Page 33 of Always Yours

She releases a strangled breath. “Okay.”

I lift her chin up. “Don’t get all up in your head. I’m not saying no because I don’t want you or want this to happen between us. I’m saying no until we know it’s okay and safe for you.”

Her hand goes to my bare chest. “Okay. But what about you? I can take care of you—”

My forehead creases, and my hands clench into fists. “Nope. Get up, let’s go.”

I stand up and walk across the room. When I turn to look at her, she’s sitting up staring at the clock on the nightstand. “Austin, it’s eight in the morning. Our appointment is not until eleven-thirty.”

I put my hand on the door to stop myself from going back to her. In all these years, she’s never reached for me, and mere minutes ago, she was initiating sex. It took everything in me to stop, and even now, I’m on the very edge of control. “I’m going to fix you breakfast, and I’m calling the doctor to move up the appointment.”

“Austin, you can’t do that.”

I laugh because she should know by now I can do whatever I want. “It’s happening. Get ready, baby. I’m going to bring breakfast up and then we’ll go.”

I walk out of the room before I change my mind.

I make a quick meal of eggs, whole wheat toast, and oatmeal with apples and raisins in it. By the time she eats and we both get ready, we make it to the doctor’s office at ten.

We barely get seated in the waiting room and a nurse is calling our name.

The nurse weighs her, takes her vitals, and sends her to the bathroom with a cup.

I’m sitting in the room when she comes to join me. “Everything okay?”

She nods. “Yep, they said Dr. Parks will be in soon.”

She no sooner gets the words out than an older doctor walks in the room. I take in the white-haired man, measuring him on sight. If he’s the one that delivers the baby, I need to know he’s capable. I hold my hand out. “Hello. I’m Austin Blaze.”

He lifts his head up and looks at me through the lower lens of his glasses. “Blaze, huh? Is that why I was notified that Dr. Reynolds would be joining us today?”

“Austin,” Ally protests.

I squeeze her hand reassuringly. “I hope that’s okay with you, Dr. Parks. Since he has an office in Whiskey Run and here in Jasper, we’ll have an option that is close if we need it. Ally wants you to deliver our baby, but I just want to make sure we’re covered no matter what.”

The doctor measures me with a look. “I guess it will be fine. I mean, if you’re willing to pay two doctors for your, uh—”

I cut him off. “Wife. Ally and I are getting married.”

For the first time since he’s laid eyes on me, he gives me a look of approval. “Right. Like I was saying, if you’re willing to pay for two doctors to care for your wife, then who am I to stop you?”

I shake his hand. “I appreciate that, Dr. Parks. Ally speaks very highly of you.”

At that moment, there is a brief knock, and Brandon pokes his head in the door. “Sorry I’m late. Well, of course, I’m not really late. I’m an hour and a half early since the appointment got moved up—with short notice, I might add.”

I just shake my head and laugh. Brandon is a hell of a doctor, but he’s going to be a pain in the ass, I can tell. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m paying for your time. Thanks for coming.”

We shake hands, and finally both doctors turn their attention to Ally. They ask all the questions. How she’s feeling. What her diet has been like. If she’s had any pains. And the list goes on and on.

They examine her and check the baby, and a calm comes over me when the small room fills with the thump, thump, thump of the baby’s heartbeat.

After the examination, Dr. Parks hands tissues to Ally. “Why don’t you get cleaned up and a nurse will come get you. We’ll meet in my office to go over everything.”

As soon as Dr. Parks and Dr. Reynolds leave, I take the tissues from her and wipe her belly. “You okay?”

She struggles to sit up, and I wrap my arm around her to help. With a huff, she says, “I wish you’d quit asking me that.”

“I’m sorry,” I tell her instantly. I’ve been reading up about pregnancy and the way the book described how a mom-to-be feels has me wanting to apologize to her and do whatever I have to do to make her life easier.

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