Page 92 of The Way We Score

Dr. Pierce takes the wand away, wiping it with a towelette. “I’ll put these images in the patient portal so you can share them with friends and family.”

Her office is not a spa like Dr. Anderson’s. It’s very basic, and the waiting room is filled with expectant mothers, some with fathers, some with little kids, some alone.

It’s all very homey and welcoming, and I like it so much. Probably because I am home, and Garrett is beside me.

“No more spotting?” She turns to the laptop beside her, typing in notes as I answer her questions.

“Not since that night.” I shift, covering my stomach and sitting higher in the bed.

She nods, tapping on the computer. “Excellent. I think it’s safe to resume all your regular activities. Being sedentary isn’t good for either of you, so moderate exercise, walking, swimming, things like that will help with circulation, digestion.”

We thank her, and Garrett waits in the hall as I get dressed. Relief is on both our faces as he takes my hand, walking me to my car. When we get there, he stops me before I open the door and pulls me into a hug.

“A baby girl.” I hear the smile in his voice, and I hug him closer. Our little girl.

For a long moment, I hold him, and we breathe together. His lips are at the top of my head, and my eyes close as I’m surrounded by his warm clean scent, his strong, protective arms.

After another few moments, he steps back, dipping his chin so he can catch my eye. “I need to go and wrap things up in New York. I’ll only be gone a few days—long enough to pack what I need and drive my truck here. Will you two be okay without me?”

My chest squeezes, and I feel so silly having separation anxiety over this. Nodding, I force a smile. “We’ll miss you.”

“I’d say come with me, but I don’t think you’d be very comfortable driving twenty-four hours.”

“I think you’re right.” I cringe, making scared eyes. “I’ll hang with the girls and take care of Mom. I still have several cases open, so I need to work.”

Sliding his thumb along my jaw, his clear blue eyes are brimming with something deeper, a new emotion we’ve never shared until now. “Let’s wait until I get back to tell them it’s a girl.”

I reach up to slide my palm against his. “I’ll try not to let it slip.”

“No worries if you do.”

He holds my hand for a long moment, and the energy between us pulls so fiercely. My lips are heavy, and I want him to lean down and kiss me. I want to rise up and kiss him.

We blink, and he lifts his chin, taking a step away. “I’d better get going. I’ll see you and Miss Pomegranate in a few days.”

Another breath, another wish for a kiss, and I let him go.

“When will you start showing?”Rachel squints up at me standing on the side of the pool in my red one-piece.

She holds Miss Gina’s arm, guiding her down the steps into the warm pool. It’s fall, but the temps are still in the low eighties during the day here. Still, at night, it’s getting cooler. Of course, Miss Gina’s gorgeous, cerulean-blue tile pool is heated. Descending into the warm water is luxuriously relaxing.

“I don’t know.” I put my hands on my midsection. “I hope soon, because right now I just look like a sausage.”

“You are not a sausage.” Rachel leans forward with a snort.

Her light blonde hair is in two braids tied on the top of her head, and she’s in a mint green one-piece.

“None of my clothes fit, but I don’t have a bump. I just look frumpy.”

“I can’t imagine you looking frumpy,” Miss Gina interjects, her blind eyes lifted to the blue sky overhead. “You’re always so elegant.”

Cutting my eyes at Rachel, I huff a laugh as I bounce closer to where they’re standing in the chest-deep water. “Miss Gina, how could you possibly know that?”

“People talk. You have a very professional style, and red is your signature color.”

“Don’t question Miss Gina,” Rachel scolds teasingly. “She’s always right.”

“Well, you’re very elegant yourself.”

---