Page 94 of Tech

I give her a smile, grateful she cares so much.

I’ve been out of the hospital for about three days, and I’m supposed to be taking it easy, but if I want to feed my baby, then I will. It’s a miracle he’s even in my arms right now, and I’m relishing in it while trying to get over the heartache of not being able to nurse him.

I’m taking as much time with him as possible, especially when I can’t carry him around. If I want to stay off bed rest, Doc has put me on a no-lifting rule, which means not only do I have to allow Anna, a woman I hired a few months ago as my other vet, to take over the practice. After the crap with Gracie, James vetted Anna. Now, my momma is overseeing the practices as a part-time receptionist until we can find someone to replace Gracie, but I’ve had to rely on the club women to help me care for Alexander if James is in meetings.

I’m an independent person, and I’m struggling.

“I’m just worried, sweetheart,” Carol admits, and I give her a soft smile as Alexander gobbles down his milk.

“I know, and I love you for that, but I’m just feeding him, and I’m-I’m feeling disconnected from him because I can’t bathe him or change him, and I hate that I haven’t been able to nurse him. I need this time….”

Carol’s eyes soften at my words, and she nods. “Okay, I get it, sweetheart, but if you feel like you’re getting too tired, then I mean it, shout for me.”

I nod just before a voice whispers, “I’ll sit with her.” I look to see Aurora, my intern, standing behind Carol, who looks indecisive at her while I grin like a loon, happy to see her.

“Aurora,” I say excitedly, making her chuckle a little.

Carol asks, “You two know each other?”

Aurora nods and confirms, “We do. This lovely woman took a chance on a part-time college student who wanted to become a veterinary nurse. She hired me as her intern a couple of months ago.”

Carol’s eyes soften again, and she nods. “Okay. If she looks tired, please take the baby from her, and then, you know, handing him to me would be good….”

Aurora grins at her words as Carol kisses my head, then my son’s, and then goes to the bar where Smokey’s momma, Rose, and Snake’s momma Annie, are standing with my momma. Rose’s and Carol’s’ eyes are on my boy, making me chuckle, but Annie’s, hers are on Aurora, which confuse me.

She’s looking at her with distrust.

What…?

I feel the bottle being pushed away and I look down to see Alexander playing with the nipple, making me smile. Annie is all but forgotten as I remove the bottle from Alexander’s mouth, and I try to move him to my shoulder to burp him but grunt as pain shoots through my belly. Aurora tuts, taking him from my arms as she sits beside me.

Instead of feeling frustrated, I watch in awe as she places him over her shoulder like a pro. She grins, seeing the look, and comments, “Perks of having a three-year-old….”

I grin, then look around the room and ask, “Where is the cutie? She still owes me four cuddles and a kiss from the last game of Snap we played.”

Aurora laughs and admits, “She’s in the kitchen with Noah, April, Ollie, and Josy. Your brother and sister have taken quite the shine to her. Quinn’s watching them all.”

I nod but furrow my brows. “I didn’t realize you knew Quinn.”

Aurora snorts. “I didn’t.” I look at her confused. She tilts her head, rubbing my son's back as he burps. “You don’t know, do you?”

I shake my head. “I’ve kind of been in a ‘my son was nearly killed, and I nearly died’ bubble.”

She winces. “Crap, right, uh, well turns out my husband lied about who he was….” My eyes widen, and her eyes turn sad. “I’ve never trusted MCs because of my personal experiences, and well, it turns out my husband is a brother, and he failed to tell me, even after we got married, and then he let slip that he messed with my birth control pills, and knocked me up.”

My mouth drops open, my eyes going to her belly, and what do you know, she has a bump.

Holy….

I blabber, “A brother, I mean, which one would, I mean….” I pause and gasp, remembering seeing Sniper's ring. “Sniper!” I exclaim, and she nods.

“But I know him as Theodore or Theo. He never wore his cut or spoke of the brotherhood. When I saw his devil tattoo over his left peck, he literally said he thought it was ‘cool’ at the time.”

I shake my head. “I would have never thought he could do something like that.”

She snorts and asks, “What about kidnapping someone and locking them up in his house, only allowing them out when a brother is watching them.”

If my mouth drops any further, then I’m pretty sure it will be on the floor.

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