Unexpected Daddy - The Forbidden Fu

“Napkin?” Tim asks, handing me one.

“Huh? Oh. Thanks, man.”

He nods and goes back to his sandwich. That’s another reason I like Tim. When I’m with friends, I feel like I have to pretend. I have to put on a happy face, otherwise it’s just too depressing. But I don’t have to do that with Tim. He doesn’t ask me anything about my life, and I don’t ask him anything about his. I don’t know if he’s dating anyone or what he does for fun… or even if he has fun.

I finish my sandwich and crumple the paper in my hands. As expected, the steak sandwich did little for me. If it had any flavor, I certainly didn’t notice it. There’s a trash can a few yards away, so I take a shot, but the crumpled paper ball goes wide, landing in the bushes lying next to it. I sigh. That’s what I get for trying.

Tim scoffs next to me. When I look at him, he shoots me an amused smirk. “Brick,” he says.

That gets a chuckle from my chest. I don’t remember the last time I actually laughed, but it feels good. “It was the wind,” I say. “It threw me off.”

He raises a brow and smirks again. “Sure, right. ‘The wind.’”

I flip him off and go to pick up my trash. When I come back, Tim’s already standing next to the ambulance, drumming his fingers against the side. The moment I see his expression, my good mood evaporates immediately.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“We got a call,” he says in a low, urgent tone. “A midwife is having trouble delivering a baby at the mother’s home. Says the baby and the mother’s lives are in danger.”

“Got it. Want me to drive?”

“Sure.”

Tim hands me the keys and I leap into the driver’s seat. Ever since Rob’s wife took our ambulance on a joy ride, we never leave the keys in the ignition anymore.

“Where am I going?” I ask, revving the engine.

“8382 Maple Avenue”

Something about the address triggers my memory. At first, I don’t know why, but as we start driving down a very familiar path, it suddenly clicks. That’s Jessa’s apartment building! Is it Jessa? Is that the reason she didn’t want to speak with me? Is she having a baby?

The thought of her carrying another man’s child rips me to my core, but I force myself to focus. It might not even be her, after all. Then, I jerk the steering wheel to the right. To his credit, Tim merely raises an eyebrow.

“What’s going on?”

“I know a shortcut. Just hold on.”

I press the gas and fly down the street. I don’t have to worry about traffic because, as if there’s a divine hand in this, there’s hardly anyone else on the road.

“What’s the apartment number?” I rasp.

“What? Oh, let’s see. Two-two-five.”

My stomach drops and I feel nauseated. “Oh God it is her,” I whisper to myself. Tim shoots me a sideways glance.

“Who? You know the mother?”

“Never mind.” I push my questions away for another time and grip the steering wheel, my gaze determined. None of that matters now. Jessa’s life is in danger, and if I don’t get there in time, I’ll never forgive myself.

Screeching, we pull to a stop in front of the apartment building. I rush inside, with Tim close behind, and sprint toward the stairs. I take them two at a time until reaching the second floor. My heart’s beating hard and fast in my chest as I stop in front of Jessa’s door.

But instead of knocking like a normal person, instead I burst inside, my eyes scanning the room wildly. Sure enough, there’s my Jessa. She’s sitting in a pool, her red hair wet and sticking to her forehead, her belly huge and round. A gray-haired woman is dabbing at her forehead and murmuring something, but she doesn’t seem very lucid.

Then, her emerald eyes turn towards me and my heart swoops and falls. She’s exhausted, but at least there’s no trace of hatred anywhere on her face.

“Sam,” she murmurs, cutting off whatever the woman had been saying. “Please, the baby…”

Right. There’s no time to waste. I put down my go bag. “I’m here,” I say. “Everything’s going to be alright, sweetheart. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

The gray-haired woman turns to me, her face urgent.

“Thank god you’ve arrived. The mother fainted for a moment, and I got really worried, but now she’s back. Please help!”

I kneel by Jessa, stroking her dark red locks.

“It’s going to be fine, honey. It’s all going to be fine.” And the trust in Jessa’s eyes breaks my heart because somehow, I know this baby is mine.

15

Jessa

* * *

There’s movement around me everywhere. Felicity is squeezing my hand and coaching me through my spasms, while a second paramedic runs around my apartment searching for towels and blankets.