Page 18 of The Rancher's Pregnancy Surprise

"About two months ago. I used a home test."

"Any prior pregnancies or miscarriages?"

"No."

"And the father of the baby? Is he involved?"

Shame fills me inside even though I know I have nothing to be ashamed about. I love my baby—-

"I'll take it from here, Abby."

That voice.

My gaze jerks to the doorway, and I see a familiar figure... in an unfamiliar white lab coat.

Ronan is Dr. Slater?

His amber eyes lock with mine, and for a moment, time stands still. He looks different in his professional attire—impossibly more attractive, if that were even possible. The pristine lab coat over a light blue shirt and navy tie. The stethoscope hanging around his neck. The air of quiet authority surrounds him.

Abby steps out, and it's just the two of us.

He takes the clipboard. "You're five months along?"

All I can do is nod. Why is he being so gentle? Doesn't he hate me for lying to him?

"Tell me about the pain you're experiencing."

I tell him everything, my voice jerky. A part of me is still reeling.Ronan knows now. Ronan's a doctor. And Ronan...is so impossible to understand. Why isn't he angry?

Thirty minutes later, and I'm about to die of embarrassment.

Ronan—now my doctor at the moment—has to give me a physical examination. His touch is clinical and impersonal, but my body responds traitorously nonetheless. His fingers probegently at my abdomen, checking for tenderness, while he listens to the baby's heartbeat with a Doppler.

"Everything sounds normal."

Uh. Yeah. Right. NOT!

"Baby's heartbeat is strong."

So's mine!

Ronan helps me lie back and prepares the ultrasound, his movements efficient. The gel is cold against my skin, but I still feel like I'm about to go up in flames any second.

"This might be a little uncomfortable..."

No kidding.

I'm about to die of embarrassment. I'm so tempted to run away. But as soon as Ronan points to my baby on the screen, everything is forgotten.

My baby.

"Is everything really okay?" I whisper.

"Okay would be an understatement," Ronan says with a smile. "He's the perfect size at twenty weeks." He says so many other scientific things, but I don't really hear or understand anything. All I can do is stare at my beautiful baby on the screen.

"Do you want to know the sex?"

The question catches me off guard. "Y-You can tell already?"

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