Meant to Be (RightMatch.com Trilogy) (17 page)

Joe swallowed hard.

“But if it does,” he said more softly, “both of you can handle anything you have to.”

“No, you don’t understand. She’s had so much loss. And she wanted this so bad…” His voice cracked on the last word. “You know, we didn’t even have to try. It happened right away. I teased her about how mad I was about that. And now…”

He shook Joe’s shoulders. “Listen to me. Don’t mourn the child before he’s even born.”

“You’re right. I have to be better for her. At least pretend like I believe everything’s going to be okay.”

Beth had stood by and watched the discussion take place. Now she asked, “Who’s with Dana?”

“Jeremy and Ruth. Ruth’s worse off than I am, but she’s putting up a good front. And of course, Jeremy’s a doctor, so he’s a godsend.”

Beth cocked her head. “Joe, do you think I could talk to her?”

“No offense, Beth, but why?”

“Because both my kids came early. Ava a month and Rob a full six weeks. My experience might help her.”

o0o

Joe went into the room first. Their bedroom was a showplace with wide doorways, wood everywhere, tons of windows and an entertainment center. But Cole took no pleasure in the décor. Instead he watched Dana. Her face was stark white and her lips red, probably from biting them.

His brother crossed to the bed. Ruth sat in a chair pulled up beside it, holding Dana’s hand. Jeremy leaned against the far wall.

Joe said, “Honey, Beth is here with Cole and Ellie. They came trick-or-treating.” Dana gave him a questioning look. “Beth’s kids both were born early, and she wants to talk to you.”

Dana uttered a soft, “Oh, okay.”

Standing, Ruth sighed heavily. The woman’s face remained neutral, but Cole could see the strain around her mouth and eyes. “Maybe I’ll go get some tea.”

“I’ll come with you.” Jeremy and Ruth left.

Beth took the chair that Ruth had vacated. Immediately, a contraction hit Dana. Joe rushed to the other side of the bed and dropped down. “It’s okay, love. Just breathe through it.” He grasped Dana’s hand. The spasms ended quickly, which apparently was a good sign because Joe’s face showed relief.

“Fifteen minutes after the last one, honey. They’re not getting closer at least.”

“That’s good, right?”

“Uh-huh. Did it hurt a lot?”

“No.” Dana looked puzzled. “Less than the last one, I guess.”

“That’s gotta be good.” This from Cole, who’d come up behind Beth.

Dana’s eyes misted when she saw him. “Hey, buddy. I’ll be okay.” She knew how much Cole loved her.

“Of course you will.” Cole sat on the end of the bed. “You’re tougher than all of us combined.”

Dana focused on Beth. “Tell me about your babies coming early.”

Beth took hold of her hand. “I’d just turned nineteen and was scared to death. My parents weren’t happy with my marriage because Peter was older than me. Then when I got pregnant, they knew I was going to stay with him. They booked a freaking cruise two months before my due date. When I went into labor early, I panicked. And the pain shocked me.” She shook her head. “I was so naïve. Peter helped me, of course, encouraged and tried to comfort me. But I went through what you’re going through right now. The worry, the uncertainty. I know it’s hell.”

“Were they real contractions?”

“Not at first. They were Braxton Hicks.” The phony labor pains that prepared the womb for labor weeks ahead of time. “But then they got worse as the night progressed. At six a.m. the doctor told me to come in. Ava was born at ten in the morning.”

“You were in labor all night?”

“Just for Ava. Rob came in a few hours, and even the delivery was easy, compared to Ava. But he was early, too.”

“Eight months is better than seven.”

“You’re nearly that, honey,” Joe corrected her.

“Dana, I’m sure you’ve read that babies can survive birth at two pounds. Even if this is labor, odds are you’ll have a healthy child.”

Dana shot a glance at Joe. “We know about flukes, Beth. My accident, Joe’s knee. They can change your life irrevocably.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t being glib. I know you’ve suffered. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look at the facts. This baby, even if he comes tonight, might not even be little. Ava was seven pounds and Rob six.”

Dana seemed to settle after that. “Tell me about having them so young. What they were like as kids. It’ll distract me.”

As the two women talked, Cole realized how much he didn’t know about Beth’s life. And despite the circumstances, he found himself once again jealous that she had those experiences with another man. That he’d never get to be part of something like that with her.

He scolded himself immediately for having the thought, because none of that was important. What mattered now was that Dana and Joe’s baby, little Joey, be born healthy.

Unfortunately, things went downhill during the evening. Beth and Cole stayed at the house while the contractions came closer and closer, more intense. At ten, Joe stepped out to the living room where Cole and Beth had gone to give the couple privacy. “We have to go to the hospital. Can you drive the van, Cole? I don’t think I can handle it tonight.”

“Go ahead, honey,” Beth said, “I’ll stay with Ellie.”

He’d never loved her more. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah. I think I’ll take her home. But call me as soon as you know
anything.”

Cole kissed her. “Thanks.”

Dana was even more white-faced when she wheeled out of the room, with Joe pushing her. She stopped in front of Beth. “You really helped. I’ll have faith.”

“Good for you.”

Ruth and Jeremy followed them out.

Annie and Spence came to the hospital about ten, Rick and Ellison at midnight.

Cole sat with them in the waiting area, praying harder than he’d prayed in his life.

Then, at seven a.m. the doctors performed a C-section, and soon, Joe came out with the details: little Joey Mikhail Moretti was born at seven-fifteen: height, twenty-two inches long, weight, six pounds, ten ounces, with a full head of dark hair (no surprise there), big baby blues and a right arm that smacked his daddy in the face when Joe was allowed to hold his son. Joe was rumored to have said, “A football player, for sure.”

o0o

The church was lovely. Though Cole didn’t attend St. Mark’s, he appreciated the old-fashioned ambience of mile-high ceilings, soaring arches and the ornateness of the altar. Joe had insisted Mikey, his son’s nickname, be christened in the same church as Joe had been some forty-plus years ago.

As Cole stared at the tiny baby, dressed in a prissy, white gown that they’d all worn, held by Dana on her lap, he was moved by the miracle of new life—particularly this one—and by the happiness on his brother’s face. The absolute joy emanating from Dana was breathtaking. Cole had always considered her a beautiful woman, but today, with her hair all curly and shiny, wearing a little bit of makeup that she usually didn’t use, and a deep pink suit that complemented her complexion, Cole didn’t think he’d ever seen her look lovelier. Or happier.

As the priest talked about the family of Christ, Cole turned his head to catch a glimpse of Beth in the front pew. She, too, looked spectacular in a pretty, peach two-piece thing, the jacket held together by one button, and her auburn hair unbound around her shoulders. She smiled at him. They had a secret.…

“I gotta talk to you again.” His voice had been grave.

“Oh, no, what now?”

“Joe and Dana asked me to be Godfather to Mikey.”

A smile had beamed from her face. “That’s wonderful. You’re a great dad to Ellie.”

“Well, Kara’s going to be Godmother. She’s almost twelve and they wanted one of their kids as eventual guardians. But, um, if something happened to Joe and Dana
now
, I’d get him.” He’d moved in close. “That would mean I’d be responsible for two babies.”

“Ah, I see. And you’re asking my opinion of that.”

“Uh-huh.”

“One baby, two, what difference does it make?”

Cole’s brows skyrocketed. “A hell of a lot, I think.”

“Yes, I suppose.” She crossed to him and looped her arms around his neck. “What I’m really saying is, I’m in, Cole, totally in this relationship. It would take a lot more to make me change my mind than the guardianship of a beautiful child.” She’d glanced at Ellie. “I already lost my heart to her and can’t imagine living without her now. So I’ll be fine if the unthinkable happens.”

His heart swelled with feeling for this woman.

“So,” he said pushing his luck, probably his worst trait. “Does this mean we can set a date?”

“Of course we can. You pick it.”

“Holy shit. Wait a second.” He’d slapped his hand over his chest. “I think my heart just stopped.”

“Be serious. How about Thanksgiving Day?”

He’d buried his face in her neck and wept. Jesus, she could reduce him to a crying mess…

“Will the Godparents bring the child forward?” the priest asked.

Kara hesitated, so Cole went to Dana and took Mikey from her. As he cuddled the baby to his chest, he thanked God for all the blessings he’d been given, all the good fortune that his family had gotten in the last years.

For a moment he panicked. For a moment, he worried there was too much joy around him, inside him, and that something was going to go wrong.

No, he wouldn’t think that way, he affirmed as he pledged to love Mikey as his own and protect him from harm. Nothing was going to mar the day.

On his way out of the church, Cole was holding Beth’s hand when his cell phone rang. Ellie was with Mrs. Olsen and this might be about her. He answered in the narthex, but it was so noisy he stepped outside into the brisk November air. “Hello, this is Cole.”

“Cole?” The voice was familiar, but he couldn’t place it.

“Yes.”

“This, um, this is Johanna.”

He drew a blank. Then his heart started to beat at a clip. He hadn’t heard that voice in nearly two years. The last time had been in a hospital room when she’d handed Ellie to him and said, “You’re a good man, Cole. Better than I’ve ever known, to do this. Take care of yourself. And her.”

Ellie’s birth mother was calling him!

And in his heart he knew he’d been right earlier—there
was
too much joy in his life. He felt in his gut that it was about to be threatened.

Chapter 12

Beth hummed as she headed to the Inn for the staff meeting that afternoon, one she couldn’t miss. Thankfully, the christening had been early in the day and she was able to be with Cole for the special occasion. In truth, she resented having to leave the family gathering early to come back to Honey Lake. Lately, since she’d agreed to marry Cole, she’d been resenting the time she had to spend on the Inn. But when she thought back, she’d had inklings of dissatisfaction with her job before today and hadn’t let herself admit what her son Rob and MJ had seen so clearly: that the Inn had been Peter’s dream.

She walked into the bar area, which they’d closed for an hour, and saw MJ had already arrived and was staring out one of the windows. “Hi, MJ.”

Her friend turned around. “Wow, you look happy.”

Beth gave her friend the sappy smile that was never far from her lips these days. “I am.”

“How was the christening?”

“Delightful. That little boy is so adorable. He has the darkest hair and blue, blue eyes. All you want to do is squeeze him.”

“I remember when mine were that age.”

“Do you? I only recall being in a haze of exhaustion. Especially when Rob came so soon after Ava.”

“All right, enough family talk. How’s Prince Charming?” MJ teased.

A giggle escaped Beth. “He’s wonderful. Though he did seem a little out of sorts after the service.” More than a little. She’d thought he might be angry that she had to leave, but when she’d asked him, he’d said, no, of course not. And it wasn’t like Cole to pout.

“Maybe he’s feeling nostalgic. You could have stayed with him. I told you I could handle this meeting on my own.”

“No, I’ve been missing too much here. It’s just with volunteering, Ava and Rob and now all the hours I spend with Cole, I’m short on time.”

MJ gave her a somewhat impatient look. “Those are all great things in your life. Just enjoy them.”

As the staff drifted in through the door, Beth said, “You’re right. I will. I swear I will.”

For some reason, though, Cole’s preoccupation after the phone call he’d received kept bothering her. She hoped everything was all right with him.

o0o

It was hard getting away from his family, but Cole managed to make excuses and leave Joe’s house before the party ended. During his time there, he forced himself to blank his mind. Now, though, as he entered Starbuck’s where he’d agreed to meet Johanna at six, his thoughts went to dark places. To losing Ellie. Cole knew for certain if his child was taken away from him, he wouldn’t want to live anymore.

A woman waved to him from the corner table. Johanna. She’d cut her hair and had put on some weight; still, he recognized her. As he got closer, he saw she was dressed in jeans and a sweater, but it was her face that made him stare hard at her. She looked years older, with dark circles under her eyes and lines around them and her mouth. He knew internship, which was where she’d be in the medical certification process now, was tough.

“Hi,” he said simply. “How are you?”

“Hi, Cole. Sit down and I’ll tell you how I am.”

His stomach suddenly cramping, Cole dropped into a chair. “Just tell me outright why you’re here, because I’m thinking the worst.”

She held his gaze. “I want Ellie back.”

For a minute, everything stood still. Cole felt as if a fog descended over him and he was breathing, moving in slow motion through it. By sheer force of will, he forced his head to clear. “You never
had
her to get back, Johanna.”

Haunted dark eyes stared at him. “I had her for nine months. Inside my body. I brought her into this world.”

Cole breathed in deeply, inhaling the usually pleasant scent of coffee. Tonight, it made him nauseous. “Okay, I’ll give you that. But you said you wanted to be a doctor and a baby didn’t fit in with your plans.” He pretended to count on his fingers. “You can’t be done with your training yet.”