Page 61 of Her Silver Fox Firefighters
As the weeks go by, life attempts to trick me into a sense of normalcy again. Aware that Carlos has been planting false leads across New Jersey and Chicago to keep Marcus off my trail, I become comfortable, at peace even.
Every Saturday, he drives me up to the cabin so I can spend some time with Chloe. She’ll go stir-crazy if we’re not careful, and she’s been through enough already.
Today marks the beginning of my maybe-new-normal life as Dax pulls over outside the women’s clinic on the north side of Ember Ridge.
“How are you feeling?” he asks me for the umpteenth time.
“Well, I guess we know which one of us is going to be the helicopter parent,” Beck mumbles from the back seat, where he and Leo exchange amused glances.
“I promise you, I’m okay,” I tell Dax, genuinely touched by his constant concern. “It was just a bad bout of nausea. Probably something I ate that didn’t agree with the little guy’s tastes.”
“The doctor said the morning sickness should wear off soon,” Dax says in an attempt to justify his worrying.
I find it sweet that he is so preoccupied and so devoted not just to our baby’s health and well-being, but to mine, too. I’m seeing a softer, more nurturing side of this mountain of a man, and it simply fills my heart with a sweet, golden light that is downright addictive.
“I’ve been having less and less of it,” I assure him.
Beck gets out of the SUV first and opens the door for me, then helps me get out. His touch is always gentle. His eyes are always on me, minding my every movement. He gives Dax a hard time about being a softie, but he’s right there with him. Of the three, I think Leo is the most laid-back.
However, that’s not to say he’s not constantly worried, too. But he’s got Luke to look after as well, so he works overtime to keep his emotions and his concerns in check. There’s only so much bandwidth anyone can have in such instances.
“I would tell you if there was anything for us to worry about,” I reassure the three of them as we make our way up the clinic steps. “I’ll steer clear of any seafood. No more calamari rings either.”
“Bet you’re mad about that,” Beck quips.
“It had to be that pink cocktail sauce,” I reply. “But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
As soon as we walk through the doors, we’re greeted by a smiling nurse at the reception desk. She has me fill out my intake form before taking us upstairs to an exam room.
Dr. Kravitz meets us, already in possession of my latest blood test results.
“Gentlemen, have a seat over there,” she tells my men as she points to a cream-colored sofa by the window. “We don’t normally allow friends and family for this kind of visit.”
“They’re all family,” I remind the good doctor.
She gives a heavy sigh. “I’m well aware, but that doesn’t mean I like it crowded in here,” she says, then helps me get up on the exam table. “Go ahead and lift your shirt up for me.”
“What about the morning sickness?” Dax asks with a furrowed brow, prompting a dry chuckle out of Beck and Leo. “What?” he glowers at them.
Dr. Kravitz, a woman in her late forties and truly one of the best OB-GYNs in the state, takes a deep, patience-summoning breath as she looks at Dax. “You have concerns about Miss Fairchild’s morning sickness? Still?”
“She’s still having some episodes,” he replies with a defensive shrug.
“First time dad, am I right?”
I’m impressed by how unimpressed she is, given the sheer size and imposing stature of my men. Then again, I assume she’s dealt with plenty of worried and scared fathers in her line of work. “Now I need you to relax a little bit. Let’s give you and the little one a minute to decompress while I go over your blood test results.”
“Sure thing,” I say with a soft smile.
Somewhere in the back of my head, every time someone tells me to relax—despite honestly trying to do that—my thoughts carry me back to Devon, to my old life, to the man who hurt me, the man who is still out there, searching for me. He’s the ghost that won’t stop haunting me.
“Your blood work looks fine,” Dr. Kravitz says, going over the file. “Your blood sugar is a little high, but you can regulate that with a few changes to your diet. I’ll write down a list of foods you should include to help with that.”
“Are we concerned about pregnancy-related diabetes?” I ask.
That gets Dax, Leo, and Beck sitting fully upright. It only makes me love them even more.
“Not yet,” Dr. Kravitz replies. “But if we can avoid it early on, let’s do so.”
