Page 42 of Texas-Sized Scandal
The nurse walked away and Melinda lay there on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling and praying for her baby. She felt the tears streaming down her face. She felt scared and alone, and as much as she told herself not to, she wished Slade were here with her.
Fourteen
Nonna’s call had come just as Slade was finishing up a meeting with his father. His head pounded and his heart raced when he heard Melinda was in the hospital. He wasted no time, turning from his father and running for the door. He’d had a lot of time to think about everything that Melinda had said, and living without her even for a few days had left him questioning his choices. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her now.
“I have to go, Dad. Something’s wrong with Melinda.”
“I’ll drive,” his father said, coming up behind him. “Do you remember when your mom cut her hand with that knife when you were about seven?”
He nodded. Why was his dad bringing that up now?
“I freaked out and barely was able to get us to the emergency room for them to take care of it. When the woman you love is in pain, it messes with your head.”
“Yeah, it does,” he said to his father. And to be honest, Slade was panicking. He wasn’t sure how he thought that loving Melinda and living apart from her was going to work out, but he knew now that he wanted to be by her side and that he’d never again let anything keep them apart.
In their hours-long conversation, his father had reassured him that he didn’t have to worry about the family coming after him. But the most startling thing his father told him was that he’d been working with local law enforcement for the last few years, trying to go clean. And he’d spent that time hoping that he’d be able to rebuild his relationship with Slade.
The sense of relief that had flooded him drove home how big of a weight the worry of bringing Melinda and their baby into a world where his father was still a crime boss had been on him. He’d always thought that he was cool with the rumors and whispered comments behind his back or at the very least, that he’d learned to deal with them, but he knew now he hadn’t been.
His dad was changing, trying hard to make a new life for himself, and he hoped to forge a relationship with him. Slade knew he could change too.
Be the man that Melinda needed him to be.
It wasn’t going to be easy, but she was worth the effort. He was going to have to work hard to convince her to give him another chance. To show her that he wanted her as his wife because, as his father had said, loving a woman wasn’t easy but it was the best damned thing a man could experience.
He wanted that. He wanted to raise his child with Melinda, not watch from the distance. He could protect them. He deserved the happy family and the life he could have with Melinda. The one that he’d always been afraid to let himself want.
Carlo dropped him off at the entrance to the emergency room and Slade ran into the waiting area. Nonna and Henri were sitting off to one side. He went to see his grandmother. “Where’s Melinda? Any word?”
“Room three,” Nonna said, shaking her head. “I’ve got a call into the head of the hospital board to see if he can get her seen sooner.”
“Thanks, Nonna,” he said, rushing to room three. He opened the door and stepped inside and his heart broke.
Melinda looked so small, lying on the hospital bed. Her head was back and tears were rolling down her face. Had she lost the baby?
“Baby cakes, I’m here,” he said.
He took her hand in his and when she looked up at him, he knew that he’d never leave her again. He couldn’t. They belonged together.
“I’m sorry. I love you and I want to be the man you deserve,” he said.
“You might not need to be,” she said on a sob. “I don’t know what’s going on but I’m having horrible stomach pain. I think something’s wrong with our baby.”
“Don’t worry. I’m here with you and I’ve got you,” he told her. “Whatever it is, we’ll face it together.”
The doctor and nurse came back in and examined Melinda. All Slade could do was stand by her side, holding her hand because when he’d dropped it and moved away, she reached out to him. He tried to project a calm appearance but inside he was freaking out. This baby that he’d been unsure of was the reason why he’d been able to finally figure out what was important in his life.
And he realized that he didn’t want anything to happen to Melinda or the child. He needed them both. They were the grounding he’d been so afraid to find. He thought they would tie him to a future that would be complicated and hard, but he realized now that without Melinda by his side nothing else mattered.
He looked up as the doctor spoke. “I’m going to have some tests run, but there is no bleeding, so I think your baby is okay. The pain could be from bloating or gas. Once I have the results of your tests, I’ll be able to confirm it.”
The doctor left and the nurse had Melinda transferred to a wheelchair and took her for the tests. He walked beside her, holding her hand tightly, squeezing it gently.
“If you want to go into the waiting room,” the nurse said to him, “I’ll come and get you when she’s back.”
He nodded and followed them out to the hallway, just watching as Melinda was wheeled away. He’d never felt like someone was his world before this moment. Had never allowed himself to care this deeply for another person or to hope that one day he’d have a family of his own. And he was so close to having it; he didn’t want to lose it now. Slade was alone in the hallway when someone touched his shoulder. He glanced around to see his father standing there.
“I know we have a long way to go, son,” Carlo said. “But I wanted you to know that I’m here. You are the only family that matters to me. Philomena is waiting to talk to you, and I think Melinda’s family is here, so I’ll go out the back, but I needed to see you.”