Chapter Twenty

Lauren immediately reached for her phone. Thank goodness it was never far from her.

She wanted to call Ethan. She knew she should call him—but he’d left. She didn’t even know where he was. Brooke was right. She should have asked. But she couldn’t deal with both that emotional roller coaster and whatever was happening in her body right now.

She debated between Brooke and Gabby, her finger hovering over their contacts in her favorites. But ultimately, she went with her gut.

“Hello?”

“Grams, I need you,” she said, her voice hiccupping.

“Where are you?”

“At the oceanside lookout in Seaside Park. I need to go to the hospital.”

Lauren pressed a hand to her stomach. Please be okay. Please be okay. Lauren breathed deeply as she repeated her plea over and over. It only took a minute for the pain to subside. By the time Grams arrived—which was in record time—she’d managed to get herself back on the bench.

“Lauren,” she called as she neared. Lauren was pretty sure she’d never seen Grams move so fast in her life.

When she reached her, Lauren’s hand shot out, and Grams took it between both of hers. She looked over Lauren long and hard, searching for something Lauren wasn’t sure of.

“Maybe I overreacted,” Lauren said. “The pain is already subsiding.”

“Is it the baby?” Grams asked, sitting next to her on the bench.

Lauren almost choked. Did Grams just say… Maybe she’d misheard.

“You heard me,” Grams said as if she was a mind reader. “Is everything okay with the baby?”

“But, how do you know? I mean, when did you figure out? How?” she stuttered.

Grams smirked, even as she flipped Lauren’s wrist over and took her pulse. “When did I figure out that you’re pregnant? I’ve known for quite some time.”

Lauren’s mouth dropped. “But the party— I had a plan—”

“What party?”

A party that was definitely not happening now. She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Just tell me how you knew?”

“You’re no James Bond.” Grams pushed Lauren’s hair off her face. “Neither are your sisters. Or Ethan, for that matter.”

Lauren’s stomach clenched, and this time it had nothing to do with the baby. She didn’t want to do this. Not here. Not now. At the same time, she felt lighter just knowing that Grams knew everything.

Maybe not everything. After all, she had no idea that Lauren was a big chickenshit who’d probably just ruined things with the father of her child.

“When did you find out?” Grams asked.

She owed her that much. “About a month ago. I took four pregnancy tests,” she admitted.

Grams snorted. “Pregnancy tests. You’re lucky they even have those. Back in my time, we had to wait for a rabbit to die. That was our pregnancy test.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” Lauren asked.

“True story. But one for another time. Let’s get you to the hospital. Can you walk?” Grams started to rise, putting an arm around Lauren.

“Actually, I’m feeling better. I had this really sharp pain, and it scared the hell out of me.” She pointed to the area where she’d felt the pain.

“Hm,” Grams said. “It might just be your uterus growing. It’s getting ready for the baby.”

As they walked to the car, Lauren took a big breath and asked the question that she really didn’t want to hear the answer to.

“Are you mad?” she said softly.

“No.”

She frowned. “Really? You’re not mad that I’m pregnant out of wedlock?”

“I’m mad you didn’t tell me. But we can discuss that later. Right now, let’s concentrate on getting you to the hospital.” She opened the passenger door and helped Lauren in. “Do you want me to call Ethan?”

Lauren shook her head. Grams stared at her for a long moment. Then she closed Lauren’s door, circled the car, and got in on the other side.

They drove the first five minutes in silence. Lauren could feel Grams’s questions even if she wasn’t asking them out loud.

“Why don’t you want me to call Ethan?”

Lauren put her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. “I just don’t.”

Grams made a right-hand turn. “You two get into a fight or something?”

Lauren opened her eyes and trained them on Grams. “You tell me, because I’m sure you know.”

“I don’t know a thing.” She made a big show of fixing her rearview mirror. Finally, she said, “All I heard was that you went into the bar earlier today, looking upset. You talked to Ethan back in his office for a little bit, and then you ran out of the bar, looking even more upset. Oh, and Gabby and I heard you fighting with your sister. At first, I didn’t think anything of it. The two of you always fight. But something about your tones was off. More serious than usual.”

Lauren rolled her eyes. “That’s pretty much the gist of today.”

“What happened with Ethan?”

“Nothing,” Lauren said, glancing out the window at the passing scenery. The hospital came into view, and she exhaled a long, relieved sigh.

“Lauren Rose,” Grams said in her scolding voice. “Tell me why I’m driving my knocked-up granddaughter to the hospital. Did Ethan do something to upset you?”

“No, Grams. Ethan left for a trip or a…something; that’s all. I think…well, I’m not really sure. He’s gone at the moment, so it’s just me.”

Grams gave one single head nod. “Pushing him away, are you?”

Seriously, was the woman a psychic, because holy cow. How did she know that?

Lauren swiveled in her seat to find Grams with a smile on her face.

“I know you, and I’ve seen you push other men away. That’s what you do,” she said. “Another thing to blame on your father,” she said under her breath, which of course Lauren didn’t miss.

She was still stunned as they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. Before they exited the car, Lauren put her hand on Grams to stop her.

“Thanks for bringing me. I think I owe you a long conversation.”

“You think?” Grams said sarcastically. But her face softened. “First, let’s make sure one of my favorite granddaughters and my favorite great-grandchild are okay.”

Lauren’s heart melted. She knew a very tough conversation was in her future. But for the moment, she needed to make sure everything was okay with her baby.

As Grams got out of the car, Lauren whispered, “I love you.”

When Grams came around to her side to help her, she looked Lauren deep in her eyes. “I know. I love you, too.”

…

Earlier that day, Ethan had been in the best mood.

It wasn’t only that call from his friend Bobby, who found the arcade game he’d been dying to acquire for The Thirsty Lobster. But the night before with Lauren…wow, just wow. It wasn’t only about the sex, which had once again been mind-blowing. But they’d really connected. The bond between them was growing, and he couldn’t be happier.

So why, then, was he feeling so anxious and restless?

It just didn’t make sense. Not only had his morning gone well, but he was currently cruising up the Maine coast, where he would shortly get on one of his favorite roads of all time, the Bold Coast Scenic Byway. Great views, a nice open road…and a lump in his stomach.

He glanced down at his cell phone to see if he had any messages or texts. Rather, he checked to see if he’d heard from Lauren. For the twentieth time, his screen was blank.

He’d been attempting to get in touch with her this entire ride. If he didn’t know better, he would say that she was blowing him off.

Was she blowing him off?

He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, which was a nice relief from the death grip he’d had on it.

Ethan pulled over onto the shoulder. He let the car idle as his brain replayed the events of the morning. It didn’t take long for his aha moment to arrive.

“Well, shit,” he said into the car.

It all came together like a bunch of puzzle pieces working themselves into one solid picture. Lauren had spotted his bags. She hadn’t even asked where he was going or when he was coming back. Then she’d left the bar without a goodbye, and now she was avoiding him.

She thought he’d been taking off. Just like that. Leaving her and the baby without so much as a backward glance.

Ethan threw the car in drive and started down the road again. He made a quick pit stop. He grabbed some coffee, dashed to the men’s room, then returned to his car, where he made a quick call before pulling out of the parking lot. Instead of continuing his journey north, he hightailed it back toward Seaside Cove.

Three hours later, Ethan was about thirty minutes outside of Seaside Cove when he received a text message. He pushed a button for the message to play through the speakers of his car. His phone’s voice automation system began speaking in the British accent he’d programmed it to talk.

“Ethan, this is Brooke Wallace, Lauren’s sister. Um, do you happen to know which hospital Lauren went to?”

He shot straight up in his seat. Hospital? What the hell?

As he pulled up at a red light at a large intersection, he stopped breathing. Suddenly, he couldn’t remember how to work his phone. He fumbled with it as he tried to also keep an eye on the stoplight.

He called Brooke. “What are you talking about?” he barked into the phone instead of a normal greeting.

“Ethan.” Brooke’s breath whooshed out. “I don’t know what’s happening. Grams called Gabby, who called me. We thought you would know what’s going on.”

Ethan’s mouth was suddenly bone dry. “I don’t know anything,” he eked out. “I was heading up north to pick up something for the bar.”

The light turned green, and Ethan gunned the engine.

“Gabby said that Grams said something about a shooting pain and the baby.”

His heart dropped. A shooting pain? Oh god, he needed to get to Lauren.

He heard Gabby in the background. Brooke made a disgusted noise. “I don’t know, Gabs. That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

“Brooke,” Ethan ground out between clenched teeth as he made it through a yellow light at the last second.

“Sorry,” Brooke said. “Are there any new hospitals in the area? Any new medical centers? Where would Grams have taken her?”

Hospital, baby, Lauren, pain. His heart was going a million miles an hour as fear shot through him at the possibilities. Too many possibilities. None of them good.

He pressed the gas as he tested the speed limit. “Maine General,” he said. “I think that’s where she would probably go. It’s still the closest hospital.”

“We’re on our way,” Brooke said. “Turn left, Gabs. We’ll meet you there.” With that, Brooke hung up, leaving Ethan to concentrate on driving and squashing all of the horrible images in his mind.

Had he caused this? He began absentmindedly rubbing his eyebrow back and forth as he made his way to the hospital in record time.

He’d been so excited about the prospect of finding that damn arcade game that he hadn’t opened his eyes to what had been happening right around him. Of course it would freak Lauren out. If only he’d stopped to explain to her what was happening. That he was merely taking a day-long road trip. He wasn’t leaving her.

He didn’t want to leave her.

The idea slammed into him with force. Once he got over the initial shock, he could admit that it felt right. Really right.

He wanted to be with Lauren. Not just for the summer. Not only because of the life they’d created.

The grin spread fast. He loved her and he never wanted to leave her. If he moved somewhere, she was coming too. Where she went, he followed.

His smile faded as fast as it had started. The woman he loved was in some hospital, probably because he’d freaked her out so much that morning.

He cursed himself the rest of the way to the hospital. He parked his car, unsure if he was parking in a spot he was allowed to be in. He didn’t care. He dashed from the car and ran into the emergency entrance.

Ethan paused, trying to figure out what to do next. The waiting room was mostly empty. A few people were lounging in the area. One was drinking coffee, another riffling through a magazine.

A nurse walked by at a fast clip. Was she going to Lauren?

Finally, he spotted a desk with another nurse behind it, tapping away on a computer. He rushed to her.

“How can I help you?” she asked with a kind smile.

“Lauren? Oh, um, my, uh, my girlfriend, she uh—”

Thank all that was holy that Brooke and Gabby showed up at that very moment. He was not handling this well.

They ran up to Ethan, one on either side. Brooke squeezed his arm while Gabby took charge. “We’re looking for Lauren Wallace, our sister. She may have been brought in here recently.”

The nurse looked over at Gabby. “Gabs, hi. Do you remember me?”

Gabby let out a breath of relief. “Susie?” she asked. “Ohmigod. Good to see you again. We graduated together,” she explained to Ethan before turning back to the nurse. “Can you help us?”

Susie nodded. “Of course. Yes, Lauren and your grandmother came in half an hour ago. Lauren is getting an ultrasound right now. Unfortunately, I can’t let you guys back there. But I’ll do my best to keep you as updated as possible.”

Ultrasound? The baby. Ethan thought he was going to be sick.

Brooke pushed him from behind. “What about him? He’s the father. Can he go back?”

When this was all over, he was going to do something really nice for Brooke. He turned toward Susie.

“Of course. Follow me.” She quickly tapped on the keyboard, nodded when she found whatever she was looking for, and then jumped up and came around the counter.

He had to hop to in order to keep up with Susie’s clipped gait. She was short but quick. She took him through a set of double doors and back to an area that was partitioned off.

When he entered the small space and saw Grams holding Lauren’s hand and a doctor moving a wand over her stomach, he felt like he was going to lose it.

All three women turned to him. The doctor smiled. “The father?” she asked.

He nodded. At least, he thought he did. All he could do was stare at Lauren. Her pale face was making her big blue eyes look even bigger, more vulnerable.

“Come in, come in. We have the baby up on the screen.” The doctor gestured toward a monitor with a black-and-white image on it.

Ethan took a step closer and peered at the monitor. He felt his eyes widen. “The baby?” he asked with a dry throat.

“Yes, and looking nice and normal for this age. See?” She pointed at the monitor.

Ethan watched as the black-and-white blurs shifted on the screen. He had no idea what he was seeing, but he would take the doctor at her word.

He wanted to scream. Out of fear, out of anxiety. But then he heard something that had him freezing, those negative feelings slipping away.

It was the small and steady thump thump of the baby’s heartbeat.

He looked to Lauren, whose eyes had gone wide, a small smile on her face.

His child’s heartbeat. Their child. It was amazing. Such a fast, little beat. He couldn’t believe it.

Then, he glanced at Lauren again, who looked even smaller than usual on that hospital bed. He wanted to go to her. Scoop her up in his arms and never let go.

The baby was okay. Good. But what about Lauren? Was she fine, too?

“And Lauren?” he croaked out.

The doctor smiled. “She’s going to be fine.”

Ethan felt the air return to his lungs. Lauren was okay. The baby was okay. Now, he just had to work on the two of them being okay.

…

Ethan was here. How was he here? How did he know?

Actually, she didn’t really care. Despite it all, she really needed him here. Even if he was staying as far from her as possible in the small room.

“Good news. Your ultrasound looks good; the baby’s heartbeat is healthy.”

“Then why are you here?” Ethan asked.

Grams squeezed her hand, almost like she was saying, I got this. “Lauren had some sharp pains earlier.”

Ethan’s eyes went wide. She felt horrible. This wasn’t how he should have found out about this.

Tearing her eyes away from Ethan, Lauren looked up at the doctor. “What were the pains I felt?”

“I feel confident that what you’re experiencing is round ligament pains.”

Lauren was at a loss. “What is that?”

“Basically, what it means is that the uterus is growing and expanding for the baby. Perfectly normal. As the uterus expands, it can cause sharp pains like the one you experienced earlier. Sometimes it lasts a couple of seconds. Other times, it’s even longer. It’s a little early in your pregnancy, but it’s nothing I’m worried about.”

Lauren felt like she could breathe again. Her whole body softened, and she felt like she could melt into a pile of happy glitter.

“I am worried about your blood pressure,” the doctor continued. “Do you have a history of high blood pressure? Does anyone in your family?”

She looked to Grams, who wore a worried expression. She shook her head.

“No.”

“Have you been under any stress lately?”

This time, she glanced at Ethan. He met her gaze with a serious one of his own. She quickly focused on the doctor again.

“Like emotional stress? A little.”

“Well, I’d like to monitor your blood pressure. Let’s have you buy a machine—you can get one at any pharmacy or online. I want you to test your blood pressure in the morning, as soon as you wake up. Then test again before bed. Keep a log.”

A list. Finally, something she understood. Something that made her feel calm.

The doctor checked her chart. “You’re seeing Dr. Raquel. I’ll let her know what’s going on and forward her the information from this visit. Make a follow-up appointment with her once you’re home.”

Lauren rested her head against the hospital pillow and took a deep breath. Relief filled her. The baby was okay.

“Any questions?”

So many, she thought. Would she have to go on blood pressure medication? Should she be concerned about the baby? What were Ethan’s future plans? Were they going to be okay?

The doctor put a reassuring hand on her arm. “I know this is scary. But I don’t want you to worry. It’s all normal. I had round ligament pains during my pregnancy, too.”

“You did?”

She nodded and smiled kindly. “They’ll come and go. They usually occur when you change positions quickly, so try and get up slowly. Be aware of your movements. If you have any spotting or cramping, let your doctor know immediately.”

“I can do that.”

“Just try to relax and get that stress down.” She smiled at Ethan, who was still standing completely still. His face remained devoid of color. “I’m sure your husband here will make sure you take it easy.”

Husband. The word hung in the air, more potent than any mix of medications available in this hospital.

No one said anything. No one corrected the doctor’s assumption. The doctor appeared oblivious to the tension in the small space. Grams, who didn’t know all of the details of what had gone down between her and Ethan, had to know something big was up. She was perceptive.

And Grams. Oh man. Lauren wanted to hide when she thought about the fact that Grams had known all along she was pregnant. She was so obtuse. Of course Grams had known. She must have thought all of Lauren’s random excuses were completely ridiculous.

The doctor left the room, and Grams stood. “Do you want to go back to Ethan’s house?”

“Actually,” Lauren said, scooting up on the bed. “I’d like to go home with you, Grams.”

Ethan’s face fell, but he remained silent.

If Grams was surprised by the request, she didn’t show it. “That’s fine.” She moved to the door. “I’ll go let your sisters know you’re okay.” She leaned toward Ethan, her eyes strong and direct. “Talk it out.”

Ethan nodded at Grams before taking a step toward her.

“Listen, Lauren—”

But she cut him off with a hand. “No, don’t.” She shook her head. “You don’t need to go into anything right now.”

He sat on the side of the bed. It seemed like he was moving to hold her hand, but in the end, he let his hand fall onto his leg.

“Lauren, I wasn’t leaving you this morning. I mean, I was.” He jammed a hand through his hair. “But not in the way you thought.”

She waved a hand through the air. “It doesn’t matter.”

He frowned. “Yes, it does. I was only leaving for a day. I packed a bag because I wasn’t sure if I would be too tired to drive all the way back home.”

Curiosity overtook her. “Where were you going? To see your friend Bobby?” She couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice.

“Bobby? No.” Ethan rubbed his chin. “I’ve been wanting this old arcade game for the bar. Bobby found a seller who lives way north. I was heading there to get the machine.” He took her hand, rubbed a thumb over the back of it. “I wasn’t leaving you.”

She snatched her hand away. “You can do whatever you want. You’re not tied down to me.”

Ethan stood abruptly, knocking into a small table in the curtained-off area. “Not tied down to you? I would be, if you’d let me.”

She swallowed hard. Was that true? Did Ethan want to be with her? Lauren closed her eyes as way too many thoughts began swirling around.

She heard Ethan take a steadying breath.

“I love you, Lauren. Maybe I have since high school. At least, when you weren’t driving me crazy. I don’t know. It started…I don’t know,” he repeated. “But I know I love you now.”

He loved her. Lauren wanted to be happy. She wanted to reach for him. She wanted him to wrap her up in one of his amazing hugs.

Only, she couldn’t allow herself to do that.

What would even happen if they took the next step? What was the next step? Living together, marriage? A marriage like her parents’, where her dad eventually left anyway? Did she even want that?

Ethan shoved his hands into his pockets, looking helpless.

“You didn’t call me,” he said, hurt coating his voice. “I’m the father of that baby,” he said, pointing toward her stomach. “Don’t you think I’d want to know if—” He ran a hand through his hair again.

She didn’t respond. Couldn’t. What could she possibly say to wipe the pain off his face?

“That’s it, then?”

Lauren held her breath even as her heartbeat raced. “It’s not like that.”

“Oh, yeah? Seems like it.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Do you have any idea how terrified I was when Brooke called me?”

Brooke. Ah, that’s how he’d found out. She silently berated herself. She should have called Ethan. She knew that.

“I was going to call you,” she said, trying her best to rationalize.

“When?”

“Once I knew everything was okay.” She hated that she was doing this to him. He was so right to be mad.

“Now you’re going to go back to your Grams’s house? Why?”

“I need Grams tonight, Ethan. Please don’t make me explain it.” She cast her gaze down at her clenched hands.

He looked around at the machines in the room. “I don’t want to cause you or the baby any more stress tonight. Go.”

“What?”

“Go with your grandmother and your sisters. When you’re ready for me to be back in your life and the life of our child, give me a call.”

He fled the room quickly, and Lauren stayed on the bed, too stunned to move. She was used to making people mad. Her entire relationship with Brooke was based on each of them pissing the other one off.

But Ethan wasn’t mad. Not really. He was hurt. And she was the cause.

She closed her eyes as the tears threatened. She hadn’t handled anything right today. She placed her hands over her belly and gave herself some time to get it together before she left the hospital.

And didn’t go home with Ethan.