“The baby?” I felt tears building in my eyes.
“The baby is fine also.”
I let out the breath I had been holding and collapsed into Heather’s arms. “Oh, thank God. Oh, thank you, God.”
Heather pulled back and looked at me. “She just had some cramping, which is normal.”
I looked at Heather, confused. “Cramping?”
She nodded her head. “Just think of it as her body’s way of trying to get ready for what all is about to happen. Her hormones are in overdrive, and then add in the stress of everything on top of that. She just needs to try to de-stress.”
My face fell, and my knees felt weak. I caused this…oh my god.
Heather must have read my face. “You didn’t cause this, Scott. Please, just calm down, and try to relax before you go in the room. Ellie, Ari, and Sharon are in there.”
I nodded and took a few deep breaths. “Where is she?”
“Come on, I’ll take you to her room. They aren’t planning on keeping her in the hospital, but they wanted to get some fluids into her.”
I stopped outside the door. I couldn’t move. I was frozen in place. Heather took my hands in hers and smiled.
“What if she leaves me for him?” I whispered.
I saw the tears in Heather’s eyes as she shook her head.
“She won’t because she loves you so much, Scott. She. Loves. You,” Heather said, stressing each word.
“But she cares about him, Heather. How do I know she’s not going to be thinking about him, wondering what if she hadn’t gotten pregnant?”
“Oh no, Scott, don’t think that way.” Heather wiped a tear away.
I smiled and took another deep breath as I opened the door. Everyone looked up, but the only person I saw was Jessie. The moment her eyes met mine, I wanted to run to her, to grab her in my arms and tell her how much I loved her. But I couldn’t.
Sharon smiled and nodded. “Well…looks like dad is here now. Come on, girls. Let’s give them some time alone. I’ll be back, Jessie, in a few minutes. The IV drip is almost done, and then I’ll get that out of your hand. Then, we can get you ready to head home.”
As they all walked by, they each gave me a strange look.
Was that pity I saw in their eyes?
The moment the door shut, Jessie smiled at me. “I’m sorry if you were scared. The doctor said it’s normal to feel cramping, and some experience it more than others. Hopefully, it won’t last long.”
I looked at the IV bag.
“I guess they thought I was dehydrated or something,” she said with a weak smile.
I came and sat down on the bed. She reached for my hand, and when she touched me, I felt that familiar zap run through my body.
“I was so scared, Jessie. I don’t know what I would have done if…” I couldn’t even finish my sentence.
“I know. I was scared, too, but everything is okay.”
I looked her in the eyes. “It will always be in the back of my head, Jessie, and I’m always going to wonder.”
I watched as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
“I don’t love him,” she whispered.
I nodded. “Well, I guess you’ll find out soon enough.”
She looked at me, confused. “What do you mean?”
“He’s heading to Mason.”
“Who’s heading to Mason?”
“Trey,” I whispered.
“What? Why? How do you know this? Oh my god, did you ask him to come here?” She tried to sit up.
I just looked at her. “No, I didn’t fucking ask him to come here. He said he got my number from the hotel clerk, the one you borrowed the phone from to call me. He called me and said he was coming to Mason.”
She shook her head. “Why?”
I stood up and ran my hands through my hair. I walked to the window and looked out. “Because he said he loves you, and he thinks you love him, too. He’s not giving up unless he knows this is what you want.”
“Scott, you have to know I love you,” she said as her voice broke off.
I turned and smiled at her as I nodded. “I know you do, baby. I know you do. I love you, too, and I’ll do…I’ll walk away if…”
I felt a tear run down my face as her eyes widened in surprise.
“If you decide that you need time…I’ll wait for you. I’ll always wait for you.”
“Need time for what?” she asked.
“Jessie, I know you’re confused. I could tell by your reaction this morning when I went to reach out for you. You have feelings for this guy, and you need to figure out just what they are before we can even talk about our future together.”
She began shaking her head. “No…no, Scott. I don’t need to figure out anything. I know what I want and whom I want. I just need time to forget about him, and—”
I sucked in a breath of air.
“No! Wait…that’s not what I meant.”
I walked up to her, leaned down, and gently kissed her on the lips. She reached up and went to grab on to the back of my neck, but I pulled away.
“I love you, Jessie.”
She was crying, and a part of me was dying inside, knowing that I was the reason she was crying.
“I love you, too, Scott.”
Sharon walked back in the room and started to take the IV out of Jessie’s hand. Sharon began to give Jessie some paperwork on prenatal care, a prescription for prenatal vitamins, and her discharge papers.
Sharon smiled and said, “Now, go home and get some rest. Just take it easy for a few days. Eat some fruit and veggies and drink lots of water.”
Jessie smiled and nodded her head.
We walked out of the room and into the lobby. Ari, Ellie, Heather, and Jeff all jumped up.
Ari walked up and gave Jessie a kiss on the cheek. She whispered, “I’m sorry for being such a bitch.”
Jessie smiled. “No. You were being honest.”
Ellie and Heather each gave Jessie and then me a kiss on the cheek. We all walked out together, and Jeff and I talked a little bit about the New Year’s Eve party we were throwing at Gunner’s place.
I got into the car and looked over at Jessie. “Do you want to stop and get the vitamins now or later?”
She looked at me and gave me a weak smile. “Later? I’m just so tired.”
I nodded, and I started driving.
As Aaron and Jenny’s house came into view, I noticed Jessie sit up a bit straighter.
She looked at me. “Why are you bringing me to my brother’s? I don’t want to go there. I want to go home. I just want to go home and go to sleep.” Then, her face dropped. “Do you not want me at your house?”
“What? Of course I do. I just thought you might want to be at Aaron’s, especially if…if he’s coming to town to see you and all.”
She turned and looked out the window. “I would rather stay with you, and I don’t care that he’s coming to town.”
“Okay,” I said as I pulled out of Aaron’s driveway and headed home.
The short drive to my house was a silent one. When we got to the house, I got out, and by the time I got around to the passenger side, Jessie had already gotten out of the truck. She was making her way to the front door.
We walked in, and I set my keys on the table. I took my wallet and phone out and set them down as well.
She looked at me and smiled. “Will you lie down with me? Please?”
As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t. What if Trey comes to town and talks her into leaving with him? I’ll be alone…again.
“I, um…I have a ton of work I need to catch up on, and then there’s this party we’re planning, so I need to take care of some things for that.”
Her smile faded as she nodded her head. “Of course. I understand.” Then, she turned and headed for my bedroom.
Two hours later, and I was still sitting at my desk…with nothing done. I got up and walked outside and down to the barn. I walked up to the stall where the new filly was. I smiled as I looked at her name on the door—Jessie Girl.
I turned and sat down on a hay bale, and then I put my head in my hands. I’d never felt so torn in my life. Does she love him? Her eyes had told me that she didn’t, but she had feelings for him. That much I could see in her eyes.