SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS
Chapter 36—Cheers and Challenges
"Here's to Dr. Bolton and Dr. Davis, the newest, and handsomest, senior residents at UCSF Med Center!" Kelly's toast was met with laughter and the celebratory clink of glasses.
At the end of the week, Troy and Mark would officially finish their first phase of medical residency and move into their senior residencies, the last step before they were fully licensed and certified in their specialty areas. Kelly and Gabriella had decided to celebrate the accomplishment with a double date at a new steak house that had just opened in San Francisco. The men had complained about having to dress up, but the first glimpse of their wives' dresses had shut them up in a hurry. Kelly wore a low-cut champagne satin jacket over a short black fringe skirt and leopard print heels. Gabriella wore a pewter-colored chiffon cocktail dress with thin straps that crossed over her bare back. The front was embellished with a jeweled lace overlay that dipped to her waistline. Her fuller breasts were highlighted beautifully, and in Troy's eyes she looked like a Greek princess, complete with thin silver bracelets snaking up her arm. They sat in a high-backed booth, and Troy couldn't seem to keep his hands off his wife's bare skin. His loving, possessive attention thrilled Gabriella to her very core.
Once they'd drunk their toast, Gabriella nestled into Troy's side, and he smiled down at her, snaking his arm around her to skim his fingers up and down her arm.
"Dude, have I told you how mad I am that you have this weekend off?" Mark asked.
"Once or twice," Troy chuckled. "It just happened to work out that my parents' anniversary fell on a weekend where UCS doesn't have a football game."
"You still should be working at the hospital, though," Mark grumbled.
"The Ortho Clinic is closed this weekend," Troy reminded him. "It's your own fault for choosing such an in-demand specialty. How many days off did you really expect to get in Emergency Medicine?"
"Yeah, well, while you're wrapping joints and writing up therapy plans, I'm down there saving lives."
"Boys, boys," Kelly interrupted. "Does everything have to be a competition with you?"
Troy and Mark looked at each other and then nodded.
"Yeah," Troy answered.
"Pretty much," Mark added.
Kelly shook her head in exasperation. "Gabi, what are we going to do with these two?"
Gabriella studied Troy thoughtfully. "I don't know about you, Kel, but I've got way too much invested in this one to let him go now."
"Hey!" Troy looked wounded, jutting out his bottom lip in protest. Gabriella leaned up to kiss his puckered lip, forcing a smile that ended his pout.
Kelly looked up at Mark, twisting her lips in consideration. Finally, she nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. This one's too cute to let go." She patted Mark's cheek playfully, and he smirked across the table. His celebration was short-lived. "Then again," Kelly continued with a wink, "look at Troy, all tanned and healthy-looking from all those hours on the football field. You…" She poked Mark in the stomach. "You need to get out more. You're pale. You spend so much time in the ER that you could give a vampire a good run for his money. Maybe I need to check you for fangs."
"I vant to suck your blood," Mark cackled in a dreadful impression of Count Dracula. "Bwa ha ha ha!" He lowered his mouth to Kelly's neck, but she batted him away with a laugh.
"Okay, okay, I'll keep you," she acquiesced. "But behave yourself!" She heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes toward Gabriella, knowing full well that Mark had no intention of behaving himself. She decided a change of subject was in order. "What time does your flight leave on Friday?"
"8:30," Troy answered. Gabriella noticed the subtle protective tightening of his arm around her. "Gabriella's nausea is usually not as bad in the evenings, and I'm hoping she'll be able to sleep on the flight."
Kelly patted her friend's hand across the table. It would be Gabriella's first time on a plane since she'd found out she was pregnant, and she was nervous.
"Didn't you say it was a surprise party?" Mark asked. Troy nodded. "Where are you staying Friday night if your parents aren't supposed to know you're in town?"
"We're staying with Chad and Taylor in Santa Fe," Gabriella answered. "Chad's parents are the ones who are throwing the party. They've been friends with Jack and Lucille since the boys were little."
"Thirty years of marriage," Kelly marveled. "That's so rare these days."
"I think it's inspirational," Gabriella replied, threading her fingers through Troy's. "I love the thought that 26 years from now, I'll still have this wonderful man by my side."
"Aw, thanks, baby," he murmured, lifting her chin to kiss her. Under the table, her free handle settled high on his thigh, and she gave him a playful squeeze. His eyes widened slightly before he regained his composure.
"How come you don't say stuff like that to me?" Mark whined to his wife.
Kelly winked at her friends. "I plan to cut you loose as soon as I get my hands on the Davis fortune."
Mark laughed. "'The Davis fortune'? If you're referring to my mountain of college loans, babe, I'll sign them over to you now and walk out of here a free man."
"Wait, there's no Davis fortune?" Kelly's face scrunched with teasing puzzlement. She thought for a few moments and then blew out a resigned sigh. "Well, I guess I'm stuck with you then."
"And that's the greatest treasure of all," Mark grinned.
Kelly rolled her eyes. "See, I don't need to compliment you. You do just fine on your own."
Troy raised his glass in a mocking toast. "Here's to the Davis fortune—such as it is."
"Here, here," Mark enthusiastically replied, lifting his glass. He pouted when neither of the women lifted their glasses, and Troy set his back on the table.
"How about this?" Gabriella raised her glass. "Here's to friendship and lasting love."
"Now that's worth toasting," Kelly replied.
Their glasses clinked, and their celebration carried on long into the evening.
…..~«ώ»~…..
Friday evening, when their flight to Albuquerque was in the air, Troy watched Gabriella closely for signs of illness. When she managed to fall asleep with no apparent signs of airsickness, Troy allowed himself to doze as well. He'd driven home from Sacramento after work that day, and he was beat. Gabriella managed to sleep fitfully for awhile, but when she woke, she was fidgety. Her movements roused Troy, and after several seat adjustments and position changes, she sighed with frustration.
"What's wrong, honey? Are you sick?"
"No, I just can't seem to get comfortable." She frowned at the pillow in her lap and punched it a few times before putting it behind her head.
Troy chuckled and let his eyes slide closed again. Gabriella shifted again, moving closer to him, so close that he could feel her breath on his neck. He peeked through one eye and saw that she was sitting sideways facing him, her legs pulled up under her. She wrapped both hands around his arm and snuggled closer. He offered her a lazy smile, patted her knee, and closed his eyes. He was starting to doze again when one of her hands moved across his chest and her fingers began languidly tracing the contours of his muscles. She traced his pectorals, and then worked her way down each hard ridge of his abs, until she reached the waistband of his jeans. When her hand started to dip into his pants, his eyes flew open.
"What are you doing?" he hissed.
She looked up at him, batting her lashes innocently. "I've missed you. I was trying to get reacquainted with one of my favorite parts of your body."
"I was only gone for three days," he reminded her.
"I know, but I've just… lately I've been kind of…" Her cheeks flamed, and she looked away in embarrassment.
Troy slid a finger under her chin and lifted it. "Tell me. 'Kind of' what, sweetheart?"
Her eyes darted away. "I've been… missing you more…" She leaned closer, so her lips brushed against his ear. "…in bed. I can't stop thinking about you, fantasizing about all the ways I want you." His eyes widened, and she pulled back and blushed again. "I… I don't know what's come over me."
Now Troy was wide awake. "Maybe you're thinking about our last visit to Albuquerque, when we had our little tree house adventure." Gabriella shifted uncomfortably again, her cheeks crimson. He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "Are you wet right now, baby? Because of me?"
"T-Troy," she choked. She already felt like her insides were about to combust, and yes, she was wet thinking about the man next to her. She looked back at him, and he was surprised by the heat in her gaze.
Seeing and enjoying the effect he was having on her, he grinned wickedly. He went on, careful to keep his voice low enough that only she could hear it. "Tell me, baby. Tell me how you're thinking about me on top of you, inside you, making you come. It's making you wet, isn't it?" Biting her bottom lip, she nodded, and his grin widened. "Are you thinking about asking me to join the Mile-High Club with you? Because I'm definitely upfor the challenge."
She glanced at his crotch and saw that he was, in fact, up. Leaning forward, she flicked her tongue against the shell of his ear. "Sex in the bathroom of the plane is not what I had in mind. But last time we were in Albuquerque, you mentioned a few… ideas… you had about us. Locations… and, well, the past few days, I've been… thinking about them. And maybe adding a few... ideas… of my own."
Troy's eyebrows shot up. Who was this woman, he wondered, and what had she done with his wife? "Like what?"
"When we were in high school, I thought about… in your truck."
"I did too! You know, when I used to take you home after our dates, and I'd kiss you until your mom turned on all the lights to let us know that she knew we were there?" She smiled at the memory, and he went on. "Driving home, those nights, I imagined what it would've been like to pull you onto my lap and lift your dress and… touch you the way I wanted to."
"My idea was more romantic, like spreading blankets in the back and laying there, looking at the stars…"
"We did that a few times in college before the truck finally died," he pointed out. "Though the beach in Palo Alto was never quite deserted enough to get very far."
"What is it with you and beaches?" she teased.
"You bring out the adventurer in me," he returned with a wink.
Just then, the seatbelt light blinked on, and the captain's voice came over the intercom, announcing that they were preparing to land. As quickly as the seductress persona had taken over, it vanished again, and she sat back, fanning herself.
"Wow, Gabriella, do you realize what just happened? You didn't get sick on this flight!" He looked out the window to see the familiar Albuquerque city lights. "Maybe we've discovered the secret—a little sexy talk to pass the time. Maybe whenever we fly, we just need to have conversations like this one. I certainly don't have a problem with that. What do you think?"
He turned back just in time to see Gabriella reach for the airsick bag. He sighed and reached over to pull her hair back. They'd been so close…
"Then again, maybe not."
...~«ώ»~...
When Troy got up on Saturday morning, he left Gabriella in bed, hoping she would sleep off the nausea from the flight. Eli was awake, and he sat in his high chair gurgling and squealing as Chad played peek-a-boo with him. Taylor cut up a banana and set it on Eli's tray to keep him occupied while she cooked breakfast, and the men laughed when the toddler promptly smashed it into mush.
"Hey man, how about a quick game of one-on-one to work up our appetites?" Chad invited.
Troy chuckled. "What a way to start the day—by whooping your butt!"
"In your dreams, Bolton," Chad returned. He hesitated. "Hey, Tay, do you need my help?"
She waved her spatula dismissively. "I'm fine. I wouldn't dream of coming between you and your lunkhead basketball game."
They didn't need to be told twice. Chad grabbed his basketball, and they headed out the back door. A few minutes later, Gabriella appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.
"Hey, sleepyhead! How are you feeling?" Taylor asked from the stove.
"Okay," Gabriella answered before pulling up a chair in front of Eli. "Oh, Taylor, he's growing so fast! I can't believe he's a year old!" She tickled his banana-coated chin and he gurgled a happy greeting.
"Almost fifteen months now," Taylor clarified. "He's walking—running!—and talking up a storm. Eli, can you say hi to Aunt Gabi?"
"Gabi," he echoed, grinning when Gabriella clapped her hands delightedly.
"What a big boy," she praised, and then turned her attention to Taylor. "What can I do to help?"
"Just what you're doing," Taylor answered. "Keeping that boy entertained is a job in itself. He definitely has his father's attention span!" She handed Gabriella a pancake from her growing stack. "Here, you can tear this up for him. I think he's wearing more banana than he actually ate!"
"Nana," Eli responded. Gabriella gave him bites of pancake, laughing when he shoved them into his mouth.
Taylor turned from the griddle to grin at him. "Yep, he eats like his father, too." She continued working, glancing back at her friend. "How's school going?"
"It's going well," Gabriella answered. "My Intro to Health Law classes are huge! I'm really lucky to have a good graduate assistant. Otherwise, I'd be running myself ragged."
"You told me about him, right? Stanford grad, top of his class, not unlike someone else I know?" Taylor winked at her.
"That's him," Gabriella affirmed. "His name is Nick, and all the girls in the class are in love with him. A few of the boys, too, I think."
Taylor laughed. "Hey, whatever it takes to get them to pay attention to the lectures!"
Gabriella pretended to huff. "I'd like to think they pay attention because my lectures are interesting, not because there's a hot guy in the front of the room!"
Taylor glanced back again curiously. "And Troy's okay with you working with a 'hot guy' while he's off in Sacramento?"
Gabriella shrugged. "There's no reason for him to worry. Nick could have his pick of women, and I'm sure his first choice wouldn't be a dumpy pregnant woman. Even if I was interested or available, which I'm not."
"'Dumpy pregnant woman'?" Taylor echoed incredulously. "Honey, have you looked in the mirror lately? You look great!"
"My clothes don't fit," Gabriella responded. "At least the nausea isn't as bad now that I'm my second trimester, but it can still hit me when I least expect it." She laid a hand on her belly. "Troy's been amazing, though, telling me how beautiful I am and how excited he is about the baby."
Taylor nodded, handing her another pancake for Eli. "Troy will be a great father. And you'll be a terrific mother."
"Thanks," Gabriella answered softly. She leaned forward again to tickle Eli again, and he seized the opportunity to grab her face with his pancake-and-banana-coated hands.
Taylor snorted. "Eli! Look at what you did to Gabi's face! Now she looks like you!"
Eli laughed in response and touched his own face, smearing it with bananas and pancakes. "Yucky!"
Gabriella stood and went to the sink to wash her face, but she stopped in her tracks when she glanced out the window and saw Troy on the basketball court, his shirt off, his hair damp with sweat. Heat flooded her insides, and she bit her bottom lip. Taylor looked out the window to see what her friend saw, and then refocused her attention on Gabriella.
"See something you like out there?" she teased.
Gabriella blushed deeply and busied herself with washing her hands to avoid answering.
"Hey, there's nothing to be embarrassed about," Taylor went on, nudging her. "He looks great. My man looks pretty darn good too, I must say."
Gabriella glanced out at Troy again, feeling uncomfortable, as if Taylor could hear the dirty thoughts that were suddenly racing through her mind. Taylor studied her for a moment and then smiled knowingly.
"How far along did you say you were?" she asked.
"Four months next week," Gabriella answered absently.
"Mm hmm," Taylor nodded. "Sounds about right. Fourth month is when the hormones kick into overdrive."
Gabriella pulled her attention away from the men outside to frown at her friend. "What?"
"The fourth month of pregnancy, as I recall, is when you start having very strong…" She glanced over at Eli. "…urges. Of a sexual nature. Am I right?"
"Taylor!" Gabriella exclaimed, mortified. But Taylor knew she was right when Gabriella's teeth sunk into her bottom lip again.
"Honey, it's totally normal! Your hormones are running wild. Enjoy it! Run with it! I swear, Chad and I had some of the best sex…"
"Taylor!" Gabriella nearly shrieked.
Taylor squeezed her arm. "Okay, okay, probably too much information." She winked. "I have a book I'll loan you… it'll give you some great ideas…"
Mercifully, the door opened and the men shuffled into the kitchen. Gabriella could instantly see that Troy was in pain, and she rushed to his side as he collapsed into a chair.
"What happened?"
"It's nothing," he said dismissively. "Just a stitch in my side. I get them when I run sometimes. No big deal, really."
"Dude, why can't you just admit that I beat you fair and square?" Chad prodded. "Faking an injury like that? Shameful!"
"Whatever, man," Troy shot back. "That's the only way you can beat me!" He returned his attention to Gabriella, who was staring at him worriedly. He pulled her down into his lap. "I'm fine, beautiful. I promise. The pain's almost totally gone now."
She looped her arms around his shoulders. "That's too bad. I was looking forward to kissing it to make it all better."
"Oh," he groaned teasingly. "The pain's back! I need a kiss!"
She laughed, relieved that he was okay, and leaned in to kiss him. His arms tightened around her waist, and for a moment, they were in their own little world. He pulled back reluctantly and winked at her.
"How are you feeling this morning? Any more nausea?"
"Okay so far," she assured him. "Are you hungry?"
"Starving," he told her before glancing up at Taylor. "I hope you made a lot of pancakes!"
She laughed. "Coming right up."
...~«ώ»~...
A few hours later, Troy huddled in a crowded room at Charlie and Sandra Danforth's home in Albuquerque, waiting for the guests of honor to arrive. Jack and Lucille thought they were coming over for a small get-together, a barbeque with the Danforths and a few other friends. They had no idea that nearly forty guests waited there to surprise them. Troy recognized his parents' longtime friends and colleagues, but many in the crowd were strangers to him.
Troy shifted uncomfortably. He'd eaten way too many pancakes for breakfast in an attempt to keep up with Chad, and his stomach rumbled unhappily. Gabriella turned around to smile at him, and he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her back against his chest. His fingers widened across her belly, and he smiled into her hair. Since her stomach had started to grow, she'd been wearing loose clothing to conceal her pregnancy, particularly at school, where she hadn't yet shared the news with her colleagues or students. Today, though, she wore a white sundress splashed with red flowers and green leaves, and Troy was pleased to see that the fit of the bodice highlighted rather than concealed her pregnant curves. With the thin straps that crossed on her back and her hair piled on top of her head, there was a luscious amount of bare skin on display, and Troy lowered his head to kiss her neck. She reacted with a shiver and devilishly wiggled her backside against his groin, causing him to shiver.
"They're here! They're here!" The whispered exclamation spread through the room like wildfire, followed by hushed warnings to stay quiet. On the other side of the door, they heard Lucille and Sandra enter the room, followed a few seconds later by Jack and Charlie. Charlie's voice boomed louder than necessary to tip off the waiting guests, and suddenly those closest to the door burst forward, shouting "Surprise!" and laughing at Jack and Lucille's stunned expressions. As guests spilled out of the cramped room, the guests of honor greeted them enthusiastically. Troy and Gabriella were near the end of the line, and when Lucille saw them, she covered her hands with her mouth and squealed.
"Surprise," Troy repeated with a grin. Lucille pulled him into a hug. When she released him, she hit his chest with mock-consternation.
"You said you were working all weekend," she accused.
"Sorry, Mama," he replied easily. "A little white lie for a good cause. Happy anniversary!"
Jack stepped forward to hug his son, and Lucille moved on to wrap her arms around Gabriella. "And how are you doing? How was the flight?"
"Not bad," Gabriella answered. "It's good to see you again!"
"You look beautiful! The glow of pregnancy really suits you." She looked down at Gabriella's stomach and gently laid her hands there. "Look at you, you're blossoming! Jack, it's our grandchild!" Tears welled up in her eyes, and Jack moved closer to hug his daughter-in-law.
"How are you feeling?" he asked anxiously. "Still having the morning sickness?"
"It's getting better," Gabriella told him. "Don't worry about me, though… we have an anniversary to celebrate!"
The guests around them cheered, and Sandra began herding them toward the back yard where there was more space and more seating. Jack and Lucille chatted enthusiastically with them as they moved. Troy laid a hand on his wife's bare back, and she turned back to look at him.
"Have I mentioned how gorgeous you look in that dress?" he asked softly.
"You have, but I'll need to hear it at least five or six more times to get me through the day," she teased.
He leaned close to her ear. "You know what's getting me through the day? Thinking about how gorgeous you'll look out of that dress."
Her eyes darkened with desire and she slid a hand into his hair to pull his head down to her level. "That'll take too long," she purred in his ear. "You could just pull my dress up around my waist, slide my panties to the side… that is, if I'm wearing panties… Either way, I like the idea of a quickie against the nearest wall." She looked around as if searching for a suitable wall, and Troy swallowed hard. Who was this woman?
"Troy, come out here," Jack called from the patio door. "There are some guys I want you to meet."
Gabriella winked at him and preceded him out the door, deliberately swishing her hips as he watched helplessly. Damn.
Outside, Troy and Gabriella made the rounds, meeting guests they didn't know and greeting Jack and Lucille's longtime friends and co-workers. Charlie Danforth fired up the grill, and Chad arrived just in time to assist while Taylor helped her mother-in-law in the kitchen. Troy settled into an animated discussion with several of his dad's current and former assistant coaches, but kept his eye on his wife as she chatted with a couple of Lucille's friends from work. Finally he excused himself and went over to stand behind her, skimming his fingers down her bare arms as the ladies she'd been talking to moved on.
"I've been searching for the prettiest girl at this party, and I believe I just found her," he told her.
"Charmer," she accused with a soft laugh.
"Nope," he argued, dropping a kiss behind her ear. "You're the prettiest girl at every party. That's why I married you, so I can have you all to myself."
She leaned back against him, and he could feel fatigue radiating from her.
"Sweetheart, I think you should go inside for a little while," he told her. "You need to rest and get out of this heat."
"I'm okay…" she started to argue. Troy began kneading the muscles of her neck and shoulders, and it felt so good that she almost moaned. "Mmm, maybe I do need some pampering."
"You do, and I'm the man for the job," he answered. "Now that you're in your second trimester, you're going to get tired more easily, especially with the difference in altitude. Your body has to adjust to the thinner, drier air."
She turned to look up at him. "What about you? You're sweating."
"Nah, I'm fine," he insisted, turning her so he could continue his massage. "I grew up here, remember? And besides, I'm not pregnant." He lowered his head to kiss the hollow on the back of her neck.
"If you're trying to get me to cool off, that's not the way to do it!"
Troy laughed. "Okay, okay, let's go inside and I'll fix you a plate."
She nodded in surrender and he took her hand to lead her into the house. When he sat next to her on the couch and handed her a plate and a bottle of water, she eyed him curiously.
"Why aren't you eating?" she asked.
He smiled sheepishly. "I'm, uh… still working on those pancakes from this morning."
Gabriella frowned. Troy was not a man that missed many meals. "What do you mean, 'still working on' them? That was hours ago."
"It's just a touch of indigestion, that's all. Way too much starch first thing in the morning. I should know better."
"The doctor's not taking his own advice, huh?" She giggled.
"That's not a doctor thing, that's a man thing," Lucille interjected as she walked in with a heaping plate. She sat down and leaned towards Gabriella to wink conspiratorially. "They like to give advice, but they're not so great at taking it themselves."
"Hey, no fair ganging up on me," Troy protested. "Where's Dad when I need him?"
"He just took over grilling duties so Charlie can eat."
"I think I'll go see if he needs help!" Troy stood and made his escape, nodding to Taylor as he passed her on her way to the living room.
Lucille motioned for Taylor to join them, and she took Troy's spot on the couch next to Gabriella.
"Where's Eli?" Gabriella asked.
"I finally got him down for a nap. He's so much like Chad—always on the go, not wanting to rest for fear that he'll miss something."
Lucille winked at Gabriella. "Sounds like a couple other guys we know and love."
"He has really developed a fun personality," Gabriella observed with a smile. "And I'm pretty sure he's the most adorable baby on earth."
"Well, only for five more months," Lucille interjected. "Once my grandbaby is born, he or she will automatically take over that title."
Taylor laughed. "Spoken like a true almost-grandma! But she's right—your baby will be absolutely beautiful."
Gabriella's eyes moistened with unexpected tears. "Thank you, Taylor."
Taylor offered a one-armed hug, careful not to upset the plate on Gabriella's lap. "Hey, I forgot to ask you this morning… Are you and Troy interested in going to the Santa Fe Theatre Festival tonight? I got free tickets from one of my clients, but we can't go. My niece is having her birthday party tonight in Rio Rancho. I've heard that it's a fantastic show, though. We went last year, one of our first dates after Eli was born, and it was phenomenal."
Gabriella hesitated, glancing at her mother-in-law. "It sounds like something we would both enjoy, but we're only in town for a couple days…"
"Actually, since we didn't know about the party or that you two were coming this weekend, Jack made dinner reservations at Marcello's to celebrate our anniversary tonight. He was going to cancel them so we could spend time with you and Troy…"
Gabriella's eyes widened. "Oh, no, please don't cancel your reservation because of us! You and Jack deserve a nice, romantic anniversary dinner."
"You and Troy are welcome to stay at our house again tonight," Taylor chimed in. "It'll be a really late night if you try to drive back to Albuquerque after the show. Besides, we'll probably stay at my sister's house tonight, so you two will have the place all to yourself." She winked at Gabriella, causing her to blush.
"That sounds like a plan," Lucille agreed. "We can meet for brunch in the morning and spend the whole day together."
Taylor clapped her hands excitedly. "Love is in the air! I can feel it! And I'll be sure to leave out a book for you in case you feel like doing some light reading." She winked at her friend again, and her complete lack of subtlety caused Gabriella's blush to deepen.
"To love!" Lucille hoisted her plastic cup and the younger women followed suit, clinking their water bottles together in solidarity.
Tonight, Gabriella told herself, is going to be an unforgettable night.
...~«ώ»~...
That evening, Troy and Gabriella sat side by side in the theater. Despite the drama unfolding onstage, Gabriella kept glancing at Troy worriedly. He was having a great deal of trouble paying attention as he fidgeted, trying to find a comfortable position. He hadn't been feeling well when they'd left for Santa Fe, but he'd still insisted that he wanted to see the show. The lingering indigestion had become more pronounced, even though he'd barely eaten any dinner. He'd made a number of trips to the bathroom, trying to relieve the pressure, but had been completely unsuccessful. And the 'stitch' in his side had returned, making him wonder if he'd pulled a muscle during his early morning basketball game. Troy shifted yet again, sucking in a breath as a stab of pain lanced through his belly. He realized belatedly that the audience around him was clapping and moving around, and the house lights were coming on, signaling the end of the first act.
"Troy…" Gabriella's soft voice drew his attention, and he attempted a weak smile to ease her worry. "Don't tell me that you're fine, because it's obvious that you're in pain. Maybe we should leave now and go back to your parents' house."
He shifted to squeeze her shoulder. "If we go back to my parents' house, then we have to behave ourselves. I, for one, haven't given up on our romantic rendezvous tonight."
"You're in no shape for any kind of rendezvous, except maybe with a bed."
"Baby, that's exactly what I had in mind."
She sighed in frustration. "That's not what I meant, and you know it. Why don't you just admit that you don't feel well and we can call it a night."
He pushed to his feet. "I'm going to go to the restroom again and see if that helps." He leaned down to kiss the frown from her lips, gritting his teeth against the pain that the movement caused. "Don't worry, honey. It's okay. I'll be back in a little while."
Gabriella nodded uncertainly and watched as he moved slowly towards the back of the theater. While she waited for his return, she busied herself with reading the program, turning on her phone to type a quick e-mail, and watching the theater patrons around her. When the lights in the auditorium flashed, signaling that the second act was about to start, Troy was still missing. Gabriella glanced towards the back of the theater, even as the actors took the stage, wondering if she should go looking for him. One of the actors onstage shouted, momentarily drawing Gabriella's attention toward the stage, until she felt an unfamiliar hand on her shoulder. Fear seized her when she looked up into the face of an usher.
"Gabriella Bolton?" the older man whispered. She nodded warily. "Please come with me, ma'am."
She picked up her purse and followed the man out of the darkened theater. As soon as they reached the lobby, she grabbed his arm. "What's going on? Did something happen with Troy?"
The usher didn't immediately answer, but stopped and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Mrs. Bolton, your husband apparently became very ill in the restroom during intermission. Another patron alerted me, and I went in to check on him. He appears to be in a lot of pain, and we've called an ambulance as a precaution. He asked me to come get you and let you know what's going on."
She struggled to fight back tears of dread. "Where is he? Please, I need to see him."
He nodded, and she followed him across the vast lobby. Troy was hunched on a bench near the restroom with a trash can in front of him, and when Gabriella caught sight of him, she ran to his side. Tears fell unchecked as she ran a hand through his sweaty hair. His skin was pale and damp, and his arm clutched his belly. He was obviously in a great deal of pain, and her heart ached for him.
"Troy!" She willed herself to be strong, even though she felt anything but.
"Gabriella, stay calm. I'm all right," he told her feebly. "Don't be afraid. Everything will be…" His words trailed off as he leaned forward to heave into the trash can. She rubbed his back as he'd done for her many times in the past few months. When he finished, he tipped his head back to rest against the wall behind him.
"Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?" she demanded.
"It got worse all of a sudden," he told her. His eyes squeezed closed as another wave of pain rippled through him, and Gabriella stroked his shoulders helplessly. When the EMTs strode through the front door a few minutes later, she reluctantly stood to give them more room to work. While they took Troy's vitals and asked him questions about his symptoms, one of the men turned his attention to Gabriella.
"Ma'am, I need you to answer a few questions for me. What is your husband's age?"
"He's 28," she answered distractedly. "He'll be 29 next month."
"Is he on any medications?"
"No."
"Does he have any history of kidney stones, hernias, or intestinal blockages?"
"No! He's very healthy! He's a doctor!"
"Does he have any food allergies? Has he had anything unusual to eat today?"
"He's barely eaten since breakfast," she answered. "We had pancakes, but I didn't get sick. Neither did our friends. Do you know what's wrong?"
"Not yet, ma'am," he told her. "What's your address?"
Gabriella's heart pounded in her throat. "We, um… we don't live here. We're from San Francisco. Troy's parents live in Albuquerque…" She swayed on her feet, and the paramedic's hand shot out to steady her. He led her back to the bench, a few feet from where Troy sat.
"Are you feeling ill, ma'am?" He lifted her hand to take her pulse, and she shook her head.
"She's pregnant," Troy grunted. She looked over at him, scarcely believing that despite his pain, he was concerned about her well-being.
"I'm fine," she insisted, pulling her hand from the man's grasp.
Troy moaned and reached for the trash can again, and Gabriella leaned over to smooth back his hair. This time she noticed that he was warm with fever. The EMTs looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"Ma'am, I think it's best if we take your husband to the hospital. You're welcome to ride with him in the ambulance."
She nodded and realized she was shaking. Her mind raced, trying to provide an explanation for what was happening, but she came up empty. The men helped Troy stand and moved him to the stretcher, where they strapped him down and prepared to move him. Gabriella walked beside him with a hand on his arm, needing physical contact with him. The tears she'd been fighting overflowed, and she turned her head away so he wouldn't see her wipe them away. Troy looked up at her and managed a weak smile.
"Don't cry, sweetheart. I'll be okay."
She forced a smile for him. He had to be okay. She couldn't bear it any other way.