Page 42 of Final Down

I get a glare from the doctor and cup the phone with my hand.

“Shoot, sorry.”

She shakes her head and chuckles, seeming to finally lighten up.

“We’re done here. Go ahead and get dressed, and I’ll meet you outside,” she says.

Tasha rests her head on mine, and when I pull my phone back up, she butts in to brag to Wyatt.

“Your baby is beautiful, Wy. So beautiful! Mwah!” My friend mouths to me that she’ll meet me outside, and when the door shuts behind her and the doctor, I exhale and put the phone on speaker so I can get dressed.

“I wish I was there,” Wyatt says.

“I know. Me, too. But we got good video. And really, you’ve seen me in a paper dress before. I’m just wiping jelly off my stomach and pulling on my leggings.” I discard the napkins andtoss my paper gown into the bin before shaking out my leggings and moving to sit on the edge of the exam table.

“I do enjoy watching you hop around when you put on leggings,” he teases.

“Ha ha. I’m not hopping, thank you very much.” Only because I’m afraid I’ll fall on my face. I’m trying to be cautious about everything right now—no horses, no tumbling, and zero wardrobe hopping.

“So, I’m guessing you haven’t seen it yet,” Wyatt says.

I freeze with one leg dressed, the other bare.

“Is this the freak-out thing, Wyatt? Why am I going to freak out?” My heart is pounding so hard I may need to press the medical button to get my doctor back in here.

“Well, you know how we were on the balcony?”

Shit. Oh no.

“I guesssomeonesaw us and took a pic, and then they posted it, and it’s kind of trending.”

“Wyatt!” I shove my other leg into my pants and scoot up to fully sit on the table so I can flip through my phone. I quickly find what he’s talking about.

Because by trending he means it’s the number one search on everything!

“Oh, God,” I breathe out, covering most of my face, though I can’t seem to avert my eyes.

“The team PR person said not to worry. She said it happens all the time. It will get replaced by something else later today.”

“Oh,she said.Great. Anonymous PR woman said not to worry, so it’s fine. I’m fine. It’sfine!”

“Peyt? You don’t sound fine.”

“Because I’m not fine!”

Tasha cracks the door open, probably because the entire back office and waiting room can hear me. My body is so hot. Iknow my flesh is beet red. I hand my friend my phone, and she immediately covers her mouth to hold in her laughter.

“It’s not funny, Tash.”

“Okay, Peyt. It’s kind of funny.”

“See? It’s not that bad,” Wyatt says.

“Oh, hey, Wyatt.”

The two of them banter for a moment while I snag my phone and stare at the photo again. Coming down a tick from the height, I do see how it could be worse. Nobody can see any . . .parts.Wyatt’s on his knees, and I’m in front of him. In my cheer outfit. I know what he’s doing, but it also just looks like he’s adoring me. My belly. It’s explainable. And thatdidhappen. It’s just not what’s happening in this photo.

I take Wyatt off speaker.

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