The Proposal (The Proposition #2)(75)

When they got to the restaurant, they had to fight their way through the teeming crowd. “Doesn’t look so uber not happening to me!” Emma shouted over the noise.

“It’s Friday night. It’s going to be crazy anywhere.”

Thirty minutes later when they finally got a table, Emma’s feet were screaming in agony. As she flopped down in the booth, pain shot up her lower back. “Ow!” she yelped.

“Are you okay?”

She giggled. “Yeah, I was expecting a little more cushioning—not that I don’t have enough padding back there.” When Connor started to open his mouth, she wagged a finger at him. “I don’t need any comments about how I’ve always had junk in my trunk either, thank you very much.”

“You’re such a prude,” he replied with a wink.

By the time they finished their meal and Emma had gorged herself on her favorite Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake, she was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to go home, get into her pajamas, and curl up on the couch. She just hoped that Casey and Connor didn’t have anymore big plans for the evening.

As they got up, Emma winced as her hand flew to rub her back. What had been a dull throbbing during dinner was now pulsing. She hobbled out of the restaurant and tried desperately to keep up with Connor and Casey.

“Guys, we’re not running the Peachtree Road Race. Would you slow down!” she called.

“God, Em, just when I thought you couldn’t be any slower,” Casey remarked, walking back to her.

“My back is killing me.”

Casey snorted. “Do you have a sex sprain?”

Emma narrowed her eyes. “It isn’t a sex sprain. It started back in the booth.”

Thankfully, they made it to the car. When she got up into the SUV, a strange feeling rippled through her back and belly before a deluge of water swept down her thighs. At first, mortification filled her that she was experiencing pregnancy incontinence. But then the revelation hit her. She had gone to the bathroom before their meal arrived…and before dessert. “Oh God,” she murmured.

“What’s wrong?” Casey asked, checking her reflection in the mirror and applying more lip stick.

Emma drew in a ragged breath. “Um, I think my water just broke.”

Both Casey and Connor whirled around in their seats, shock and horror etched across their faces. “What?” Casey demanded.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure. It’s all over me.”

“Oh shit, Em, don’t tell me you just ruined my new leather seats?” Connor moaned.

Casey smacked his arm hard. “It’s not like she can help it.”

Embarrassment warmed Emma’s cheeks. “I’m so, so sorry, Connor. I promise I’ll pay to have it professionally cleaned.” The moment the words left her lips raging pain crisscrossed its way through her abdomen, causing her to cry out. She pinched her eyes shut and breathed in deep, trying to ride it out.

“Em?” Casey questioned.

Once the pain passed, she opened her eyes. Both Casey and Connor stared expectantly at her. “Yeah, um, I think we’re going to have to cancel our sleepover. I need to get to the hospital. Now.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“Goodnight!” Aidan called as he left his business dinner. Rolling his shoulders, he fought the fatigue that filled him. He wanted nothing more than to get back to the hotel and call it a night. When Emma’s familiar ring tone came on, he dug his phone out of his pocket. “Miss me already, sweetheart?” he joked.

“You have no idea,” she replied, her voice strained.

He froze on the sidewalk. “Em, is there something wrong?”

“Um, well, don’t freak out—”

“Too late.”

“My water broke, and I just got admitted to the hospital.”

Aidan’s eyes closed in agony. “You can’t be serious.”

“Trust me, I wish I was joking.”

“But you’re not due for three more weeks. I would have never, ever left.”

“Listen, it’s okay. You just need to get to the airport.”

“Em, there’s not a single flight out of Charlotte back to Atlanta tonight.”

“I know. That’s why I have Plan B.”

“And just what does that entail?”

“Pesh is on his way up to get you in his plane.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” When she didn’t respond for a minute, he said, “Em, are you there?”

He heard her draw in a ragged breath. “Having.a.really.bad.pain.”

He winced. “Oh shit. I’m sorry. I want to be there so bad to hold your hand...to help you.”

It took her a few seconds to respond. “Good. Then you’ll meet Pesh at the airport—”

“Em, you know I have a thing about small planes.”

“Aidan,” she growled before huffing and puffing.

When she groaned in agony, he knew he was in trouble. “Let me guess, at the moment, you don’t give a shit about my fears or what I want or don’t want to do, right?”

“Exactly!” she snapped.

“Okay, okay. I’ll get to the airport, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Good.”