Wethering the Storm

Chapter THIRTEEN

I wake in Jake’s arms, still wearing last night’s dress.
“Hey,” he says softly beside me.
Turning my face to him, I look straight into his blue eyes.
His black hair is all mussed up from sleeping, but his eyes are wide-awake. He’s been thinking.
Not good.
“How long have you been awake?” I ask, my voice wavering slightly.
“Not long.” He brushes a stray curl from off my forehead.
There’s a moment of still between us.
I don’t know what to say after last night, and it seems neither does Jake.
“Are you okay?” he asks, breaking our silent stare.
Do I need a reason not to be?
“Yes.” I nod, swallowing.
Are you?
Jake closes his eyes, releasing a breath.
What is he thinking? I’m afraid to ask. Afraid he’s changed his mind about the baby.
I watch him, waiting. Opening his eyes, he takes my face in his hand and kisses me.
Deeply. Passionately. Reverently.
It’s a kiss filled with unspoken words, promises, and love. Deep love. The love that has bound us together for nearly three decades.
“We’re having a baby,” I say when Jake’s kiss slows.
“We are.” He tilts his head back, looking into my eyes.
“You’re going to be a daddy.” I can’t read him right now. He’s still holding back from me.
He smiles, but it’s tight. I can see the fear in his eyes that he was hiding a moment ago.
It sparks a pain in my chest. An awful, all-consuming pain.
“Jake, are you…okay?”
“Yeah, just a little—”
“Overwhelmed. Scared. Not ready. Changed your mind,” I blurt out, cutting him off.
He looks puzzled, and then his eyes firm up, his gaze pinning me. “More like ready. Happy. Wanting our baby more than anything.” His hand touches my stomach, and I exhale the breath I was holding. “I’m just worried,” he adds quietly, casting his gaze beyond me.
My stomach tenses under his touch. “About?”
“That the baby isn’t okay.”
“The baby’s fine.” I relax, putting my hand over his, pressing it to my stomach.
“I want you to see a doctor today, Tru.”
“I was planning on going on Monday.”
“It has to be today,” he says tightly. “I’ll get Stuart to arrange it.”
He sits up, turning from me, putting his feet to the floor. I follow, sitting beside him. Turning to face him, I wrap one leg around his front and the other around his back, trapping him.
“Why the rush?” I ask, tilting my head to the side, looking into his face.
Sighing, he meets my eyes for a brief moment, then looks away. “Tru, I’ve spent the last eight years using drugs—the last three, on a daily basis.”
“But you’re clean now,” I input.
“Just over five weeks ago, I wasn’t. Even though I wasn’t using when you got pregnant, those drugs could have still been in my system, and…” He inhales sharply, driving his hand through his hair. He looks down. “I just need to make sure that the baby is okay, that the drugs haven’t had any effect on the baby or caused any long-term damage.” His voice sounds pained.
F*ck. I hadn’t even thought of that. And if Jake’s worried, I need to be too. He never worries unnecessarily.
Afraid but trying to remain positive, I say, “I’m sure the baby will be fine.”
His chest expands on a quick, deep breath. “I’ll believe that when I hear it from a doctor. I need to know today, Tru. Once I know, then I can relax and enjoy this with you.”
I reach over and take his hand, linking our fingers. “Okay,” I say, running my other hand through his soft, inky hair.
Reaching to the bedside cabinet for his phone, he says, “I’ll call Stuart now to make us an appointment with the best pregnancy doctor there is.”
I put my hand on his, stopping him. “They’re called obstetricians, baby. And don’t you think we should tell my folks, and your mum and Dale first, that we’re having a baby, before we tell Stuart?”
“Sure I do, but we’re not telling them until we know everything is okay. I don’t know of a good obstetrician—do you?”
I shake my head.
“Then Stuart it is.”
“How exactly will Stuart know about obstetricians? He might be gay, but he hasn’t magicked up a vagina overnight that I know of.”
That gets a smile out of him. A small one, but it’s a start.
“Because, smart-ass, there isn’t anything Stuart doesn’t know or can’t find out. That’s why I pay him so well.”
Lifting my hand from his, I say, “Okay, well, just don’t tell him I’m pregnant. Tell him I’m having women’s problems.”
Not only do I want to tell my parents first, I don’t want anyone to know about the baby until I know everything is okay.
I wasn’t worried before Jake said something. But now…now I’m terrified there could be something wrong with the baby.


Three hours later, Jake and I are sitting in the office of Dr. Suzanne Kline, doctor to the rich and famous and the best obstetrician money can buy.
Her receptionist let us into her office. She looked less than happy to be working on a Saturday, but the instant she saw Jake walk in behind me, her face lit up like a Christmas tree.
She seated us in Dr. Kline’s office, with the offer of a drink, telling us that Dr. Kline would be with us shortly.
I have to say it’s the nicest doctor’s office I have ever been in.
It’s light and airy, all cream and beige. I’m sitting in the comfiest leather chair I’ve ever sat in, in front of a huge mahogany desk that looks like it cost more than I earn in a year. There’s a sofa in the corner resembling the one we have at home, and there are pictures of babies everywhere. I’m guessing famous babies.
My child is going to be famous.
Crap. I hadn’t even registered that fact. Sometimes I forget Jake is famous. Even though it’s thrust into my face on a daily basis, I still just think of him as Jake Wethers, my best friend and boy next door.
Our child is going to be famous simply for the fact Jake is.
The baby’s not going to have the chance for a normal childhood like I had.
It’s going to live its life accompanied by bodyguards, safety always a cause for concern.
I’m going to have to talk to Jake about this. I want our child to have as normal a life as possible. I know he’ll want that too, so we’re going to have to figure out a way to make it happen.
Jake hasn’t sat still since we arrived. I can feel nerves and tension radiating off him. I have never seen him this worked up before. It’s freaking me out.
I rest my hand on his thigh, settling his jigging leg.
He looks at me, giving me a tight smile.
“It’s going to be fine,” I say, trying to sound convincing, even though I am less than confident myself. I become even more so as the minutes pass.
“I hope so,” he utters. “I really hope so.” He takes my hand, bringing it to his mouth, and brushes a kiss over my knuckles.
It’s at this point Dr. Kline finally makes her appearance.
Imagine the one doctor you wouldn’t want in the same room as your hot, ex-womanising, rocker boyfriend. Well, yeah, that’s Dr. Suzanne Kline.
She is tall, early thirties, I’d say, long blonde hair that is tied back in a sleek ponytail. She’s wearing high-waisted blue jeans that only stick-thin people can wear, with a button-up white shirt tucked in, which sits just perfectly around her perfect-size chest. No gaping buttonholes for her.
Basically, she’s gorgeous. And I hate her instantly.
Remind me to kick the crap out of Stuart when we get home.
She may be the best OB/GYN in LA, but I would have rather settled for the second best, even the third, as long as they didn’t look anything like her.
“Sorry I’m a little late,” she says, advancing across the room toward us.
Reaching her hand out to me, I spot her perfect manicure and cringe at my chipped red nail varnish.
“I’m Dr. Suzanne Kline,” she says. “But please just call me Suzanne.”
“Trudy Bennett,” I reply. But please just call me Ms. Bennett, I’m tempted to say just to be a bitch.
I bite my tongue, hard.
Turning to Jake, she releases her hand from mine and offers it to Jake. He takes it. “Jake Wethers,” he says.
“I know who you are, Mr. Wethers.” She presses her lips into a quirked smile, looking a little shy, and I see her eyes have widened in his gaze. In this instant she looks like one of his groupies.
I hate the effect he has on women. She’s a smart, successful doctor, one who comes in contact with celebrities on a regular basis, yet one touch and a look from Jake and she’s a teenage girl again.
I think I may vomit.
“Jake, please,” he says, and he sounds so smooth that I have the urge to slap him up the back side of his head.
Releasing her hand, he instantly takes hold of my hand again, pulling it to rest in his lap.
I feel like giving a smug smile, but I don’t. I know I’m being irrational, I know that Jake only has eyes for me, but I hate the way she was looking at him. I take a quick glance at her left hand as she makes her way around the desk to her chair.
It’s a yes on the wedding ring. But when has the little matter of having a husband ever stopped women from trying to get into Jake’s pants?
“Please excuse my attire,” she says in her sexy American twang, gesturing to her clothes as she sits down. “I came straight from family brunch.”
“Sorry to pull you away,” Jake says. “But I wanted Tru to see a doctor today.”
“No worries. What seems to be the problem, Tru?” She directs her question to me, leaning forward in her seat.
I stiffen a little under her blue-eyed scrutiny. “Well, I, um, took a pregnancy test—three actually—and they all said I’m, um, pregnant.” I have no idea why, but my cheeks are bright red, and I feel flustered.
“This is good news…for you both?” she asks carefully, moving her eyes between Jake and me.
“Very good news.” Jake smiles at me, squeezing my hand. “Unplanned but very much wanted.”
My heart melts.
“That’s wonderful news.” She beams, smiling a bright white Hollywood smile. If possible, she looks even more gorgeous.
Ugh.
“Many congratulations to you both,” she adds.
“Thank you,” Jake replies.
I can’t reply because I’m too busy gnawing over the fact that I’m going to get as fat as a house and my baby doctor is a glamazon.
Dr. Glamazon.
There really should be a law against this kind of thing. People as beautiful as her should not be allowed to be baby doctors.
I think I might kick the crap out of Stuart twice now, just for good measure. He’s officially off my Christmas list.
He’s just introduced Jake to a smart, beautiful glamazon who knows her shit about women’s bits, probably men’s too, so therefore, she will be awesome at sex. And I’m about to turn into fat, dumpy Tru, who very soon won’t have a lot to offer in the sex department.
“I’m taking it from the urgency to see me today, you have some concern over the pregnancy,” Dr. Glamazon states rather than asks, cutting into my bitching thoughts.
“Yes.” Jake sits forward in his seat but keeps a tight hold of my hand. “It’s public knowledge of my use of drugs and that I was in rehab getting clean.” I feel him tense, so I rest my free hand on his knee. He gives me a quick glance and continues. “What isn’t public knowledge is that a little over seven weeks ago, I started using again.”
“Are you still using now?” she asks.
“No.” He shakes his head vehemently. “I used for two weeks, stopped, and I’ve been clean for the last five.”
“What drugs were you taking?”
“Cocaine.”
“I take it you’re worried you might still have had drugs in your system when you conceived?”
“Yes.” His grip on my hand tightens to near pain, but I don’t say anything. I’m as anxious as he is to hear what she has to say.
I’m watching Dr. Glamazon, trying to gauge her reaction to what Jake’s asking, but there’s not a shred of emotion in her face.
Poker face. I bet she’s had Botox done.
She leans back in her chair, elbows on the rests, fingers steepled.
“I understand your concern, Jake, but honestly, there is nothing for you to worry about. There’s been a lot of research done about the possible side effects on sperm from recreational drug usage, and to date there is nothing to prove that drugs cause any long-term side effects on a developing fetus.”
I feel Jake relax beside me. And me too. It’s such a relief to hear.
“The only known side effects are significant reductions in sperm count,” Dr. Glamazon continues, “sometimes resulting in infertility—which obviously hasn’t been a problem for you.” She gives him a hinting smile, which raises my hackles.
I know she’s a doctor, but she seriously shouldn’t talk about my man’s virility like that.
I clear my throat and raise my eyebrow at her.
She breezes a look to me, composing herself, and says to Jake, “Most commonly, the issue we see from drug usage and a developing fetus comes directly from the mother. If a woman uses drugs when pregnant, the drugs will pass through the placenta and directly to the baby. That’s when we have issues such as deformities and long-term health problems.”
Ooh, you bitch.
I’m seriously getting a new baby doctor.
“I have never touched drugs in my life,” I state, probably a little too loudly. I dig my nails so hard into Jake’s hand, I hear him wince. “I don’t even smoke cigarettes, let alone joints!”
“That’s really good to hear, Tru.” She smiles pleasantly.
Now I just want to slap her. Hard. A few times.
God, what the hell is wrong with me? Is this what pregnancy does? Or have I always been this jealous?
I guess I’m just jealous when it comes to Jake.
He runs the pad of his thumb across the palm of my hand.
I know he’s trying to settle me, but I’m a riled right now and in no mood to be settled.
“I was still on the pill when I got pregnant,” I blurt out.
Crap, how did I forget that? Actually, how the hell did I manage to get pregnant while on the pill? It’s never failed me in all the years I’ve been taking it.
“You were taking the pill when you got pregnant?” Dr. Glamazon asks, her perfectly shaped brow raised.
Does she think I’m lying or something? Or that I’ve trapped Jake by getting pregnant on purpose?
Does he think the same?
I sneak a quick glance at him, but his face is impassive as he looks at Dr. Glamazon.
I wish I knew what he was thinking right now.
“Yes, I’ve been on the pill for a really long time, and it’s never let me down before—obviously,” I mutter, not helping my case at all.
I start to chew on my free thumbnail, killing all hope for my nail varnish.
“Have you missed taking any pills this month?” Dr. Glamazon asks.
“No.” My face is bright red, like I’m guilty of something. I hate it when that happens. “I never forget. I’ve always been methodical about taking it.”
“Have you taken any other medication lately?”
“Yes she has,” Jake answers. He removes my hand from my mouth, stopping me from biting my nails. “Tru was sick while we were on holiday. She had food poisoning, and the doctor prescribed her some medication.”
“Did he advise if there would be any interference with contraception from taking the medication?” she asks.
“No,” Jake answers again before I get the chance to. “Tru was too sick to be asking or answering any questions at that time, so it was on me, and honestly it wasn’t something I even considered asking the doctor. The fault lies with me on that one.”
I feel him talking to me in that last sentence.
“There’s no fault,” I whisper to him. “I’m happy to be having our baby.”
He smiles. One of those special, reserved-for-me-only smiles.
Dr. Glamazon starts talking, interrupting our moment. “The medication you took, combined with the sickness, possibly will have made the contraceptive pill ineffective. The prescribing doctor should have advised of this.”
“Will my being on the pill while pregnant have harmed the baby at all?” I turn to her, shifting forward in my seat, changing the direction of this conversation.
Between the two of us, Jake and I don’t seem to have been aiming to give our baby the best start in life.
She smiles, and this one actually appears genuine. “It’s a common thing that happens among women, so no, I don’t think there will be any side effects from it. Just to give you both total peace of mind, I’ll do a scan now and take a look at your baby to make sure all is okay.”
A scan? Now? I’m going to see my baby right now? My heart practically pole vaults out of my chest.
I don’t miss the way Jake’s hand tightens around mine either.
I risk a look at him, but his face is impassive. A mask. The one he wears when he doesn’t want people—mainly me—to know what he’s thinking.
Standing and moving around her desk, past us, Dr. Glamazon asks, “When was the last day of your last period, Tru?”
I cast my mind back. Turning in my seat, I say, “The third of October, I think.”
“Okay, can you undress your lower half and hop up on the bed?” She points to the sterile-looking bed at the far side of the room she’s walking toward. “You can cover yourself up with this.” She places a drape on the bed.
With nerves fluttering in my tummy, I go over to the bed, leaving Jake in his seat. Dr. Glamazon pulls the curtain, giving me privacy.
It’s not until I’m actually on the bed that I wonder why the hell I need my pants off if she’s going to scan my tummy? Unless she’s going to do an internal examination first.
Oh God, she’s going to do an internal in front of Jake. I know he’s seen everything I have to offer, but I really don’t want him here while the doctor pokes around my lady bits. I wonder if I could ask him to leave without offending him.
“All ready?” Dr. Glamazon asks from behind the curtain.
“Yes,” I reply, my voice sounding a little strangled.
Pulling back the curtain a little she walks in, followed by Jake.
He looks uncomfortable. Then I see his eyes instantly go to my lower half, which is covered by the drape, and a sexy smile flirts across his lips.
Only Jake would see the sexy side of this current situation. He’s such a perv. But I like that no matter what circumstance I’m in, I can still get him that way.
I reach for his hand, smiling up at him. I mouth, Perv.
His eyes twinkle, and he grins, lips pressed together. He flickers a glance to Dr. Glamazon, who has her back to us, getting something from a cupboard. He mouths to me, You look so f*cking sexy right now. He traces his finger along my jaw.
I roll my eyes at him and mouth back, Yeah, sure I do.
Another glance to the doctor and he mouths back, expression firm and serious, Yes, you do. You always do.
Okay. That’s me told.
I smile softly at him, and then Dr. Glamazon appears beside me.
“Okay, Trudy,” she begins, while fiddling with a monitor she’s pulled over beside me. “Because you’re so early into your pregnancy, I’m going to do a transvaginal ultrasound.”
“A what?”
“A transvaginal ultrasound. I’ll place this inside you.” She lifts up what can only be described as something that looks exactly like a handheld blender. “It will show us your baby. It’s the same as a sonogram, only done internally.”
“You’re going to put that inside of me?” My lungs seize up for a few held breaths.
“Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe and pain-free.”
I look at Jake, worried. He smiles and smooths my hair back from my forehead, but I can see in his eyes that even he’s a bit freaked.
“You’ll be fine,” he says. “Having this done means we’re going to get to see our baby.”
Yeah, well, that’s easy for him to say. He’s not getting a huge handheld blender stuck up his vagina. Of course I want to see our baby and know it’s okay, but holy f*ck, that thing looks painful.
“I would normally do a sonogram for the first scan,” Dr. Glamazon explains, “but they’re done at twelve weeks. As you’re so early into your pregnancy, the baby won’t show on a sonogram. This is the only way I’m going to be able to see the baby to check that all is okay.”
Guess I don’t have a choice, then.
She retrieves a pair of surgical gloves from a box and puts them on.
“Don’t worry, Tru. In a few moments you’re going to see your baby on this screen here.” She nods in the direction of the monitor beside me.
“Okay.” I swallow.
I’m going to see my baby in a few moments. Wow. This is getting real now.
“If you could just bend your knees up for me. Perfect. Now just relax,” Dr. Glamazon says, resting her hand against my knee as she starts to insert that god-awful thing inside of me.
Wincing, I scrunch up my face, squeezing Jake’s hand.
Oh, okay, actually it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.
“There we go,” she says. “This tiny little thing here is your baby.”
I flick my eyes open and come face-to-face with a little blob on the screen.
My baby. Our baby.
My heart lifts into my mouth, and tears prick my eyes.
I notice Jake’s grip on my hand has tightened along with my own, and when I turn to look at him, I see his eyes fixed on the screen. Glittering and filled with awe. My heart trembles, lifts, and then flutters daintily out of my chest.
“Jake?” I whisper.
His eyes move to mine, and in their meeting, a heartbreaking smile sweeps over his face. A smile I will remember for the rest of my days.
Leaning down to me, he presses a kiss to my forehead.
“Thank you,” he whispers against my skin, and I almost crack wide open on the spot.
A tear slides from my eye, and I discreetly brush it away.
“Everything looks absolutely fine to me,” Dr. Glamazon says, looking at the screen, moving a mouse around, clicking little markers around my tiny baby. “We have a good, strong heartbeat. Baby is growing nicely. I’d say you’re coming up to about six weeks along.”
Staring at my tiny baby, I feel all kinds of emotions I’ve never felt before. I can’t even begin to form words to express them.
Then Dr. Glamazon is removing the wand from me, and my tiny baby disappears from view.
“I’ll run off some prints for you.” She smiles at both Jake and me, and I’m guessing it’s because of the mirrored expressions of disappointment on our faces.
Leaving me to dress, Jake sits back in his seat while the doctor sorts out our baby pictures.
I dress, feeling happy and excited. We’re having a baby. A real honest-to-God baby.
Seeing the pregnancy tests made it real, of course. But in a surreal way. Seeing our baby up on that screen made it real in the best possible way.
I slide my shoes back on and return to my seat beside Jake.
He takes hold of my hand the moment I sit down, linking his fingers with mine. He kisses my hand.
The love and emotion moving between us right now is palpable. I can’t wait to be alone with him and talk to him about the future we’re going to have with our baby.
“I’ll write you up a prescription for some prenatal vitamins,” Dr. Glamazon says, scribbling on a prescription pad. “And I’ll have my receptionist make an appointment for your next checkup so we can order some bloodwork.”
She tears off the prescription and hands it to me. “Don’t forget the pictures of your baby,” she adds, handing me a white envelope.
My baby. I’m going to be a mum.
Taking that as our cue to leave, I rise from my seat. “Thank you, Doctor. And thanks for seeing us on your day off.”
“I was happy to. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to call me.”
“I have a question,” Jake adds, still perched on his seat, long legs stretched out.
I pause and look down at him.
“Sex,” he says to the doctor.
“Sex?” Dr. Glamazon repeats.
Sex?
“Yes, sex. Can Tru and I still have sex while she’s pregnant? Is it safe for the baby?”
She smiles. I do too. I actually have to stop from giggling. He is so bloody cute to me right now.
“It’s absolutely safe,” Dr. Glamazon says, nodding. “You can continue to have a healthy and active sex life throughout the whole pregnancy.”
Jake scratches his forehead. “Yeah, I know people generally have sex while pregnant, but it’s just that I, um…well, I have…” He thrusts his hand through is hair, and I can’t help but smile at his struggling, wondering where on earth he’s going with this.
“Look, I have a huge penis,” he states, looking Dr. Glamazon dead in the eye.
I burst out laughing, quickly clamping my hand over my mouth.
Dr. Glamazon looks shocked. Can’t blame her. Jake Wethers just said “penis” in her office. Specifically, “I have a huge penis.”
My smutty, tattooed, sexy rock star Jake just said “penis.” It just sounds so very, very wrong.
I start laughing again.
Jake turns his head, giving me a pissed-off look. Okay, so he’s not amused.
“I’m sorry,” I say, moving my hand from my mouth. “I’ve just never heard you say that word before.” I snort. “Okay, I’ll shut up,” I add at his hardening expression. I press my lips together, twisting the grin off them. It’s harder than you’d think.
“Look, what I’m trying to say is…” Jake thrusts his hand through his hair again. “Is that I’m bigger than the average man. A lot bigger. And I just want to know I won’t hurt the baby when Tru and I have sex.”
I look at Dr. Glamazon and can see her eyes are flicking to everything but Jake. I know she’s desperately trying not to look at his crotch. Honestly, I can’t blame her. The curiosity would be killing me too.
She clears her throat. “Um, Jake, the baby will be fine during intercourse. Honestly fine. It’s really well protected. There is no way you can hurt it, no matter how big you…um, are.” She looks so uncomfortable right now that I actually feel for her.
But I still want to laugh. I bite down hard on my lip.
I see Jake’s face relax. “Cool, that’s really good to know,” he says, getting to his feet.
He sounds like he’s just finishing up a conversation about the weather, not one about his huge penis.
Penis.
I snuffle another laugh, and Jake fires me another pissed-off look as he turns my way.
I’m so in trouble when we get out of here.