Loving Hart (37 page)

He looked blown away but ecstatic.  “Really?  You think the baby knows when I’m around?”

I smiled at him, thrilled by the cautious wonder that filled his face.  He was scared shitless, but he was hopeful.  I took that as a good sign.  “Yes, I really believe that little butter bean knows when you’
re there.”

Smiling shyly, he rubbed my stomach.  “Butter bean eh?”

Laughing, I covered his hand with mine.  “Yes.  I don’t know why, but I’ve taken to calling the baby that.  I know at some point we’ll need to talk about real names, but that’s months away.  For now, I’m calling the baby butter bean.”

He laughed with me before saying, “Butter bean Cross.  I like it.”

Grinning back like a fool, I nodded.  “You’re right.  It has a certain ring to it.”

We spent the next few hours dozing or talking quietly while doctors and nurses occasionally walked in to check on me.
  I wasn’t allowed to have other visitors until the doctor cleared it, but I was chomping at the bit to see everyone.  I knew they were worried.

Each time the doctor came by he told me how well I was doing.
 
Luckily
I didn’t have any ot
her symptoms of a concussion
than the headache I'd had last night
.  By late afternoon
,
t
he doctor
concluded
that it was
very
mild, and decided that they’d just as well release me around
dinnertime
.

“All things considered, you’re doing beautifully Miss Hart.  Your vitals are perfect, you aren’t experiencing any pain
,
and you look good. 
I’m advising you to rest for the next day or so, but that’s more just to catch up on whatever you lost last night than anything else.”

I was thrilled that I was going to be able to leave.  The hospital was so not the place to get any rest.  Spencer jumped in as soon as the doctor left with, “I think we should go to Malibu for the next week.  We can relax and just chill.”

I agreed before he even finished talking.  I loved the Malibu house, and I loved the idea of setting up camp there.  “I love that Spence.  We can go to your ho
use,
then my apartment to pack
,
and then we can spend the rest of the week relaxing.”

Looking down at me, he smiled.  "Angel, it's our house now.  Everything I have belongs to you
,
too. 
How about I have Dominique
pack for you?” 

With a big love struck grin on my face
,
I smiled and nodded. Spencer kissed my forehead
and
then stood up and grabbed his cell phone to call
Dominique. I laughed when he casually laid his hand on my stomach, almost like it was a good luck charm or a touchstone.  Sliding my hand over his, I smiled up at him as he
hung up
the phone and told me that she hadn’t answered.  Giggling I asked, “You don’t think the baby is going to high five you or anything yet, right?” 

We were laughing together when the door opened and
Mama San, Dante and Dominique
walked in.  They all but attacked me, hugging and kissing me
,
and doing a full visual check. 
“Sorry I didn’t answer my cell,” Dominique said, “but the nurse gave me the evil eye when I pulled it from my bag.”  The three of them then proceeded to
hit me with a barrage of questions, one right after the other.  I answered everything I could, assuring them again and again that I really was fine.

Looking down at my stomach where Spencer and I still had our hands clasped together, Damien smiled.  “Well, now that I know how you are… how’s the baby doing
today
?”

Turning my head, I raised my eyebrow at Spencer.

“I went to Damien’s last night and told him our news
.  I was going to tell you right before he got here but a
s usual, he beat me to the punch.”

Nodding, I turned and smiled at my brother. “The baby is doing great
.  We both feel good.”

Damien
beamed at me like I’d just told him I’d cured a disease.  “Oh ladybug, I’m so proud of you.  You’re going to be a mom! I’m thrilled.  I can’t wait to spoil my niece or nephew.”

It was Dominique who noticed the ring first, lifting my hand up and squealing.  "Oh my god, it's beautiful!  When will you get married?"

I laughed and shrugged my shoulders.  Gesturing to Spencer I said, "This one tried to get me to go to Las Vegas with him last night.  Just like my brothers he's got the patience of a small gnat.  I'm guessing within the next few weeks."

There was a collective laugh and b
efore I knew it, Damien had his hand on my stomach, followed by Dominique and then Mama San.
Damien smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "I'm excited that you've got a new member of the family in there."

Mama San nodded, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at me.
“My grandbaby is in there
,
snug as a bug in a rug,” she said with a sniffle. 

I was so wrapped up in the beauty of the moment that I didn’t hear the door open, and none of us had any idea that someone else had entered the room until he spoke.

“Wha
t the fuck? My little girl is pregnant and no one fucking told me?”

My jaw dropped when I saw Dante standing at the door looking completely flabbergasted. 

Looking from my stomach to me, then back to my stomach, he looked up again and locked eyes with Spencer. 

“Everyone get out.  I want to talk to Spencer and my sister.”

Everyone scurried like rats on a sinking ship.  I’d never seen any of them move so fast.  I couldn’t believe that my brother was going to make a scene, but he looked pissed so I braced myself as I clung to Spencer’s hand.  I could feel the tension in his body, and I knew that Dante being angry was hard on him.

Looking at Spencer, Dante went right at him.  “Am I to understand that my little girl is pregnant
,
and that you are the father?”

Standing tall, Spencer nodded.  “Yes.  We’re having a baby.  I’m sorry that this is how you found out, I really am.  I only found out last night,
but I did go to Damien right away and tell him
.  If you’d been here
I would have told you too
, but you had already left for Hawaii.  You know I love her Dante, and you know I’d do anything to keep her safe and happy.  I swear to you that she’s never going to regret loving me.
  I've already asked her to marry me.  I'm sorry I didn't come to you first.  You have to know that I meant no disrespect.
”

Nodding his head, Dante looked at me.  “Are you happy honey?  Is this what you want?”

I smiled at him with my heart in my eyes.  “I’m ecstatic.  This is all I’ve ever wanted Dante.  I’m going to have
a child
that is the
embodiment
of my love for Spencer
.  It doesn’t get any better.”

Smiling, Dante came forward and kissed my forehead and patted my belly before standing up and grabbing Spencer’s hand.  “You’re a
lucky son-of-a-bitch.
  I swear to god if she’d started crying, I’d have killed you with my bare hands.  Looks like that conversation we had two days ago didn’t mean shit, eh?”

Spencer shook
Dante's hand as they both
laughed.  “Joke was on me.  There I was yapping about how I didn’t want to be a father, and now I’m beating you idiots to it.  While you’re dealing with food cravings and doctor’s appointments, I’ll be holding our baby.”

I could see that made Dante happy, and I smiled as he continued talking. 

“You just wait Spence.  I am going to spoil this kid like nothing you’ve ever seen before.  I’m going to be that annoying uncle that gives all the really loud and obnoxious toys that will drive you both nuts.”

Holding up his hands in mock surrender, Spencer laughed.  “Hey, if you do that to us, we’re totally returning the favor.”

When my brother looked back at me, I grabbed his hand.  “Why did you come home, Dante?  I know they must have told you that I was okay.  You shouldn’t have lost out on a honeymoon.”

Tut-tutting me like I was insane, he laughed.  “Little girl, did you really think I’d be able to take their word for it?  I had to see you for myself.  Besides, my wife had already talked to the pilot on the jet and had him file a new flight plan for us to turn around as soon as we landed
before I even got off the phone with Aunt Sandra
.  Family comes first, always.  There’s never even a question.
  Besides, we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy ourselves until we knew for sure that you were okay.  We already talked to Damien, and
in a few days
we’re going to head to his new beach house for a week or so.  A
ll we care about is being
together.  Of course, n
ow we’ve got to catch up to you two in the baby making department.
”

The three of us laughed at that and I grinned like a fool.  “It would be so amazing if Sabrina could get pregnant ASAP and we could have our children close together!”

Giving his biggest
shit-eating
grin, Dante laughed.  “Sounds like a plan.  And if Damien has anything to say about it, Brooke will be pregnant in about ten minutes too.”

Giggling I said, “sounds like there’s about to be a baby explosion in this family!”

Nodding
at me
as he smiled
Dante said, “That’s the idea.”

Her brothers weren’t about to let us go to Malibu without them, so within three hours the entire family was
setting up residence in my
Malibu home.  I’d never really had the occasion to use all five of the bedrooms before, but now every one of them was
occupied
.
When I bought the house
,
I'd done so because I knew Delilah would want them all to have the option to stay here whenever they wanted, and it made me happy that it was working out that way.

The house had two master bedrooms, so we made sure to give the other one to Dante and Sabrina, joking that it was the honeymoon suite.  Their room opened right out onto the deck and I knew they’d enjoy that.
  I hoped it took some of the sting out of having to come home without enjoying two weeks in paradise together, but I knew that they didn't really see it as something bad.  When Dante says family first, he means it.  Luckily he found Sabrina, and she feels the same way.

We'd gotten home after six
,
and decided to order dinner.  Everyone deferred to Delilah, asking what she'd feel like eating.  It took her about twenty seconds to say that she was dying for Mexican food.  We all stared at her in shock because she's normally not a big fan of anything other than quesadillas and taco salad.  When Dominique pulled up the menu Delilah went crazy ordering different things, and that's when we all started laughing because it
seemed
obvious that it was a pregnancy craving.  Looking at me she shrugged her shoulders.  "I've been eating crackers, bread and chicken noodle soup for weeks.  I want flavor by way of salsa
, STAT
.
  I think it's too early for pregnancy cravings
,
so don't panic.
"

Damien and Brooke went to get the food and came back with five overflowing bags.  Giving me a grin Damien said, "Dude, I hope your table can withstand the weight.  The guy at the restaurant asked what kind of party we were having.  When I told him that there were only nine of us, he almost passed out.  He said this is enough for twenty."

Gathering around the table we all made ourselves enormous plates and then proceede
d to dig in.  I watched in amazement
as Delilah inhaled an overflowing plate
,
and then moved on to eating chips and salsa.  She's always eaten like a normal person instead of some simpering idiot who insists that lettuce is enough, but I'd never seen her eat so much.  I didn’t realize how stressed out we had all been about how little she'd been eating lately, but the smiles that everyone had while they watched her eat brought it all home to me.

Taking a final sip of her water, Delilah sat back and smiled.  "Amazing dinner, but now I know what a zoo animal feels like when a crowd gathers round to watch it eat.  Seriously you guys, I'm good."

She was good, and we could all see that.  I just hoped she would stay that way once we laid all the drama on her that Marceline and Hank had dropped on me.  I figured I'd talk to Dante after dinner with Damien and Sandra, and then we would decide how to tell the girls.

That plan went out the window when we all gathered on the deck to enjoy the night air and listen to the ocean.  Once everyone was seated, Aunt Sandra spoke up.