Page 23 of Lake's Legacy

“That’s amazing. I bet you’ll be the smartest one there. Can you show me how well you count?” I ask her.

With Marie’s focus on remembering her numbers, Annette makes quick work of the shot. Marie flinches when the needle enters, but she doesn’t let the pain distract her.

Annette and I clap and praise the little girl while her mother beams proudly at her daughter.

“You were courageous, and you’re brilliant,” Annette says. “How about a lollipop?”

While Marie sucks on her candy, Annette and I set up the sonogram. Annette fiddles with the controls as I rub the lubricant on Muriel’s bump.

“You’re getting my mommy dirty,” Marie complains.

“Don’t worry, it comes off. We use this machine to see the baby. Are you excited about being an older sister?”

Marie shakes her head. “Babies cry too much.”

“They do,” Annette says as I rub the wand over Muriel’s stomach. “But that’s why big sisters are so important. They get to help entertain the baby. I bet you’ll be great at helping your mom care for the baby. Do you want a little sister or a little brother?”

“Sister,” Marie firmly states. “Boys are loud and messy.”

Marie’s mouth drops open when the sound of the baby’s heartbeat sounds throughout the room.

“What’s that?” Marie whispers while her mother’s eyes well up with tears.

“That's the sound of the baby’s heartbeat,” Annette says.

Marie’s face breaks into a grin as she closes her eyes and listens.

“Everything looks good. You’re 20 weeks?” Annette asks as Muriel nods. Muriel’s eyes stay glued to the image on the screen.

“Want to know the sex, or are you waiting?”

“I want to know.” She glances at her daughter, who is playing with her doll and not paying us any attention. “Is it a boy?”

Annette grins and nods. Muriel rolls her eyes. “Someone isn’t going to be happy. However, my husband will be thrilled. He wanted a son.”

“I’m getting a brother?” Marie screeches in disbelief.

Annette chuckles as I share a commiserating look with Muriel.

“Having a baby brother won’t be so bad,” I assure Marie. “I have a little brother. His name is Levi, and we’re very close.”

“Did you want a brother?”

“No, I didn’t. So I can understand your disappointment. But one thing about having a brother: he never wanted to play with my dolls, but I loved to play with his trucks and other toys. So, I got to keep my toys and play with his toys. It was a win-win.”

Marie snuggles her doll close as she considers my words. “I guess that would be okay.”

Muriel climbs off the exam table and takes her daughter’s hand. She thanks Annette and me. Marie turns to wave at us before turning back to her mother. “If I don’t like him, we can send him back, right?”

“You have a brother?” Annette asks as we clean up. I nod. “What does he think of you dating a motorcycle club member?”

I chuckle. “Levi’s the reason I met Lake. He was working for someone he thought was a businessman. It turned out he was part of the Russian mob. The asshole had kidnapped a woman and her two daughters. Levi helped them escape. The woman’s son was the President of the Demon Dawgs. So, he took them to the Demon Dawgs clubhouse. Their President, Hex, offered Levi sanctuary for helping his mother and sisters escape. When the mobster came after me, Hex and the rest of the club rode in to rescue me.”

“Brought lunch!” Toff calls out.

We join him and Lake in the breakroom, where two bags sit in the center of the table. Toff pulls several sandwiches out of one while Lake pulls chips, cans of soda, and water bottles out of the other.

I bite into my sandwich and moan in appreciation. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. Looking up, I find Lake’s heated gaze on me. That heat ignites a spark of desire and causes my breasts to become heavy with need. I can see he’s just as tempted as I am to forego lunch and duck into the nearest exam room to feast on each other. To distract myself, I turn my attention to Annette.

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