Signs of Life Read Online Free Page B

aware of Brent’s death, Jase having called the surrogacy agency with the news at Jeremy’s request.
    All of his tenuous control deserted him at the sight of Leticia’s loving and compassionate face, and the swell of her belly that held—oh God. In a few short weeks he could be holding a part of Brent in his arms again. He fell to his knees right there in the doorway and wrapped his arms around her hips, burying his face against her hard protruding belly.
    “Oh, sweet man,” she whispered, as she stroked her fingers through his hair. “Oh, mijo .”
    The comforting touch and whispered endearment were his undoing, and he lost it right there, great heaving sobs ripping from his chest as he clutched her to him. He couldn’t let go of her, couldn’t stop crying as he pushed her maternity shirt up so that he could lay his cheek directly against her skin, right over where his son rested.
    Leticia let him, held him and murmured to him until she could coax him inside and lead him into her homey, welcoming living room. She pulled him down to the couch with her and grabbed his hand, placing it low on the side of her belly where Jeremy could feel a rippling, actually see the skin bulging in and out with the baby’s movements.
    “He’s active today,” Leticia whispered. “He knows that his daddy is here.” Those words brought fresh tears, and she cupped his cheek.
    “Talk to him, mijo.”
    Jeremy did, his cheek resting once again on Leticia’s belly as he talked to his son, feeling the baby move almost as if in response to his words. She had a Doppler listening device she used, pressing it to her abdomen and moving it around so that Jeremy could hear the baby’s strong, fast heartbeat. At that moment it was what he needed the most, and he loved her for it.
    She fixed him a cup of tea and let him spend as much time as he wanted, Keith having taken their boys over to their grandparents’ to give Jeremy some privacy. Finally he took his leave, hugging her close, whispering his thanks in her ear.
    “You’ve helped me today more than you know, Leticia.”
    She stroked her hand over his hair once and kissed his cheek. “I’m glad.”
    He drove home, the savage darkness of his grief lightened a little by the promise of new life, of renewed joy. The next couple of weeks passed quickly as Jeremy finalized the sale of his La Jolla house and traded in his sports car for a sleek new SUV with every safety feature imaginable. His realtor forwarded some listings for him to look at, and he settled on a small but elegant house on Coronado Island. He loved the neighborhood, lined with large mature trees, the beach and city parks just a short drive away. Perfect for raising a child, and perfect for a fresh start.
    With Zachary’s birth imminent, he had everything but the nursery items put into long-term storage, and he rented a furnished condo not far from his new house. He needed a place to bring the baby home to while he had some light renovations done, and he didn’t want Zachary around the noise and chaos.
    Grief was never far from the surface, sometimes roaring up like a tsunami, unexpectedly and at awkward moments, dragging him under, suffocating him under the weight of it. He weathered each storm as it came, missing Brent so much it was a constant ache, the thought of the baby’s arrival the life ring he clung precariously to.
    A week before Leticia’s due date, Keith called to say Leticia hadn’t felt the baby move in several hours, and when she realized it during her daily kick count, she immediately called the doctor. They didn’t seem overly concerned at first, advising her to drink a glass of juice and see if the sugar wouldn’t help to “wake him up.” An hour later there still hadn’t been any movement.
    “They want her to come in, Jeremy,” Keith said, his voice strained. “We’re leaving as soon as I hang up with you.”
    A low-grade dread started burning in Jeremy’s gut. “I’ll meet you there,” he