The Baby Bet: The Royal MacAllister Part 7

If she didn't have the courage to show Brent, or her family, her dream, her art, she was definitely not able to run the risk of allowing herself to do something so emotionally momentous as falling in love, giving her heart to someone to do with as they may. G.o.d, what a terrifying thought.

Trip gazed up at Brent, who was once again looking at the line ahead of them.

Brent was going to get on that airplane, she thought, and he was not going to take her heart with him. No. The deep feelings she had for him, the caring, would fade in time, dim, then be gone. She was not falling in love with Brent.

"Ah, here we go," Brent said. "Some guy was buying about fifteen tickets for the group with him so that took a nice chunk out of the line."

"I...oh, good heavens," Trip said, jerking in surprise. "My purse is ringing." She rummaged inside and s.n.a.t.c.hed up the cell phone.

"h.e.l.lo, Bobby," she said tentatively as she pressed the tiny device to her ear.

"It's happening, Trip," Bobby said. "Finally. The baby. We're at the hospital. I'm petrified. I can't breathe, Trip. I swear I...gotta go. Bye."

"Bye," Trip said, her eyes widening. "Brent, the baby is...Bobby can't breathe," Trip said, then took a sharp breath. "I can't, either. Now what?"

Brent laughed. "Now we go to the hospital and wait for the newest MacAllister to come into the world."

"You don't have to spend your evening pacing around a hospital waiting room," Trip said as they left the line of people and started down the sidewalk. "You can just drop me off if you like."

"No way. I wouldn't miss this for the world. It's not every day of the week that a person gets to be involved in a miracle."

"What a lovely thing to say," Trip said, as Brent a.s.sisted her into the car he'd rented.

Brent splayed one hand on the roof of the car and gripped the edge of the open door with the other. He bent down to look directly into Alice's eyes.

"That's what babies are, Alice," he said quietly. "Miracles. Two people made love, shared the most intimate act known to humanity and created a new life. Oh, yes, babies are miracles."

"Yes," Trip said softly. "You're right, and you're also very special for having said so."

Brent leaned far enough into the car to kiss Alice, then stepped back and closed the door. He jogged around to the driver's side and slid behind the wheel.

"Buckle up," he said, "and send messages to the stoplights to turn green as we approach them." He turned the key in the ignition. "Oh, this is great. I have no idea where the hospital is."

"I'll direct you," Trip said. "Go straight ahead for two blocks, then turn right. The hospital is where Maggie and Devon met, you know."

"Yeah, I heard the story of how they connected there. Well, that hospital is definitely a miracle-making place," Brent said as he pulled away from the curb.

A baby, Brent mused, as he maneuvered the car through the heavy traffic. A miracle. What would a baby created by Alice and him look like? Would he, or she, have blond hair like Alice's? Or black hair like his? Maybe nature would combine the two and their baby would have brown hair. Yeah, that would be nice...a blend of his parents.

Oh, man, Alice would be so exquisitely beautiful while she was pregnant with his child, and he'd be by her side every step of the way. He could envision himself placing his hand on her rounded stomach, feeling the baby move within her. What an awesome and humbling thought.

Brent blinked, then frowned.

What a ridiculous thought, he admonished himself. Where had all that nonsense come from?

He and Alice weren't going to create a baby when they made love.

They weren't going to get married and raise a family. They weren't even going to see each other again when he left Ventura, except for whatever time together they could steal when Alice came for the wedding.

And the most important "weren't" on the list was the fact that he and Alice weren't in love with each other in the first place, an ingredient that should definitely be in the mix.

Yes, that's what it was. A recipe. Two people met, were attracted to each other. Add sharing and caring, respect and honesty, blend well while spending as much time as possible together. Sift in smiles and laughter, and lovemaking so incredibly fantastic it defied description.

Simmer until hearts melted, then meshed into one ent.i.ty strong enough to withstand the rigors of time.

Whoa, Brent thought, rolling his eyes heavenward. That was so corny it was a crime. Since when did he indulge in such romantic gooey garbage like that? Well, it wasn't really garbage, it was sort of poetic. Love, forever and ever love, was a carefully attended-to recipe that two people concentrated on making together and...

"Oh, for Pete's sake," he said, shaking his head in self-disgust.

"What's wrong?" Trip said, looking over at him.

"Huh? Oh, I got caught by this red light, that's all," Brent said.

Trip smiled. "I don't think the baby will be born before we get to the hospital." She paused. "Will it? It's overdue, I guess, so maybe it will be in a big hurry now and...forget it. I have no idea what I'm talking about. Brent, the light is green."

"Oh," he said, pressing on the gas pedal. "Alice, did you ever think about the fact that love is like a recipe? There's a whole bunch of ingredients that have to be there in the right amounts, then blended together just so. And they have to be continually tended to so that it doesn't go stale like something you baked would if you just ignored it once you... Never mind. I'm blithering like an idiot."

"No, you're not," Trip said thoughtfully. "I think you expressed that very well. Very romantically, too, I might add. Yes, love could be compared to a recipe." She smiled. "I think one of the ingredients is magic."

"Mmm," Brent said, nodding.

Like the magic he and Alice shared. Oh, Bardow, cut it out. He was not giving one more moment's thought to love and the stupid recipe and...because he wasn't in love, had no intention of ever falling in love again and that was that.

The fact that he felt sliced and diced whenever he thought about leaving Alice was because...was because he cared for her. A lot. More than a lot. Very deeply. Very, very deeply and...

"Turn right at the next corner," Trip said, bringing Brent from his jumbled thoughts.

"Thank you," he said, more than happy to direct his attention entirely to following the directions to the hospital.

"Thank you?" Trip said, laughing. "For telling you to turn right? Gosh, do I get a hug when we actually arrive in the parking lot of the hospital?"

"Sure," Brent said, chuckling.

"It's that tall building in the next block," Trip said, pointing. "See it?"

"Yep. I imagine the waiting room is going to be packed with MacAllisters."

"I don't know. I have no idea if the clan turns out in force after all these years and all the babies that have arrived. Maybe they just stay home and wait for a telephone call."

The MacAllisters definitely did not wait at home for news of the birth. The waiting room that Trip and Brent were directed to was crowded to the point that Trip's cousin, Ryan, and his father, her uncle Ted, were leaning against the wall outside the room.

"Hey, Trip, Brent," Ryan said, then shook Brent's hand. "Nice to see you here."

"This is exciting," Trip said. "How long do you think we'll have to wait before the baby is born?"

Ryan shrugged. "Don't have a clue." He laughed. "My famous top-cop dad here delivered my sister himself because she was in such a rush. Then? I was six months old before they came to Korea to adopt me. I think they were still worn out from the way Patty popped into the world four years before that."

"Very funny," Ted Sharpe said, chuckling. "Not funny was the fact that you took one look at me and started wailing your head off."

"You're a scary guy," Ryan said, smiling at his father. "Lean and mean."

"Yeah, right," Ted said. "As for Bobby and Diane's baby? It's anyone's guess how long we'll all be here. Babies start running the show from the very beginning, that's for sure."

Trip poked her head into the waiting room. She felt a little s.h.i.+ver of nervousness slither down her spine at the size of the group, who were all suddenly looking directly at her.

Now, she supposed, they would all make a big fuss over the fact that she was there, was joining the family for this special event. She'd become so uncomfortable that she'd want to leave in about three minutes flat and...

"Hi, sweetheart," Forrest MacAllister said, then resumed his conversation with his brother Michael.

"h.e.l.lo, darling," Jillian called to her daughter. "I'm afraid there's nowhere to sit in here so you'll have to stand for now." She redirected her attention to Margaret, who was sitting on the sofa.

Trip opened her mouth, then closed it again, allowing a genuine smile to form on her lips.

No one was going cuckoo because she was here, she realized. It was as though they simply expected her to be among them because... well, because she was a MacAllister. Oh, this was nice. Very, very nice.

"You look pleased about something," Brent said, sliding one arm across Alice's shoulders.

"I'm just glad to be here," Trip said, smiling up at him.

"Alice," Robert MacAllister said, coming out of the room.

"h.e.l.lo, Grandpa," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "Did you enjoy visiting Disneyland...again?"

"It brought back fond memories," he said. "Alice, remember when I announced at Christmas that I would be meeting with each of my grandchildren at a time that I chose to give them a special gift?"

"Yes, of course I remember. I thought Jessica was going to pop a seam waiting for her turn. She was always begging to open gifts early when we were growing up.

"I know that the beautiful chess pieces that Jessica put on the top of her and Daniel's wedding cake were from the gift you gave her, but she's been very secretive about the meaning behind it. In fact, I have no idea how many of your private meetings have been held."

"That's not important," Robert said. "What is of importance is that it's your turn. Are you free any time tomorrow?"

Trip's eyes widened. "I'm next to receive my surprise? Oh, I'm getting goose b.u.mps. Yes, tomorrow is my day off. What time would you like me to come? I don't mind getting up early and... Stop laughing, Brent."

"I can't help it. A little eager, are you? To get this special present?"

"Well, yes. This is March, and Grandpa made his announcement at Christmas, and...just hush. Grandpa? What time?"

"Nine o'clock tomorrow morning?" Robert said. "In my study at the house."

"I'll be there," Trip said quickly.

"Bets, bets, baby bets," Forrest said, coming out in the hall with a fistful of money. "It's time to put the old tradition back into action. I was champion for a long spell, Brent, way back when, until that darn Ted Sharpe blew me out of the water. I'm figuring on regaining my t.i.tle. I'm predicting a girl born within the next hour. Five bucks, folks. Let's see the green."

"It's a boy," Brent said, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. He glanced at his watch. "In no more than twenty-two minutes from now."

"Oh, yes, easy money," Forrest said, s.n.a.t.c.hing Brent's bill.

Ted, Ryan, Robert and Trip all made their predictions and produced five dollars with Trip choosing a girl in two hours and fifteen minutes. Forrest scribbled all the data on a piece of paper, then disappeared back into the room.

"I'm part of the baby bet," Trip said, smiling. "Just like-"

"One of the family," Robert said, winking at her, then returning to join Margaret on the sofa.

"Yes," Trip whispered, "just like one of the family. Just like a real MacAllister."

"Good for you," Brent said quietly, then kissed her on the temple. "You are a MacAllister, Alice. And you're also the most real woman I've ever had the pleasure of getting to know."

A warmth suffused Trip from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She savored it, memorized how it felt, then tucked it away in the special place in her heart.

Brent won the baby bet.

With only two minutes to spare of his predicted twenty-two, Bobby came running down the hallway dressed in green scrubs.

"It's a baby!" he said. "It's a boy. Seven pounds, three ounces, fingers, toes, nose, everything. He's beautiful. He's... Diane was fantastic and..." Emotions choked off his words and he shook his head.

Hugs, handshakes, slaps on the back took place, then Forrest smacked the wad of money into Brent's outstretched hand.

"I was really starting to like you, Brent," Forrest said, "but forget it. No, you're okay. I won't be a bad sport. Man, you nailed it. How did you do that? Being the baby-bet champion will just have to be a fond memory of mine, I guess. I've lost my knack."

"You're pouting, Forrest," Jillian said, coming to where they all were standing and slipping her arm through his. "You had your days of glory. Congratulations, Brent, you're the new baby-bet champion."

"I can live with that," Brent said, stuffing the money into his wallet. "When can we see this little miracle who just earned me a bunch of bucks?"

"I'll go find out," Bobby said.

"Wait, Bobby," Trip said. "You didn't tell us what you and Diane named your son."

"I didn't?" Bobby said. "Man, I'm so frazzled, exhausted, excited and..."

"His name, Daddy." Trip laughed.

"Oh," Bobby said. "Well, Diane and I decided that we're about to add a bunch of more people to the family when Maggie marries Devon. So, in honor of those new folks we're naming the baby Joseph Devon."

"I'm honored," Devon said, from where he was standing in the doorway to the waiting room. "I really am. I can't begin to tell you what this means to me. Thank you, Bobby, and express my grat.i.tude to Diane, too."

"Sure thing," Bobby said.

"Baby MacAllister is ready to receive his admirers," a nurse said as she approached the crowd. "I've lost count of how many times I've said that. If you'll all follow me, please?"

A few minutes later it was Trip and Brent's turn to step close to the window to peer into the ba.s.sinet that had been moved next to the gla.s.s.

"Oh," Trip said, awe very evident in her voice. "Oh, Brent, look at him. He's beautiful. Such perfection in a tiny package and...you're right he's a miracle. h.e.l.lo, Joseph Devon. Welcome to the world, and welcome to the most wonderful family in the universe." She sniffled. "I'm going to cry, no doubt about it."

Brent stared at the sleeping infant, his heart thundering as he drank in the sight of the baby. The achy sensation in his throat told him that it wouldn't take much for tears to fill his eyes, too.

A son, he thought. A miracle. He'd long ago buried the dream of being a father, having a son or daughter, created with the woman he loved. But that dream was front-row center again and was strong and solid, refusing to budge.

Brent slid a glance at Alice and saw her dash two tears from her cheeks as she continued to smile at the baby.