Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A week ago, the doorbell rang in the middle of a stormy night.

Raina stood on our doorstep, soaked through like a battered white rose.

"Bennett, I really have nowhere else to go."

Bennett had been on ER duty at the hospital that night, running between trauma patients.

The weather had been terrible lately, causing multiple car accidents, and he was so busy he hadn't even touched the dinner I packed for him.

Only when things slowed down did he finally have time to examine me for the high fever I had been battling for three days.

I was sitting in his office hooked up to an IV when a nurse walked in, teasing him.

"Look at that, even Dr. Hayes's wife gets sick sometimes!"

Bennett smiled helplessly as he scribbled on my chart.

"Our boy dragged her out to play in the rain a few days ago. That's how she caught this chill."

Suddenly, the custom ringtone for Wyatt blared loudly from Bennett's phone.

As soon as he answered, Wyatt's excited voice burst through the speaker.

"Daddy! A pretty lady came to our house looking for you! She says her name is Raina!"

The moment Bennett heard that name, his hand froze, and a dark blot of ink bled across the medical chart.

Wyatt kept chattering on the other end, but Bennett was already leaping to his feet, sprinting straight out the door.

He left me sitting alone in the examination room with the nurse, caught between awkwardness and humiliation.

A few minutes later, Bennett came rushing back, clutching an umbrella.

He didn't come back because he realized how embarrassing it was to abandon me.

He came back because I had the house keys in my pocket.

"I'm so sorry, Nora. I panicked and forgot."

He was out of breath, yet he hadn't forgotten to bring an umbrella to shield Raina from the storm.

Catering to Raina was second nature to him.

"I'm so sorry, Bennett," Raina murmured later at our house, dabbing her hair with the towel he handed her.

"I had a huge fight with Chase. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known where to turn."

"Thank goodness you came here," Bennett said, his voice unusually stern. "You're three months pregnant, running around in the rain! Don't you know how to take care of yourself?"

It was the first time I had ever heard him speak so harshly to anyone.

"Chase is unbelievable. I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"

Wyatt hopped around Raina excitedly, his eyes glowing with admiration.

"You're so pretty, Miss Raina, and you smell so good!"

Raina ruffled Wyatt's hair with a sweet smile.

"He looks just like you, Bennett. Now I have two Bennett brothers to keep me company."

Wyatt beamed with pride.

"When I grow up, I'm going to marry you and treat you like a princess forever!"

Raina giggled and glanced up at Bennett.

"Look at your son. His taste is just like yours."

Bennett smiled without answering, then walked over to me in the kitchen.

"Her health is delicate, and she's carrying a baby. Make sure her meals are light but packed with nutrition. Give her plenty of eggs and fresh meat."

A bitter taste rose in my throat, and I gave a quiet nod.

"How many days should I prep for?"

"What kind of question is that?" Bennett frowned slightly. "You're a mother too. Can't you show a little compassion for what she's going through?"

I bit my lower lip, feeling tears sting my eyes.

My fever hadn't even fully broken yet.

Bennett let out a soft sigh, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Just cook for now, okay? I'll go talk to Chase in a few days and get her back home."

Seeing that I was still upset, he leaned down and kissed my cheek.

"Your birthday is in a couple of days. Wyatt saved his allowance to buy craft supplies, and he's making something special for you."

I looked over at Wyatt, and my lips curved slightly.

"That kid guards his allowance with his life. He always begs me for extra cash."

"Allowance is nothing compared to his mom's birthday," Bennett whispered. "Don't ask what it is, though. I promised him I'd keep the secret."

I smiled faintly.

"I won't ask."

I didn't need to ask, because I had already seen it.

The other day, Wyatt's bedroom door was slightly ajar, and I saw him sitting on the floor, carefully stringing beads together with intense focus.