37. Lark

Chapter thirty-seven

Lark

There’s no one but myself to blame for my exhaustion the next day. Not even pregnancy hormones. This is solely the result of Dan and I getting very little sleep. Next to none, actually.

He sneaks out before I’m even out of bed for a run with some of the other players. When the door to the hotel room opens an hour later, I smell the gift he’s brought me even before I open my eyes.

“Coffee?” I croak, blinking against the light streaming in from the open curtains. I’m still wearing one of his T-shirts and nothing else, and as he walks over, there’s no ignoring the way his eyes zero in on my boobs.

He settles beside me, handing me the cup. “Before you get too excited, you need to know it’s decaf.”

I pout, even as I take a sip. “I know, it sucks. No caffeine, no wine, no sushi. Women get the shit end of the deal with this whole pregnancy thing.”

“To say nothing of giving birth at the end of it,” he adds. That earns him a glare. “What?”

“I’m trying not to think about that part quite yet. ”

He has the decency to look remorseful. “Sorry, Birdie. But I tell you what. I’ll suffer with you. No caffeine, alcohol, or sushi for me, either. I can’t do much about the other stuff you’re gonna have to deal with, but I can do this.”

I pat his arm and look at his very likely caffeinated coffee. “Oh yeah? You’re going to do that with me? Starting when?”

His face falls. “Oh. Shit.”

I’m about to reassure him it doesn’t matter and he can drink the damn coffee when he stands up and goes to the bathroom. I hear him dump the contents of his cup down the sink. When he comes back, he takes my cup from me and takes a large sip.

“You’re gonna have to share.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” I say, blinking furiously and trying not to cry.

Dan just fixes me with a strangely affectionate look. “Yeah, I did. We’re in this together, I told you.”

Crap. The first tear falls, followed by another. “Stop being so wonderful,” I wail as he pulls me into his warm chest with a chuckle.

“Sorry, my love. No can do.”

I sniffle and sip my coffee. “Fine. I guess I’ll just have to get used to it.”

“Guess so. Hey, did you ever hear about your internship?”

I push myself up to sit, staring down at my coffee. “I did. I got accepted.”

Dan nudges me slightly. “That’s awesome, Birdie. So why don’t you seem excited?”

My gaze lifts to look at him. “Because it starts in the fall, Dan. And news flash, this baby is coming in the fall. Internships don’t exactly mix well with newborns.”

“Hmm.”

His casual response annoys me a little. I bite my tongue and drink my coffee.

“Why don’t you explain the situation and ask if you can start in the new year instead? You said the research study is ongoing, maybe they’ll let you delay your placement.”

I climb out of bed and set my coffee cup down on the dresser after draining the last few sips. “I don’t want to sound all negative, but do you really think that would work? They must have tons of applicants. Why would they wait for me?”

Dan stands up and walks over to me, running his hands down my arms. “Because you’re Lark Miller, and you’re incredible. You’re worth waiting for. Trust me.”

“Now you’re gonna make me cry again.”

He laughs and kisses my forehead. “Oh no, what a surprise.”

I drop my head down on his chest with a sigh. “Even if they did let me delay my start, we’d have to figure out childcare, and I’d still have a very young baby at home. I don’t know.”

“Listen, a wise woman once told me, sometimes you have to put your own needs first. Or something like that. Anyway, you’re not putting your goals on hold any less than I am. We’re in this together, and we’ll find a way to make it work. If you start in January, I’ll stay home with the baby.” He cocks his head to the side with a smirk. “You gotta admit, I’ll make one hell of a DILF.”

I laugh, but my head’s nodding in agreement. “As long as I’m the only one who gets to actually F you.”

“Duh. Besides, I bet you anything my parents will help out, or we’ll find a nanny. Heck, doesn’t the stadium have a daycare? There’s options, Lark. Don’t give up on your dream. Promise me you’ll at least ask them if you can start later.”

I let myself consider it, trying to imagine participating in the internship in the new year. It won’t be easy, there’s a lot to consider, including my position with the Tridents. But he’s right. I won’t know what’s possible if I don’t ask. “Okay. I’ll send them an email.”

“Great. Are you up for some breakfast? I’ve got to be at the field pretty soon. But I want to make sure you’re fed.”

“I can take care of myself, you go to training.”

Dan steps back and looks down at me, intense love shining in his eyes. “Baby. Let me take care of you, please.”

I let out a mock sigh of suffering. “Is this a new kink for you? Caring for me? First, it was the shower last night, now you want to feed me? What’s next, are you going to dress me and carry me everywhere, too?”

He pretends to consider it, and I slap his chest with a laugh.

“Ouch, hey! Don’t kink shame, Birdie.”

“You’re ridiculous.” I giggle, dodging his hand that’s reaching for me as I dart into the bathroom. After brushing my teeth, I open the door and see him sitting on the couch, a goofy expression on his face as he scrolls on his phone.

“What are you looking at?”

His gaze bounces up with a dash of guilt. “Nothing.”

“Liar.”

“Seriously. It was nothing.”

I fist my hands on my hips and stare him down.

“Okay, fine, I was looking at this chart that talks about the size of a baby throughout pregnancy. Right now, it’s the size of a raspberry. A raspberry! Lark, come on. That’s freaking cute.” He launches off the couch, pulls my shirt off, and before I can say anything, he’s blowing a raspberry on my stomach.

“Dan!” I shriek, trying and failing to push him away.

When he finishes, he rocks back on his heels and gives me an unrepentant grin. “A raspberry for our raspberry.”

“You. Are. Ridiculous.” I try to frown, but it doesn’t work; I know I’m smiling back at him. “Come on, let’s go and get breakfast.”

“Maybe they’ll have raspberries!”

After breakfast, everyone makes their way to the field. I find the trainer’s area and check in with Mattias.

“Glad you’re feeling better.”

“Thanks, me too.” I debate telling him why I was sick, but don’t. It feels too soon, not just because the experts say to wait, but because I want to keep it just between me and Dan a little while longer.

Our baby bird.

Our secret raspberry.

“So far, no new injuries. A few players need increased conditioning, which Caden is designing some plans for. If you can connect with him and make sure the conditioning plans cover the ongoing rehab for anyone that needs it, that would be great.”

“On it.”

After checking out the rest of the facilities and making a list of supplies we need, I head over to the gym area where Caden is working with Rhett and Ben on the mats.

“Lark!” Rhett’s deep voice booms. “Y’here to save us from Caden’s torture?”

“Nope,” I reply cheerfully. “Quite the opposite. We need to make sure your knees are strong, especially since you, Rhett Darlington, aren’t getting any younger. I’m here to see what I can add to Caden’s plan.”

Rhett clutches his chest. “Damn, darlin’. Way to hit a guy where it hurts.”

I arch my brow. “Oh, so it wasn’t you that was complaining about knee pain last fall? Hmm. I seem to recall recommending cortisone shots to someone.” I tap my chin. “You sure it wasn’t you?”

“I plead the fifth.”

“You play for Canada, Rhett, we don’t have that up there.”

“Semantics. Besides, we’re in the good ol’ United States right now.”

I chuckle and move over to Caden’s side. “How’s it going?”

The muscular fitness trainer looks at the two players on the mats. “Good. I think they’re both fine as long as we focus on quad strength. Can you add in some fascia work on their hips?”

“Got it.”

I wave goodbye to the guys and move on, at last heading out to the field. The real work for me will start soon, once the guys start needing treatments like taping and massage. For now, I can observe and help as needed.

Outside, the sun is hot, but not too uncomfortable. At least, not for me, standing in the shade of the dugout. For the players on the field, it’s likely worse. One group is doing some fielding drills, while more are working on batting into a net.

Eventually, I find Dan standing with the other first-string catcher, and a couple of the second-string guys who are here to train with the team, even if they never actually play this season. They’re laughing about something, and I watch him for a minute.

“Whatever yips he had are gone now that you’re here.”

I startle at Kai’s voice as he leans on the railing next to me. “Oh?”

He nods slowly. “It was strange. He didn’t want to leave Vancouver, then we got here and all was good. Then, a few days later, something changed and Monty’s dropping balls and missing shit all over the place. You arrive, and our boy’s back on top.” His gaze shifts from the field to me. “Everything all good with you, Lark?”

Kai’s normally a boisterous, outgoing, happy guy. So being under this level of scrutiny from him is unnerving.

I lick my lips. “Everything’s great, Yami.”

A smile covers his handsome face. “Good. That’s really good.” He pushes off the railing and moves to the stairs that lead to the field. He pauses, and I think he’s about to say something before he changes his mind, I guess. Tapping the rail with his glove, he gives me a smile, his eyes dropping down to my stomach and back up again before he jogs onto the field.

It might be harder than I thought to keep this baby a secret.