Page 59 of Goal Line (Boston Rebels #4)

Chapter Forty-Four

LUKE

I n the elevator on the way up to Dr. Lowery’s office, Eva faces me, resting her cheek against my chest as I wrap both arms around her.

“I know, baby,” I say, running my hands up her back and over her shoulders. “We’re going to get a handle on this, though. Promise.” I bend my head down to press a kiss to the top of her head, and the elevator dings before the doors open.

Dr. Lowery’s office is quiet when we enter. The waiting room is predictably empty, and no one is at the front desk, but we can hear voices quietly talking in the back. We only stand at the reception area for a minute before a nurse appears and opens the door next to the desk, gesturing us in.

“We’ve got a room ready for you,” she says, smiling at Eva.

“Thanks,” I say when my wife doesn’t respond. She’s tense, and I hate that there’s nothing I can do to ease her worry—especially when I’m carrying the same fears myself. Hopefully, this visit will put our minds at ease.

Dr. Lowery is in the exam room when we arrive, and once Eva’s situated on the exam table, she says, “I’m going to get you hooked up to some monitors just so we can check things out, okay?”

“Sure.” Eva’s voice is small.

“I know you’re worried,” Dr. Lowery says, “but there’s a lot we can do to help control high blood pressure during pregnancy. We just want to avoid preeclampsia, and you’re not there yet, so please, rest easy.”

Eva relaxes back into the exam table and nods.

Then Dr. Lowery gets her hooked up to a blood pressure cuff and puts the pulse oximeter on her finger.

She then attaches a band around my wife’s belly.

“We’re going to continuously monitor the fetal heart rate for a while, too, just to make sure everything with the baby is normal.

This band just holds the device in place, but it’s essentially the same thing we’ve done in previous visits, just over a longer period of time. ”

“Okay,” Eva says, but she doesn’t truly seem relaxed until Dr. Lowery tells us Eva’s heart rate and blood pressure are okay. The baby’s heart rate also appears to be steady and normal.

“All right, while we capture this data and double check that all is well, let’s talk a bit about what happened last night, and what to watch for in the future. Let’s start with what happened right before your blood pressure spiked.”

Eva explains about the confrontation with her mom, and even though she doesn’t point any blame at me as she tells the story, I recognize my role in escalating that situation.

Helene was giving her what was likely a sincere apology, even if it came much later than it should have, and I should’ve let Eva handle things without getting Helene worked up, which in turn got Eva worked up.

I think back to what Charlie said, about not losing my protective instinct while also allowing Eva to manage things herself. That’s a balancing act I’ll need to work on, because the second I see my wife in pain, my inclination is to go into attack mode.

“It sounds like it was a very stressful situation,” Dr. Lowery said. “And I think that, given your elevated blood pressure, we need to avoid those as much as possible. Has anything else triggered a similar reaction? Like, have you noticed any issues with working out, or skating, or sex?”

“No,” Eva says with a shake of her head. “It was just that one time.”

“Okay. While your heart rate is normal, your blood pressure is still a bit higher than I’d like. I do think we need to start you on some medication to help keep that down.”

“It’s safe for the baby?” Eva asks, her hand flexing in mine. My thumb sweeps across the back of her hand in a consistent, hopefully soothing pattern .

“Yes, of course. The safest thing for the baby, honestly, is that we keep Mom as healthy as possible. I think you should take some time off from skating, and from exercise in general, this week. Nothing more rigorous than a fast-paced walk.”

Eva nods, but Dr. Lowery must see something in her face because she says, “I’m sorry.

I know you’re training, and I don’t think you need to necessarily stop yet, but I’d like to get this medicine into your system and make sure it’s working before you go back to skating or working out.

I think a week is enough time for us to figure out if it’s effective. ”

“It’s fine,” Eva says, her tone making it clear that she’s worried about losing the practice time, even though she knows her and the baby’s safety is the most important thing. “I can take the week off.”

At thirty-two weeks, she’s not allowed to do jumps or lifts anymore, but she’s still training on the ice—something she knows she’s going to have to give up very soon, so losing this week is going to be hard for her, emotionally.

“You mentioned warning signs we should watch for?” I ask.

“Yes. Eva, if you get a sudden headache—one that feels like a band wrapping around your head and squeezing—or you’re feeling dizzy or nauseous, or you start seeing spots in your vision, or notice increased swelling, those are all signs that something is wrong and you need to seek medical attention immediately.

Any of those would be a get-to-the-hospital-as-soon-as-possible event.

More than one of them at the same time would be an indication to call 911. ”

“I’m supposed to go to Minnesota next week, for two nights, to film an endorsement deal,” I tell her. “Should I cancel that?”

“Not necessarily,” Dr. Lowery says. “Lots of women deal with hypertension in pregnancy, and we’re on top of it.

Plus, by that time, Eva will have been on her medication for over a week, and things should be stable.

It might be a good idea, though, for someone to stay with Eva while you’re gone.

If anything were to happen, we’d want someone to be there to help. ”

Eva glances up at me. “We’ll figure it out. I don’t want you to miss it.”

I’m tempted to say I’ll just cancel. It’s not like we need the money.

However, the deal is with a national sports apparel brand—the kind that athletes dream of partnering with—and the exposure could be amazing for my career.

Especially with Colt set to retire at the end of the season, anything that improves my name recognition as a goalie will be a positive thing for both my career and the entire Rebels organization.

“We’ll see. I can reschedule if needed.” It absolutely would not be easy or professional, but if I had to, I’d make it happen.

“I can always ask Morgan,” Eva says, and for the first time since this whole incident started last night, there’s a note of hope in her voice. It eases the knot of anxiety in my stomach, just a tad.

I love that she’s making friends in Boston, and if me leaving town for a couple of nights helps her cement that friendship, then I’m willing to do it. Bringing her hand up to my mouth, I press a kiss to the back of her it. “Whatever makes you happy, Evie.”