Looking at her, he could relate. “Yeah, funny.”
“You think it’ll ever be like it was before?” she asked. “Having energy and not feeling like a hot-air balloon?”
He hated that she didn’t have energy, but she could be carrying twins and two-hot air balloons, and he’d still be attracted to her, still want her like that.
“When Harley comes, we’ll find a new normal that gives you all kinds of energy. Then you can eat all the sugared cereal you want, dance on the risers with the retirement home crew, and we’ll hire a sitter and come clubbing whenever the mood strikes.”
She rubbed at her stomach. “I feel like I fell off a cliff.”
“Then hang on tight, we’ll go down together.” He pulled her in for a side hug.
She squeezed her eyebrows together, glancing up at him. “I’m not sure that sounds as romantic as you were hoping.”
“Want me to sing it instead?” In his experience, that could make anything romantic.
“You’re being silly.” She settled against his side.
And then he sang, gravelly and low. “Hang on tight. We’ll go down. We’ll go down together. Because down is up. Up is heaven with my girl.”
“I think I know what that means.” She grinned up at him, still letting him hold her weight.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He moved his hand to her belly, where Harley moved around.
“She’s lucky you’re her dad and you love her so much,” Courtney said.
“Ah. So youdon’tget it.” He repositioned her so they were face-to-face because this was important. “I meanyou.”
The way her expression turned tender and her eyes watered? Maybe he’d finally gotten through. She was plenty to him. The baby was the bonus, not her.
“Go play with your friends.” He pressed a kiss to her mouth, and then watched her as she moved to the table with Irina and Becca.
Then he grabbed a cherry seltzer and chatted with Babushka about how Harvey and Harley were not the best names for their little girl and maybe he and Courtney should consider something more Russian—like Nadzieja.
“Bax?” Linx called on his first slug of cherry seltzer. “Courtney needs you.”
He scanned the VIP area and found her with Knox and Becca near the booth they’d reserved. Her expression? Not good.
Yeah, the horrified expression on her face had him leaving the seltzer on the bar and heading right toward her.
“Shit,” she said as he approached.
“What’s wrong?” He was ready to pick her up and firefighter carry her out the door.
“I just got dizzy. No biggie.” Her pale skin and the little beads of sweat on her forehead said differently.
“Your head still hurts?” Bax asked, ready to take her home and away from all the lights.
She nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”
“How long has your head hurt?” Knox stood up from the booth with an authority that Bax seriously questioned.
“A couple of days… Why?” She eyed him cautiously.
“Any spots in your vision? How’s your blood pressure? Swelling?” Knox started a new game of twenty questions.
