged her in closer, hand coming to rest on her belly.

A storm of activity met his touch, feeling like there was a gymnastics event going on in there.

"Pack. Oh, mate. You won't believe this." He looked... awed. Not upset. Not a bit.

"What? What, Chook?" Packer's eyes met hers in the rearview. "It moving?"

"Uh-huh. Like it's playing footie."

How was she going to tell them? Twins. And not Adrian's. Oh, god, she was going to be sick.

Just about the time she thought it was all over and she would puke right in Ades' lap, Packer pulled off the highway and made the turn into a hotel parking lot. A Hilton. Oh, man.

"I can't do this." She looked at them both. "I'm sorry. I can't do this. I..." Her hands covered her belly. "They're not yours, Ades, and I can't choose between you and I'm fucking things up and I'm so sorry."

Adrian grabbed her hands, holding them tight and staring right into her eyes. "I know it-- they?" His eyes widened. "There's more than one?"

The tears did come then, harsh and wild, her entire body shaking with it.

"Adrian?" Packer parked, then came to the backseat to slide in on her other side. "What do we do?"

"Hold her and tell her we've got her back. Girls cry. Especially whoa hormonal ones."

Packer made this weird little noise, half-laugh, half-grunt, and pressed against her. "You don't have to choose, luv."

Those big hands wrapped around her, fingers meeting Adrian's. The babies started kicking and rolling -- possibly because the guys were there, probably because she'd eaten Taco Bell for lunch and breakfast.

"Oh." Pack just stroked her belly, Ades' fingers. "Oh, luv."

"When did you find out there were two?"

She shrugged at Ades. "Three days ago. I had to wait on the insurance to cover the ultrasound. They're due in March; they said if I can wait 'til January, they'll be safe."

Her baby girls.

Packer kissed her cheek. "Two. Good lord. Good thing there are two of us, Chook. We'll be running our arses off."

"You both... You don't hate me?"

"No, baby." Adrian shook his head. "We were worried about you. Aggravated when we couldn't find you right off. Pack went a little mad. But we don't hate you."

"Come on, now. The rain is getting worse and I want to get her some grub." Packer sounded determined, stubborn as all fuck.