Page 5 of Daddy's Little Surprise

“Better?” Mike remarked.

“Yes.”

Taking several deep breaths, he waited for Mike to tell him what was wrong with her. It was like time was passing slower and slower as he waited. No doubt, Mike was doing it on purpose to see if he would snap at him again.

“The baby is fine. She’s about six months along. The test we did showed she was dehydrated and stressed. She needs to keep the stress down for the baby’s sake. That means lots of liquids, food, and rest.”

“She owns a coffee shop. Rest might not be that easy.”

Mike gave him a smile. “Perfect time to show your strict Daddy side to her. Show that you’re not messing around when it comes to her health.”

Marco clenched his jaw. He didn’t exactly want her to wake up and have him boss her around. She didn’t know him, and he didn’t want to run her away.

“She will need somebody to watch over her for the next few of days. I don’t feel comfortable sending her home if she’s alone,” Mike explained. “But if she does have somebody at home, I will discharge her, and she can leave.”

Everything in Marco wanted to say she didn’t have anybody, that he would take responsibility, but he didn’tknow if that was true. He didn’t know where she lived and whether she had a boyfriend or husband who stayed there.

“If she doesn’t have anybody, I will take responsibility and bring her home with me,” Marco gently said.

“I’ll let the nurse know.”

Marco nodded and slowly relaxed into the chair.

“When is she going to wake up?” he asked.

“Are you ready to be a dad?” Mike spoke at the same time.

They stared at each other for several seconds.

“I’ll answer first. She should wake up any second now. She might be a little out of it since she did pass out, but it won’t last long,” Mike replied.

“I know this baby might not be biologically mine, but it is mine. If she agrees, I will take care of this baby like it’s my own. You don’t have to worry about that. I’m not going to tell her to get rid of it because I didn’t plant the seed. And if I have any other children with her, I will not treat the baby any differently. Is that understood?”

Marco knew he was being a little harsh, but he needed to let Mike know he was all in. He wasn’t going to ask Rainey to give up her baby. That would be cruel and unnecessary.

Mike raised his hands. “I just wanted to ask. I wasn’t trying to insinuate you would treat the baby any differently. But it’s good to know you won’t.”

“Damn right, I wouldn’t.”

He didn’t like that question. He knew it was logical and a question she would probably ask him, but he didn’t like it coming from another man. When Rainey asked him, he wasgoing to be prepared to answer so that she wouldn’t doubt what he was saying.

“I’ll give the nurses all the notes. But she needs to stay hydrated, and she definitely needs to eat and have less stress. It’s essential for her and the baby. If she can’t do all three of those, I’ll have to put her on bed rest in the hospital to keep an eye on her,” Mike explained.

“Don’t want that. I’ll make sure she stays hydrated, fed, and less stressed. I can’t eliminate all the stress, but I will try.”

“Good. I want to see her in a week and a half. You can just bring her through the emergency room and tell the nurse. I’ll have them write it down, and I’ll see her right away. And if I’m not here, you can come to my house, and I’ll check her over.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“Don’t forget to press the button once she wakes up. The nurse will be in to check on her and discharge her. Good luck. You’ll need it.”

Mike left the room, and Marco looked back at Rainey. She looked so peaceful lying there. He hoped she felt the connection he did. He hoped she would not give much of a fight. Ultimately, her staying in the hospital, or with him would come down to whether she had anybody at home. If she stayed in the hospital, he would visit her every single day, bringing her homemade food because he knew hospital food was not appetizing.

He looked at her short brown hair sprawled across the pillow. For her having short hair, she did have a lot of it. For some reason, it didn’t suit her. Not in Marco’s mind. But ifshe was happy about it, he was fine with it. He still loved her either way.

He groaned and closed his eyes. He really needed to stop saying that he loved her in his head. It was going to come out of his mouth when he didn’t need it to.

Marco squeezed her hand as he opened his eyes. “What am I going to do with you?”

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