Page 7 of Ready or Not

“Would someone like to tell me what the fuck is going on?” Patrick growls, glancing between Cooper and Holt. He’s clearly asking why his little brother has finger marks still visible around his throat.

I grimace.

This likely does look bad.

Bad?

Who am I kidding?

The optics on this are a nightmare.

“There’s nothing to tell,” Holt lies, glaring at Cooper. “He got jacked up on a mission. Our wife had some severe pain earlier. You’re here to check her out. Focus on that.”

“Patrick.” I clear my throat, gesturing for him to come to the hallway.

“Your fucking what?” Cooper hisses, clutching his ribs.

I don’t have the first clue what happened there, and truthfully, I don’t care.

“Our wife,” Holt deadpans as Patrick and I take the turn into the nest.

“You’re married?” Patrick asks.

“We are.” I nod, extending an arm. “She was fine. Then there were a few stressful moments when she caught sight of Cooper.”

“Yeah, my little brother is all kinds of jacked up.” Patrick laughs. “I’ll patch him up once I make sure Vale and the baby are okay.”

“Thank you,” I say as we make it to the steps leading up to the den.

“Don’t be growly,” Vale says, patting Bishop’s stomach. “I’m exhausted. I’d much rather stay here and fall asleep. Taking a trip to the hospital sounds truly awful.”

I’m torn between heading out to find out how the hell Cooper met Vale and actually ensuring she and the baby are all right. My urge to verify her health and safety wins out over my need for information.

I follow Patrick up the stairs and stand at the end of the mattress.

“I’m telling you. This is a bad fucking idea,” Holt says.

My gaze flies over as Cooper and Holt come into the room. They stop below the stairs, and Cooper leans against the wall for support.

My head shakes.

A few hours ago, my family’s visit and catching Andrew Landis were my biggest concerns.

How quickly things can go to shit.

Patrick gives Vale a quick checkup, in which we’re able to hear the baby’s heartbeat.

My eyes continually fly to check on Cooper, but he seems to be completely out of it. After taking Vale’s blood pressure, some palpating around her stomach, and a few questions, Patrick finally stands.

“I’m fairly sure your little girl just made her descent to head down. It’s a bit late, but better late than never. She’s measuring around six pounds by fundal height, but that’s just an estimate. Her heartbeat is perfect.” He gives Vale a soft smile. “You can come to the office tomorrow, and we can do an ultrasound just to be sure, but I’m confident that’s what you felt.”

“You’re sure we don’t need to bring her to the hospital?” Bishop growls, palming Vale’s stomach.

“You can if you’d like to,” Patrick says, gathering up his equipment. “But based on where I picked up the heartbeat and the fact I could feel the baby’s back, I’m pretty sure.”

I exhale in pure relief. “So, this is something that normally occurs?”

“It is,” Patrick says. “Some babies take a little extra time to swap down to the birthing position. Others never do, but it’s a good thing. As long as she doesn’t flip back, then Vale will likely be able to deliver naturally, whereas that might not have been possible with breech positioning.”

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