Take Me On

“No, he did a great job. I just need him for a second.”

And now everyone was looking at him, so he shrugged and moved toward her, doing his damnedest to maintain an air of indifference. Because whatever this was about, he had the sinking feeling it wasn’t her ink.

But the door chimed as it swung open with a blast of Texas heat, and he was left waiting as Candace and Ghost’s girlfriend, Macy, swept inside. Gabriella and the girls exchanged hugs, but even her smile and chatter seemed strained. Candace didn’t keep her long, though, because she was bubbling over about something else.

“Give this girl ink,” she said, shoving Macy toward her boyfriend. “Right now. I just got her to admit she’s thinking about letting you do it.”

“Candace!” Macy laughed as Ghost’s face broke into a grin and he hugged her to him, playfully dragging her toward the back with an arm around her neck.

“Come on,” he said, unmoved as Macy shrieked and struggled against him. “I’ve been waiting for this. I’m gonna ink you, baby. I’m gonna ink you so hard.”

The girl must be pretty strong, because Ghost didn’t keep a grip on her for long, and Ian got the impression it wasn’t for lack of trying. Laughing, Macy twirled out from under his arm and ran to the waiting area. “Someday, I said! Someday.” She held a finger up to Ghost’s chest as he advanced on her again, but he only wrapped her in his arms and kissed her cheek.

“I’ll wait on you forever, killjoy.”

Ugh. Ian turned to see Brian and Candace in a similar position, liplocked, and Gabby smiling at them. Then her gaze flickered past them to meet his, and her smile faltered. Well. Whatever the hell he’d done, he guessed he was about to hear about it. She nodded her head toward the back, and for the second time, he moved to follow her as she walked past him. For the second time, they didn’t quite make it.

“Candace? Candace.”

Ian and Gabby turned in unison to see Brian easing his utterly limp girlfriend down to the floor, his voice panicked as he repeated her name.

And, for perhaps the first time, he could imagine Gabriella Ross as a doctor.

While the rest of them stood gaping in shell-shocked confusion, Gabby was at Brian’s side in a heartbeat, helping him lower Candace’s head gently to the floor. “What happened?” she asked, none of Brian’s panic in her voice.

“She just…collapsed. What the f**k…? Candace.”

“Brian,” she said evenly, “calm down. She’s breathing, she’s okay. I want you to raise her legs off the floor, about a foot…right there. That’s good.”

Ian couldn’t see much of what was going on now. Macy was crowding in with Ghost behind her, trying to peek over her shoulder, and in this close-knit bunch, Ian was the outsider. “Should I call an ambulance?” he asked, darting toward the phone. Doing something, anything, instead of being a damn lump in the background.

“No, she’s coming around,” Gabby said, still with that smooth tone. He didn’t f**king like it. It was so f**king fake. Fucking fake crooning doctors and nurses hovering over him while the overhead lights blinded him and blurred red through the blood pooling in his eye…

“There she is,” Brian said. “Easy, baby. Talk to me.” His voice snapped Ian out of his waking nightmare. He staggered back a step, rubbing his hand across his chest. Inside flesh and bone, his heart pounded out of control.

Through the rushing in his ears, he heard Candace murmur in confusion. She was okay. That was good. Now he needed to get the f**k out of here before anyone noticed he might just suffer the same fate.

“Must’ve been some kiss, Brian,” Gabby said, and nervous laughter met her stab at humor. “You’ve got the girl literally swooning over here.” Candace apparently tried to sit up, but Gabby wasn’t having it. “Not yet, sweetie. Take it slow. Someone get her some water.” Ghost left to do that while Macy went down on her knees beside her best friend.

Ian heard Gabby ask Candace if this had ever happened before as he found a chair and parked his ass in it. Despite his overwhelming urge to flee, everyone would wonder what the hell was wrong with him if he abandoned the scene.

“No,” the other girl said, her voice small. “Never.”

“Pulse is good. I’d check your blood pressure, but I’m assuming there’s no monitor on the premises.”

“No,” Brian said.

“You should take her to get checked out.”

“I’m fine,” Candace protested, sounding a little stronger than a moment ago. “Must’ve been the heat or something. And I haven’t felt that great today, so I haven’t eaten.” When Ghost came back with a bottle of water, the group as a whole helped her slowly sit up and take a few sips.

“You’re not pregnant, are you?” Macy demanded, and the question silenced the ongoing conversation as if a switch had been thrown.

Oh shit. Ian almost chuckled as he imagined the look on Brian’s face. Most of the group was hidden from him by the counter. He could only see Gabby in profile.

“Well…not that I know of,” Candace said.

“That occurred to me too,” Gabby said coolly. “I just didn’t want to say anything.”

“Yeah, leave that to me,” Macy said with wry humor. The door opened, and a trio of clients strolled in, stopping to exclaim when they saw the little group huddled around Candace. Ghost ran interference there while Brian lifted Candace off the floor, cradling her close as he headed toward the back with her. Indeed, he looked pretty damn pale. She clung to him, her face buried in his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Gabby asked, and Ian jerked his gaze to her face. He hadn’t noticed her approach. He also didn’t like the assessing nature of her expression.

“I’m fine,” he grumbled, getting to his feet. Apparently the latest diversion hadn’t made her forget her reason for coming here. As they headed toward the back, he heard her deep breathing behind him. Had Candace rattled her that much?

“Do you think she’s okay?” he asked as he led her into the room where he’d given her her tattoo and closed the door.

She frowned at him. “Candace? I think she’s fine. I think she’s probably pregnant, yeah.”

“Damn. Brian’s gonna freak.”

“I know. Considering her family…that would not be a good thing.”

Yeah, he’d gotten that impression. “So, what did you need to talk about?”

“We.”

“All right, what do we need to talk about?”

She fidgeted, crossing her arms, then dropping them at her sides, and finally, surprisingly, she burst out laughing. He might have been amused too, if her green eyes hadn’t misted up, if she hadn’t started looking as if she might now dissolve into tears. With both hands, she pushed her hair back from her forehead. “I can’t even believe this is happening.”

He’d been apprehensive about what she wanted. Now, full-fledged dread settled deep in his gut. He stepped to her, gently taking her arms in his hands. “Gabby. Tell me.”

“Ian…it seems I’m pregnant.”

With that, her gaze lifted to his, hitting him like a lightning strike.