Stay With Me(30)

That first day, she asked continually for you. The nurses tried to phone the number she provided but were unable to reach you. The second day, however, she went silent, and well, she retreated. She directed me not to allow any visitors, and she stopped trying to phone you. She hasn’t asked for anything. Not even when she can return home.”

Logan cursed, and Rhys’ eyes glittered with unshed tears.

“I cautioned her about the need to remain calm, and apparently she feels that seeing you would upset her and potentially cause risk to the baby.”

Logan dropped his face into his hands. He wanted to goddamn cry like a baby.

“When can she go home?” Rhys asked, his voice thick with emotion.

“If all goes well? In a couple of days. I’m watching her closely to make sure she doesn’t spike a temp and that she’s recovering as she should. I want her to have a full round of antibiotics to kill off all the infection in her system.”

“And we’re supposed to just sit around and not see her for several days?” Logan ground out.

Compassion softened the doctor’s gaze. “What I’m saying is that Mrs. Wellesley has been through an ordeal both physically and emotionally. She’s terrified of losing her child, and she’s been in considerable pain. As difficult as it may be for you not to see her, consider how difficult the situation is for her.”

Rhys dropped his hands helplessly at his sides.

“Leave your contact numbers with the nurses. If anything at all changes with her condition or if she relents and agrees to visitors, they’ll call you immediately. In the meantime, I suggest you go home and get some rest. I’ll let you know when she’ll be discharged.”

Just like that. As though she were having some routine checkup that they should worry nothing about.

Logan watched the doctor go, shock still trickling through his system. Trickling. Hell. More like a dam bursting.

Rhys stalked out of the small room and over to the nurses’ desk. Logan rose to follow him, surprised his feet were obeying his brain’s commands. Or maybe they weren’t, since his mind was screaming at him to go see Catherine.

Rhys snatched up a pad and a pen and scribbled for several long moments. Then he tore the top piece off, folded it and thrust it at the nurse.

“Give this to Catherine Cullen. Make sure she gets it.”

The nurse took the paper and nodded. “Go home now,” she said gently. “I’ll make sure she gets it. I promise.”

They walked back out of the hospital in silence. Logan was convinced that it was all one really bad dream. That he’d wake up in Jamaica with Catherine in his arms.

Neither of them spoke until they stepped into the apartment. It seemed empty without Catherine. Ominous.

Rhys dropped onto the couch, tilted his head up and closed his eyes. “She’s pregnant,” he said, and he sounded awed.

Logan was trying to do the math. It was too soon for them to have gotten her pregnant in Jamaica. And to his enduring shame, it had been at least three months before the trip since they’d made love to her. Unless…

He frowned and looked over at Rhys. It was odd, really. In a relationship such as theirs, they’d certainly considered the eventuality of Catherine having their child and that it might be his or Rhys’.

But if Rhys had made love to her in the past couple of months, when Logan wasn’t there, the child was most certainly his. It shouldn’t bother him, but he preferred a scenario where the child could be either of theirs. He preferred not knowing. At least then he could imagine it was his.

He shook his head and glanced away from Rhys. Stupid. The child was theirs. It would be raised by the three of them. He wouldn’t entertain any alternative. Petty jealousies, especially right now, were just boneheaded and completely selfish.

“What’s wrong?” Rhys demanded.

Logan looked back up at him. “When was the last time you made love to Catherine? Before Jamaica, I mean.”

Rhys’ eyes dulled. “Probably three months ago. It was the same night…I mean we both made love to her. I hadn’t since then.”

Relief made Logan breathe easier. So there was no way to know whose baby it was. Then he shook his head again. Did it matter? Did it really goddamn matter? He’d thought he was beyond all that.

“That means she has to be over three months pregnant then,” Logan said grimly.

“Which means she knew,” Rhys said.

Logan sighed. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why she hadn’t told us yet.” He rubbed a tired hand through his hair. “Who could blame her?”

“I don’t want to lose her,” Rhys said in a quiet voice. “Or our child.”

“Then maybe it’s time we put as much time and effort into our relationship with Catherine as we do our business,” Logan said. “Starting now. It’s going to take all we’ve got to get her back, Rhy. I feel that. I think it’s gone beyond disappointment or even anger. But she’s going to need us when she’s discharged from the hospital. She won’t even be able to think about leaving until she’s completely healed. We can use that time to show her she comes first and that she always will.”

Rhys looked up at him, hope flaring in his eyes. “Then let’s do it.”

Chapter Fifteen

Catherine stared down at the note now wrinkled and worn from its constant place in her hand over the last three days. She smoothed the edges and let her gaze travel over the ink.