My Babies and Me

“I’m just a little scared.”

Shrugging into a T-shirt, he grabbed his keys and wallet off the dresser, taking the mobile phone with him as he made his way to the front door. “Is someone bothering you? You hearing noises?” he asked quickly. “Hang up and call the police.”

“No, nothing like that.” She didn’t sound any stronger.

And then it hit him. Oh, God. No. “Is it the babies?”

“I don’t think so,” she said, but she’d started to cry. “I just fainted, okay? Can you come?”

“Hang tight, sis. I’m on my way.”

He dialed Michael’s hotel room in Atlanta from his cell phone. And breathed a bit easier once he knew Michael was on the first flight out. He called Brady next and talked to Paul, explaining why he’d have to miss their date at the batting cages. And then he called Laura, just needing to hear her voice.

These babies meant everything to Susan. He was afraid to even think about what would happen if she lost them now.

“I HAVE TO MAKE six dozen cookies before tonight.” Michael heard Susan’s voice as he let himself into the condo with his key.

“Like hell you do,” he said, striding into the living room. She’d fainted less than four hours ago.

Susan’s head swirled so fast, she should have been dizzy as she strained to see Michael. He couldn’t have mistaken the welcoming light in her eyes, or the wide smile on her lips. But in the next instant, he might have been forgiven f

or thinking so. She turned on Seth who’d been lounging in an armchair.

“You called Michael.” That obviously didn’t please her.

Seth shrugged, apparently not at all fazed by Susan’s anger. “Of course I did.”

“I’m glad he did,” Michael said, sitting gently beside her. She lay on the couch, propped up by pillows. She was wearing one of the summer shifts she’d bought when he’d still been living there, but she filled it out a hell of a lot more now than she had then.

“There was no reason,” Susan said, her eyes imploring him not to overreact. “I’m just fine.”

“You’ve been to the doctor?” he asked, certain she had, but needing that reassurance anyway. He wanted to run his fingers through the layers of her hair, too—and to kiss the pout off those lips.

Susan nodded. “She says I’m fine. I just overheated walking on your treadmill.”

Understanding dawned. “You went for longer than half an hour, didn’t you?”

“Um, a bit.” She looked down, picking some imaginary lint off her dress.

“And you were probably walking on an incline at a faster speed than you should have been.”

“Just trying to make the delivery as easy as possible,” she said. “Dr. Goodman told me to do as much as my body would allow.”

He couldn’t believe she’d just said that, as if the doctor’s words were a strong defense on her behalf. “Then, why didn’t you?”

“Because there’s no meter that tells you what it will allow,” she said crankily, sitting up beside him. “Your body only tells you when it doesn’t allow something.”

“Laura’s on her way over.” Seth jumped into the conversation. He sat relaxed in his chair, with a huge grin on his face. “She had to drop the kids off at a swim party, and then she’s going to help Susan bake cookies.”

Michael looked at Susan, his expression serious. “You aren’t baking today.”

“It’s no big deal, Michael,” she said, brushing him off with a wave of her hand. “I can sit at the table the whole time. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with me that a good dose of air-conditioning can’t fix.”

Alarm returned, cramping his stomach. “What exactly did Dr. Goodman say?”

“Just that I overheated. Nothing more.”

“She also said Susan shouldn’t try to do quite as much now as she did before she was pregnant.”