One Night, Two Babies / Valente's Baby: One Night, Two Babies

“I don’t understand why you’re being so stubborn about this, Zach,” she grumbled.

“I could say the same thing about you.”

Closing her eyes for a second as if trying to keep from belting him one, when she opened them, they sparkled with anger. “I give you my word that I’ll tell you everything the doctor says and even make an extra copy of the picture from the ultrasound for you.”

“I’m sure you would.” He’d like to believe Arielle would be completely honest with him, but he couldn’t be one hundred percent certain. After all, he’d trusted his former fiancée and that had ended in absolute tragedy. “But I’m a hands-on kind of guy, darlin’. I never rely on secondhand information and I want to hear for myself what the man has—”

“Woman,” she corrected him. “My obstetrician is a woman.”

“Okay. I want to hear what the woman has to say.” He smiled as he reached forward and placed his hand on her pregnant stomach. “I’m the daddy. I’m entitled to know what’s going on, as well as finding out whether we’re having a boy or girl at the same time you do.”

She shook her head and removed his hand from her stomach. “I didn’t say you weren’t. But did it ever occur to you that it might make me uncomfortable to have you in the room during an examination?”

Her revelation was unexpected. Before he could stop himself, he reached out to run his index finger along her creamy cheek. “Why, Arielle? It’s not like I haven’t been intimately acquainted with your body before.”

“That was several months ago and a lot of things have changed since then,” she said, looking away.

“Like what?” he asked, fighting the urge to take her back into his arms. “We’re still the same two people who spent an entire week together.”

As he watched, the color on her cheeks deepened. “I didn’t mean that.”

“Then what?”

“After waking up alone to find that I meant absolutely nothing to you, I don’t particularly care to be around you,” she declared flatly. “Nor do I care to hear the reason you left.”

He regretted the emotional pain he’d caused her. But that couldn’t be changed now. “I’m sorry you feel that way, darlin’. But it’s something that’s going to have to change, and damned quick.” He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger and, tipping it up, forced her to look him straight in the eye. “Once we get married, we’ll be together all of the time. We’re going to live together, go to all your prenatal appointments together and…we’ll be sharing a bed.”

He heard a hitch in her breathing a moment before she backed away from his touch. “I don’t think so.” As she turned to leave, she added, “It’s not going to happen and you might as well get used to that fact just as quick.”

Watching Arielle storm from the room, Zach straightened his stance. Oh, it was going to happen, all right. They would be married as soon as he could get a marriage license. When he wanted something, he went after it with a single-minded determination that never failed to net him the desired results. And that was something else she was going to have to get used to.

From everything she’d said and the way she acted, she was happy and looked forward to having his child. But he would not take it on faith that was the case here. That’s why he fully intended to make her Mrs. Zach Forsythe and ensure his right to monitor everything that took place for the rest of the pregnancy.

Abandoning the book she’d been reading, Arielle shifted to a more comfortable position on the window seat and watched the pouring rain. She had successfully avoided Zach at breakfast by getting up around dawn and bringing a couple of muffins and a glass of milk back to the guest room. But she wasn’t naive enough to think she could do the same thing for lunch. In fact, she was surprised that Zach hadn’t looked for her when she remained in her room all morning.

Sighing heavily, she lovingly placed her hand on her stomach. She could understand Zach’s desire to be with his child, but it didn’t have to be a package deal. Surely they could work out something that was acceptable for both of them without entering into a marriage for all of the wrong reasons.

When she finally did get married, she wanted it all—a home, a family and a husband who loved her. Not the loveless marriage she would be getting if she went along with Zach’s plan.

Lost in thought, she jumped at the sudden rap on the door. Before she had the chance to answer, Zach walked in.

“Are you all right, Arielle?”

“I’m fine.” At least she had been before he entered the room.

Good Lord, if she’d thought he had looked good last night, it couldn’t hold a candle to the way he looked now. Zach wasn’t just attractive, he was drop-dead gorgeous.

The pair of jeans he wore today were faded and rode lower on his lean hips than the ones from the night before. And he hadn’t bothered buttoning his light blue chambray shirt, giving her a very enticing view of his chest and ripped abdominal muscles. Memories of him holding her to that chest as they made love, feeling every perfectly defined muscle pressed against her, caused her heart to skip several beats and her breathing to become shallow.

“Arielle, are you sure you’re okay?” he repeated, frowning.

“Oh…um, sure.” When she started to get up, he shook his head. “Stay right where you are. I know how hard it was for my sister to find a comfortable position, even in the early stages of her pregnancy.”

“Some of the teachers at school said that being comfortable will become a very big issue the further along I get,” she agreed, nodding.

Walking over to the window seat, he lifted her outstretched legs and sat down, lowering them to his lap. “Lana had a lot of trouble with her feet and legs getting tired,” he said, gently massaging her foot. “Does that feel good?”

She could lie and tell him it didn’t, but what was the point? He could tell from her serene expression that it did.

“Actually, it feels like heaven,” she admitted, closing her eyes as he skillfully rubbed her arch.

“Have you had problems with muscle cramps?” he asked as his hands continued to work their magic.

“Not many.” Enjoying his relaxing touch, she’d never realized that a foot rub could chase away tension throughout the rest of her body. “My legs cramped up a few times while I was sleeping, but that’s about it.”

He shoved one leg of her sweatpants up and began to gently move his hands over her calf. “How did your brothers take the news about the baby?” he continued conversationally.

His touch caused a sense of euphoria to sweep over her and it took a moment to realize what he’d asked. Opening her eyes, she shook her head. “I haven’t told them yet.”

“Why not?” He moved to massage her other leg. “I was under the impression that you had a good relationship with them.”

“We are very close.” His hands moving over her leg made it hard to think and she paused to collect her thoughts. “But I’m almost sure they won’t be happy with the decisions I’ve made lately.”

Zach stopped his tender ministrations and a protective sparkle appeared in his dark green eyes. “They wouldn’t talk you into terminating the pregnancy, would they?”

“Oh, no. Not that.” She knew for certain her brothers would never do something like that. “They’ll both be absolute fools over their niece or nephew.”

“Then what’s the problem?” he prodded, his hands once again moving over her legs with care.

“Instead of moving to Dallas, they’d want me to live with one of them.” She sighed. “And as much as I adore both of them, I’d rather eat a big ugly bug than do that.”

Zach threw back his head and laughed. “I see you still express yourself in a way that leaves no doubt what you mean.”

The sound of his rich laughter sent a tingling sensation skipping over every nerve in her body. His sense of humor was one of many things about him that she’d found irresistible.

Shrugging one shoulder, she smiled. “Well, it’s the truth. Luke would want me with him and his new wife, Haley, in Nashville. And Jake would insist that I move into his condo in Los Angeles.”

“In other words, you’d have to choose between them?” Zach summarized.

“Not exactly. Either would be fine with me living with the other.” She tried to concentrate on what she was about to say, but the feel of his hands smoothing over the sensitized skin at the back of her knee made that very hard to do. “For one thing, Luke and Haley have only been married a couple of months and they need their alone time. Plus they have a baby on the way and I don’t think Luke could survive living with two women experiencing mood swings and emotional meltdowns at the same time.”

“Oh God, no.” Zach gave an exaggerated shudder. “One hormonal woman is enough to contend with, but two would send a man running like hell.” He shook his head. “My sister moved in with me for a short time when she was pregnant. Her apartment was being painted. I never knew if what I said would make her angry enough to bite my head off or cause sobbing like her heart was broken.” He lowered his head. “It was like living with Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde.”

“Your sister is single?” If his sister could be a single mother, why was Zach so insistent that they had to be married?

He nodded. “Lana wanted a child, but after several failed relationships, she decided a visit to the sperm bank was the answer for her.” He stopped massaging her legs, but continued to hold them on his lap. “And before you ask, I failed to talk her out of it. But I supported her decision and help out with Derek whenever she needs me.”

“Jake and Luke will be the same way with me.”

“They won’t have to be,” he said, giving her a meaningful look. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.” Before she could comment, he went on, “But what about your brother in L.A.? Why wouldn’t you want to live closer to him?”

“Don’t get me wrong, Jake is a wonderful guy and I love him with all my heart. But living with him would drive me over the edge.” Just the thought was almost laughable. “Besides, I prefer a much quieter lifestyle and I couldn’t have kept up with which one of his women was the flavor of the moment.”

“Moment?” He sounded surprised.

“Jake’s fascination with a woman has never lasted longer than a couple of weeks,” she explained.

“That could present a problem.”

She nodded. “Plus the fact that they still think of me as a child.”

“Hey, give them a break, darlin’.” He grinned. “I pretty much think along the same line when it comes to my sister.”

She sighed. “Your sister has my heartfelt sympathy.”

“So why did you decide to move to Texas?”

Gazing into his questioning green eyes, she wondered how much she should tell him. She’d been cautious about revealing her relationship with Emerald Larson to anyone. Who would believe she’d gone from a struggling preschool teacher, barely making ends meet, to an heiress with a bottomless bank account and a thriving business? She had never openly discussed her financial affairs with anyone but her brothers.

“I was presented with an opportunity to run my own preschool and I took it,” she responded, settling on an honest but sketchy answer to his question. “And Premier Academy just happened to be in Dallas.”

Zach stared at her wanting to ask more about her acquisition, but thankfully her stomach chose to rumble, reminding both of them that it was lunchtime.

“Uh-oh, we’d better get you something to eat before you get sick again,” he stated, lifting her legs from his lap and rising to his feet. He held his hand out to help her up from the window seat. “What would you like me to make? Pasta or hamburgers?”

“You’re going to cook?”

“I can handle things,” he said, nodding his head. “Mattie’s stocked the kitchen for my visit.”

“Why don’t we have something easy for lunch,” she suggested when her stomach made its presence known again. “A sandwich would work.”

“Need something pretty quick, huh?”

“I’m hungry enough to gnaw the legs off the table,” she detailed as she walked into the kitchen and went straight to the refrigerator for a package of roast beef and some cheese.

“My cook in Dallas is going to love having you around,” he said, laughing as he handed her a loaf of bread from the pantry. “Nothing makes her happier than feeding people.”

Arielle stopped piling the sliced meat on two pieces of bread. “I won’t be around for her to feed.”

“Sure you will.” She watched him remove the milk from the fridge, then reach into the cabinet for a couple of glasses. “Once we’re married, you’ll be living there, remember?”

She shook her head. “It’s never going to happen, remember?”

His low masculine chuckle caused her heart to skip several beats. “Like I told you last night, never say ‘never,’ darlin’.”

Chapter Four

On Monday afternoon, Zach sat beside Arielle in the obstetrician’s waiting room, thumbing through a magazine. He wasn’t the least bit interested in reading about or looking at pictures of maternity clothes. But since Arielle had been giving him the silent treatment ever since their helicopter flight to Dallas, it gave him something to do while they waited for her to be called to see the doctor.

Over the weekend, they seemed to have reached a truce of sorts and instead of arguing about their upcoming marriage, they had—as if by unspoken agreement—stopped talking about it completely. He still had every intention of making her his wife as soon as possible. Nothing she could say or do was going to change that.

“Arielle Garnier?”

Zach glanced up to see a nurse standing at the door leading back to the examination rooms. “Looks like it’s our turn, darlin’,” he said, rising to his feet, then offering his hand to help Arielle out of her chair.

Frowning, she placed her hand in his, stood and turned to face him. “It’s my turn, not ours, and I’d rather you stay here while I’m with the doctor.”

“You’ve made that very clear, darlin’. And I’ve made it just as clear that I’m going with you.” He placed his hand to the small of her back and started guiding her across the waiting room.

Her body language and stormy expression indicated that he would hear all about this once they left the doctor’s office. But if she thought that was enough to intimidate him, she was sadly mistaken. Nothing was going to keep him from seeing the first images of his child.

The nurse motioned for them to enter a small room at the back of the office. There she recorded Arielle’s weight, then took her temperature and blood pressure. “The doctor will be in shortly,” she estimated, smiling as she walked to the door. “If you’d like, you can have ‘Dad’ help you onto the examination table. Then go ahead and pull your top up to just below your breasts and your pants down to just below your tummy.”

As the woman closed the door behind her, an odd feeling spread throughout Zach’s chest. Although he’d thought of little else since learning that Arielle was carrying his child, something about the nurse calling him “Dad” made it a reality.

“For the last time, I would prefer to see the doctor without an audience,” Arielle protested, her tone reflecting her outrage.

Turning to face her, he cupped her soft cheeks with his hands. “It’s all right, darlin’. I know you’re probably self-conscious about your stomach,” he said, making certain his tone was sympathetic, even if he didn’t quite understand why she was uncomfortable about it. “But that’s to be expected. You’re pregnant. And there’s nothing I’m going to see now that I haven’t already.” Kissing the tip of her nose, he smiled. “Now, let’s get you on that table, ready to find out what we’re having—a bouncing baby boy or a sweet baby girl.”

She gave him one last belligerent glare, before allowing him to help her up onto the examination table.

“Didn’t the nurse tell you to expose your stomach for this?” he asked, reaching for the bottom of her maternity top.

To his surprise, she slapped the back of his hand. “I’ll wait until the doctor comes in.”

“Okay,” he uttered, quickly releasing the hem of the garment. Zach knew better than to press the issue if he wanted to keep his head resting comfortably between his shoulders.

“My nurse told me you brought the baby’s father with you for the ultrasound, Arielle,” a woman wearing a white lab coat announced when she walked into the room. Closing the door behind her, she smiled and stuck out her hand. “Good afternoon, I’m Dr. Jensen.”

He shook her hand. “Zach Forsythe.”

“Nice to meet you, Zach.” She walked to the other side of the examining table and, looking down at Arielle’s rounded stomach, shook her head. “My goodness, I think you’ve blossomed even more since last week at your regular appointment.” Gathering an instrument that looked a lot like a microphone, she reached for a tube of clear gel. “If either of you have any questions during the procedure, please don’t hesitate to speak up. I like for the dad to be just as involved as the mom throughout the pregnancy and delivery.”

There was something about Dr. Jensen that instilled confidence and he could understand why Arielle had chosen the woman to deliver their baby. “At the moment, I can’t think of anything. But I’m betting that changes, real quick,” he said, smiling.

Dr. Jensen nodded and, turning her attention to Arielle, asked, “How have you been feeling? Anything we need to address before we get started?”

Zach watched Arielle shake her head as she lifted her maternity top, then hooked her thumbs in the elastic waistband of her slacks and lowered them below her slightly rounded stomach. “I still have to make sure I eat something when my stomach gets empty, but otherwise, I’ve felt pretty good.”

“That’s not all that unusual,” the doctor assured her, squeezing a generous amount of the gel onto Arielle’s stomach. She held the instrument poised over the clear blob. “Are you both ready to see your little one for the first time?”

“Y-yes,” Arielle answered, her voice reflecting an anticipation as strong as his own.

“Will we be able to find out whether to decorate the nursery in pink or blue?” Zach asked.

The doctor smiled. “Probably not this time, but it won’t be too much longer.”

Nodding, Zach reached out and took Arielle’s hand in his. When she gripped his hand tightly, he knew she appreciated his support.

“Ready whenever you are,” he said, his gaze never wavering from Arielle.

When the doctor began moving the scope around Arielle’s stomach, a fuzzy, twitching image immediately popped up on the monitor. Zach wondered what the hell he was supposed to be looking at. But the more Dr. Jensen moved the wand around, he noticed what might possibly be an arm or a leg.

The woman pointed to the screen. “See, there’s your baby’s head and back.” She moved the instrument to the other side of Arielle’s stomach. “Let’s see if we can detect the sex from this angle.” Her sudden frown caused Zach’s heart to grind to a halt. “What’s this?” she asked, adding to his anxiety. “It certainly explains why you’re a bit larger than normal.”

“I-Is something wrong?” Arielle murmured, sounding as if she might burst into tears.

Zach lightly squeezed her hand in an effort to lend her every ounce of strength he possessed. “I’m sure everything is fine, darlin’.”

“Oh, there’s nothing wrong,” Dr. Jensen confirmed, turning to them with a wide grin. “I’m just wondering how you will keep up with two toddlers when they start walking.”

“Two?” Arielle echoed, her eyes round with shock.

“Twins?” Zach croaked at the same time.

Dr. Jensen laughed as she pushed the print button on the side of the monitor. “The way the first baby was lying, I couldn’t see the second one until I changed sides. But yes, you’re definitely having twins.”

At that moment, Zach couldn’t have forced words past the lump clogging his throat if his life depended on it. He was not only going to have a child, he was going to have two. Unbelievable.

His chest felt as if it had swelled to twice its normal size. Words couldn’t express what he was feeling, and, leaning down, he covered Arielle’s parted lips with his for a brief but intense kiss.

“Do twins run in either of your families?” the doctor inquired as she wiped the excess gel from Arielle’s stomach with a handful of tissues. She didn’t comment that both of them were breathing as if they’d run a marathon by the time he lifted his head and Zach figured the woman was used to displays of emotion after learning the results of an ultrasound.

Clearly in a state of shock, Arielle stared at him as if urging him to answer Dr. Jensen’s question. “Arielle has twin brothers,” he responded, finally getting his vocal cords to work. “But to my knowledge there aren’t any twins in my family.”

The doctor tilted her head. “Well, there are now.” She picked up Arielle’s chart and made a notation. “I see neither of you anticipated a multiple birth.”

“I…uh, suppose I knew it was a possibility, but…” Looking utterly stunned, Arielle’s voice trailed off as she rearranged her clothes and sat up on the side of the exam table.

“Are both of the babies okay?” Zach thought to ask as his brain began to function again.

“Actually, everything looks very good.” Dr. Jensen smiled. “Both fetuses appear to be a good size and I’d estimate the right weight for this stage of their development.”

Helping Arielle down from the table, he asked the doctor, “Is there anything special that we should or shouldn’t be doing?”

Dr. Jensen shook her head. “As long as you feel like it, Arielle, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy your normal activities, including sexual relations.”

He caught Arielle’s warning glare and wisely refrained from commenting on the doctor’s stamp of approval for their making love. But he didn’t even try to stop his wide grin.

Dr. Jensen started for the door. “I’ll see you in three weeks for your regular appointment and of course, if you have any problems or questions before then, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

Zach and Arielle walked together down the hall to the elevator. They remained silent on the ride to the lobby and he figured she was coming to terms with the idea of having twins.

“How long will it take you to pack an overnight bag?” he asked as he helped her into the back of his limousine.

“Why would I need to pack?” she questioned, when he slid into the seat beside her.

“Because I’m moving you into my place.” It was more important now than ever that Arielle took good care of herself.

“No, you’re not.” She shook her head. “I’m going to go home, change into a circus tent and call my brothers to tell them the news about the baby…babies.” She suddenly emitted a nervous giggle. “Oh my God, I’m having twins.”

“Yes, you are, darlin’.” Giving instructions to his driver to take them to her apartment, he put his arm around her shoulders. He could tell she was still overwhelmed by the news and now wasn’t a good time to press her on the issue of moving in with him. “We’ll spend the night at your apartment and move you into my home tomorrow morning.”

“No, we won’t. You’re going to drop me off at my place and then go home to yours while I call my brothers. End of discussion.” She sounded quite adamant, but he noticed that she wasn’t scooting away from him, was allowing him to hold her close to his side.

“Sorry, darlin’, but I told you that I would be with you every step of the way.” He kissed the top of her head. “And that means from here on out, we’ll be doing whatever needs to be done together. Everything from doctor appointments to breaking the news to your brothers that we’re going to have twins.”

By the time they arrived at her apartment, the fact that she was going to be the mother of twins had sunk in and she was regaining some perspective. “I think it might be better if I’m the one to break the news to my brothers.” Removing her cardigan sweater, she walked over to hang it in the entryway closet, hoping Zach would take the hint that she needed a little time alone. “While I make the call from my bedroom, please make yourself comfortable. I’ll only be a few minutes.” She’d given up on him going home.