Page 58 of Cherished Union

His hands slide down my body and rest against my ass. “Definitely,” he tells me, and I know he’s feeling better about it now.

Our lips touch, and the kiss is soft and sweet. His tongue sweeps into my mouth as he deepens it. I moan, my hands clutching his shirt. God, I love when he kisses me. It’s something that I never want to stop.

Even when we weren’t having sex, he would always kiss me, something he wouldn’t allow me to pull back from. Every day he showed me that he loves me the way I am, my flaws included. I love this man more than I could have ever thought. He is so much more than I ever wanted. My love for him runs deep into my veins.

We pull back and he rests his head against mine. “Call me and let me know what the doctor says.”

I smile at him. It’s the small things that mean the most to me, and he’s got those down to pat. He may be a killer, he may have made mistakes, but he’s perfect for me.

“I will. Please be safe,” I whisper.

“Always, Dove,” he says, kissing me once more before he leaves. “Thank you.” I hear the softness of his voice and I frown, wondering who he’s talking to.

“Holy shit,” Annemarie says as she walks into the kitchen a moment later. “You are definitely good for him. He was…” she pauses, “nice.”

I laugh. “Give him time. He’ll come around. You’ve apologized, although I don’t think you needed to. You were pushed to the side, as was your husband, and you suffered multiple miscarriages. You were bound to be bitchy.”

She gives me a watery smile. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

She’s going to set me off now. “You’re stuck with me now, Annemarie.”

“Please, call me Anna. That’s what Hayes does.”

I smile at her. “Okay, Anna it is.”

“Shall we go?” she asks softly.

My nerves are in full force. “What happens if the doctor tells me that I am?”

She gathers me in my arms and holds me tight. “Then, sweet Ade, you find a way to tell your husband. It’s all going to be okay.”

I take a steadying breath and look at my new friend. She didn’t have to drive all the way from Chicago this morning to be here with me, but she did, and I’m so grateful that she is. “I’m ready.”

She grins. “Let’s go.”

“Mrs. Gallagher,” the doctor says, her eyes soft as she looks at me. “The blood tests came back with a high level of hCG hormone.”

Annemarie’s hand tightens in mine.

“What does that mean?” I ask. My body is numb right now as I stare at the young woman seated opposite me.

“It means, Mrs. Gallagher, that you are indeed pregnant.”

My heart fills with joy at the news. I knew that something was going on in my body. My boobs are tender, and I’ve put on weight, my appetite has grown, and I’m tired. I put it all down to Vivi’s death at first, but when the fatigue was getting worse, I knew it had to be more. A quick look on a search engine told me that I could be pregnant or have a thyroid problem. I didn’t look any further as I saw one link mentioning cancer and I shut it down, not wanting to even think that.

But then Annemarie took one look at me and quietly asked if I was pregnant, and then I sort of broke down and told her what I was feeling, and she encouraged me to go to the doctors and get an appointment. And here we are.

“I’m pregnant?” I whisper in shock.

“Yes,” Dr. Monty says with a smile. “If you climb up onto the bed, we can have a look.”

I do as the doctor says, and while I’m lying on the bed, Annemarie moves toward the door. “This is a special moment, Ade, and the next scan, you’ll share with Hayden. I’m not going to take that from the two of you. I’ll see the pictures then.”

God, I love this woman. I didn’t even think about Hayden seeing the baby.

“Thank you,” I whisper as tears fill my eyes.

“Congratulations, Ade. I’m happy for you,” she tells me as she leaves the room.