Daddy’s Little Surprise (Missouri Daddies #6)

4. Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

MARCO

M arco stared at her for a couple of seconds. What had gone wrong? Why had she passed out? Was she okay?

So many questions were running through his head, and he wanted answers. He wanted the doctor to come in and explain what was happening. He wanted to demand to know everything.

As he waited in the hospital room, he went over everything that happened once he’d gotten to her. He’d held her hair as she puked. He had helped her walk into her coffee shop and was about to get her water when she passed out in his arms. He never wanted to have that happen again. Never wanted to have those emotions again.

The panic, the worry, and so much more. To feel her baby bump up against him as he carried her to his car was amazing. He knew she was pregnant before today. Rainey did a good job of hiding it most of the time with baggy shirts, but he had seen her once before with a tighter shirt as he walked Dane.

Knowing she was pregnant didn’t deter him from wanting her. If anything, it made his protective instincts go wild. He had walked down the street several times, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man in her life. But he never saw anybody with her, and the property manager said she was single.

What happened? Marco wasn’t going to judge her. He didn’t care. It was love at first sight. He knew Rainey was it for him, and he was going to love and take care of the baby as if it was his own.

Marco never thought he would become a dad so soon, but it was a nice little surprise. He couldn’t wait to help Rainey with anything and everything.

That was if she wanted to be with him. He was going to try his hardest to show her he cared and wanted to be with her. It didn’t matter if the baby wasn’t his by blood. Even if it was going to be extra work, he didn’t mind.

As the minutes went by, Marco started to pace the room. Where was the doctor? Where were the nurses? What was wrong with Rainey?

He had finally gathered the courage to go inside and talk to her. He usually had Dane, his dog, with him but had decided today to leave him at home. He was thankful this time because he wouldn’t have been able to focus on Dane and Rainey at once.

He wouldn’t have had to focus on doing too much because Dane was trained and followed Marco’s commands, but he knew the hospital wouldn’t want him in the building .

Marco was also glad he decided to go today. He had gone back and forth on whether he should have stopped in tomorrow, but his gut told him to do it today.

What if he hadn’t been there? Would she have passed out on the sidewalk? Would anyone have helped her? Would she have hit her bump on the way down?

Marco shook his head. He didn’t need to be thinking about this. He had been there for her, caught her before she could hit the ground, and got her to the hospital. He had been there, and now he was here with her in this room.

The doctors were going to take care of everything. He didn’t care how much money it cost; he had plenty and wanted her to be healthy. If it meant spending all his savings, he would.

That’s how all in he was.

Marco already knew he loved her. Was it too soon? Probably. He didn’t know much about her, but he didn’t really care. From the little he had seen of her on his walks, he knew she was his.

He wasn’t going to tell her he loved her when she woke up. That would freak her out, and he didn’t want that. He was just going to show he loved her until it was right to tell her.

He just hoped he got a chance.

But if she ultimately wanted nothing to do with him, he would let her go. He wouldn’t force it on her. He knew if she said no then he’d be alone for the rest of his life. There was a feeling deep inside when he thought about her. He couldn’t explain it; he just knew she was his soul mate.

There was nobody else .

He had heard about those werewolf romance books people read where they had fated mates. This was one of those instances. He didn’t know if it could happen in real life, but he felt like this situation was exactly that.

Marco just knew she was the one. It was an instinct inside him. The little time he interacted with her brought out his Daddy instincts. He thought he would never have a Little girl of his own, but now he might.

Sure, he didn’t know if Rainey was a Little or not, but the way he had seen her interact with other people as he walked by just screamed she was. He knew if she weren’t a Little, he wouldn’t force it on her. Would he bring it up to her? Absolutely.

As Marco paced up and down the room, the door opened. When the doctor walked in, Marco knew exactly who he was.

Mike Smith.

“Marco? What are you doing here?” Mike asked.

“She’s my fiancé. She passed out in my arms. I brought her in. What’s wrong with her?”

Mike knew it was a lie, but he also knew non-family members weren’t allowed back and could not hear what was wrong.

Mike raised his eyebrow and stared at him for several seconds.

“She is my fiancé. Can you please tell me what’s wrong?”

It was driving him absolutely crazy, not knowing what was possibly wrong with her. They had hooked her up to several drips and left after they did a couple of tests. He just wanted to know so he could relax some .

“Well, we can talk about that later. I know I shouldn’t be telling you this, but you obviously care. And she needs somebody to look after her. She’s the one who opened the coffee shop recently, right?”

“Yes, about two or three months ago. Close to the bakery Charlotte works at,” Marco replied.

He was trying not to blow up and ask what was wrong with her again. He wasn’t expecting Mike to walk into her room. He was expecting some other doctor he didn’t know very well so he could get away with the fiancé lie.

Even though Mike knew he was lying, he could tell how much Marco cared for her. He was doing him a favor and Marco had no room to try and push him or get frustrated.

“She is going to be mine. No doubt about that. I just need to make it clear that down the road, she will be my fiancé,” Marco declared.

Was it too soon? Probably. They’d only had a short conversation, but nothing much. Marco was taking a risk by declaring this in front of Mike.

“Does she know this?” Mike asked.

“Not yet, but she will. Now, can you please tell me what’s wrong with her so I can make it better? I’m on the edge of my metaphorical seat. I need to know.”

“Chill. I understand you’re claiming her, but you’re in my house. I could have you removed because you’re not family. So, why don’t you sit down next to her, come hold her hand, and chill the fuck out. Unless you want to be removed.”

“Over my dead body will I leave,” Marco growled.

“Sit.”

Marco took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. He needed to choose his battles wisely. She was in the hospital, hooked up to several medications. If he left, nobody would be there for her.

Would she be scared? Would she panic? Would she be lonely?

Marco walked over to the seat next to her bed and took her hand. He couldn’t do that to her.

“Better?” Mike remarked.

“Yes.”

Taking several deep breaths, he waited for Mike to tell him what was wrong with her. It was like time was passing slower and slower as he waited. No doubt, Mike was doing it on purpose to see if he would snap at him again.

“The baby is fine. She’s about six months along. The test we did showed she was dehydrated and stressed. She needs to keep the stress down for the baby’s sake. That means lots of liquids, food, and rest.”

“She owns a coffee shop. Rest might not be that easy.”

Mike gave him a smile. “Perfect time to show your strict Daddy side to her. Show that you’re not messing around when it comes to her health.”

Marco clenched his jaw. He didn’t exactly want her to wake up and have him boss her around. She didn’t know him, and he didn’t want to run her away.

“She will need somebody to watch over her for the next few of days. I don’t feel comfortable sending her home if she’s alone,” Mike explained. “But if she does have somebody at home, I will discharge her, and she can leave.”

Everything in Marco wanted to say she didn’t have anybody, that he would take responsibility, but he didn’t know if that was true. He didn’t know where she lived and whether she had a boyfriend or husband who stayed there.

“If she doesn’t have anybody, I will take responsibility and bring her home with me,” Marco gently said.

“I’ll let the nurse know.”

Marco nodded and slowly relaxed into the chair.

“When is she going to wake up?” he asked.

“Are you ready to be a dad?” Mike spoke at the same time.

They stared at each other for several seconds.

“I’ll answer first. She should wake up any second now. She might be a little out of it since she did pass out, but it won’t last long,” Mike replied.

“I know this baby might not be biologically mine, but it is mine. If she agrees, I will take care of this baby like it’s my own. You don’t have to worry about that. I’m not going to tell her to get rid of it because I didn’t plant the seed. And if I have any other children with her, I will not treat the baby any differently. Is that understood?”

Marco knew he was being a little harsh, but he needed to let Mike know he was all in. He wasn’t going to ask Rainey to give up her baby. That would be cruel and unnecessary.

Mike raised his hands. “I just wanted to ask. I wasn’t trying to insinuate you would treat the baby any differently. But it’s good to know you won’t.”

“Damn right, I wouldn’t.”

He didn’t like that question. He knew it was logical and a question she would probably ask him, but he didn’t like it coming from another man. When Rainey asked him, he was going to be prepared to answer so that she wouldn’t doubt what he was saying.

“I’ll give the nurses all the notes. But she needs to stay hydrated, and she definitely needs to eat and have less stress. It’s essential for her and the baby. If she can’t do all three of those, I’ll have to put her on bed rest in the hospital to keep an eye on her,” Mike explained.

“Don’t want that. I’ll make sure she stays hydrated, fed, and less stressed. I can’t eliminate all the stress, but I will try.”

“Good. I want to see her in a week and a half. You can just bring her through the emergency room and tell the nurse. I’ll have them write it down, and I’ll see her right away. And if I’m not here, you can come to my house, and I’ll check her over.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“Don’t forget to press the button once she wakes up. The nurse will be in to check on her and discharge her. Good luck. You’ll need it.”

Mike left the room, and Marco looked back at Rainey. She looked so peaceful lying there. He hoped she felt the connection he did. He hoped she would not give much of a fight. Ultimately, her staying in the hospital, or with him would come down to whether she had anybody at home. If she stayed in the hospital, he would visit her every single day, bringing her homemade food because he knew hospital food was not appetizing.

He looked at her short brown hair sprawled across the pillow. For her having short hair, she did have a lot of it. For some reason, it didn’t suit her. Not in Marco’s mind. But if she was happy about it, he was fine with it. He still loved her either way.

He groaned and closed his eyes. He really needed to stop saying that he loved her in his head. It was going to come out of his mouth when he didn’t need it to.

Marco squeezed her hand as he opened his eyes. “What am I going to do with you?”