Page 63 of Her Silver Fox Firefighters
“Congratulations, Miss Fairchild,” Dr. Kravitz says again. “I know it can be scary, especially with an unplanned pregnancy, but I am encouraged by the support you’re getting here today. You’re going to be alright.”
I nod and look around the room. She’s right. I am.
“I will need you to come in every two to three weeks from now on.”
I give her a worried look. “Not monthly? Why?”
“Because there are always risks associated with twin pregnancies. Nothing to concern yourself with at the moment. Preventative care is the best kind of care, and it’s what I specialize in.”
“Okay.”
“Every two to three weeks, Doc, duly noted,” Dax confirms with a nod.
Yet another routine, another appointment, another way for life to keep me anchored here in Ember Ridge. It should be a wonderful thing, but with the ghost of Marcus still hounding me, the possibility of his intrusion still so painfully real, I can’t even enjoy the simple things as much as I wish I could.
Sooner or later, the devil will come to town.
I just need to be careful, to make sure I’m ready to face him when he does show up. In the meantime, I’ve got so much to prepare for, so much to get used to, so much to live for. I fell in love with not one, but three men. And now, I’m having not one, but two babies with them.
Life is about to get even more interesting.
20
OLIVIA
Carlos is remarkably devoted to his job, to doing the right thing. Most importantly, he is dedicated to doing the right thing the right way, which, in my experience, is a rarity. A noble man, through and through, Carlos meets me once a week to give me updates about his investigation into Marcus.
“I’ve already told the guys about this,” he says, pushing a new folder across the table for me to look at.
We’re at the diner in between the breakfast and lunch rush, which gives me an opportunity to sit down, sip on some lemonade, and scarf down a tomato and mozzarella panini before the lunch crowd comes in.
“Hey, kiddo,” Melinda says, greeting Carlos as she comes to our table with drinks and food, most of it for me. “Made you your favorite.”
“Chorizo and red cheddar. Thank you, ma’am,” he replies as he welcomes her affection and food. “Did you?—”
“Toss in a little of that mango chutney you like? You’re damn right I did,” she says with a wink.
“Melinda, you’re a star.”
“Don’t I know it,” she quips, then looks at me with a concerned half smile. “You’d better stay off your feet for as long as possible, missy, and eat. I’ll check back in a minute.”
I can’t help but laugh. “My God, Mel, I’m not an invalid.”
“Yeah, well, we take care of our people around here, especially those bold enough to carry two buns in the oven,” Melinda replies. “Don’t worry about getting up for at least another half hour, darling. It’s Wednesday. Wednesdays are always slow.”
“Thank you.”
She gives me a wink and walks back to the counter, getting busy with the cutlery and napkin boxes, the usual prep routine before the lunch hour. I’m not sure about Wednesday being a slow day, though, not with what Jim cooked up for today’s specials. I can already smell the roasted veal and the rosemary potatoes, mingled with the scent of peach and apricot pies baking in the convection oven.
My mouth is watering, and I dig into my panini while Carlos gleefully discovers the mango chutney layer in his.
“So what am I looking at here exactly?” I ask him as I flip the folder open with my spare hand, turning page after page and taking mental notes of the information printed on each. “At first glance, I see credit card receipts, Excel spreadsheets, and court filings.”
“My IA guys have started digging deeper into Marcus’s finances and his arrests, along with his entire professionalrecord dating back to his first day, when he was fresh out of the academy,” Carlos replies with a mouthful. “Damn, this is a good sandwich.”
“I know. Nobody makes them like Melinda,” I chuckle and bite into mine, delighted by the balsamic glaze she slathered within.
“Yeah, as I was saying, they’re digging deep, as much as the law will allow without a warrant,” he replies, giving me a hard look. “If you have anything that might help us get one, Olivia, now is the time.”
