Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
C olton pushed back in his chair and surveyed his office. Dark paneling covered with landscape paintings of Montana, and more specifically, Maverick County. When he relocated, he’d take the same paintings.
They were home.
Quiet ticked around him since Anne and Tyler had gone out for a late lunch. His shoulders felt like boulders perched on them. Hawk had left for his mission, Dawn was still at school, and now Melanie dated a banker. One not good enough for her. Plus, the idea of her really falling in love with somebody else turned Colton cold.
The idea that he needed her so much worried him. This didn’t fit in with his life plan for the next few years.
His phone buzzed, and he smiled when he saw it was Sophie. “Hi, Soph. What’s up?”
“Colton?” her voice emerged high and frantic. “I’m ten minutes out of the city, and something’s wrong.”
“Whoa.” He stood, already crossing his office. “Wrong with what? The car?”
“No,” she whispered. “The baby. I can’t find Jake, and I’m an hour from home, and the sheriff, and Doc Mooncaller. You’re the closest one to me right now. I don’t know what to do.”
Panic rushed through Colton to be immediately squashed. There wasn’t time for panic if Sophie needed help. He calmed his voice into a soothing tone. “Where are you?” He loped into a run through the office and outside to his truck.
“I pulled over at the gas station right outside of Billings by the ice cream store.” Tears filled her voice.
Colton started his truck and drove onto the street. “Okay, Sophie. Here’s the deal. You sit in the car, take deep breaths, and try to calm down. I’ll be right there, and I’ll take care of everything.”
“Okay.” She took an audible deep breath.
“Give me an idea of what’s happening,” he said.
Her voice caught. “I had a bad twisty zing of pain, and now I’m spotting.”
That couldn’t be good. “Where’s Jake today?” Colton asked, his mind calculating the best scenario.
“He’s at the federal courthouse in Billings, but his phone is off, so he must be in court,” she said.
“Okay.” Colton pulled onto the interstate. That was good that Jake was in the city. Very good. “I need to hang up for a second and make a couple of calls, and then I’ll call you right back. Okay, sweetheart?”
“Okay.” She sniffed.
He hung up and dialed one of his financial clients, the best gynecologist in Montana, and received quick reassurances that they’d see Sophie as soon as he got her there. Then he dialed the courthouse and was told that Mr. Lodge was in court.
“I’m sure, but I need you to get a message to him,” Colton said to the curt woman on the phone.
“I’m sorry, but not while he’s in court.” Derision dripped from the woman’s tone.
“Listen lady, we have a family emergency, and you need to get my brother out of court. Now.” Colt’s rare temper began to compete with the panic sweeping him. “Believe me, while you don’t want to face Jake’s wrath, you really don’t want to deal with me. Tell him to meet me at Rollings Women’s Center. Now .”
“Well,” she huffed. “I’ll see what I can do.” She clicked off.
Colton fought a growl and took the exit for the gas station. He found Sophie sitting in her car, tears on her face, pure terror in her eyes.
Instantly, he shot into calmness. “Any more pain?” he asked casually as he helped her from the car.
“Um, no.” Her face relaxed marginally. “It’s too early for the baby to arrive.” Panic reasserted itself as the color slid from her cheeks.
“The baby is not coming.” He lifted her into the truck. “This is a glitch, happens all the time.” What did he know about pregnant women and babies?
She grinned, her lips trembling. “Been studying the issue, have you?”
No, but he should’ve been. He shut her door and jogged around to jump in the driver’s seat, his mind reeling. “Sure. This is just fine, but we’re going to see a doctor anyway. The best in the country.”
“The entire country, huh?” Sophie’s shoulders relaxed even though her hands shook in her lap. “How fortunate that he lives in Montana.”
“Where else would he live?” Colton fought for a reassuring tone as he pulled back onto the interstate, forcing himself to only drive a few miles over the speed limit. Okay, twenty. He cleared his throat. “Did anything like this happen with your last pregnancy?”
“No,” she said.
He glanced over, not liking the dark circles under Sophie’s eyes. She looked way too delicate and frightened. “This will be fine. Take another deep breath.”
They arrived at the clinic in record time, and Sophie started to open her door.
“Wait.” Colton leaped out and crossed around to lift her from the truck.
“I can walk, Colton,” she protested.
“No.” He hustled into the clinic and marched up to the receptionist. “Doctor Jordan is waiting for us.”
The door flew open behind them, and Jake ran inside.
Oh, thank God. Colton turned and deposited Sophie into her husband’s arms.
Jake snuggled her close. “Are you okay, Sunshine?”
A nurse opened a door by the receptionist’s desk and motioned them inside. “The doctor is waiting for you.”
They disappeared after the nurse. Colton swallowed and walked over to sit, dropping his head in his shaking hands. What if he hadn’t gotten there in time? Had he driven too quickly and hit too many potholes? What if?—
He lifted his head and took several deep breaths. Enough. He’d just sit in the plastic chair and wait for the good news. It would be good news. He wanted to call Quinn or their parents but decided to wait until he heard something. Anything.
So he called the ranch and gave instructions for somebody to drive out and fetch Sophie’s car.
Then he waited.
Alone in the waiting room, he watched as woman after woman, all in different phases of pregnancy, went in for an appointment and then left. Some were accompanied by men, some by other women.
Finally, Jake and Sophie exited the mysterious land of pregnant women.
Colton stood and schooled his face into calm lines. “Well?”
Sophie smiled, weariness in every line of her body. “I’m okay.”
His butt hit the chair. Thank God.
She touched his shoulder. “Deep breaths, Colton.”
He stood to hug her. “That’s excellent advice.” Then for good measure, he hugged his older brother. “We’re sure?”
“Yes.” Jake clapped him on the back, black eyes still worried. His power tie was askew, and he’d removed his suit jacket. “They can’t explain the twinge. I guess a lot of weird stuff happens in pregnancy, but the spotting is normal. We had an ultrasound, and the baby appears healthy—although the doctor has ordered bed rest for Soph the second we get home.”
Sophie leaned in. “It’s another boy.”
He knew it. Colton smiled as his shoulders dropped from up around his ears. “I figured.”
“At least we can use Nathan’s clothes again.” Sophie pressed her hands together. “Now I need to get back to work on the sketches for the sports complex we’re building across town.”
“No,” Jake and Colton said in unison.
Sophie’s eyebrow rose. “Huh?”
“Home to bed. The doctor said bed rest.” Jake shoved a hand through his thick black hair.
Sophie still looked way too pale. “I know, but I can sketch from bed.”
Jake ground his palm into his left eye. “I guess that makes sense, so long as you sleep a lot, too. We’ll need to figure out what to do with your car.”
“I had somebody from the ranch go get it,” Colton said.
“Thanks,” Jake said, his gaze intense.
“No problem,” Colton said.
Jake stepped closer to him. “No, I mean thanks . Really.”
Colton nodded, his throat closing.
A nurse in pink scrubs bustled out from behind the receptionist with a purple box in her hands. “Mrs. Lodge? These are the new prenatal vitamins we’re recommending and giving to all our pregnant patients. Run them by Doc Mooncaller when you see him, but they have a better balance of the calcium and iron, and we really like them.”
Sophie took the box with a big smile. “Thanks.”
Colton escorted them outside and to Jake’s truck. “I have to close down the office but will head home afterward. Call me if you need anything.”
They drove off, and Colton stood for a moment, letting the cool breeze calm him. Across the street sat a bar, and he really wanted a drink. But he probably wouldn’t stop at one, and the last thing he needed was Quinn arresting him for a DUI once he’d driven back to town. So, he headed for the ice cream store next to the bar. It was probably too cold to eat ice cream, but he didn’t care at the moment.
He greatly enjoyed his double scoop of mint chocolate chip and had nearly calmed down by the time he finished the cone. Buying a small vanilla cone in case Tyler still played at the office, he turned toward the door.
Right in time to see Melanie exit the gynecologist’s office—with a big purple box of prenatal vitamins in her hands.
He faltered and dropped the vanilla ice cream on the floor.