Page 64 of All Because I Found You

“Come again? You didn’t say caffeine, did you?”

“I did.”

“I can’t function without my coffee.”

“You can have up to two-hundred milligrams of caffeine. That’s about a twelve-ounce cup.”

“I have two of those by nine am! Sometimes three.”

“Pregnant or not, that’s a lot of caffeine.”

“I can’t function without it.”

“You will do just fine. It could be a habit. Switch to decaf and maybe you won’t even notice a difference.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Raelyn,” Doctor Soto said. “You have been a patient of mine for ten years, and the Raelyn I know always puts her best foot forward. You don’t let obstacles get in your way. You pivot and find a new path. I know this pregnancy is unexpected.”

“You can say that again.”

“But if anyone can handle a curveball like this, it’s you. There will be an adjustment period, but you will figure it out.”

Doctor Soto was right. There was never a challenge big enough that she couldn’t tackle, and if the hurricane had proved anything, it was that she was great at pivoting. She’d figure it out. She would have this baby, and she would be the best damn mom a kid could have.

She knew deep in her soul that she would. But those things didn’t scare her nearly as much as telling Ryder that he was going to be a dad.

Chapter 23

Raelyn rested her head against Ryder’s chest, and he stroked her hair. Her eyelids were heavy, but she didn’t want to sleep. She wanted to stay in this moment for as long as she could. She nuzzled into him, and his fingers ran up and down her arm.

“How was the doctor?” he asked.

The heaviness of her eyes vanished as they popped open wide. Crap. She had meant to tell him earlier, but they had a bad habit of not being able to keep their hands off each other. When she thought she was ready, she somehow was in his arms being taken against the wall.

She guessed now was as good a time as any to tell him the news. She had no idea how he was going to react, but she was prepared. At least, she hoped.

“I have to tell you something.”

“Yeah, what’s that?” he asked, and she sat up, crossing her legs beneath her. She met his gaze, and his eyebrows curved toward the bridge of his nose. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, no. Maybe. I’m…” The word clung to her tongue, refusing to let go.

“You’re what?”

“I’m pregnant.” She forced the word out.

He laughed. That was a good sign, right? “It is too early in the morning for those kinds of jokes.”

“It’s not a joke. I’ve been really tired lately, and I went to the doctor to get some blood work, and well, surprise.”

He didn’t look surprised. His features muddled into an angry scowl. He jumped up from the bed, blue eyes glaring down at her. “What the fuck, Raelyn? I thought you were on the pill.”

“I am, but apparently this pill is a little temperamental.”

“Temperamental? Are you fucking kidding me?” His voice rose with each word, stabbing like a knife.

He was upset. She knew this was a possibility. Pregnancy hadn’t been on the table for either of them, and she was well aware that he didn’t want children, but she was looking at this baby as a blessing. “Look, I know this is completely unexpected, and neither of us planned for this.”

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