Beautiful Storm (San Francisco End Game #1)

CHAPTER FORTY

Amelia

L uke lifts me into his arms and carries me back to the couch, lying me down on a soft pillow as his frantic voice echoes in my ear. I blink a few times, trying to clear my eyes, but it takes a couple of seconds for me to remember I’ve had migraines before and my vision isn’t getting better unless I sleep for a while.

“I’m okay,” I finally manage to whisper when he says my name again.

“What happened?”

I shield my eyes from the light and try to focus on his expression but it hurts. “I’ve had a bad headache on and off for days now, maybe weeks, but that’s the first time it’s turned into a migraine. I haven’t had them for years. I used to get the same dizziness and blurred vision. I need to sleep it off.”

“I’m calling someone.”

“What? Who?”

“Your OB-GYN. She has an emergency line.”

“This is hardly an emergency, Luke. It’s a migraine.” I try to sit up, but a pain radiates through my head, sending me back down to the pillow.

“Humor me then,” Luke says, and I don’t have to look at him to know that while he’s giving me attitude, he’s panicked. “You don’t even have to be the one to call. I’ll call. I’ll play the part of the freaked-out soon-to-be dad and you can remain cool, calm, and collected.”

I bite back a smile at his over-the-top concern but stop arguing. He’s allowed to care. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’m just not—”

“Used to someone putting you first? I know. But I’m going to need you to get over that. Fast.”

“Noted.” I smile, before closing my eyes and blindly reaching for his hand, only for him to grab mine and intertwine our fingers.

Luke makes the call, and as he talks, he lets go of my hand and runs his fingers through my hair, the soft movement lulling me into a relaxed state. I drift in and out of sleep, hearing bits and pieces of his conversation, but have no idea what’s actually being said until he rouses me.

“Sorry, what?” He speaks into the phone. “Yes, I’ll check.”

“Have you had any pain, nausea, or vomiting?”

“Nausea, yes, but that’s been constant. As long as I eat, I’m better.”

“Okay. And what about swelling?”

“Swelling?”

“Yeah, your legs or face, etc.”

“I don’t think so.” I frown but keep my eyes closed.

“Weight? I mean she’s having a baby so yes, she’s putting on weight.” He pauses. “I don’t think I can answer that without getting punched.”

What? My eyes flash open until it pains me and I close them again.

“Okay, doesn’t her doctor have a record of this?” He pauses again. “Oh, right. Okay. It’s possible she’s putting on more weight than just the baby, but I haven’t noticed.”

Oh God . I bury my head under the pillow and shrink away. Am I putting on more weight than I should? It’s possible it happened gradually, but I’m avoiding old photos of myself, so I have nothing to compare.

“Yep. Now? Okay. Tomorrow. Thank you.”

I pull the pillow tighter around my face, barely hearing his rushed goodbye, and then wait for him to fill me in.

Seconds pass by before the pillow disappears and something warm covers my eyes. “I wasn’t sure if warm or cold works better for you as the Internet mentions both, but I didn’t want to shock you with cold. Let me know if you’d prefer it.”

My heart pounds in my chest as the warmth soothes me. God, this man. “Warm is better. It’s what I used to do.”

“Perfect.”

“What did the doctor say?”

“We have an appointment tomorrow.”

“What?” I sit up quickly, making myself dizzy as the cloth drops into my lap. “Why? It’s a migraine.” I subtly grab Luke’s hand to steady myself, and when I open my eyes he’s dimmed the lights.

Luke raises an eyebrow as his face scrunches, and while I know he wants to snap at me, he’s doing so out of love.

“Okay. You don’t have to say anything. Tomorrow is good. We need to make sure Jelly Bean is okay.”

“And you,” he practically growls. “How is it possible you and Preston lasted so long when you’re so goddamn stubborn?”

“I wasn’t like this with him. It’s something I reserve for you.”

Luke’s frustration makes way for his smile and he huffs out a disbelieving laugh. Though I have no doubt he believes me.

“What time tomorrow? I have to let work know.” I close my eyes again and lie backdown, reaching for the cloth but not finding it. I’m just about to open my eyes when it covers me again, a little cooler this time.

“Nine a.m.”

“Thanks. Does that affect your practice?”

“Don’t worry about me. Come on, I’ll take you upstairs so you can sleep. Hopefully you’re better in the morning and we can stop panicking.”

I want to argue but now’s not the time. If it puts Luke’s mind at ease, I’ll go to the doctor. “Thank you. I appreciate your help.”

“Good.”

M y OB-GYN, Kelly, asks me to do a few tests before checking my blood pressure and performing a mini ultrasound to check on Jelly Bean, and when she’s done we’re asked to wait.

We’re alone for barely a few minutes, but it feels like hours as Luke paces the room, his muscled arms momentarily distracting me as he continues to rake his hands through his already mussed hair.

When Kelly returns with a neutral expression, Luke drops to the chair beside me as if he’ll be scolded for standing, and leans forward with interest, making me smile through my nerves.

I reach for his hand and curl my fingers through his, watching as his body instantly relaxes into the chair. He throws a quick smile my way, but when Kelly clears her throat, his focus shifts.

“You’re in the early stages of preeclampsia.”

“What?” I ask as Luke huffs out a breath.

“I was worried about that,” Luke says, drawing my gaze.

“You were?” What in the world?

“You did the right thing by calling our emergency line last night and coming in today. Most symptoms present like general issues, for you a migraine. Others present with indigestion type pain, while some show nothing at all. Because we’ve caught it early, we don’t have to do anything rash. Amelia, I’ll start you on some medication for your blood pressure, and we’ll monitor the baby regularly.”

“We can come in weekly,” Luke advises, making me snort laugh.

“That’s going to cost you and at this stage—”

“It’s not an issue. Please.”

“Okay.” Kelly smiles. “You’ve got yourself a good man here, Amelia. Hold on to him. I’ll have our receptionist schedule a weekly appointment, but I need you both to promise to remain calm. Stressing will make this worse.”

“Of course,” I answer before Luke can argue again. “I’ll make sure I take it a bit easier. I have a job that can be considered stressful at times, but I have a lot of people who can help me.” A thought hits me and my stomach churns. “Am I still okay to work?”

“For now, yes. But if your condition worsens, you may need to finish up earlier than expected.”

“Okay.” I let out a sigh of relief. “I’m happy to do that if I need to.” But for now, I need to make sure everything is in order before I go.

“Great.” Kelly stands and we both mimic her movement. “Here’s your prescription for the blood pressure medication, and I’ll see you next week. But if anything happens in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to call. You caught this early, but it’s a serious issue.”

“We know. Thank you.”

Luke’s quiet as we leave, but the second we’re in his truck, he spins my way. “Are you okay? How are you feeling? Are you sure you should be working? What can we do?”

“Woah. First, thank you. Kelly’s right; I’m lucky to have you in my life and on this journey with me. I don’t say it enough, but Luke, you’ve been my rock through all of this and I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He stares at me for a moment before he does a double take. “Did you really just say that?”

“Yes.” I shove at his shoulder and laugh, but of course, his muscled body doesn’t budge. “That was me. I said that. I’m sorry I haven’t said it enough so you actually believe me.”

“I believe you. And thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He opens his mouth to speak again but I cut him off, preempting his concern. “Second, I promise to take it easy at work. I’ll speak with our first assistant director and get him to take on a bit more responsibility. He’s more than proven himself and has been an AD for years. I’m actually going to mention him for my role while I’m taking time off.”

“Okay, but I’m going to talk to everyone there and make sure they keep an eye on you.”

“You don’t have to—”

“Please, Amelia. I’ll feel better about everything. You’re not the only one stressing.”

“Oh, I know. And thank you. We can talk to the crew together.”

“Good. Let’s grab your medication and head to the stadium then. If we’re quick enough, I should be able to make it onto the field before practice begins.”

“What happens if you don't?”

“I get a fine.” He shrugs.

“What?”

Luke grins as he bops my nose. “No stress, remember? You worry about you and Jelly Bean and I’ll worry about me, you, and Jelly Bean.”

“You, Luke Bennett, are lucky I love you.” I laugh at my joke until my heart flutters and a rush of emotion takes over me. Do I love him? I can’t. Can I? It took me years to feel it with Preston, but we were young and I didn’t really know what love was. But now, I can recognize it and it’s impossible to deny that it’s there. “I—”

“Yeah, yeah.” Luke laughs. “You’re not exactly easy to live with either,” he jokes back, pulling me out of my daze, though the feeling still lingers. “Let’s go, so I don’t get that fine.” He starts the engine while I silently nod, my gaze locked on the side of his face. And a thought hits me. I may have tried hard to deny it, but I’ve felt this way for a while.