The Alpha's Baby (23 page)

A rush of excitement went through Emmy when she realized she was going to see her friend. "Thank God nothing happened to her during the night."

"What, did you think a charging rhinoceros was going to spear her with its horn?" Sebastian asked teasingly.

"No, smart aleck." She elbowed him. "But there could be an allergic reaction to her medication. Stranger things have happened, you know."

For example, the appearance of werewolves was pretty damn strange.

"You know what, I think you're right." Sebastian took her hand as they walked.

She was silent all the way until she reached Mary Lou's room. When they stopped, she saw that Sebastian's grin was gone. Instead his eyes were distant, and she had the feeling that he was a million miles away. It was not an expression that Emmy liked seeing, especially after everything that had happened.

Emmy tugged on his sleeve. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"I think I'm going to give you and Mary Lou some privacy." Sebastian took a step back.

"But why?"

"Because I have something I need to do," he said.

The words were like a knife to the heart. Hadn't he promised her no more secrets? "You said that you weren't going to be secretive anymore. I can't believe that you're doing this to me again."

This time, she wasn't sure she could handle it if he was hiding something awful.

"Listen to me, sweetheart." Sebastian cupped her cheeks. "This isn't like before. I have a surprise for you, that's all."

She raised an eyebrow. "A surprise? What kind of surprise?"

"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, would it?" Sebastian snorted.

Her face hardened. "I think I've had more surprises than I can stand."

"But this one is good." Sebastian laid a kiss on her lips. "And I think you're going to like it very, very much."

"I don't know." She swallowed.

Instead of backing away, Sebastian pecked her lips again. His warm mouth brushing against hers was enough to convince her to do anything. She would have jumped into a lake for him. She would have cut out her own liver for him. Maybe she would have shared a chocolate croissant with him. Oh, hell, that was going too far. She wouldn't share her chocolate croissant, but she'd do everything else.

"Give me thirty minutes." Sebastian peered deep into her eyes.

She crossed her arms stubbornly. "I'll give you fifteen."

"Twenty-five."

"Twenty," she said.

His grin widened. "Done."

"And don't you dare be a minute late." She prodded his chest. "What if something happens while I'm here without you?"

"Nothing is going to happen." He kissed her forehead. "But I'll be fast anyway."

"When will I find out what this mysterious surprise is?" She studied him.

"Tonight," he said.

Okay, now she was curious. "And you won't tell me anything more than that?"

"Not a damn thing." His lip quirked. "You, sweetheart, are going to have to sweat it out."

"Oh, goody, just what I've always wanted to hear," she said.

He shrugged. "I'm the ultimate romantic; what can I say?"

"You're also the ultimate jerk." She pinched his arm.

"Ouch." He rubbed his arm, feigning injury. "Oh, the agonies of loving a woman with a temper."

"Ha, ha, ha." She rolled her eyes. "Go get your damn surprise already."

"Mmmm." Sebastian patted her rear end. "And you go keep Mary Lou company."

Before she could say anything more, Sebastian gave her one last kiss before leaving. After he walked down the hall, she cursed.

"Cripes, couldn't he have waited a little while?" Emmy was still nervous about being left behind, even for a few minutes. Still at least she could visit Mary Lou.

Feeling a lot less excited now and a lot more apprehensive, she opened the door to Mary Lou's room and headed inside. Mary Lou was resting in bed with a blanket on top of her. The woman's lips were thin and her wrinkles were prominent because she wore no makeup. She was in a white hospital gown, which looked a hell of a lot different than her usual eccentric garb.

With a sigh, she grabbed her friend's hand, wishing that the woman was awake. Still it wasn't like she could shake her. The woman was injured.

 "Poor Mary Lou." She sighed.

Emmy hung her head and fell silent. At that moment, the woman's hand jerked and her eyes flew open.

"Mary Lou, you're awake," she cried, jumping to her feet.

"Is that all you have to say to an injured woman?" Mary Lou asked. "'Poor Mary Lou?' Jeez, in the movies, everybody always says these long, drawn-out speeches when people are unconscious and injured. I'm disappointed in you, Emmy."

The woman humphed and crossed her arms.

Emmy normally would have pitched a fit because her best friend had been faking sleep, but at that moment, she couldn't help but laugh. Doing something like this was so like Mary Lou. 

"I'm so glad you're okay." Emmy threw her arms around the other woman.

"Ouch. I'm still sore here, chickadee." Though Mary Lou was grinning, her eyes glistened with pain.

"I'm so sorry." Emmy released her. "I was just so happy you were okay that I couldn't help myself."

In fact, she had to fight the urge to throw her arms around her friend's neck again.

While Emmy tried to maintain her self-control, Mary Lou looked around the room. "So what the hell happened to me, anyway?"

"Eh?" Didn't the woman remember?

"You heard me." Mary Lou nodded. 

Emmy's heart thundered , and she cursed Sebastian for not being here to help her. "Well, how much do you remember?"

The woman cocked her head. "Mmm. I remember being at that creepy guy's house…what was his name?"

"Jake." Emmy shivered as if she'd uttered a swearword.

"Yeah, that's right, Jake." Mary Lou paused for a moment too, and her face grew a shade whiter. "Well, I remember being trapped at his house. After that, I think I may have had a hallucination because I dreamed that there were these beastly creatures running around."

Emmy's breath caught. Mary Lou thought those "beastly creatures" had been a figment of her imagination. Emmy could do two things—she could tell the woman the truth or let her believe she'd been dreaming. Suddenly, she could understand why Sebastian had hid the truth from her. How was she supposed to come out and tell Mary Lou what was going on when it would hurt the woman? Or what if her friend thought she was a nut and pushed her away? Her eyes widened in horror.

She'd been too hard on Sebastian for not telling her. Way too hard.

"Sebastian," she whispered.

Unfortunately, Mary Lou heard her.

"Where is Sebastian, by the way?" Mary Lou looked around. "I remembered that he carried me to the hospital or something."

"Don't worry about him," Emmy said, even though she was worried herself. "He'll be here soon."

"Ah." Mary Lou paused. "Okay."

"And about what you saw in the house…" Emmy stared at the older woman.

Oh God, what should she say?

Mary Lou waved away her words. "Never mind. Forget I asked. I know I was just dreaming. I must have a vivid imagination, that's all."

Her mouth dropped open. "But…but…"

"You don't need to tell me I'm whacko." Mary Lou snorted. "I know it."

"You aren't a whacko."

Mary Lou grinned. "Maybe not as much as you, but I am."

"Hey." Her eyes narrowed.

The woman grinned, but then that grin disappeared within seconds. "And by the way, I'm sorry about feeding you to the lions like that."

"Lions?"

"I mean that I'm sorry for handing you over to Jake, you dunderhead." Mary Lou rolled her eyes. "He said he'd hurt me if I didn't tell him where you were. I held out for a little while, but as soon as he started talking about punching me in the face, I sang like a canary. I'm ashamed of myself. Selling out a friend is the lowest of the low. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself."

Emmy remembered the way Mary Lou had saved her. "You don't have to feel guilty about that. You redeemed yourself."

"I don't think so." The woman shook her head.

She grabbed her friend's hand and squeezed. "Well, I do. Trust me."

"You're just saying that to be nice, aren't you?"

"I'm not." Emmy managed to smile.

"Hmm." The woman scrutinized her. "Well, I guess I'll believe you this time."

"Good." Emmy grinned. "And do you know how much I love you?"

"Ah, shucks." Mary Lou turned pink, but then batted her eyes. "Say…"

"What?"

"Just how much do you love me?" The woman gave a charming grin.

Emmy had a bad feeling about this. "A lot. Why?"

"Well, I'm starving," Mary Lou said. "And the hospital food tastes like roasted rubber."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," she said.

"They gave me flavorless green beans during lunch." Mary Lou draped herself dramatically over the side of the bed. "What could possibly be worse than flavorless green beans?"

"Sardines?" she asked.

Mary Lou him-hawed. "I suppose. And haggis is also pretty disgusting."

"Or those disgusting scorpions on a stick that I saw on TV," Emmy said.

"Cockroach soup," Mary Lou said. "And yes, it exists."

"Some people eat rooster testicles." She thought it was revolting.

"Eh, rooster testicles are probably not that different from my late husband's balls." Mary Lou shrugged.

She felt the blood drain out of her face. "You didn't eat his balls, though, did you?"

Please God, no. Not even during foreplay.

"Who eats rooster testicles?" Sebastian said as he walked through the door.

Emmy whirled around, not sure if she should was happy he was there or devastated that he'd heard the words “rooster testicles.” "Sebastian!"

"Hey, sweetheart. Told you I wouldn't be long." He kissed her lips. "And nice to see you, Mary Lou. Good to know that you're enjoying giving Emmy a hard time."

"Always." Mary Lou grinned. "But before Emmy led this conversation in a distasteful direction—"

"Hey, you started this," she cried.

"I was going to ask if she'd run down to the bakery and get me a slice of red velvet cheesecake with extra whipped cream." Mary Lou licked her lips. "Oh, and a cappuccino would be nice too. Hospital coffee tastes like piss."

"Are you allowed to have all that?" Emmy raised an eyebrow.

"What harm can a piece of red velvet cheesecake do?" Mary Lou asked.

"It can cause a heart attack, for one thing," she said.

"Heart attacks are for old people. I won't have to worry about that for another sixty years." Mary Lou shot Sebastian her most charming grin. "Be a dear and get me the cake, will you? They may not serve rooster testicles at this hospital, but damn, it sure tastes like it."

Sebastian snorted. "I think I can manage that."

"You got yourself a keeper." Mary Lou winked at Emmy and settled down in her hospital bed.

****

After visiting with Mary Lou all day long, Emmy knew that not only was her best friend fine, but she also had an appetite to match an NBA player's. As she headed up the stairs to her apartment holding hands with Sebastian, she shook her head. Sebastian met her eyes.

"I was thinking about making you dinner tonight," he said. "What do you think about eating rooster testicles?"

"I don't want you to go near a skillet." She remembered the bacon incident all too well. "And I wouldn't eat rooster testicles even if somebody named me the queen of England."

Sebastian grinned as they reached her apartment. "If they named me the queen of England, I'd eat rooster testicles."

She snorted. "Well, the dresses would look fetching on you."

"I think the crown would fit me best." Sebastian moved his hand with flourish and spoke using a high-pitched tone. "Darling, don't these gems look fabulous?"

"You might want to work on your queen voice." She pulled out her key and unlocked her apartment. "You sound more like Morgan Freeman with a head cold."

"It's a work in progress." The man winked. 

"Keep trying." She opened the door and stepped inside. "I'm sure you'll sound like a marvelous queen someday."

"Nice to know I have your support."

Grinning, she headed into the kitchen. "Always."

As Sebastian chuckled, she headed over to the refrigerator and opened it. The fridge was packed, but she didn't feel like cooking. If she was alone, she would have opened up a package of cookies and eaten the entire thing while watching reruns of her favorite sitcoms. Though that sounded like sheer bliss to her, she was sure that Sebastian would have been less than impressed by her choices.

"How do you feel about sandwiches?" She pulled out a package of smoked ham.

"I'm not sure sandwiches are enough to quench my appetite." Grinning, Sebastian peered over her shoulder. "How about I order Chinese?"

"I could go for some Chinese." Really, who didn't like greasy rice?

"Good." He pulled out his phone and pushed a button.

A second later, he had his phone pressed to his ear.

"You have a Chinese place on speed dial?" She shook her head in exasperation.

"What can I say, dialing is as close to cooking as I get." The guy shrugged.

Before she could say anything else, he began ordering a meal for two—or judging by the quantity of food, a meal for sixteen. Who did he think was going to be dining with them, a small army? After he hung up, she stepped in front of him and crossed her arms.

"Do we really need five containers of rice?" She had a stomachache just thinking about it.

He put his phone in his pocket. "Hey, I have a large appetite."

"A large appetite with the body of a god." Somehow, that didn't seem fair.

He grinned. "Was that a compliment?"

"Maybe."

"Well, then I'll take it as one." Sebastian opened the freezer. "Now, for a brief snack."

"A snack?" She didn't understand. "But you just ordered Chinese."

"I've always thought there was something naughty about eating dessert first." Sebastian placed a container of vanilla ice cream on the table.

"Well…" Her stomach rumbled as Sebastian placed a spoon on the counter.