Millionaire Mavericks

“This flutter is the heartbeat,” the doctor told them.

“Can we hear it?” Lexi asked.

He turned the volume up and the rapid whoosh of the baby’s pulse filled the room.

Mitch had never even considered being a father, and here he was listening to his baby’s heartbeat, looking at its tiny form on a monitor.

Lance’s baby, he reminded himself.

In a way, he felt as though he was stealing something invaluable from his brother, an opportunity to see his child develop. But he was sure that Lance and Kate would eventually have children and he would experience it all with her. This might be Mitch’s only chance.

“Everything looks great,” the doctor told her. “I’ll see you in a month.”

When they were back in the car and on their way home, Lexi sat so quietly gazing out the window that Mitch began to think maybe something was wrong. He couldn’t help but ask, “Are you okay?”

“Seeing the baby, hearing the heartbeat. It suddenly seems so…real.”

She looked so dazed and bewildered he wondered if the weight of the responsibility was finally sinking in. Wouldn’t it be ironic if, now that he’d finally begun to accept the situation, she changed her mind and decided not to have it?

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

She looked over at him, surprise on her face. “No, of course not! I just…” She shrugged, then shook her head. “Never mind.”

“Tell me,” he said.

“You’ll just make fun of me.”

“I promise I won’t make fun of you.”

She studied him for a moment, as though she wasn’t quite sure she could trust him. Finally she said, “I guess I’m just a little…scared.”

He didn’t think Lexi was scared of anything, and was surprised that she would admit it to him, of all people. “Scared of what?”

“Being a bad parent. What if I do everything wrong?”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say, “You probably will.” But he didn’t have the heart to knock her down when she looked so vulnerable and unsure of herself. She was opening up to him and he couldn’t use that against her. Besides, there was always the very slim, one in a million chance that she would be a good mother and stick around. Maybe he should give her the benefit of the doubt.

So she would only disappoint him later? What was the point?

“You’ll do the best you can,” he told her, wishing he actually believed it, but Lexi seemed to buy it because she smiled.

A minute later, he pulled into his driveway and cut the engine, but when he looked back over at Lexi she was frowning.

“What’s wrong now?” he asked.

She turned to face him, looking almost nervous. “Mitch, there’s something I need to tell you. Something you should know.”

He had no idea what she was going to say, but he had the feeling he wasn’t going to like it. “What?”

She hesitated, lip wedged between her teeth. Then she said, “About the baby…”

“What about it?”

“I thought you should know…”

She looked so nervous, he started to worry something was really wrong. “What are you trying to say?”

After another pause she finally said, “I just wanted to say thank you for coming with me today. For being a part of this.”

And here he’d thought it had been something important. Half a dozen snarky comebacks were just dying to jump out, but instead he said simply, “You’re welcome. Now, we better get inside and get ready or we’ll be late for dinner. I get the distinct feeling your father isn’t one to tolerate tardiness.”

She smiled and nodded. “That’s a fairly accurate assumption. I love my father, but to be honest, the sooner this evening is over and he flies back to D.C., the better, as far as I’m concerned.”

Well, that was one thing they could agree on. So, why did he get the feeling there was something else? Something she wasn’t telling him?

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