Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
“Hmm, maybe,” Spencer teased. “I’ll probably have to put my foot down or you’ll eat too much and get a tummy ache.”
“Get anything you want,” Rock whispered.
Indie’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Everyone is worried that you haven’t gained weight, baby girl,” Quaid told her. “We just want you healthy.”
“I’m fine,” she said as Slade stepped into the room.
Fuck. He looked rough. More guilt filled him. He might have been chasing down Billy and dealing with Sylvia, but he hadn’t been pulling his weight at home.
“Unfortunately, you’re not, Boo,” Slade told her.
She tried to focus in on him. “What’s going on? Why did I faint? Why do I feel so tired and yucky? And I’m in hospital, aren’t I? Although this isn’t like the other one.”
“This is the private hospital where we brought you for your scan,” Slade told her, stepping forward. “Do you remember collapsing?”
“No, I don’t.”
Quaid blamed himself. He’d caused her so much stress that she’d vomited and collapsed.
“If you give me a chance, I will spend my life making this up to you,” he told her.
Indie gave him a confused look. “But I already forgave you. I don’t understand what’s going on? I collapsed?”
“You don’t remember throwing up?” Quaid asked. “I shouldn’t have left to get your gift. Yu didn’t know that I was coming back. I should have stayed.” Maybe if he’d stayed she wouldn’t have collapsed.
Fuck.
“It wasn’t your fault,” she told him.
“I got you all stressed out and you threw up then fainted. I’m so fucking sorry for that.”
“I haven’t felt right for a few days now.” She rubbed at her forehead.
“And you didn’t tell us?” Slade demanded.
“Slade,” Quaid warned.
“She needs to tell us everything. Everything, Indie,” Slade ordered. “You don’t leave anything out. If you’re ill, if you have a headache, feel nauseous. If you’re hungry, hot, cold, sad, happy, angry, we need to know it all. Otherwise, how else are we going to take care of you?”
“Slade, take a walk, man,” Spencer said, standing.
Slade was practically shaking and Indie was staring up at him with a mix of shock and sadness.
Finally, Slade seemed to deflate. “Shit. Fuck. Sorry. Sorry, Boo.”
“It’s okay.”
Slade shook his head and walked to the bathroom. “I can’t go for a walk. Got told off by the head nurse and warned I’d get kicked out if I woke anyone up by moving around.” He shut the door and they heard the water run.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell any of you,” she said. “I thought it would pass. That it was just some pregnancy sickness or something. I never thought . . . what is it? Is the baby okay? What’s going on?”
God. Quaid fucking hated the fear in her voice. It was eating at him. He wanted to fix this for her. To take away everything that hurt or scared her.
Unfortunately, the only cure for this was to have the baby.
The water stopped and a few minutes later, Slade walked back out wearing just his pants.
“Princess, have you heard of preeclampsia?” Spencer asked her.
She frowned. “I’ve heard of it, I think. It’s something to do with high blood pressure. Wait. Isn’t it . . . it’s dangerous, right?”
“Yes, it can be,” Quaid said. “Which is why you’re in the hospital, baby girl. You collapsed and we called an ambulance.”
“Quaid rode with you,” Spencer told her. “He wouldn’t let you go.”
Yeah. But that felt like too little too late.
“You’re sick, darling girl,” Slade told her gently, coming over to brush her pale blonde hair off her face. “And you’re going to need a lot of care. But that’s why you have us. We’re going to take care of you.”
Rock moved over to stand at the end of the bed, staring down at her. As though he was trying to give her all of his strength.
The four of them were broken in various ways, but they needed to really come together now.
And keep their girl safe.
59
Indie was so scared.
She didn’t understand what was happening. She’d collapsed and vomited after Quaid . . . after Quaid had started to cry.
That part of her memory had come back as the guys were trying to talk to her about preeclampsia.
She’d lost half of what they were saying as she’d turned to look at Quaid. She’d never seen him cry. He rarely showed much emotion.
But he probably wouldn’t appreciate her saying anything.
Guys could be strange like that about crying.
They thought they couldn’t be manly and cry.
Pfft.
See? Idiots.
“Baby girl, are you listening?” Quaid asked in a gentle voice.
She wasn’t used to hearing him sound so soft. It was a bit weird, if she was honest. Not that she didn’t like it. But it would take some getting used to.
“I, um, sorry,” she said, reaching up to rub her head. “What were you saying?”
“Is your head sore?” Spencer asked in concern.