Katie Ashley: Writer of Romance: Holy Testicle Tuesday: A long Teaser from The Proposal & The Proposition is $.99 for TUESDAY only!!

Okay, I'll admit that I've been a bit obsessed with Ace Ventura since it came out when I was a Freshman in high school. I do like some inane comedies. :) And when I was thinking about this epic Tuesday post, the first thing that entered my mind was "HOLY TESTICLE TUESDAY!!" :) *Yes, I probably desperately need sleep at the moment for using that as a title to a blog post, but I digress*

Since I'll be at the beach next Tuesday furiously pounding out wordage on The Proposal, I decided I should probably give you an extra long tease this week since I won't be posting next week. I also wanted to give another gift by making The Proposition $0.99 for TUESDAY only!! It's the Tuesday gift that keeps on giving the whole year long!! :)

So, back to the real point, which was the teaser. I wanted to post this one because it addresses the title of the sequel. Oh, did you think it was all based on that kind of proposal? Oh no, not quite!! This scene takes place the same day as last week's teaser with Patrick, Emma, and Aidan in the ER. Later that evening, too much emotional stress puts baby Noah in danger and lands Emma in the ER.

*Rough draft & subject to change*

Dr. Pendleton snapped Emma's chart shut. “I’m going to insist on strict bed-rest for the next two to four weeks. Your feet are only to touch the ground to use the restroom, and I’m going to insist on you using a seat in the shower, too. Is that clear?”

Emma gasped. “But my job—”

He held up a finger to silence her. “I’ll fill out the necessary paperwork for you to take a leave of absence. The most important thing right now is for you to rest and limit your stress level. We don’t want any more premature labor.”

“How long do I have to stay in the hospital?” Emma questioned, her voice wavering.

“I want to keep you in at least over night, and then you can probably go home tomorrow. Let me go check on the status of moving you upstairs.”

After Dr. Pendleton exited the room, Emma's emotions spiraled dangerously out of control. She tried fighting with everything in her not to totally and completely lose it at the prospect that Noah’s life was still in danger. It was too much to bear, and she couldn’t stop the floodgates from opening. A strangled cry erupted from her lips, sending both Casey and Aidan racing forward to comfort her. Somehow Casey elbowed Aidan out of the way, blocking him from getting to her.

A frustrated grunt came from Aidan, but Casey ignored him and grabbed Emma’s hand. She squeezed it tight and gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t cry, Em. It’s all going to be fine. Lots of women have to go on bed rest for a while, and then the rest of their pregnancies are completely normal.”

Between hiccupping sobs, Emma replied, “I hope so.”

“I know so. And I’ll take you Grammy’s first thing tomorrow, and she’ll get you through this.”

Emma shook her head as the tears slid down her cheeks. “I can’t go to Grammy’s. Granddaddy had hip replacement surgery a week ago, and she’s already ragged from taking care of him. I can’t put any more stress on her at her age.”

Aidan cleared his throat and sidestepped Casey to stand in front of Emma. “You’re coming home with me. I’m going to take care of you.”

A hiss erupted from Casey. She jerked her hand away from Emma’s to jab a finger into Aidan’s chest. “Over my dead body!”

Aidan’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

Casey’s nostrils flared. “You’ve got to be out of your fucking mind! You take care of her? You’re the very reason she’s in this condition!”

He winced.“Look we all know I fucked up! Royally. Even though I’d give anything to take it back, I can’t. But I can make it right, and one way to prove to Emma how truly sorry I am is to stand by her and take care of her when she needs me most.”

Emma sucked in a breath at Aidan’s words. She was sure one of the countless monitors she was hooked up to was about to go haywire with her accelerating heartbeat. Shock reverberated through her that he had even suggested taking care of her, least of all that he actually meant he’d do it. While deeply touched, she couldn’t imagine how her frayed nerves could allow her to be so close to him. Finally, she shook her head. “I don’t think—”

His blue eyes blazed with a steely determination. “This isn’t up for discussion.”

Casey snorted. “Oh hell yes, it is up for discussion. If anyone is going to be taking care of Em, it’s me, fuckwit!”

Aidan’s face clouded over with fury, and Emma feared he was about to truly lose his temper. His jaw clenched as he leaned closer to Casey. “You seem to forget that’s my child she’s carrying. Noah is my responsibility. You can sure as hell believe that nothing else matters more to me in this world than my son.”

Glaring back at him, Casey countered, “Too bad you weren’t thinking about Noah when you almost screwed that skank!”

At Aidan’s growl, Connor squeezed between them. “Okay, enough!” He shook his head. “Damn, you two have got to chill with the pissing contest about Em. Would you stop for a minute and think about how much you’re upsetting her?”

Both Aidan and Casey snapped their gaze from Connor and stared at Emma. Their attention caused her cheeks and neck to flush.

Aidan’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, Em. I didn't mean to upset you. I just want…” He ran his hand through his sandy hair. “More than anything in the world, I want you to let me take care of you and Noah.”

The sincerity in his words sent her heart fluttering again, and she hated herself for it. After nibbling on her lip, she questioned, “What about your job? You can’t possibly travel like you have been and take care of me 24/7.”

“I’ll just sign up for family medical leave or something.”

Emma couldn’t help widening her eyes. “You would do that?”

“Of course I would. You need me,” Aidan said, edging closer to the bed.

“But with your position, will they even consider granting you one when we aren't even married?” Emma asked.

Aidan shrugged. “If they don’t, then I’ll just quit.” The corners of his lips tugged up in a smile. “You and Noah mean more to me than a job.”

Casey crossed her arms over her chest in a huff. “And what if your libido kicks in one night after seeing some slut in a short skirt? Are you just going to run out on Em again?”

“Case,” Emma pleaded as Aidan snarled, “Don’t fucking go there!”

“I cannot believe you’re honestly considering letting him do this! He broke your heart, Em!” Casey cried, throwing her hands up in frustration.

Emma sighed. “Yes, I’m well aware of what he did. But at the moment, I don’t see any other choice but to accept what he’s proposing.”