drawn, eyes closed and his lips in a straight line, his face was a mask of suppressed emotion as he offered comfort.
Who comforted him?
It was a question she’d wondered about her father in the years after his death. Now that she thought about it, Rio was like her father in some ways. Both were strong men and assumed responsibility beyond that which might be expected of them. Because his expression made her want to be the person he looked to for solace, she turned away.
Her empty cup sat on the end table, so she carried it to the kitchen, brewed another cup of herbal tea and sipped it while waiting for Rio. He didn’t come inside until long after the car doors slammed and Kate had finished her drink. Then he hurried straight to the office upstairs and closed the door.
Grief was a strange companion, each person dealing with it in different ways and with varying degrees of intensity. Today, it seemed to have settled in at Hawthorne House and cast a pall over the entire structure.
Between the emotional upheaval and her cargo feeling heavier than usual, Kate needed a nap. Since the stairs were forbidden and Rio hadn’t yet appeared, she pulled a plush throw off the sofa arm and lay down to rest. The quiet house was perfect for napping, yet no position she tried was comfortable. Lying flat made her back ache. Left side, she could swear the baby’s head was pressing into her bladder. Right side, she was turned facing into the sofa cushions and hung off the other side. With a huff of frustration, she sat up, stuffed a pillow under her lower back and pulled out the recliner to elevate her feet. Finally comfortable, she was wide awake with the sudden realization that she hadn’t felt the baby move all day.
* * * * *
A keen sense of loss kept Rio largely subdued throughout the noon meal, so it took him a while to notice that Kate wasn’t eating and kept rubbing her belly.
Damn. He’d hoped they could get past last night without rehashing it, but that didn’t look likely. “Hey, if this is about that thing ...”
“What?” She sounded confused, as if she’d been deep in thought when he spoke. “A thing?”
“Never mind.” Maybe he shouldn’t assume that just because their momentary lapse in judgment was foremost on his mind, it was also on hers. “You’re quiet tonight. Is something wrong?”
Her gaze darted to his face then back to her plate. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean?”
“The baby isn’t moving.”
Rio shrugged. “So, he’s giving you a break.”
“All day. He hasn’t moved all day. Not once.”
“Is it because of what we —”
“No!” She cringed. “Sorry. I’m sure there’s no correlation.”
“Okay. Do you want to talk about it?” Please say no.
“Do we have to?”
In the light of day, their foray into a more intimate relationship seemed far away. Maybe she felt the same way. “I’m good. You?”
“Ouch.” She winced and rubbed both sides of her stomach. “Actually, I’m sort of having pains.”
Oh, hell . “You’re in labor?”
“I don’t know. It’s too soon, but maybe. It’s not like I’m an old pro with this, you know. Dr. Krieger said something about bands tightening, but this feels sharp.”
He could hear the worry in her voice and had to tamp down on his own fears. “How far apart? The book I read said —”
“I don’t know. Three minutes, maybe. It’s not like I’ve been timing them.” Kate was obviously agitated, and he wasn’t helping with his questions.
But three minutes? That was close.
“Okay. Let’s don’t panic.” While everything inside him screamed panic, panic, panic, Rio faked a smile. “We’ll call Dr. Krieger and see what she says. I’m sure it’s ...” Labor. Oh, hell, I’m not ready for this . “... perfectly normal.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Hey, thanks for being so calm. That really helps.” She gave a self-conscious laugh. “I thought you’d freak and to tell you the truth, I’ve
Who comforted him?
It was a question she’d wondered about her father in the years after his death. Now that she thought about it, Rio was like her father in some ways. Both were strong men and assumed responsibility beyond that which might be expected of them. Because his expression made her want to be the person he looked to for solace, she turned away.
Her empty cup sat on the end table, so she carried it to the kitchen, brewed another cup of herbal tea and sipped it while waiting for Rio. He didn’t come inside until long after the car doors slammed and Kate had finished her drink. Then he hurried straight to the office upstairs and closed the door.
Grief was a strange companion, each person dealing with it in different ways and with varying degrees of intensity. Today, it seemed to have settled in at Hawthorne House and cast a pall over the entire structure.
Between the emotional upheaval and her cargo feeling heavier than usual, Kate needed a nap. Since the stairs were forbidden and Rio hadn’t yet appeared, she pulled a plush throw off the sofa arm and lay down to rest. The quiet house was perfect for napping, yet no position she tried was comfortable. Lying flat made her back ache. Left side, she could swear the baby’s head was pressing into her bladder. Right side, she was turned facing into the sofa cushions and hung off the other side. With a huff of frustration, she sat up, stuffed a pillow under her lower back and pulled out the recliner to elevate her feet. Finally comfortable, she was wide awake with the sudden realization that she hadn’t felt the baby move all day.
* * * * *
A keen sense of loss kept Rio largely subdued throughout the noon meal, so it took him a while to notice that Kate wasn’t eating and kept rubbing her belly.
Damn. He’d hoped they could get past last night without rehashing it, but that didn’t look likely. “Hey, if this is about that thing ...”
“What?” She sounded confused, as if she’d been deep in thought when he spoke. “A thing?”
“Never mind.” Maybe he shouldn’t assume that just because their momentary lapse in judgment was foremost on his mind, it was also on hers. “You’re quiet tonight. Is something wrong?”
Her gaze darted to his face then back to her plate. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean?”
“The baby isn’t moving.”
Rio shrugged. “So, he’s giving you a break.”
“All day. He hasn’t moved all day. Not once.”
“Is it because of what we —”
“No!” She cringed. “Sorry. I’m sure there’s no correlation.”
“Okay. Do you want to talk about it?” Please say no.
“Do we have to?”
In the light of day, their foray into a more intimate relationship seemed far away. Maybe she felt the same way. “I’m good. You?”
“Ouch.” She winced and rubbed both sides of her stomach. “Actually, I’m sort of having pains.”
Oh, hell . “You’re in labor?”
“I don’t know. It’s too soon, but maybe. It’s not like I’m an old pro with this, you know. Dr. Krieger said something about bands tightening, but this feels sharp.”
He could hear the worry in her voice and had to tamp down on his own fears. “How far apart? The book I read said —”
“I don’t know. Three minutes, maybe. It’s not like I’ve been timing them.” Kate was obviously agitated, and he wasn’t helping with his questions.
But three minutes? That was close.
“Okay. Let’s don’t panic.” While everything inside him screamed panic, panic, panic, Rio faked a smile. “We’ll call Dr. Krieger and see what she says. I’m sure it’s ...” Labor. Oh, hell, I’m not ready for this . “... perfectly normal.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Hey, thanks for being so calm. That really helps.” She gave a self-conscious laugh. “I thought you’d freak and to tell you the truth, I’ve
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