Page 10 of Make Your Play

“Yeah, it’s for whatever is on the other side of the door.”

Carson and I quickly climb to our feet, stepping out of the way as Lincoln opens the door. It leads to another room and he steps in first with Caleb right behind him.

Rowan glances back at the digital clock on the wall. “Thirty minutes, boys!” He looks at Carson and me as he pauses in the doorway. “Are you guys coming?”

“Yeah, we’re right behind you,” Carson tells him, motioning for him to go ahead. Rowan disappears into the other room, but Carson blocks the doorway before I can go through. “I think you should suggest it to her.”

“I don’t think it’s something she’ll agree to, Fordy.”

“You never know.” He purses his lips and shrugs. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Carson slips through the doorway and I follow after him, the idea settling into my brain. Riley is hardheaded and independent, so I doubt she’s going to accept my help, but it’s worth a shot. It’s unconventional. It’s not real. It’s just a piece of paper that would help her immensely.

And I’m afraid it might be the only real option she has.

CHAPTER FOUR

RILEY

Picking up a rose stem, I slide it into the arrangement, shuffling a few of the flowers that are already positioned inside the vase to make room for the additional one. I take a step back, scanning the flowers as I squint my eyes, attempting to assess whether or not it is missing something. There are a few different prearranged bouquets people are able to buy from my online store and one of my favorites isflorist’s choice.

When they select the florist's choice option, we get free creative rein and at the same time, it's also a fun surprise for the customer. As I look at it, I realize what it is missing. It's an arrangement with red roses and pink carnations, my favorite flower, but it's missing something to balance out those hues. It needs a touch of something white. Baby’s breath would look perfect with the combination.

I walk over to the fridge and lift up onto my toes, my arms outstretched above my head as I attempt to reach for the small bundle of baby’s breath. My mind quickly fast forwards, making a mental note that I need to order more, when the feeling hits me like a ton of bricks. In an instant, my heart shifts to a faster pace and I'm acutely aware of the pounding feeling in my chest. My lungs constrict and it becomes impossible to take a deepbreath. It's a weird thing that's been happening to my body since I entered the third trimester and I know it has to do with my heart and the blood flow.

The reasoning behind it doesn't help to alleviate my symptoms.

Stars dance around the edges of my vision and everything on the outskirts gets blurry. My head swims, my heart pounds, and my lungs restrict how much oxygen I can get into them. I drop back down onto my feet in a rush before I reach for the chair behind the desk. Moving my arms back to the sides of my body helps, but it doesn't take away the pain completely. I feel like I'm going to faint or pass out right here on the floor of my flower shop.

I prop my elbows on the counter, dropping my head onto my hands as I force my eyes shut. My nostrils flare as I suck in a deep breath, attempting to breathe through it to get my heart to calm down. To my left, my cell phone starts to ring and I peel one eye open, glancing at the screen when I see it's Nova. I leave it lying on the counter and answer it, turning it on speakerphone. Words fail me momentarily as I attempt to catch my breath.

"Hello? Ry, are you there?"

My lungs finally expand and I'm able to take a deeper breath. "Yeah, I'm here. Sorry."

"Are you okay?" There's nothing but deep-rooted concern in her voice. "What's going on? Is it the baby?"

I half choke out a laugh that could easily transform into a cry. "The baby is fine." Something being wrong with the baby would be unfathomable, but it doesn't make it any easier that I'm having issues of my own. I never imagined getting pregnant and doing it alone, but this is quite literally the icing on the cake. The fucked-up, falling-apart cake. "Can you come pick me up?"

My best friend doesn't hesitate. "Yes, of course."

Closing the flower shop this early in the day when I have other arrangements I need to do isn't the best thing for my business, but I have to. My body is giving me no choice. As much as I want to power through the day, I know my limitations. I also know the doctor said I'm on the brink of having to be on modified bed rest and overdoing things will put me on the shortlist for that.

"I'm getting ready to leave the museum now, so I will swing by and get you. Are you okay waiting for me?" She pauses for a moment, the concern evident in her tone. "Is everything okay, Riley?"

Rolling my lips between my teeth, I bite down and nod even though she's not able to see me. "I don't know, Nova. I mean, yes, I'm okay to wait for you."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thanks, love you," I tell her, my voice barely audible as I end the call without waiting for a response from her. Relief floods me as my heart begins to calm in my chest and I lean forward, pressing my head against the cool counter. My hand instinctively finds my stomach and I slide my palm over my shirt, feeling him kicking inside.

"Sorry, baby boy," I murmur, rubbing my swollen stomach as I close my eyes. "I can't imagine any of this is fun for you either." He moves again, as if he can hear me and agrees. "I don't know how we're going to do any of this, but we will figure it out. You and me, always, little man."

What a mess all of this is, but what a blessing his little life is.

If I can get through the rest of this pregnancy, everything will be okay. I'm a firm believer in things always working out in the end, even if I don't see it at the moment, it will.

It has to.

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