Fair Chances (Fairshore Series Book 3) Read online

  Fair Chances

  A Fairshore Series Book Three

  Christina Butrum

  Fair Chances

  Copyright 2015 by Christina Butrum

  ISBN-13: 978-1512161168

  ISBN-10: 1512161160

  This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and events used in this book are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously and are not to be considered as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, spirits, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  For more information:

  www.facebook.com/authorcbutrum

  Cover Design by Amanda Walker PA & Design Services

  Created with Vellum

  Acknowledgments

  I will start off by saying the Fairshore series is complete! I am feeling a mix of feelings - saying goodbye to Fairshore's finest people is hard to do with little promise of their return. On the flip side, I am thrilled to be done with the series! That means my readers will be able to read and enjoy as much as I did - if not more!

  I would like to share a few fun facts about writing these three books!

  1) It was worth it! Definitely worth it! I enjoyed writing them!

  2) The books wrote themselves. But I do have to say out of all three, Fair Chances took more focus, determination, and dedication. Which reflects on a quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 'Great books write themselves, only bad books have to be written.'

  3) In case you did not know, each of these books were written within 30 days or less! Second Chances - November 2014 - 26 days. Unexpected Chances - March 2015 - 22 days. Fair Chances - April 2015 - 28 days.

  Now, let's get on with me thanking everyone!

  I owe a huge thanks to my family and friends for the encouragement and support.

  To Nate & Alaina - Thank you both for understanding my busy writing days and allowing me time to write. Love you both to the moon and back!

  To my beta readers - thank you! I appreciate each and every one of you!

  And to my readers - a BIG thanks to you!

  Here's to you for reading the last book of the series! Hope you enjoy! Happy Reading!

  Chapter One

  “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?” Amelia asked Zach. She chuckled while she watched him attempt to put the baby crib together.

  Zach sat on his knees as he struggled to fit the pieces of the baby furniture together. He put his head down and ran a hand through his hair. He grumbled something under his breath. Amelia was unable to make it out. He grunted as he stood up.

  “I guess I’m not having much luck with this craftsman stuff,” he said. Amelia could tell he was disappointed.

  Amelia walked toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She smiled coolly. His tense body relaxed. He smirked and shook his head. He ran his hand through his tousled hair.

  “Maybe you need a break,” Amelia suggested.

  “Maybe so,” Zach agreed. He squeezed her close to him as they stood in the middle of the room. They looked around the bedroom. It would soon be the baby’s room. They had agreed to paint it in pastel pinks and purples. The room had taken them less than two hours to paint.

  “It’s coming together nicely,” Amelia confirmed. She ran her hand along the end piece of the crib. The dark cherry wood was smooth to the touch. She smiled at the thought of the crib set she had purchased the other day.

  Zach grunted and said, “If only I could get the thing put together.”

  Amelia laughed and headed for the door. “Maybe reading the instructions will help.”

  “I have been reading them. Look where it has gotten me,” Zach said as he pointed to a pile of boards. Amelia had no doubt the dark wood would soon be in the shape of a crib. Amelia felt horrible for finding amusement with Zach’s frustration.

  “I don’t find this funny at all,” Zach stated. “Overwhelmingly frustrating, yes. Funny, not so much.”

  Amelia chuckled as she walked into the kitchen. She placed a hand over her stomach and rubbed until she felt the baby move. She looked at Zach when he came into the kitchen.

  “Is she moving?” Zach asked. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

  Amelia nodded. “She’s squirming all around.”

  Zach placed his hands on her stomach and waited to feel the movement of the baby. His eyes lit up. “She’s on a roll in there,” he said with a smile on his face. “Is she always this active?”

  Amelia nodded. “Her activity has been increasing little by little each day. Dr. Bohage said she should be kicking soon,” Amelia told him. “I’m kind of excited but nervous for that to start.”

  Zach gave her a puzzled look.

  “The kicking can hurt. The baby can kick my ribs,” Amelia explained. “My mom said kicked ribs hurt the worst.”

  Zach shook his head. “I don’t know how women do it.”

  Amelia shrugged. “I suppose it’s all worth it in the end. The women forget about all the pain when they look at their babies and fall in love.”

  “Maybe so, but I wouldn’t be able to go through it,” Zach said.

  Amelia laughed. “That’s why women do, because men can’t even handle the thought of it.”

  Zach grimaced at his own thoughts. Amelia shook her head and took a drink of water. “Should we get back to work? I’m sure the crib and dresser won’t put themselves together.”

  Zach chugged the rest of his water. He threw the bottle in the recycle bin and followed Amelia to the baby’s room. “You can say that again. It’d make my job a heck of a lot easier if they could.”

  Before Amelia could repeat what she had said, Zach held up a finger and shook it side to side. “Don’t even think about it. I was only joking.”

  Amelia pouted and watched him as he grabbed the pile of boards from the center of the room. She wondered if he cared that she watched him work. She walked to the pile of boards and grabbed one. “Want some help?”

  “You don’t need to do anything,” Zach said. “I’ve got this under control.”

  Amelia ignored what he said. Instead, she picked up the instructions and read them. “It says this board goes at the end. These longer boards are for the sides,” she said as she pointed at the boards in question.

  Zach grabbed the boards and separated them into different piles. “This dresser and crib might be together before the day ends.”

  Amelia glanced at her watch – 9:36. “So far, we’ve been doing this for half an hour.”

  Zach chuckled. “It’s a good thing we’ve planned all day to get the room together.”

  Amelia nodded. She lifted another board and placed it in the pile next to the wall. “I think these boards are for the drawers.”

  Zach looked at the board she had and nodded. “I believe you’re right. Now, will you please stop lifting things and let me do the work?”

  Amelia eyed him as he stood in front of her. His eyes pleaded for her to listen to him. He showed sincere concern. It was written all over his face.

  “Please, Amelia,” he pleaded. “I don’t want you to overdo it.”

  “I’m fine,” she assured him. “Dr. Bohage says…”

  He interrupted her. “I don’t care what the doc said. I only care that you and my baby are okay. I don’t want you to overdo it. You should have a seat in the only piece of furniture I have managed to put together.”

  He pointed to the pink cushioned rocking chair in the corner of the room. It was positioned so that if she were to sit down, she could rock and watch him build the baby’s furniture.

  She smiled. The thought of him struggling to build the baby’s furniture when he owned a furnitu
re store amused her. She decided to follow his orders. She sat down in the rocking chair and watched him.

  He nodded and continued to sort the pieces. “I should have this together in another half hour or so.”

  Amelia slowly nodded her head. “If we’re lucky,” she said and smirked. “You know, for owning a furniture store, you shouldn’t have any problem with this stuff.”

  Zach shook his head as he wrenched a bolt into a bracket on the crib railing. “I usually have someone else put the baby furniture together. I’ve always known it’d take me a century to get it together.”

  Amelia rocked silently. Within a half hour, Zach stood and flipped the crib right side up. He clapped his hands together and said, “There, I’m finished.”

  Amelia stood up slowly from the chair and approached the crib. She pressed on the railing and tried to rock it. The crib did not budge. “It seems pretty sturdy.”

  “It should be,” Zach said. “I put it together.”

  Amelia rolled her eyes. He reached out for her. Amelia gasped. She was hit by a sharp pain in her side that veered straight across her stomach. She doubled over and dropped to her knees.

  “Amelia, what’s wrong?” Zach asked as he attempted to lift her to her feet. With an unsuccessful attempt, he dropped down beside her. “What’s wrong?”

  Sweat beaded across Amelia’s forehead. Fear struck a nerve deep inside her. She looked at Zach with tear-filled eyes. Her voice trembled from the fear and pain when she said, “Call Dr. Bohage.”

  Chapter Two

  “Amelia is in pain,” Zach shouted into the phone. “What should we do?”

  Amelia listened as Zach talked to the doctor’s office. He paced by the counter in the kitchen. The look on his face told her he was scared. She sat on the couch and continued to rub her stomach. The pain came and went, which caused her more worry.

  Zach marched into the living room. “Let’s go. He wants you in his office now.”

  Zach hurried to the closet and grabbed her shoes. He plopped down in front of her and attempted to shove her feet into the shoes. Being five months along, her feet were swollen to the size of grapefruit and they were sore.

  “I can’t wear those,” Amelia told him with a grimace. “I need my slippers.”

  Zach hopped to his feet and searched for her slippers. He went in a complete circle through the house until he found them by the doorway of the downstairs bedroom. He grabbed them and brought them to her. “Are you able to walk?”

  Amelia shrugged her shoulders and slipped her feet into her slippers. She attempted to stand, but the pain caused her to drop into the couch.

  She looked at Zach, who was more nervous than she was at the moment. His face twisted with fear and panic. “Do you think it’s…”

  She cut him off. She held up a hand and said, “Let’s not worry about it until we see Dr. Bohage, okay?”

  The thought of a miscarriage this late in the pregnancy scared her. They already had a close call when she was a few weeks along. She hated to think about a miscarriage at this point. A miscarriage would kill her at this point – if not physically, it would emotionally.

  She scooted to the edge of the couch and wobbled when she stood. Zach grabbed her arm and asked, “How are you feeling?”

  Amelia had no idea how to explain how she felt. Her adrenaline pumped faster than her heart could beat. The thoughts swarmed her mind and she tried to dismiss them. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “I’m scared.”

  Zach frowned. “Me too, babe.” He looped his arm through hers and guided her to the door. “Do you need to take anything else?”

  Amelia scanned the living room. She could not think straight, let alone figure out what she needed to take to the doctor’s office with them. She shook her head.

  “Do you need your purse?” Zach asked as he reached for her purse on the hook by the door.

  Amelia nodded. She grabbed it and threw the strap over her shoulder. “Let’s go, please?”

  Zach guided her without hesitation to the car and opened the door. She sat in the seat, careful not to plop into it. She realized the pain subsided when she sat still.

  Zach flung the driver’s side door open and sat in the seat. He started the car and looked at her with fear as he shifted the car into reverse. “Are you having other symptoms?”

  Amelia glanced at him and quickly looked away. The concern and fear in his eyes tortured her. She shook her head. “No, not yet.”

  She tightened the seat belt. She made sure it was tight enough, but left some slack in it against her stomach. She positioned the belt to a more comfortable spot. She glanced over at the speedometer and her jaw dropped. “Zach, you should slow down.”

  He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’m getting you there. I don’t want to waste time.”

  Tears clouded her vision. She attempted to wipe them away, but they refused to stop. She nodded in agreement with him. She wanted to get to the doctor’s office just as fast as he did, if not faster. She prayed the pain wasn’t a sign of impending doom for the baby.

  They arrived at Dr. Bohage’s office within five minutes. Zach rushed to her side and helped her out of the car. Dr. Bohage’s receptionist met them outside with a wheelchair. Amelia sat down and put her feet up. The pain was not as intense as it had been at their house, but it was still present. The receptionist wheeled her through the double glass sliding doors and into a room. Zach trailed close behind her.

  * * *

  Dr. Bohage entered the room. He had a grave expression on his face. He flipped Amelia’s patient chart open and scanned the results from the lab work.

  Amelia’s leg bounced in anticipation of an explanation from the doctor. Her foot rapped against the metal step. She did not feel good. Her head spun and her stomach knotted as she waited impatiently for the results.

  “Is it a miscarriage, Doc?” Zach impatiently asked. He sat on the edge of his chair and wringed his hands while he waited for an answer.

  Dr. Bohage glanced at Amelia and then to Zach. “The lab tests tell me Amelia’s white count is slightly elevated.”

  Zach leaned forward and asked, “So there’s no sign it’s a miscarriage?”

  Dr. Bohage shook his head. He explained the results to Amelia. “It looks like you may have a UTI.”

  Amelia nodded. She had read somewhere in her pregnancy book that UTIs were common in pregnancies. She leaned against the back rest of the examination table and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”

  Zach tilted his head and watched Amelia with confusion. “What does UTI stand for, Doc?”

  “Urinary tract infection. It’s very common in pregnancies,” Dr. Bohage confirmed. “I’ll prescribe her some antibiotics and they should take care of it.”

  Zach nodded.

  “Beings she’s close to five months along now, we shouldn’t have to worry too much about a miscarriage,” Dr. Bohage stated. “She’s far enough along and they’re rare after twenty weeks.”

  Zach fidgeted. “But they can happen?”

  Dr. Bohage patted Zach’s shoulder and shook his head. “I have no worries of a miscarriage happening with this pregnancy. We have overcome that stage with a close call and we’re now looking forward to a healthy pregnancy.”

  Dr. Bohage scribbled on a notepad and left the room. Amelia turned her head and looked at Zach. Zach was relaxed, but was still in a state of shock. “What’s the matter? What are you thinking about?” Amelia asked him.

  He leaned against the back of the chair and stared at her. His lips parted, but did not form any words. She watched as he sat speechless.

  “We’re okay. Everything is fine,” Amelia assured him.

  Zach nodded. A knock at the door interrupted them.

  “Come in,” Amelia said.

  The nurse peeked her head around the door and asked Amelia, “Did he leave you with a prescription?”

  Amelia shook her head. She scanned the desk for the paper. “Nope, it doesn’t look like he
did.”

  The nurse smiled and said, “Okay, dear, I’ll get it for you and you’ll be able to leave. Give me a few minutes.”

  “Okay, thanks,” Amelia said. She returned a smile to the nurse.

  A few minutes later, the nurse returned to the room and handed a prescription to Amelia. “Dr. Bohage wants you to take these antibiotics for a few days. If the pain worsens or your symptoms don’t go away, he wants you back here right away for another checkup.”

  Amelia nodded and grabbed the piece of paper. She looked down at it. She had no idea how the pharmacy would be able to read it. Scribbles covered the paper from the top to the bottom. She looked up at the nurse and smiled. “Thank you.”

  The nurse patted her arm and said, “Take care.”

  The nurse guided them out of the room and into the hallway. She hollered to them as they walked away, “Remember, come back if things get worse.”

  Amelia smiled and nodded. She loved her doctor and his nurses. The best care she had ever received was in this clinic. She thought about her doctor she had in Bellford when she had miscarried. He had been rude and had blamed her for her miscarriage. His nurses had suffered with bedside manner, too.

  “Are you alright?” Zach asked as he grabbed her arm to steady her.

  She nodded. “Yes, just thinking.”

  Zach walked beside her to the car. “What’re you thinking about?”

  “How much I like it here.”

  Zach opened her door for her and said, “It is pretty great here, isn’t it.”

  Chapter Three

  “I went to the doctor today,” Amelia said into the phone.

  “For another checkup?” her mother asked. “I didn’t think you were scheduled to see him so soon.”

  “I had pain in my lower part of my stomach,” Amelia explained.

  “Oh, dear,” her mother sighed into the phone. Amelia heard her breathing quicken as she panicked. “What’d the doctor say is wrong? Is the baby alright?”