Page 23 of Doctor Do-Over

It's been almost two months since we started making love again. I love our connection, and I’m in love with Tanner, but I’m afraid to tell him how I feel because I don’t want him to think I’m trying to tie him down. He tells me all the time that I’m his and that he will forever make love to me, but he says this in the throes of lovemaking. So I don’t know if it’s real.

They still haven’t found my stalker, but he’s been really quiet lately. Maybe he’s decided to leave me alone.

I’m hanging out at the park while Tanner is on shift. I took a short walk before I got too tired, and now I’m sitting on a blanket, drawing with Eddie at my feet. I’m thirty-seven weeks into my pregnancy and getting bigger and more awkward. Fatigue hits me faster now. The doctors are monitoring my hearta lot more. I could go into labor any time after next week. I’ve cut my hours at the tattoo parlor because my feet swell if I’m on them too much.

Rio is keeping an eye on me from a distance as I sketch. I’m working on illustrations for the next book in my Windy City Widows series. This is my series about vigilante women in the big city. I’m drawing images for the chapters. My earbuds are in as I listen to music that is geared toward the story.

Focused on my drawing, I work on making my characters come to life in front of me. Eddie suddenly stands at attention. I look up and glance around, not seeing anything of concern. When he steps over my body to protect me, I’m not prepared to be grabbed from behind and rolled away from him. One of my buds falls out of my ear as I scream.

“Wryan,” Rio says, and I open my eyes to see him over the top of my body. I turn back to where I was sitting. Eddie is growling and standing over some sort of drone.

“Wryan!”

I turn my head in the opposite direction to see Tanner running for us. He yanks Rio off me and drops down to check me over. I’m trying not to get turned on as he touches my body. My pregnancy hormones are raging right now, and I can’t help the way I respond to him. Every day he’s trying to help me through the sexual demand I have for him. I can’t get enough.

“What are you doing here?” My voice sounds breathless.

I move to stand up, but Tanner pushes me down and covers my body as Rio yells something. My brain isn’t focusing on everything going on around me.

“Bomb.” The word finally registers seconds before a small explosion detonates around us.

“Eddie,” I scream, struggling to break free from Tanner’s embrace.

Eddie’s warm nose pushes past Tanner to touch my cheek, and I look up into his big, dark eyes. I was so afraid he was still chewing on the drone.

“Hey, could someone help me please?” Rio’s voice sounds strained.

Tanner jumps up and moves over to him. I notice blood blossoming on Rio’s arm, and I freak out. I jump up and rush to him, but it’s too fast of a movement, and my eyes roll back.

Arms wrap around me, and I’m out.

Tanner

Whenever I’m not at work, I’m with her. I no longer have to have Ridley give me her schedule because she tells me everything. I keep her close because they still haven’t found her stalker. We had recently discussed maybe pulling her detail since the guy had gone completely silent.

Eddie and I have established a good relationship. I like him for her, and he must like me for her too because he’s nicer to me than he is to her bodyguards. I’m glad he’s as good as he is. Not only does he help with her heart issues, but he protects her. The damn dog is going to get a steak dinner for his performance today.

Rio had no clue that the drone was nefarious until it came right at her. By then, Eddie had already moved to take it out. Rio got my girl away from the danger, but it wasn’t until I heard him shouting about a bomb that I fully grasped the threat. It was a powerful enough explosion that if it had been near her, it would have killed her and anyone else nearby. Thankfully, betweenEddie destroying it and Rio throwing it into the fountain, the blast was contained to some extent.

Rio got hit with a piece of shrapnel. Luckily, it’s nothing serious. I’m currently holding my girl as the ambulance crew approaches us, along with the sheriff’s department and city police. I have my fingers against her pulse point, monitoring her.

“Every time you’re around, she faints,” her brother says bitterly when he walks up. Just my luck, he’s on shift today.

After all the comments J.D. made yesterday at dinner about marriage, I’ve been thinking about it more and more. If I had my way, she would already be moved in and have my name, but she won’t tell me how she feels about me.

“You manage him.” I point to Rio. “Trevor, can you help us?” I direct him away from his sister because he hasn’t been the nicest to her lately.

“You’re not our boss,” he snaps, but Trevor does order him to help Rio.

“What happened?” Trevor asks me as he kneels next to us.

“She jumped up too fast after the excitement and then collapsed, but she hasn’t come to yet.” I give him her respirations and pulse rate.

By the time we get to the hospital, she’s come to. Dr. Harker and the OB/GYN decide to keep her overnight to monitor her and the baby. I won’t leave her, and she’s pissed off at me for it. She wants me to go home and get some rest because I had the early surgery this morning. I don’t care about that, though.

Once we’re alone, I cage in her body and lean over her.

“Where you are, I am. Got it? I was walking up to lie on the blanket with you when I saw what was happening.”

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