The Sweetest Game (23 page)

She glanced past me at the rows of other women and shrugged. “I’ve dealt with worse. The girls that tried to come on to Bryce while he was playing in the minor leagues were disgusting. They were relentless and disrespectful. At least these women aren’t trying to take him away from me.”

I nodded in understanding. “Oh, Shawna, you have no idea. Remind me one day to tell you our story. But not now. I’m way too tired.”

She flashed a pretty smile at me. “I’ll hold you to that.”

During the seventh inning stretch, I stood up and walked around the stadium. My aching feet were no match for my lower back; I needed to walk it off. Heading down the stairs, I marched through the concrete hallway toward the locker room. Hoping that Jack would shower quickly and not leaving me standing out here for long, I rubbed my back and concentrated on breathing. Robert, the security guard, sat on a metal folding chair, watching me.

“Any day now, right, Mrs. Carter?” he asked as he removed his ball cap and scratched the top of his balding head.

“With any luck,” I said, smiling.

He nodded. “Well, you look fantastic. Absolutely glowing.”

“Thank you, Robert. That’s kind of you to say.” I continued to smile, but doubted his words. I knew I looked like a freaking cow, and who knew what my feet looked like since I’d lost them.

The quiet tunnel became noisy as the rest of the wives and girlfriends started to file in around me. A moment later, Jack burst through the doors and headed right for me.

“Hello, Kitten,” he purred in my ear before falling to his knees and kissing my belly. “Hello, baby.” He had started doing this after every game and I loved it; we didn’t care who watched.

“Did you shower? The other wives just got here.”

“No need, since I didn’t play today, and I know how uncomfortable you are. I don’t want you sitting out here waiting for me when I can shower at home.”

“Thank you,” I said with relief, sincerely happy with his thoughtfulness.

“Anything for my girl. And my boy.” He smiled, his dimples appearing. “How are you feeling?”

“My back hurts, but otherwise I’m okay.”

He grabbed my hand in his and I waddled a step behind him. Yes, I waddled; my new form of locomotion could no longer be considered walking. Once we entered the parking lot, Jack slowed his pace before popping the trunk of our black BMW and unlocking the doors. He opened the passenger door for me and helped me inside before tossing his bag into the back of the car.

“Do you want me to stop anywhere on the way home?” he asked, referring to my frequent late-night cravings.

Lately, I’d become obsessed with a very specific kind of Popsicle. I think I started eating about ten a day. And then there was the phase where I had to have cereal for every meal.

I reached for his leg and placed my hand on his thigh. “We have a freezer full of popsicles and a pantry full of cereal. I think I’m good.”

“All right then,” he said before stepping on the gas.

Jack’s free hand moved from holding mine to resting on my giant belly. He rubbed in slow, circular motions and the heat that radiated from his hand to my stomach soothed me. A swift kick caused Jack to pull his hand away.

“He kicked me!”

I laughed. “I know. I felt that.” I glanced down and noticed the baby inside me moving parts of his body. He twisted and turned as my stomach took on odd shapes to accommodate his growing length. “I know it’s supposed to be miraculous and stuff, but seeing a body part poke out of my stomach is weird. And kind of creepy. I feel like there’s an alien inside me.”

Jack glanced at me before turning onto the freeway. “I think it’s awesome. Do you have any idea how cool it is that you get to grow a person inside you? Guys can’t do that.”

“No shit, they can’t! Guys couldn’t handle it,” I teased.

He nodded and raised his eyebrows meaningfully as he said with complete seriousness, “No guy wants to birth a bowling ball out of his penis.”

I muffled a giggle. “Did you just say the word penis?”

“I was trying to watch my language in front of the alien baby, okay? No guy wants to birth a bowling ball out of his dick. Better?”

“Much.” I sighed, and angled my body toward his as the car raced toward home.

I must have fallen asleep on the short ride home because when I opened my eyes, Jack was carrying me up the stairs.

“Babe, you’re going to break your back.” Embarrassed, I tried to wiggle out of his arms but he tightened his hold.

“Can you not try to jump out of my arms while I’m walking up the stairs? Jesus, Kitten.” Once we reached the top, he gently placed me on my feet. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Thank you.” I attempted to wrap my arms around him, but couldn’t reach anymore. The size of my stomach had grown so large, it stopped me from getting close to anyone.

“He’s cock-blocking me already,” Jack said with a smirk.

“I’m sure it won’t be the last time,” I teased.

Jack smacked my ass and I yelped. “Go get in bed. I want you off your feet. Carter’s orders.”

“Yes sir.” I gave him a snappy salute before disappearing into the bedroom.

I woke up with Jack’s hand firmly on my side. The last few weeks I’d been sleeping fitfully, waking up every few hours to pee and adjust the plethora of pillows stacked around my body. Trina had been right about them and they were lifesavers, tucked underneath my stomach, between my legs, and behind my back.

Standing to walk to the bathroom, I felt water dripping down my leg.

Shit.

I tried to hold my bladder, but I couldn’t. Shuffling into the bathroom, I sat down on the toilet and the water gushed. My heart started to race as I realized that I wasn’t peeing at all—my water had just broken.

“Jack,” I yelled from behind the bathroom door. I heard him rustling in the bed, but he didn’t respond. “Jack?”

“Kitten? Where are you?” His voice sounded groggy.

“I’m in the bathroom, Jack. It’s time. I’ll be out in a second.” I waited for the water to stop flowing as thoughts of
this is really happening
flooded my mind. When I walked out of the bathroom, I found Jack dressed and sitting on the bed, waiting for me.

He immediately hopped up and rushed toward me. “Are you okay? Are you sure it’s time?”

“My water just broke. We should go. Can you grab the overnight bag?” At my doctor’s insistence, I had a bag packed for weeks now that included some clothes for me as well as clothes to bring the baby home in.

He lifted an arm and proudly displayed the packed bag, “Already grabbed it.”

“You seriously impress me,” I said as a contraction tore through my insides. Bending over and grabbing at my stomach, I groaned and breathed through the pain.

Jack was instantly behind me, rubbing my back. “Kitten, are you okay?” He dropped to his knees to look up into my eyes. “You’ll be okay. I promise. What can I do?”

He didn’t like to see me in any kind of pain, and the hurt it caused him to be unable to help made me feel even worse. When the contraction passed, I stood up straight and nodded at him. “I’m not going to change. They’ll make me get out of all this anyway.” I waved a hand over my pajamas.

“You look beautiful. Let’s go as soon as you’re ready.” He tugged at his hair like he always does when he’s nervous, pulling at it.

“I’m ready.” I forced a smile to help ease his nerves.

Jack’s hand found my stomach as he whispered, “Please stop hurting your mommy. Daddy can’t take it and it’s making him crazy.” His lips found mine and he pressed the softest kiss against them. “Let’s go have this baby.”

He walked me to the garage and around the side of our Jeep Grand Cherokee before opening the door for me and helping me in. “Why aren’t we taking the Bimmer?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I like the idea of being in an SUV instead of a car right now.”

When he scooted into the driver’s seat, he reached for my seat belt first, fastening it around my stomach before putting on his own. I focused on my breathing, paranoid that another contraction could come at any minute.

I pulled out my phone, which I’d managed to grab on my way out the door, and typed a group text to my mom, Gran, Dean, and Melissa.

On our way to the hospital. Water broke. Text you when I get settled and know our room number.

“I can’t believe this is really happening. I mean, of course I knew it would happen eventually, but it’s weird.” I breathed slowly in and out as Jack drove through our gated neighborhood.

“How so?” he asked, resting a hand on my knee.

“I don’t know. It’s like I got so used to being this enormous beast that I guess at some point I figured I’d always be this way. Like I’d be pregnant forever. But now that my water broke, it’s like holy shit, we’re going to have a baby! I don’t know what to do with a baby,” I squeaked out, starting to freak out. Jack laughed at my irrationality. “Don’t laugh at me, damn it. It’s not like you’ll even be around.”

That stopped Jack’s laughter immediately. “That’s not funny.”

“I’m not trying to be funny.”

“You want me to quit baseball? I’ll fucking quit tomorrow,” he offered, his tone serious.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Of course I don’t want you to quit baseball. But don’t make fun of me when I’m freaking out, Jack. ‘Cause I’m freaking out,” I admitted. “I’m scared. I don’t know what to do with babies.”

“You’ll be great, Kitten. You’ll be amazing. And if you end up needing help, we’ll hire a nanny. Hell, I’ll hire you one for every day of the week if it helps. Whatever makes you happy.”

“I do not want someone else raising our child! Are you crazy?” I started to yell. “It’s not like I’m working anymore, so there’s no reason I should need a freaking nanny to help me be a mom.”

“Fine. No nanny.” He glanced at me and then focused on the road. “It’s funny how things work out, though.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I was so unhappy about the trade at first, you know? But look at how it all worked out. You ended up being pregnant and we got to move home. Most of the guys aren’t that lucky.”

“Most of the guys don’t want to be that lucky. They like having their wives and kids in other cities. That way they can cheat without getting caught,” I snapped.

“Whoa. Pregnancy’s changed you.”

“Isn’t that the truth.” He glanced at me with a raised eyebrow, surprised that I was completely in agreement, and I laughed. “I feel like a crazy person. Get this thing out of me.”

He squeezed my thigh. “You have Gran and your mom,” he said, then paused and added, “And Melissa. And my brother. We have a whole team here ready to help.”

“You’re right,” I said, starting to settle down. “You’re absolutely right. I’m sure I’ll be okay. I’m just freaking out ‘cause I’ve never done this before.”

“I sure hope not.”

Another contraction ripped through me, causing me to gasp.

“Kitten?” Jack’s voice pleaded for a response, but I was too busy counting and trying not to hold my breath. When it ended, I unclenched his hand and he shook it out; apparently I’d been crushing his fingers. “I really don’t like when you get those.”

He fidgeted behind the steering wheel, his left knuckles almost white from his grip on it. “How bad do they hurt?” he asked, and then quickly changed his mind. “No. Don’t tell me. I can’t fucking handle hearing how much pain you’re in.” He huffed as he shook his head, changing his mind. “No. Tell me. What kind of man doesn’t want to know how much pain his wife is in? The kind who can’t do anything about it!” He slammed his hand against the wheel, his seesawing emotions clearly torturing him.

“Jack, stop. They aren’t that bad, okay? They’re just like sharp cramps. It’s mostly uncomfortable,” I lied. The contractions were getting stronger and longer, but Jack was right. There wasn’t anything he could do for my pain and I didn’t want him flipping out about it. It hurt me to see him react so defensively when it came to me. I reserved the right to protect my man the same way he wanted to protect me. And this was how I could do that, by avoiding the truth.

Jack glanced over at me, his face full of love and concern before he looked at the road again. “I can’t just sit here next to you while you’re gasping in pain and do nothing. It goes against everything I feel for you. It’s my job to keep you safe and protected. I know it’s illogical for me to think I can stop your labor pains, but my heart fucking feels like it’s going to explode when I hear the sounds you’re making. You being in pain doesn’t fucking work for me, Kitten. It rips me in two the second it starts. It goes against every fiber of my being to sit there and pretend like I don’t want to save you. I’d rather break my own hand again than know you’re hurting.”