I didn't fight him. I fought every instinct to battle for my pride.

I couldn't let my rage win. If he had any reason to take me in, he'd do it. It'd keep me from Leah.

She and the baby needed me.

For now, I was absolutely helpless.

"Got news for you, Carson." Officer Burke sneered. "I'm an Ashenville fan."

"Explains a lot."

"I should have kept your a.s.s in jail after that bar fight. Disorderly conduct. Physically a.s.sault. Something to teach you a G.o.dd.a.m.ned lesson. You ain't nothing special because you can toss a ball around. And you ain't above the law."

"I wasn't a part of the fight," I said. "And if you'd try to pin anything on me, I'll have my lawyer humping that police station for every cent I can get."

"You little-"

"I'm not above the law, but I can pay for a h.e.l.l of a good defense. Write me the f.u.c.king ticket and let me go. I'm gotta get to the hospital!"

That just p.i.s.sed him off. I figured it would. He kicked me to the pavement, and the broken curb sc.r.a.ped my palms as I fell. My blood pressure spiked.

Son of a b.i.t.c.h.

Rage blinded me, but I fought myself more than the G.o.dd.a.m.ned police officer. I couldn't make a scene. He wanted me to fight. He needed the excuse to take his aggression out on me and use me as a f.u.c.king scapegoat.

Like everyone else.

And maybe I deserved it once, but not now. Not when someone else depended on me. Leah was right. My reputation preceded me, and not in a good way. It colored everyone's perception of me. My image caused the trouble now, and I was f.u.c.ked because of it.

I stared into the darkness, tasting car exhaust and the copper tang of blood from where I bit my lip in the toss to the ground.

Was she hurt too?

"You're gonna sit right here," Officer Burke said. "I clocked you driving fast enough to impound that pretty little car and haul your a.s.s in for reckless driving."

"Then let me call my lawyer so I can sue your a.s.s for keeping me from the hospital."

Officer Burke grinned at me, reached for his radio. He called to dispatch. "Officer Twenty-Three Thirty requesting backup at the intersection of Hayes and Fourth."

f.u.c.k. Me.

I clenched my fists, but I reached for my phone instead of raging. The a.s.shole's LED flashlight blinded me. Officer Burke grunted.

"Maybe we ought to do a sobriety test."

Christ, I had one sip of the drink. Even if I had two shots, I was six-four and over two hundred pounds. Nothing was affecting me unless I cracked the bottle over my head as well.

Officer Burke forced me to my feet and laughed.

"Standing on one leg with that busted knee should be fun, huh, Carson? Can you do it?"

And not cause damage? And not blow my career?

"No."

"Great, I'll take you in for a blood-test."

Christ. This wasn't happening. "No. I'll do it. Just hurry the f.u.c.k up."

"Easy, Play-Maker. We do things slow on my field, you get me?"

Humiliation. Rage. My fear for the baby sliced through my veins.

What the h.e.l.l was I supposed to do? If I didn't get the h.e.l.l out of this mess now, G.o.d only knew what Leah would endure alone.

What would happen if she lost the baby and I wasn't there?

Officer Burke recited the instructions for the bulls.h.i.t sobriety test as another cruiser pulled up. The second officer hurried to the scene, and I breathed a little easier as I recognized him.

"Jack Carson!" Officer Ryan said. "Imagine finding you in trouble again."

If the night had one benefit, it was Officer Ryan. He was the responding officer to my car crash a few months ago, and he just delivered the police report to me last week. He greeted both of us, and I took my chance before Burke could give him the details.

"My pregnant girlfriend went to the hospital. Something's wrong with my baby, and I'm trying to get to her."

Officer Burke scowled. "He was going seventy off the ramp. I'm thinking of hauling him in."

Officer Ryan was a younger guy, and the ring on his finger was loose, like it was too new and he forgot to get it resized. If anyone was going to understand a new family, I hoped it'd be him.

"You can listen to the voicemail I got." I didn't reach for my pocket but I pointed to where my cell was. "Come on. I just want to get to her."

"What's her name?"

"Leah Ruth Williams."

"I'll see if the story checks out." He pulled his radio and called dispatch, detailing the information. The crackles answered after a minute or so with the records. He turned to me. "She was taken by ambulance to McGrin Regional."

Ambulance.

Because I wasn't there to help her.

She had to wait for strangers to rescue her. How much time had been wasted that might have helped her?

Officer Burke swore. He pointed at me. "Don't move."

"We should let him go," Officer Ryan said. "He takes this to the media, says we delayed him while his girl had a problem with her pregnancy? Holy s.h.i.t, talk about bad press."

Finally, someone else's reputation worked in my favor. Burke swore and ripped a page from his ticket book. He signed his name and tossed it at my feet. Officer Ryan nodded.

"I'll escort you to the hospital so you don't kill yourself or anyone else."

My knee screamed as I rushed to the car, but I refused to let it stop me. I turned, hating to ask the question.

"Did they say if she was okay?"

Officer Ryan shook his head. "We can go find out. Follow me."

The adrenaline slowly poisoned me. I needed to run. Fight. Hold Leah. Instead I dove into my car and, for the first time, followed the police cruiser with the flashing lights.

It didn't give me hope.

Just the opposite.

My heart broke the closer we got to the hospital. She had been alone for so long.

I was probably too late.

Chapter Twenty-Three - Leah.

At least it was over.

My fingers trembled as I redressed, tugging the tank over my head and wishing I had worn something other than the pink sweatpants proudly proclaiming "Sweet" over my b.u.t.t.

My heart still raced. I didn't think it'd ever slow. More tears fell over my cheeks. The nurses handed me a handful of tissues as they retrieved the discharge forms. It didn't help.

I needed Jack.

I sat on the bed as the shouting rang from in the hall. It wasn't polite, but I didn't expect him to be. My knight-in-shining armor crashed through a d.a.m.n hospital as aggressively and unsubtly as he could. Thank G.o.d no cameras were here to see this.

I was so glad to hear his voice, even if it echoed a nasty curse at the head nurse who refused to give him my room number. I pulled my cell and made a note to send a basket of various Rivets' paraphernalia to the patient staff forced to deal with Jack Carson's latest temper tantrum.

Jack sprinted into the room, limping heavily on his leg. He didn't slow until I was safe in his arms.

I fell into his embrace, and he kissed me furiously, a silent apology that shook me to my core. I clung to him, finally warm and calm. He pulled away only so he could look at me, his words heavy, solemn, and br.i.m.m.i.n.g with the same fear I felt a few minutes ago.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I got your message...and I tried...but I was..."

"It's okay."

"Are you?" His voice broke. He lowered his hand as if he were afraid to touch my tummy. "Is the..."

"Everything's okay."

Jack's eyes widened, a surge of blue so bright it startled me. He stared as if I would lie to the only man I've ever loved.

He exhaled. "It's okay?"

"Yeah."

"But you were-"

"Overreacting?" I bit my lip. "It's...unusual for me, I'll grant you that."

"What happened?"

"Women can experience something called round ligament pain. It's a muscle ache when their womb is growing for the baby." I swallowed. "For example, if they're expanding for the very large son of a very large quarterback."

Now Jack looked faint. I guided him to the bed, taking his hand and pressing it against my tummy. He opened his mouth to speak, couldn't, and collapsed backward instead. I laughed, letting him have a moment while the news overwhelmed him.

"A son?" he asked.

"They had a good shot on the sonogram tonight, but it's still very early. We'll have to check again in a couple weeks."

"Do you think...it's a boy?"

"I think he's a boy."

"And he's okay? You're not...hurting?"

"I'm just a little embarra.s.sed."

Jack pulled himself upright with a core strength I envied now. He shook his head, pulling me close for another kiss.

"Never. Don't you dare say you were embarra.s.sed. f.u.c.k, I've donated enough money to this place. There should be a whole wing I can use. I could keep you here with all the doctors and nurses and staff until we're absolutely sure-"

"I'm sure your donations are better allocated to the kids in pediatrics," I said. "I had some discomfort when I stood and walked, but it's perfectly normal, if not thoroughly frightening for a first time mom. The doctors said to keep an eye on it."

"Two of them," he promised. "You can sleep. I won't. Not until that baby is born and safe and-"

"Jack." I smiled. "I'm okay. You'll be the first to know if there's any problem."

"d.a.m.n right I'll be." Jack sat me on the bed so he could pace instead. His steps. .h.i.t the floor too hard, and I didn't even want to imagine the damage he did to himself by running through the halls.

I sighed. "Stop. I'm not sending you downstairs to get an MRI if you tear up your knee."

"I'll cut the d.a.m.n thing off."

"You might find it a little hard to play football on one leg." I shrugged. "You're a big guy, Jack, but even your tripod can't get you out of a blitz."

"I'm serious, Kiss."

"And everything's okay. I'm just waiting for the papers that tell me that I overreacted."