Jack mellowed. He stared at me, his breathing still shuddered with adrenaline. “Marry me?”
Call in the paddles; I was going into shock. “Marry you?”
“Yeah.”
“Jack, we’ve only just said—”
“I don’t care. Marry me.”
Wild, foolish, impetuous man.
“It’s a little sudden. Spontaneous.” My lip quivered. “Romantic.”
It was nothing the old me would’ve done, but now it sounded right. For once, I didn’t think about my answer.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
Jack leapt to his feet. “Now?”
Oh, dear God. My eyes widened. At least he caught himself before he got too wound up.
“Okay.” He laughed. “We can plan it.”
“Maybe just a little.”
“But we gotta do something now. Something…for us.”
Getting out of the hospital would be a start. I rested my hand over my tummy, glancing up at him. “How about we name the baby?”
Jack went still. “Name him?”
“I kinda…have one in mind.”
“Just one? You probably had some spreadsheet set up with a dozen names all alphabetized and color coordinated—”
“Sam.”
It took a moment to sink in. Jack’s expression twisted, aching. He spoke the name silently at first. His eyes rose to mine.
“For my…”
I nodded. “In honor of your little brother.”
He sucked in a breath. “I like Sam.”
“I do too.”
“I…” He approached again, kissing me so gently it was as if he thought I’d break. “Thank you.”
I smiled, and Jack helped me to my feet. His hand never left mine.
“What can I do?” he asked.
Easy. “I want to go home and sleep. Let me give these forms back and we can go.”
The nurses at the station exchanged smirks as I wandered to the desk. The nice brunette in pink scrubs who treated me first took my paperwork with a wink.
“We’ve all been there, honey,” she said. “Especially with our first baby.”
“Thank you.”
“Was that your man who brought in the police officer?”
Police? What the hell...of course it had to be Jack.
I turned, following her nod. I was not at all surprised to see a uniformed police officer shaking Jack’s hand. Jack thanked him for the escort.
The escort?
I crossed my arms. “Jack Carson, can you go one night without someone calling the cops on you?”
He shrugged, slapping the officer’s shoulder. “What can I say, Kiss? Maybe I just like a good pair of handcuffs.”
God. The entire nurses’ station giggled. At least they thought it was charming.
So did I.
I smiled. “Maybe the officer would be kind enough to lend me his—”
The camera flash disoriented me. Two men rushed through the halls of the hospital, chased by a portly security guard who shouted for them to stop. The video camera pointed directly at me, the handheld camera flashed at Jack.
A microphone aimed at my face.
I stumbled, trapped against the counter to the nurses’ station.
“Leah!” The little worm holding the microphone guided his cameraman closer. I recognized his squeaking voice. He was the same slime ball who called me a slut on my first date with Jack. “Leah, couple questions?”
Jack launched, but not before the sleaze edged him out and took another picture.
“Did you lose the baby, Leah?” The reporter shouted it so everyone could hear. “Where was Jack partying when the baby died?”
I clutched at my tummy, suddenly terrified the doctors made a horrible mistake or they refused to tell me some dark and awful secret. My eyes welled with tears and impossibility. I didn’t have time to respond.
Jack charged, his fist connecting with the asshole’s face. The sleaze was fortunate the punch landed while he was in the hospital. He was out cold before he struck the ground.
The camera man filmed it all.
Jack rushing to my side.
The nurses shouting.
The security guard calling for help.
And, worst of all, he filmed the police officer breaking up the chaos. Doctors rushed to the unconscious man, but I didn’t worry so much about the bastard who dared to trivialize my baby’s health. I focused on Jack.
So did the police officer.
The officer apologized as he pulled Jack away.
“I really wish you hadn’t hit him in front of me,” he said.
So did I. So did Jack. But my bad boy wasn’t afraid of a good fight.
Jack grinned. “That was one hell of a hit, huh?”
The officer nodded. “Your lawyer will love it.”
Oh, this wasn’t happening. Again. Jack faced me, shame darkening his gaze. He forced a bit of lightness into his voice.
“Hey, I know I talked a lot about changing. A lot. But…I gotta go get…”
I finished for him. “Get arrested.”
“Yeah.”
“Again.”
Jack took it like a man. “At least you know where to pick me up?”
I could have been angry. I should’ve cried. Instead, I was just so glad he attacked the asshole before I did or nothing would have remained of that slimy journalist.
I kissed his cheek. “Tell me you don’t want to marry me just so you’ll have someone to bail you out of jail?”
“At least you’ll know where the checkbook is,” he said. “This is the last time. I promise.”
Yeah, old habits died hard. I pulled my cell and prepared to make my usual list of calls. “I’m charging you for overtime on this one, Mr. Carson.”
“That’s why I love you.” Jack’s smile faded as the officer led him to the elevators. “You’re practical.”
“One of us needs to be.”
“I’ll get out of this. Promise.” He held my gaze. “I love you.”
I watched my future husband and father of my child get arrested for the second time in only a few months. My voice was soft.
“Love you too.”
Now how the hell was I going to spin this?
Chapter Twenty-Four – Leah
“I’m not doing it.”
I expected Jack’s resistance.
I straightened his tie and brushed the wrinkles from his suit coat. He clutched the speech I prepared in his hand. If he ripped it up, I had spares. A copy in my purse, another in his jacket, and I still had my tablet and phone with copies ready to pull up at a moment’s notice.
He was giving this press conference.
And he was going to read my speech.
Even if he hated it. If he wanted to stay in the league, this was the only way.
“Jack, not every man gets third, fourth, and fifth chances,” I warned. “You got lucky with the judge, but just because he dismissed the case with some silly anger management classes doesn’t mean your fans or the league will understand.”
He held up the speech. “And this is supposed to fix it?”
“Jack, that apology is the only thing that’ll save your career.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because I wrote it.” I pulled him close for a kiss. “Read what it says. Mean it, and we’ll see what happens when the league concludes their investigation.”
“But I don’t mean it!” His voice sharpened. “Accepting the four game suspension without question? Fully cooperating with whatever their decision they render? Eating the fine and donating the same amount to charity?”
I arched an eyebrow. “You’re donating to the hospital.”
“Yeah.” He shook his head. “But now everyone’s gonna know. I’ll let my name get shit on, but I don’t want them to say anything about my little brother—”
“They won’t. Believe me, Jack, this will show that you have a commitment beyond yourself.”
He held my hand, kissing the finger that now brandished a beautiful diamond ring. “I already have a commitment. I have you. I have Sam.”
“Charm’s not getting you out of this, bad boy.”
“What if I toss you back on the bench, promise to behave, and give you the licking of a lifetime?”