Page 17 of Daddy's Intern

Orla’s lips part in surprise. “I’m sorry, I thought you knew. Anna-Beth’s three months pregnant.”

Holy fuck.

“Can I see her?” I demand.

She nods, giving me a soft smile, her eyes hold regret. No doubt at her being the one to tell me that Anna-Beth’s pregnant. “Yes, she’s awake and asking for you.”

She leads me toward the room, and my heart stutters when I see her lying in the bed. She looks so lost, her eyes are filled with pain, and she’s got wires coming out of her, some hooked up to a machine, others to an IV drip.

“Hey, baby girl,” I say as I reach her. “Are you okay?”

She nods her head, her fingers reaching for me.

I don’t hesitate, I take a seat and hold onto her hand. “Orla told me that you’re dehydrated and exhausted. You’re going to have to stay here for tonight at least. We need you to get better.” I bring my other hand to her stomach. “For the both of you.”

Her lips part, and her eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I was going to tell you. I found out the day that Mom died.”

My heart clenches as she begins to sob. “It’s okay,” I assure her, hating that she’s hurting, that she’s crying.

She shakes her head. “I was going to tell you,” she cries. “I just was so consumed with grief. I didn’t want to think about anything. Thinking about the baby made me realize just how much it hurt that my mom wasn’t going to be around to meet him or her.” Her body bucks under the force of the sob. “I’m going to be an awful mom,” she cries. “I’m not even taking care of it properly.”

I can’t take this anymore. I climb onto the bed, careful not to jostle her and pull her into my arms. “Listen to me baby girl. You’re going to be an amazing mom. You’re going through a hard time, grief isn’t something that can be pushed aside, it takes time to go through it. Not to mention going through it while pregnant has got to be hard. But you’re not alone. I’m with you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

She blinks, huge tears clinging to her eyelashes. “How do I stop the pain?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know, baby, but I do know that you’re going to get through it.”

Sometimes I feel guilty. I don’t feel any of the grief that Anna-Beth does, even with Belinda being my ex-wife. We were never meant for each other, our marriage should never have happened. Her dying was sad, sure, but I’m not grieving, and I hate that I can’t help Anna-Beth through it.

“I hate that she’s gone,” she whispers. “I’m all alone.”

“No baby, you’re not. I fucking love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

She pulls in a sharp breath, her eyes wide and filled with hope. “You do?”

I nod. “I do. No one in this world means more to me than you do. There’s no one I could love as much as I do you.”

“I love you too,” she whispers. “So much. I was so scared that you wouldn’t want the baby.”

I splay my hand on her stomach. “Fuck no. I’ve not once fucked you with a condom, there’s no way I wouldn’t want our baby.”

The smile she gives me brightens up her face and finally reaches her eyes. “We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?”

I press a kiss to her lips. “More than okay,” I promise her.

I’ve got everything I could have ever wanted right here. Nothing will ever change that.

Anna-Beth is mine and always will be.

EPILOGUE

TATE

Six months later

Istare at my wife, my cock tightening as I listen to her husky laugh. There’s no fucking better sound than it in this world. I’d bottle it up and sell it if I could. The sadness isn’t so prominent in her eyes. Some days she’ll get the pain, but it doesn’t last as long as it used to.

“She’s happy,” Abel comments.

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