Page 53 of A Baby to Make Her His Bride

“Vienna, listen to me.” He had to consciously keep himself from crushing her hand. “I love you. Do you hear me? No matter what happens, I love you and I want you to marry me.You.”

“You don’t have to say that.” Her lips quivered.

“I do have to say it,” he said grimly. “I should have said it an hour ago, but—” He swore under his breath. “An hour ago, I was afraid to let myself need you, as if it hadn’t already happened. How would I cope if I lost you?” He pressed the back of her hand to his cheek, only becoming aware tears were leaking from his eyes when she caught her breath and shifted her finger against his wet skin.

“I didn’t know fear an hour ago. Not this kind. Now I do. I love you. You are everything to me. Whatever happens, you are not alone right now. I’m right here beside you and I will stay beside you. Okay?”

She blinked her matted lashes, choking, “It’s just s-so unfair.”

“It is.” He leaned over her and stroked her brow. “But let’s be thankful this baby came into our lives and brought us together. Right now, we’re still all three together, hmm?”

She nodded and clung to his hand, not saying anything more until they arrived at the hospital where she was wheeled into the emergency room and quickly assessed.

“The fetal heart rate is elevated,” the doctor said as the instruments were hooked up.

They both looked to each other with tentative hope.

“There’s a heartbeat,” Jasper confirmed, squeezing that news into Vienna’s arm.

She nodded through her tears of distress while the doctor ordered an ultrasound and promised to give her something for the pain.

A few minutes later, she was wheeled into a similar imaging room to the one that had made them so happy in Santiago. This time, the technician was somber, but she quicky identified the baby’s heartbeat. The baby was moving, too.

“Are you having contractions?” the technician asked.

“I don’t know what this pain is. It’s constant.”

The technician continued to torture her, pressing into a spot that made Vienna nearly scream. She stuck her fingernails into the back of Jasper’s hand.

“Be careful,” Jasper growled at the woman.

The technician nodded with concern and the doctor was brought in.

“You’re not miscarrying,” the doctor said after consulting the screen. “You have appendicitis. You need surgery. Tonight.”

Jasper’s heart fell as quickly as it had lifted.

“But—what about the baby?” Vienna asked, mouth trembling.

“We do it laparoscopically. The risk to your pregnancy is low. We’ll begin prepping you immediately.”

She looked to Jasper, openly afraid.

He swallowed down his helplessness. He couldn’t bear it. He cupped the side of her face, looking deeply into her eyes.

“I love you. Whatever happens,I love you.I’m not going anywhere,” he swore.

Jasper was allowed to stay with her until they took her to the OR. When he walked into the waiting room, Amelia and Hunter were there, both pale with concern.

“Appendicitis,” Jasper said, running his hand through his hair. “It doesn’t seem to have burst, so that’s a silver lining. They said surgery will take an hour.”

“Surgery,” Hunter repeated in a hollow voice. His gaze went to the doors where Jasper had come through. He looked as though he wanted to go find his sister and see for himself.

“What about the baby?” Amelia asked anxiously.

“Okay for now.” Jasper sat down, knees no longer able to hold him, quietly begging his friend to do what he could to give him a second chance.

I’ll get it right this time, Saqui. I promise.

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