Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

LEX

My patience is growing increasingly thin as the group from Hong Kong tries to undercut me on the deal we’re trying to close.

Against the table, I tap my fingers while keeping my expression blank. They must know who they are dealing with. This game of theirs is old, and after five hours of being inside this boardroom, I’m about to pull the plug on them.

Will glances at me with a knowing look. Much like me, he’s onto the game being played, as does Noah, who is on my right.

“Gentlemen,” I interrupt with a hard smile. “Surely, you can’t expect our company to agree to these terms?”

Simon, the CEO, focuses on me while leaning back in his chair. He pushes his glasses against the bridge of his nose, then produces a fake smile.

“Mr. Edwards, we pride ourselves on being the best, and therefore we believe our offer is above everyone else. You either accept, or we move on.”

The nerve of this moron. Just as I’m about to tell him there is no deal unless he comes to our terms, my phone vibrates in front of me. I’m just about to send it to voicemail when I catch a glimpse of Alexandra’s name flashing on the screen.

“Excuse me, everyone. I must take this call.”

Quickly standing up from the chair, I take my phone with me as I exit the boardroom, desperate for relief before I lose my temper.

“Alexandra, sweetheart. Is everything okay?”

“Da… Dad…” She cries softly. “Help me, ple… please.”

My breathing becomes shallow as my blood pressure elevates. The muscles inside my chest tighten while my entire body begins to tremor.

“What’s wrong? Where are you?”

“I don’t know,” she sobs, only to breathe in and out as if she’s having a contraction.

A contraction.

“Where are you?” I question with panic.

“I was driving along Meadows Rd when a bear came… Dad, I think the baby is coming.”

I rush into the meeting room, motioning for Will and Noah to come outside. With confused expressions, they follow me outside and abandon everyone inside the room.

“What’s going on?” They ask in unison.

“Alexandra, please, sweetheart. Stay on the line until we find you.”

“My… my battery, Dad. Just drive down Meadows Rd. I’m near the tree down the hill.” My entire body freezes. Down the hill. Why would she be down the hill? “The car… it hit a tree.”

My eyes close, paralyzed with fear. There is no time. Go save your daughter now.

“I will find you,” I tell her, but then the line goes dead. “Fuck!”

“I’ll call 9-1-1 now,” Noah rushes. “You go find her. Will, call Charlie and let her know.”

I don’t even wait around, rushing to my office to grab my keys. Before I leave, Noah grabs my arm. “Lex, she will be okay.”

She’s my baby.

Alexandra has to be okay.

The GPS tells me Meadows Rd is at least an hour from where I am. With the traffic just starting to build, I weave my way in and out of the sea of red lights and launch the car as soon as I have clearance to do so.

My phone rings with Charlotte’s name on the screen.

“Lex?” She almost cries. “What’s wrong with our baby?”

“I don’t know,” I croak. “I’m driving as fast as I can to find her. She was in an accident, and I think she’s in labor.”

The moment I say it out loud, the memories come flooding back. The exact scene when it happened to Charlotte. She was pregnant with Ava, and the only reason she and Ava are here is because of Julian.

“Lex,” Charlotte calls softly. “I know this is triggering you. Will is arriving any minute now, and we’re going to track you. Noah has called 9-1-1, and they’re on their way too.”

“Thank God,” I say out loud, but then turn the corner fast. “I’m going to hang up while I drive slowly to find her.”

“I love you, Lex. Please bring our baby and grandbaby back home.”

“I promise, Charlotte.”

The call ends, and my eyes immediately scan the area off the road. Thankfully, no one else is driving near me while I slow down.

There’s nothing unusual except for a baby bear I pass lying on the side of the road. Unsure why, I circle the car back around and park near the bear, praying the mother is nowhere around. Exiting the car quickly, I walk toward the bear and notice it’s injured. Then, my eyes scan the area down the hill until I see a car against the tree.

My feet move fast before I even have a chance to think. Running as fast as possible down the hill, I see it’s Alexa’s car and begin to yell.

Out of breath, I reach the driver’s door to see her panting.

“Sweetheart, I’m here.”

I grab her hand, examining all of her to see if she’s okay. Aside from a scratch on her head with dry blood on her skin, her physical self appears okay, but then I fixate on the airbag.

“Da… Dad.” Alexandra lets out a blood-curdling scream. She squeezes my hand tight, hurting me, but I ignore it while instructing her to breathe.

I think back to my medical training on childbirth, trying to calm my racing thoughts so I don’t miss a thing. Alexandra’s contractions are only a minute apart, meaning this baby can come anytime now.

“I need to move you out of the car, okay?”

She nods, reaching out her hand while I do my best to get her out with the airbag obstructing our way. When I finally manage to get her out completely, I remove my suit jacket and place it on the ground for her to lie down on. The floor is covered in dirt and sticks, making it an undesirable place to give birth.

I quickly check her trunk and find two beach towels which will have to do. They’re large enough so one can be on the ground and the other behind her head so she can rest. I swap the jacket for the towel, helping her move since she’s in too much pain.

“The baby is coming,” she wails.

It becomes one giant blur. The sound of Alexandra’s one push to the head coming out almost instantly. I grab her hand, instructing her to push her hips down and give me another push.

“I can’t…”Her voice is strained as she can barely talk while crying. “It hurts.”

“Alexandra, this is it. One more push. I know you can do this, sweetheart.”

Squeezing my hand tight, she grunts while pushing hard until she lets out a loud gasp and the baby’s head and shoulders are out.

With sweat running down my forehead, I reach in and gently pull the baby so it’s able to slide out.

I observe the baby, waiting for the usual wail, but nothing happens. Inside my head, I begin counting in panic, praying to the Lord above someone will keep this baby alive.

Then, the sound becomes music to my ears.

The baby cries.

I release the breath I’d been holding in, glancing down at the baby again.

“My baby,” Alexandra barely manages, throwing her head back in exhaustion, followed by more cries. Charlotte was the exact same after birthing our girls.

As my gaze shifts to the umbilical cord, I instantly notice we have ourselves a little boy. My chest swells knowing it’s another grandson, but this one feels extra special because I was here to witness him coming into the world.

Just like I should have been there when Charlotte gave birth to our son. Despite all the years that have passed, the pain still runs deep knowing I wasn’t there when Charlotte needed me the most.

“Your son,” I tell her while choking up. “You have yourself a son.”

Without any instruments to cut the umbilical cord, I wrap the baby in my suit jacket and place him in Alexandra’s arms.

“Dad,” she whispers. “He’s beautiful. I can’t believe I have a son.”

I place a kiss on her forehead. Then suddenly, we hear the sound of the siren. The first responders are quick to rush down the hill to where we are.

They come prepared with everything, allowing me to sit beside Alexandra while they cut the cord and check on both of them. As a precautionary measure, they want to take her to the hospital for observation given that the baby is premature.

She’s placed on the stretcher while they carry her back up the hill, and I follow behind. When we all reach the top, Will’s car comes around the corner before parking on the side of the road, followed by Noah’s AMG.

Charlotte rushes out of the car and straight toward us.

“Alexa,” she cries. “Baby, are you okay?”

“Mom, I’m okay. So is our little boy.”

Charlotte gazes into the eyes of the baby, admiring him quietly as tears fall down her cheek. I move close to wrap my arm around her and kiss the top of my head.

“Our baby boy,” Charlotte whispers.

“He’s perfect, isn’t he?” I mention softly, then release my breath. “Alexandra did amazing.”

“Excuse me, sir,” the first responder interrupts. “Will you be joining your daughter at the hospital?”

“My wife, please.” Charlotte glances at me with pained eyes. “She needs you right now. I’ll sort Alexandra’s car out and meet you at the hospital.”

As Charlotte climbs into the back of the ambulance, Alexandra calls out for me, prompting me to turn around.

“I love you, Dad.”

A smile fills me with pride as I tell her, “I love you too, sweetheart.”

The back doors close, and soon the ambulance drives off. Will and Noah both place a hand on my shoulders as I rub my face and then lean against my car. My body shudders from the shock as we all stand on the side of the road in silence.

How easily I could have lost her.

The pain inside my chest expands, forcing me to close my eyes.

“She’s in the best hands now. The doctors and Charlie will take care of her,” Noah reassures me. “Don’t replay it in your head. Alexa and the baby are here. That’s all that matters.”

Will’s phone rings, and I assume it’s Amelia in a panic. He picks up the call but steps away.

“Hey, quit yelling at me?” He raises his voice in frustration. “She’s on the way to the hospital right now. It’s going to be okay.”

Will presses his lips tight as he continues to listen to whoever is on the other line blasting him. “Fine, I’ll see you soon.”

“Amelia must be worried sick,” I say, with exhaustion.

“Millie and Ava are on the way to the hospital,” Will informs me. “That was Beau.”

“Beau?”

“Yes, he’s about to board a flight.”

I’m not surprised he’s worried, given he and Alexandra are close. At first, when Alexandra told us she was pregnant, I assumed it was Beau’s child. Not for once thinking the child belong to Hunter Cash.

The name evokes an unwanted emotion in me.

“Lex, let me and Will take care of Alexa’s car. We’ll wait for the tow truck. You go see your wife and daughter.”

I nod, letting out a sigh. “Thank you. Oh, I forgot…” I make my way over to where the baby bear is lying. It’s nowhere to be found, even when I scan the area. “You know what? Never mind.”

“Do you have a name for him yet?” Ava asks while sitting beside Alexandra on the bed. “You know city names are so in right now. Like London, Boston, Chandler.”

“That’s from friends.” Amelia rolls her eyes at Ava.

“Uh, uh. It’s a place in Arizona.”

“Um, no to Chandler or city names,” Alexandra tells everyone while sitting up in bed. She looks well for someone who just went through such an ordeal but soon, she will be so exhausted when the adrenaline wears off.

“I have the perfect name, but I want to wait a day or two to make sure it’s him.”

“Makes absolute sense,” Charlotte agrees. “He is beautiful, Alexa. It’s too early to tell, but something tells me he has the same emerald eyes as you.”

“You mean, Dad.” She laughs. “The gene pool is strong.”

“So, is it true you gave birth and wrapped him in Dad’s new Armani suit jacket?” Amelia snickers. “You know, somewhere, out there, Eric probably passed out from shock.”

“A suit jacket is just a jacket,” I inform the girls. “What is important is all my family are here.”

Ava and Amelia talk non-stop about birth and babies. The two of them are a fountain of knowledge given the number of kids between them. Addison is traveling in Asia with Masen, and we haven’t been able to get a hold of them just yet. I’m certain where they’re staying in Vietnam has minimum to no coverage.

Charlotte gazes at me with a downcast expression, then tilts her head to the right to motion we step outside. We excuse ourselves and leave the girls chatting.

As soon we’re in the corridor, Charlotte wraps her arms around me. Inside her embrace, I allow myself to relax, knowing today was hard for both of us. We’ve gone through so much together, and anytime something happens with the girls, it’s emotionally draining for us both.

“You saved our little girl,” she whispers in my chest, clutching my shirt as if her life depended on it. “And you saved our grandson.”

“Charlotte, I didn’t save them. Someone is watching over us.”

She pulls back with a soft smile as we stare at each other with a knowing gaze. We’ve narrowly avoided many tragedies in our lifetime, so it’s fair to say we have a guardian angel watching over us.

“Elijah.” She breathes his name. “You think?”

“I dreamed about him last night,” I admit, trying to remember the details, but I begin to struggle. “I don’t remember it, but he was talking to me as if he had never left. Just like old times.”

“Maybe, he visited you. It’s not uncommon.”

“Maybe…”

As we stand here holding each other in the corridor, it’s not long before the rest of our family shows up, all eager to see the new baby.

Charlotte joins Kate inside as I wait with Adriana on the plastic chair. I’m surprised my sister hasn’t already smothered the baby inside given she’s baby crazy. Thank God she has her own grandkids now.

“Charlotte says you dreamed of him.”

I nod quietly.

“You know, he’s visited everyone in dreams but not me. Even Julian, he’s visited.”

A small smile graces my lips. “Elijah was never a jealous man. Funny how things change.”

Adriana knocks into my side. “Do you think it’s a sign?”

“I don’t know how to feel about it all. I just know someone was looking over my daughter and grandson.”

“Speaking of grandsons, I’m excited to meet him. I’m just waiting for Andy because Alexa wanted to see us together.”

Not long after, Andy and Jessa arrive with Bentley and their daughter, Scarlett. Bentley takes a seat on my lap, scared to go inside since, apparently, he fears hospitals after he broke his arm and needed a cast.

Andy bends down to Bentley’s eye level. “Are you going to be okay with Grandpa Lex?”

Bentley nods, only managing a smile. Thankfully, he keeps me company with his talk about dinosaurs and monster trucks. The kid is intelligent for his age, able to explain statistics and facts on both topics like he’s being questioned for a test.

When everyone finally leaves, Charlotte and I join an exhausted Alexandra while the baby sleeps in the crib beside her. The baby checked out perfectly, given he was born early, but the doctor insisted they both stay for a week so they could be monitored for any complications.

“Mom, Dad,” Alexandra begins, lowering her eyes to her hands where she fidgets with them nervously. “I want to tell Hunter about his son.”

I knew this would happen. It was inevitable. Cash isn’t my favorite human being, mainly since he used Alexandra to get back at me. Not that I’ve done anything to the man. Business is business.

This time, I remain tight-lipped, keeping my opinion to myself.

“Honey, I think it’s a good idea. The sooner, the better,” Charlotte adds. “You’ll never get this time back with your son, and he’ll never experience it.”

Alexandra lowers her eyes, then shifts her gaze onto the baby.

“Once I’m settled at home, I will tell him. For now, I just need to sleep for a thousand years.”

Charlotte insists on sleeping in the room with Alexandra, prompting Ava to pack some clothes for her and bring them with the hospital bag.

As for me, I say goodbye and make my way back to an empty house.

Everything is dark, but the second I step in, the sensor lights turn on. My fingers itch to unbutton my shirt, desperate for a shower and change, but instead, I head toward my office and close the door behind me.

The Macallan bottle is sitting on my prized shelf of special occasion drinks. I pour myself a glass, opting to drink it neat.

With the glass in hand, I take a seat in my leather chair and glance at the screen in front of me.

If Hunter Cash finds out my grandson is his child, it will be the answer to the problem burdening him since the moment his grandfather left him the family trust.

Yeah, I know all about the will and the strings attached. It’s what happens when you pay enough to pull the right strings to get the truth.

And if he finds out, he will make sure his son is a part of his life, which will involve Alexandra. A man like him is not stupid. He will do anything to make sure he gets her back in bed as well.

My hands wrap around the glass, tight. I throw back the rest of the whisky, downing it all in one go.

I will, and always have, do anything to protect my family.

This time is no exception.

Alexandra may tell him he’s the father, but I’ll make damn sure he has no right to his son.