Chapter 25
Addyson ran to catch her phone when she heard it ringing from the bathroom. The sound indicated a video call, and she rushed, knowing only Liam would be video calling this early.
She swiped the screen and smiled at the man she ran to the day before. “Hi,” she said shyly.
“Hi, gorgeous,” he said. “I can’t talk long, but I wanted you to know we made it.’
“I’m glad you called,” she said, sitting on her bed. “It’s perfect timing. I’m getting ready for work. How’s Apollo doing?”
“He misses home as much as I do,” he said, pointing the camera down so she could see his K-9 lying at his feet. “I have a new call-sign. Apparently, the guys found you endearing and worthy of an Academy Award. They’re calling me Hollywood.”
Tilting her head back, Addy laughed. “It fits you. You’re like my own movie hero, always coming to my rescue.”
“I seriously doubt it. You must be thinking of Zeus,” he teased. Lowering his voice, he leaned into the camera. “You made my day. I love you, Addy.”
“I love you. Liam,” she murmured back, beaming.
“Have a good day. I don’t know when I'll be able to call you next. Don’t forget me,” he whispered.
“Never. Please be careful,” she urged. “I know you can’t talk about it. I’m scared.”
“I know. Keep the courage you showed yesterday. I’m proud of you, Addy. We didn’t have time to discuss this. I’m not asking you to forget Sam,” Liam explained quietly.
“I know. It’s something I’ll have to make peace with,” she said, noticing she still wore Sam’s wedding ring.
“Why don’t we try getting to know the little things about each other?” Liam suggested. “Where did you grow up?”
“Chicago,” she said. “What about you?”
“Portland,” he replied, glancing at his watch. “I must go. Leo wants to call his wife, and I want him to get a chance to speak with her.”
“Yeah. I can’t imagine having a pregnant wife a million miles away help matters,” she told him sadly.
“I may not get to contact you, but will you do me a favor? Every night before you go to bed, tell me five things about you. It can be something you did, about your day, or how you’re feeling. I’ll do the same thing. Then, when I call, we can share it with each other,” he suggested.
“I like your idea,” she said, nodding her approval. “Stay safe.”
“Love you, Addy,” he said before disconnecting the call.
Why did this mission have to happen when it did?
He closed his eyes and recalled how she ran to him on the airport strip.
Nothing felt better than hearing her express how she felt about him.
With all missions, he knew time limits didn’t exist, and he worried if he stayed gone too long, she might have second thoughts.
By giving her the little exercise, Liam hoped no matter how long the mission, she’d think of him every night.
* * *
Leo waited anxiously for Kit Kat to pick up. When she didn’t, he hung up the call and let Taco speak with Tess. Sparky contacted Ty and Bear, and he watched as she organized the information for the team.
“It’s all yours, boss,” Taco said, coming from the room they used for making personal calls.
Leo entered and tried to talk to his wife again. After the fourth ring, when he started to give up, she answered.
“Hi, Leo,” she said tiredly.
“Hey, Kit Kat. I wanted you to know we arrived. Did you not get any sleep last night?” he asked, scanning her for any telltale signs of additional stress.
“Grace woke up at four this morning, and I got her down thinking I’d get a quick nap before Derrick woke. As soon as I lay down, he woke up for his feeding,” she sighed. “It’s the usual chaos.”
“Why don’t you bring in the nanny again? It doesn’t have to last forever. At least use her until I get home,” he pleaded, seeing the weariness in her eyes.
“Mom said she and Jake can come stay with me,” she insisted, wiping a stain off her shirt.
“I’m glad they’ll help, but they can’t be there every minute. You need someone to help once you return home from work, get dinner prepared, do laundry, and then do homework. Will you please consider it while I’m here?” he asked.
“Kassie already called the nanny. I’ll use her and my parents while you’re away,” she promised.
Leo knew she must feel extremely tired if she agreed without too much fuss.
“How do you feel?” he asked, not wanting to broach the pregnancy topic when he sat thousands of miles away.
“Oh, you know, the usual, morning sickness and then afternoon and sometimes the evenings,” she joked as she yawned. “Kassie’s working around my schedule. Addyson agreed to take some extra shifts, and a couple of nurses asked about more hours.”
“Good,” he said, sounding relieved.
“How did the K-9’s do on the flight?”
“Liam and Cole handled them like champs. Liam already used it to sniff out a bomb under my cot. They’re solid,” he said without thinking.
Her eyes grew huge. “A bomb?”
Leo held up his hands, realizing his mistake. “No, it’s nothing like the real thing. We did a dog sniff test,” he reassured her by lying.
“We’re in rough terrain. I don’t think I’ll catch you every day. I set your prenatal vitamins to auto-delivery at the hospital. They’ll bring them to your office. Then, you won’t forget them,” he reminded her.
“Thanks,” she said unenthusiastically. “I need to do my rounds. Kassie will be here shortly, nagging me.”
“Will you start using the nanny today?” he pressed.
“As soon as I get some decaffeinated coffee in me and check the floors. Tell the guys hello. We’re getting together for a ladies’ night.”
“It’s a good idea. Why don’t you use the code to access the facility and use the pool and hot tub?”
“I’m not in the mood to swim, and the hot tub’s out of the question,” she said, glancing down at her belly, reminding him of why.
“Plus, we might head over to Samantha’s. The spa sounds like heaven. She employs enough people now, she can focus on making more products for the line,” she lied to keep him from finding out about her admission into the hospital.
“I’ll let you get back to work. When I get a chance, I’ll call in the evening and speak to the kids,” he said, gazing at her.
“I’m sure they’ll love it. You can finally show Grace a real tank,” she giggled.
Hearing her laugh for the first time since discovering her pregnancy, Leo smiled.
“If we keep growing, we can buy a tank and use it on the practice field. Better yet, Wolf told me one of his friends built a miniature version for his daughter. When I get home, maybe I’ll call him,” he said excitedly.
“Leo,” she warned. “I’m already under stress as it is. I don’t need Grace in a mini-tank terrorizing the mountain.”
“All right, I love you, Kit Kat,” he said, turning serious. “Take care of yourself,” he admonished.
“I’m doing my best. Be careful. I love you, too.”
Leo leaned in and disconnected the call.
Something seemed off, but lately, feeling unsettled turned into the norm.
* * *
Catherine sighed with relief when Leo hung up. She held her stomach and called Kassie’s number.
“Hey, you,” Kassie grunted.
“I need you,” she said before doubling over in pain.
Two seconds later, her door flew open, and Kassie rushed to her side.
“What’s the matter?” she said, kneeling beside her.
“I don’t know. I’m cramping, and my head’s killing me. I woke up at four with a migraine. Leo called, and I changed into clothes so he'd think I’m at work. I didn’t want to worry him.”
“I’ll call Dr. Greene,” Kassie said, running from the room. She returned a minute later, and stayed with her best friend until Dr, Greene entered.
“Let’s see what we have,” Dr. Greene said patiently. “When did the cramping start?”
“This morning,” Catherine said, while Kassie gripped her hand. “I got a headache, and shortly after it started, the cramping started.”
“Did it wake you up?” Dr. Greene asked her as the aide rolled the ultrasound machine in.
“Yeah,” she said, as she peered at her best friend. “I figured it might be stress because the guys spun up.”
“Your blood pressure’s still high,” Dr. Greene said in her motherly voice. “Kassie, let’s get a full blood panel to rule out anything else.”
“Shall I start an IV?” Kassie asked.
“How’s the morning sickness?” Dr. Greene asked as she lifted Catherine’s shirt.
“It hasn’t decided on what time of day it wants to hit me,” Catherine admitted. “Ty’s soup seems like the only food I can keep down.”
“Hmmm,” Dr. Greene said as she placed the ultrasound wand on her stomach and moved it around. “Everything appears fine. Have you experienced any bleeding?”
Shaking her head, Catherine said, “No. Do you think I’m losing the baby?” she asked with fear in her voice.
“Let’s start an IV, and we’ll keep a close eye on you.
I’m concerned about the blood pressure. We’ll start you on some medication and see if it helps with the headaches.
I know you have a lot on your plate, young lady, but if you want a healthy baby, I’m afraid you’re on bedrest until we get you stabilized. ”
“Nooo,” she groaned. “It’s way too early for this.”
“Sorry, kiddo. I’m not happy with those numbers,” Dr. Greene said, patting her hand.
“What will I do about the kids? They can’t keep bouncing from one house to another. I thought you only planned to keep me a couple of nights,” she said. “Leo will have a stroke if he thinks something’s wrong and he’s thousands of miles away.”
“Addyson already agreed to picking up some of your shifts, and the other nurses will cover the rest,” Kassie reassured her.
“I’m not completely helpless, you know. “The kids will be cared for as always. We’re family,” Kassie reminded her.
“I’ll call the women, and we’ll have it figured out in no time.
Right now, you and the baby must be your only concern. ”
“Kassie, we all have kids, or we’re having them. You have your own zoo, and we don’t have the men here to relieve us,” Catherine worried.
“Since when do we need a man? I love my husband, but if I waited for him with his schedule, nothing would get done,” Kassie teased.
“With Claire and Gabby expecting, they must be tired, too. Gabby has little Marcus,” Catherine said, attempting to stop Kassie from calling everyone.
“I have a teen helper coming in the afternoon to watch Marcus while Gabby rests, and Claire’s glowing,” Kassie reported. “Stop stressing. It’s not good for the baby.”
“If Leo calls, please don’t tell him. He’s on a mission,” she glanced up as Dr. Greene left the room. “After how we left things, I don’t want to scare him.”
“I won’t say anything for now, but it’s not like you can keep it a secret for long. Let’s hope they’ll return soon,” Kassie promised.
Catherine lay back against the pillows and watched the monitor. The turmoil over the last few months felt insignificant compared to the growing life inside of her and her absent husband. When Leo returned, they needed to prioritize their lives and their marriage.
I love you, Leo. I know we’ve argued lately, but I’d rather be right here than anywhere else in the world. She texted.
I love you, Kit Kat. I promise we’ll work on this together when I get back. He replied.
I’m holding you to it. She said, adding a kissing emoji.
You won’t have to. He replied.