Page 22 of Soldier, Tailor, Spy

“Sure,” Ginger said, trying to play it cool. “I was a little surprised to receive a call from you, to be honest.”

“Most people are,” Rae said with a grin. “Especially when, by all accounts, you’re a healthy person. Unfortunately, Asher is a sticker for rules, and everyone who comes here needs a physical.”

“Oh,” Ginger said, relaxing marginally. “You should have told me. I don’t mind.” She gave a nervous laugh.

“Sorry to freak you out,” Rae stated. “First, we’re going to talk. I’m sure you have a gyno-doctor, but for now, until everything blows over, and you can get back to your normal routine, I can help you out.”

“Jake told you I’m on birth control,” she said, putting two and two together. “Which means he probably explained everything else.”

At least Rae gave the appearance of being contrite in the situation. “Yes, he’s worried about you.”

Ginger sighed. “Yeah, I can see that.” It also explained why he’d stayed away, too. Rae must have given him answers, probably neither of them wanted to hear. “Okay, Doc. Give it to me straight. What are we looking at here?”

“I knew I was going to like you,” Rae answered with a little chuckle. “You’re tough as nails. Both of you are going to need that to get through this.”

“Thank you.” As much as she wanted to be angry at Jake for putting her personal business out there, she also couldn’t be. He took on her burden and opened the door for her to find out the truth, even though the asshole went behind her back. “So, what do you want to know?”

“First, would you like to do the physical, then talk about everything else?” Rae folded her hands on the table.

“We can talk first. Might as well get the hard part out of the way,” Ginger grumbled. “What would you like to know?”

“The name of your birth control?” Rae grabbed one of her notepads. “That way, we can get you back on them.”

“Loestrin Fe,” she replied. “I’ve been on this type since I had Declan.”

Rae frowned. “Is there a reason you changed birth control types?”

“The OBGYN I was seeing retired. The new person took over about a month before Declan was born. We discussed my plan for afterward and that was the type she gave me.” At the time, she’d been confused as to why a doctor would up and retire in the middle of treating pregnant women, but sometimes there weren’t any other reasons except that was their plan. Now, looking back on it, it seemed a little weird.

“How many times have you seen your new OB doctor?”

“Well, twice before Declan was born and about three times since.” There wasn’t anything remarkable about the woman, other than making sure Ginger had what she needed. “Doc, what are you thinking?”

“Well, after consulting with Jake, I have a few questions for you,” Rae said, putting her pen down. “A little warning, they will be invasive. So, gird your loins.”

Tension snapped through her. Ginger’s heart pounded. Those questions she’d never had an answer to, raced to the forefront of her mind, and she knew they would be the ones Rae asked. “Go ahead. If we’re going to find answers, might as well start digging.”

“First, I need the name of your original doctor.” Rae grabbed her pen. “I would like to ask them a few questions, even though they might be retired. Or at least, if the office will comply, a copy of your chart.”

“Sure, it was Dr. Appleton.” She gave Rae the number to the office. “I’m still in the system because Dr. Banks is the one who took over the practice.”

“Perfect.” Rae wrote the number. “Now, how do you believe your birth control failed, and you became pregnant after so many precautions?”

Wasn’t that the million dollar question? She didn’t know. Though she found it odd Oscar always used a condom, she never questioned it. She thought, in the beginning, he was trying to protect her as well. He’d been so attentive to Fawn, and understood her wishes. He wanted to ensure there would never be an accident. Now, who knew what the truth about their circumstances was. “I can’t tell you.”

Rae frowned. “Yes, you can. Deep down you probably figured out in the ball park of when you conceived. I bet you even remember the night. The psyche has a bad habit of trying to make you forget, though.”

Ginger knew. She’d thought about it a million times over the last eighteen months, give or take. “Jake told you I was filing for divorce from Oscar?” Rae nodded and Ginger continued, “It was like he knew. Like somehow a mutual friend found out about me going to the courthouse to begin the proceedings and told him. I’m sure that statement makes me sound paranoid, right, Doc?”

“No,” Rae said with a shake of her head. “You’d be surprised the lengths people will go to spy on someone or hold them captive.”

Captive. That’s exactly how she’d felt over the last few months of their relationship. “Anyway, he came home, Fawn was in her room studying, and I was in the kitchen cooking. He saw me at the stove and then one thing led to another. Before I could say hi, he was gone and holed himself up in his office.”

“Was there anything different about the situation? Did you feel any different that time compared to others?” Rae pressed.

Ginger shook her head. “No. I know what you’re asking, and I know the difference. There was nothing. Afterward, everything went back to normal. I had a normal appointment with my doctor about a month and a half later, and that’s when I found out I was pregnant.”

Rae tilted her head. “How did your doctor react?”

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