Page 36 of Bewitched

“This can all end in the blink of an eye. I know that better than most people. You and the baby are my miracle. I can’t tell you the number of times my life was saved by one. A miracle of moving a quarter of an inch to the right so the bullet missed my heart. A miracle of a small breeze that allowed me to pick up the sound of an enemy’s footsteps. A miracle of a brother taking a shot that saved my life. A miracle that the helo came in time and picked up my platoon and I brought all my men home. A miracle of being the man who got to save your life. Now we have a baby and I’m alive to experience it. So, why didn’t I freak out? First off, SEALs never freak. Second, why would I?”

“Well, when you put it that way, it makes sense.”

The traffic broke up, and they started moving. As they drove down the highway, he figured he’d done the best he could in explaining how he felt. Putting it out on the table was all he could do. It was up to Paige now. She was either going to let him in or she wasn’t. Either way, he wasn’t going anywhere…no matter what.

***

Blake sat next to Paige while the tech went over all the different types of information she was going to gather during the ultrasound. He registered very little and hoped that Paige was going to remember whatever was told to them. His famous cool, calm demeanor was starting to slip, and his speech earlier about not freaking might not hold up like he’d hoped. “How are you, honey?” The way she looked at him suggested that he’d asked one too many times.

“Fine. The same as three minutes ago when you asked. If this is too much, you can wait outside.”

Wiping his damp forehead, he cringed. “I’m one of the most feared spec operators on the planet. Why would one small sonogram make me uncomfortable?”

“I have no idea, but you’re acting…strange, and you’re sweating.”

“It’s hot in here.”

The tech let out a small laugh and then covered it with a cough. “Happens all the time.” She handed him a couple of tissues and then went back to setting up Paige’s sonogram.

Maybe he was acting different, but that was to be expected. This was a big deal. “Thanks. I’m fine and ready to meet my daughter.”

“Have you already had a sonogram?” the woman asked.

Waving her hand, Paige laughed. “No. This is my first one. I told Blake it was a girl because we haven’t had a boy in three generations. I doubt he’s the one who’s going to break the winning streak.”

Sitting back, Blake crossed his legs. “You have no idea what I can break or not break. And why are girls the winning streak and not boys?”

“It’s a figure of speech. Isn’t that what people say when something happens repeatedly? If you gave me a boy, then I will love him to bits.”

The tech squeezed a good amount of gel on Paige’s stomach and told her to relax. “We’ll have some info for you two in a couple of moments.” She started moving a paddle around and taking measurements.

Paige held out her hand and smiled at Blake. “Don’t say I never gave you anything.”

He took her hand and brushed a kiss across her fingers. “The baby should cover you for a long time to come.” Moving his eyes to the monitor, he tried to decipher what he was looking at. It looked like a moonscape with one squiggly blob in the middle. He glanced at Paige and noticed how calm she appeared. Maybe if you were driving the boat, it was easier. All he could do was hold her hand, and that didn’t feel like enough. He was a man of action and his part of the action was over. He could feed her, take care of her and make sure she was safe, and that was about it. Not very satisfying.

The tech and Paige were talking, and he tuned in and listened to them for a while. They were discussing some new show on TV and whether the story lines were believable. Why they were so calm was beyond him.

Paige lifted her elbows as the baby’s face came into view. He leaned forward as well and lost his breath. His child. Their child.

“Those big chubby cheeks are all me,” Paige said.

Turning, he looked at the woman who had given him everything he’d had no idea he wanted. Leaning his head against hers, he whispered, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She rested her hand on his face, then kissed him. “Isn’t she perfect?”

They both looked at the monitor as the baby kicked its legs and moved around. “Absolutely. By the way, the constant energy, that’s all me.”

“Ideally, the baby is going to let us confirm the Bennett winning streak,” Paige said.

Squeezing her hand, he gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Remember, she’s not dating until she’s thirty.”

The tech cleared her throat and smiled at them. “The baby turned over, and we’re getting a good view. It looks like you two are having a…boy.”

Paige sat up and leaned toward the machine. “Are you sure? A boy!”

The tech ran the paddle over the area in question and then drew a circle around it. “Definitely a boy.”

Collapsing back, Paige laughed. “My goodness, Blake, what have you done?”

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