The Way We Score: A small-town, accidental pregnancy, sports romance. (The Bradford Boys)

I’m lying on my side in the dim-lit hospital room. A band is around my stomach, and stickers are on my chest, stomach, and wrist. Quietly beeping monitors surround me.

As soon as we got to the emergency department, they took us back. Mom held my hand, her eyes round and blinking fast the whole time. Every now and then, I’d catch her saying little prayers under her breath.

A blond male in magenta scrubs took us to a smaller room to run an ultrasound. Lying on the bed, all I could think about was that day in Birmingham when Garrett and I heard our baby’s heartbeat for the very first time.

I think we were both stunned. We were definitely changed.

“That’s a good sound!” The technician smiles, moving the wand over my abdomen.

Just like before, a steady, rhythmic whooshing fills the air around us, and my mom’s hand flies to her mouth. “Is that the heartbeat?”

“Yes, ma’am.” The fellow slides the wand around, and the black-and-white image changes shape. “The doctor will be in soon, but this is a good sign. If you can, try to relax.”

He stands, going to the door, and we thank him.

It’s quiet as we wait. Mom sits beside me, holding my hand, but we don’t speak. I don’t want to talk. All I can think about is the apple-sized baby I was told I could never have, and how much I don’t want to lose it.

And how much I want Garrett here with me.

I blink, and another tear hits my cheek. I don’t care about my trust issues or our past. I need his strong arms holding me. I’ll worry about what it means later.

“It’s been almost two hours since he texted last.” Mom’s voice is quiet as if she can read my mind.

My phone is in my hand with all Garrett’s texts, from the first one telling me he was waiting on the pilot to file a flight plan to his next one telling me they were boarding. The pilot promised to get him here as fast as possible. His final text said he had to go into airplane mode, but he’d let me know as soon as they touched down at Callahan.

The girls’ group chat blew up, but as much as I love them, I just can’t right now. For better or worse, I only want one person. Two, if you count the doctor.

Mom seems to understand. She walks to the sink in the sparse room and pulls several towels from the metal box hanging on the wall. Holding them under the faucet, she squeezes the excess water before returning to where I lie.

“Want to put this on your eyes? It might help.”

Her expression is worried, and even if it’s not at all what I want to do, I smile and nod. Placing the cool brown paper towels over my eyes, I do my best to quiet my thoughts.

With my eyes closed, I picture an apple baby tucked inside me, its heart beating so strongly, so steadily. I think about Henny Lane sitting on her nest, protecting her unfertilized egg.

For whatever reason, since I’ve been home, Henny and I have developed a connection. She’s so devoted to her plain, beige egg. I can’t let her be disappointed. I want all her efforts to be worth something.

I’m sure a therapist would have a field day with that.

“We’re getting Henny Lane a chick.” My voice is slurry, and I realize I’ve fallen asleep.

A warm hand smooths my hair off my forehead, and a deep voice answers. “What are we getting?”

Squeezing my eyes, I blink them open, and I hiccup a breath when I see Garrett beside me. Concern deepens the fine lines around his blue eyes, but they’re warm with emotion.

“You’re here.” I don’t mean for my voice to break. I don’t mean for tears to leak out of the corners of my eyes again.

His smile is so comforting. “The pilot said he probably broke some air-speed records to get me here. I think Logan told him what was up.”

Pushing against the mattress, I move to a sitting position. Smoothing my hands over my face, I clear my throat. “You missed the ultrasound. We could still hear the heartbeat.”

“Your mom told me it was strong, just like before.” He sits back, looking up at me with so much confidence.

“Where did she go?” I look around the space.

“I think she needed to walk around. I just got here, so she might be giving us a minute.”

“We’ve been waiting for the doctor so long.” I glance at the door, wondering what’s happening.

The door opens slowly, and Garrett and I both look. I’m expecting my mom. Instead, it’s a woman with dark brown hair and tan skin, who looks my age or a little older.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Pierce. What’s going on in here?” She smiles, and her upbeat demeanor quiets my stress over how long it’s taken.

“That’s what we’re hoping you’ll tell us.” Garrett’s tone is equally upbeat, and I’m glad he’s talking to her and not me. I might be less understanding.

“Let’s see.” She takes a stethoscope from around her neck and moves it over my chest. “Your heart rate has come down, which is a good thing.”

“Is… is the baby…” I can’t finish, and Garrett’s hand tightens over mine.

“The ultrasound showed a good, strong heartbeat and all of your vitals are good.” She sits back, crossing her arms. “We’ve been watching the monitors over the past few hours, and I don’t see any cause for alarm.”

“I wish you’d told me that.” My voice is quiet.

Dr. Pierce smiles, tilting her head. “Your stress levels all dropped when your husband got here. You were sleeping, and truthfully, sleep is the best thing for this.”

Stealing a glance at Garrett, I think about what she said about my stress levels. “So why am I bleeding?”

“Spotting at this early stage can be caused by all sorts of things, from dehydration to cervical changes to sex.” We both start to correct her, but she continues. “The baby is healthy. You’re healthy. We really only worry if it’s heavy bleeding or bleeding with cramping or pain or dizziness.”

Embarrassment pricks my cheeks. “I didn’t know.”

The doctor reaches out to put her hand on my arm. “You’ve never done this before. It’s normal to be afraid when you see blood, but you’re going to be fine. I’ll schedule a follow-up in a week, and we’ll give you the all-clear to resume your usual activities.”

She gives us a knowing wink, and my eyes drop to my hands.

“Thanks, Doc.” Garrett seems to be taking it all in stride.

I want to die.

When we’re finally alone, I drop my head into my hands. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I panicked. You flew all the way down here⁠—”

“Hell, Liv, I panicked.” Garrett sits on the edge of the bed, pulling me into a hug. “It’s like the doctor said. We’ve never done this before, and blood is fucking scary.”

Nodding my head against his chest, a frown tugs at the sides of my mouth. “I think… I still don’t believe it’s happening.” Sitting back, I meet his eyes. “It still feels like at any moment, it could be taken away.”

I already love this baby too much, and in my experience, loving something too much has always led to loss and pain. For whatever reason, I can’t seem to hold onto the things I love. My chest squeezes, and I inhale a shaky breath.

We’re sitting on the bed, facing each other. The soft beep of the monitors surrounds us, and my eyes fall to our hands clasped together. Garrett dropped everything and flew here for me. I want so much to believe that changes things. It proves my past doesn’t have to be my future.

“I’m not going back to New York.” Garrett’s tone is final. “I mean, I’ll go back to pack up my clothes and my truck, but I’m not going to stay. Next time something happens, I’ll be here. You won’t have to deal with shit like this all alone ever again.”

I don’t want to argue. I want what he’s saying. “Mom was with me, and she was really great⁠—”

“Next time, I won’t be flying across the country dying inside.” His blue eyes hold mine, and I know he was as scared as I was.

I know he wants this baby as much as I do, even if it was a huge surprise that changed both our lives. We want it so much, and maybe that’s the difference. I’m not the only one this time.

Nodding, I can’t help a little smile. “I’ll like having you here. The whole time, I really wanted you with me.”

“I promised you wouldn’t do this alone, Cherry. It’s a promise I’ll keep.”

After we left the hospital, Garrett drove us to Mom’s and stayed. It was after midnight, and without even discussing it, we climbed into my queen-sized bed together. It’s a little small, but it didn’t matter. He turned my back to his chest and wrapped me in his arms, holding me close.

One large hand covered my stomach, and the other held mine. As I drifted to sleep, warm lips pressed against the top of my shoulder, sending a flood of warmth through my body. My eyes closed, and I slept soundly through the night.

Now we’re lying beside each other. He’s still asleep, and I’m replying to the million messages in the girls’ chat.

“The heartbeat is very strong.” Dr. Pierce does her own ultrasounds, and at her encouraging tone, I exhale for the first time in seven days. “You might start to feel a little kicking. It’ll be like flutters in your stomach.”

Garrett’s hand tightens on mine, and I smile. He hasn’t left my side the entire week. Every morning, he’s up making my half-caff coffee. He said the experts are divided on whether caffeine is dangerous, but all seem to agree two cups a day is okay.

When we were sure I wasn’t spotting anymore, he went to meet with Rodney Brewer at the sheriff’s office in town. I had no idea he was planning to take a job in law enforcement. He said he didn’t want to mention it in case it didn’t work out.

He helped me feed the chickens, and I showed him Henny Lane flat on her nest making dinosaur noises whenever we approached. I showed him how I carefully checked her for fresh eggs and slipped them out without upsetting her, always taking care to leave one behind.

Rachel dropped off a casserole, and her younger brother Edward informed us chickens are the closest animals to dinosaurs still alive today—even closer than alligators. I’ve seen them eat mice, so I believe it. She also invited me to join her at Miss Gina’s for water aerobics and yoga, which I’m totally doing.

Tension made the days pass slowly, but suddenly we’re back for our follow-up visit with Dr. Pierce, who is now my regular obstetrician.

“If you look right here, you can see the outline of the skull, and down here the fingers have formed.” The corners of her black eyes wrinkle with her smile. “We can tell the sex if you’d like?”

My eyes cut to Garrett’s, and his eyebrows lift. We didn’t talk about this, but I kind of want to know.

“Okay?” I ask, and he gives me a little nod.

“We can never say for sure it’s not a boy, but I don’t see any indication it is.”

A baby girl. Energy blooms in my chest, and I can’t hold back a smile. His eyes shine at me, and he lifts my knuckles to his lips for a kiss. I tap the wetness from my cheek, because of course, I welled up again.

Dr. Pierce takes the wand away, wiping it with a towelette. “I’ll put these images in the patient portal so you can share them with friends and family.”

Her office is not a spa like Dr. Anderson’s. It’s very basic, and the waiting room is filled with expectant mothers, some with fathers, some with little kids, some alone.

It’s all very homey and welcoming, and I like it so much. Probably because I am home, and Garrett is beside me.

“No more spotting?” She turns to the laptop beside her, typing in notes as I answer her questions.

“Not since that night.” I shift, covering my stomach and sitting higher in the bed.

She nods, tapping on the computer. “Excellent. I think it’s safe to resume all your regular activities. Being sedentary isn’t good for either of you, so moderate exercise, walking, swimming, things like that will help with circulation, digestion.”

We thank her, and Garrett waits in the hall as I get dressed. Relief is on both our faces as he takes my hand, walking me to my car. When we get there, he stops me before I open the door and pulls me into a hug.

“A baby girl.” I hear the smile in his voice, and I hug him closer. Our little girl.

For a long moment, I hold him, and we breathe together. His lips are at the top of my head, and my eyes close as I’m surrounded by his warm clean scent, his strong, protective arms.

After another few moments, he steps back, dipping his chin so he can catch my eye. “I need to go and wrap things up in New York. I’ll only be gone a few days—long enough to pack what I need and drive my truck here. Will you two be okay without me?”

My chest squeezes, and I feel so silly having separation anxiety over this. Nodding, I force a smile. “We’ll miss you.”

“I’d say come with me, but I don’t think you’d be very comfortable driving twenty-four hours.”

“I think you’re right.” I cringe, making scared eyes. “I’ll hang with the girls and take care of Mom. I still have several cases open, so I need to work.”

Sliding his thumb along my jaw, his clear blue eyes are brimming with something deeper, a new emotion we’ve never shared until now. “Let’s wait until I get back to tell them it’s a girl.”

I reach up to slide my palm against his. “I’ll try not to let it slip.”

“No worries if you do.”

He holds my hand for a long moment, and the energy between us pulls so fiercely. My lips are heavy, and I want him to lean down and kiss me. I want to rise up and kiss him.

We blink, and he lifts his chin, taking a step away. “I’d better get going. I’ll see you and Miss Pomegranate in a few days.”

Another breath, another wish for a kiss, and I let him go.

“When will you start showing?” Rachel squints up at me standing on the side of the pool in my red one-piece.

She holds Miss Gina’s arm, guiding her down the steps into the warm pool. It’s fall, but the temps are still in the low eighties during the day here. Still, at night, it’s getting cooler. Of course, Miss Gina’s gorgeous, cerulean-blue tile pool is heated. Descending into the warm water is luxuriously relaxing.

“I don’t know.” I put my hands on my midsection. “I hope soon, because right now I just look like a sausage.”

“You are not a sausage.” Rachel leans forward with a snort.

Her light blonde hair is in two braids tied on the top of her head, and she’s in a mint green one-piece.

“None of my clothes fit, but I don’t have a bump. I just look frumpy.”

“I can’t imagine you looking frumpy,” Miss Gina interjects, her blind eyes lifted to the blue sky overhead. “You’re always so elegant.”

Cutting my eyes at Rachel, I huff a laugh as I bounce closer to where they’re standing in the chest-deep water. “Miss Gina, how could you possibly know that?”

“People talk. You have a very professional style, and red is your signature color.”

“Don’t question Miss Gina,” Rachel scolds teasingly. “She’s always right.”

“Well, you’re very elegant yourself.”

She’s in a colorful, Lily Pulitzer one-piece with a bright pink swim cap on her head that’s covered in fake, nylon flower petals.

Rachel hands us each “water weights,” which are simply foam dumbbells, then she taps the face of her phone.

Dance music begins, and she bounces over to where we wait. “Let’s start with eight reps, pushing down and up with control.”

“You’re going to be sore tomorrow,” Miss Gina murmurs, moving her set up and down beneath the surface in time with the music. “I didn’t believe it when we used them the first time.”

“I believe it.” I bend my knees to keep my weights underwater. “I’m already feeling it.”

“Now to the back.” She turns to the side so I can see the triceps move she’s doing.

“How long before the kids have a holiday?” Miss Gina turns her head in Rachel’s direction. “I miss Eddie Nashville and all of Kimmie’s questions.”

“They’ve only been back a month.” Rachel bounces over to adjust her form.

“Children keep you young. I expect you to bring the baby to swim, Liv.”

“Okay!” I smile, moving to the next exercise.

“When are you planning to get pregnant, Rachel?”

“I have to get married first, Miss G.”

“Not always, but it’s probably the best order. I’m ready for Dylan and Logan to have a baby, and then we’ll have all these little feet running all over the place.” She smiles looking up. “This old house is too big for one little blind lady.”

“Now let’s do some balance moves.” Rachel takes her dumbbells and moves them to the side of the pool.

I follow suit, and as I do, a kitten rolls out from the flower bed followed by another, who jumps on its stomach. Then they both roll around before scampering away, and I imagine our baby girl playing with them. The thought makes me smile.

“They’ll love all the kittens.”

“Oh, those kittens!” Miss Gina groans. “Is Garrett taking that job in animal control? Tell him he has to help me solve my cat problem.”

Rachel leans into her ear and stage-whispers, “It’s called getting them fixed.”

“Actually, they do have a trap-neuter-release program in town.” We all join hands and do a little bouncy move in a circle. “I’m sure he’d be happy to help you with it.”

Miss Gina lifts her head and smiles. “I know Dylan loves having her brother home. It reminds me of when you were all here, growing up.”

“The stories make it sound so fun, with all the football games and the dance recitals and the ballet.” Rachel’s tone is wistful.

“It was.” My eyes go to where the sun is drifting lower to the horizon. “We had everything we needed right here.”

Miss Gina’s hand tightens over mine. “No reason you can’t have it again.”

I blink over to her, thinking about how she always seems to know everything.

“Maybe we can have it again with the second generation of Bradfords.” Rachel’s nose wrinkles, and we release hands, drifting to the steps. “Can’t you just see it?”

Climbing slowly, my hand goes to my stomach, and hope trickles through my chest. The sky is golden, we’re back, and even with the tremor in my heart, I think I can.