Page 1 of Blake Marshall Says He Needs Me

Chapter One

Shannon

The soft hum of the ultrasound machine filled my OB/GYN office as I prepared for another happy, expectant mother. Posters depicting the stages of pregnancy adorned the room, creating an atmosphere of warmth and anticipation. Today was not just another day at the office – it promised new beginnings.

As I waited for my next patient, the door creaked open, and Missy walked in. Her radiant smile illuminated the room, and her round belly, full of the promise of new life, was a testament to the joy that awaited her any day now.

"Missy, come on in," I greeted her, motioning towards the examination table. "How are you feeling? It looks like your little one is eager to make their debut."

She chuckled and settled onto the table. "I swear, this baby is keeping me on my toes. But I can't wait to hold her in my arms finally. Charlie is driving me crazy, asking me every half an hour if the baby is coming."

I laughed softly. Missy only had a few days left until she got exactly what she wished for. “Tell him he should be resting up right now. Once this baby girl is born, she will wrap him around her finger for the next eighteen years and beyond.”

I performed routine checks, monitored the baby's heartbeat, and discussed what she should be expecting in the next few days. As we reached the end of the examination, Missy's eyes met mine with a mix of excitement and curiosity.

"Shannon," she began, her tone tinged with anticipation, "there's something I've been meaning to ask you. What's going on with you and Blake Marshall?"

I paused, caught off guard by her question. Blake – the unexpected twist in the story of my own life. I was honestly surprised Missy hadn’t asked sooner. About four months ago, when I was at Shelby’s for Missy’s gender reveal, I had my socks knocked off when Blake Marshall was at the party. He was the last person I ever would have thought would be there.

It sure was a small world with Blake Marshall being good friends with Missy Clark’s baby daddy.

Taking a moment, I decided to confide in Missy. If I didn’t now, there would always be an elephant in the room.

"Missy, it's a bit complicated," I admitted, my gaze focused on the ultrasound images on the screen. "What have you heard from Blake?"

“Uh, well, he just said he...” she cleared her throat and looked up at the ceiling. “lost his virginity to you, and you might, maybe, possibly, I’m not really sure, but be responsible for the death of his brother.”

Yeah, I’m sure that was what Blake would have told people.

Hell, I partly blamed myself for Sheldon’s death.

“Well, the virginity part is true, and I guess it depends on who you talk to about the other half.” To the law, I had nothing to do with Sheldon’s death. The Marshall family thought differently.

Missy’s eyes connected with mine. “I’m talking to you right now.”

Yes, she was.

“Uh, well.” I hadn’t talked about Sheldon in a long time. Although I always thought about him, I never spoke of him out loud.

“Did you date Blake’s brother?” Missy asked. “Shelby and I have been racking our brains trying to figure out what happened, and we always come back to you being in between the two brothers.”

My eyes bugged out. “Uh, well, you and Shelby sure do have a good imagination,” I laughed. “But no, Sheldon and I never dated. We were just friends.”

“But you did take Blake’s virginity.”

Straight to the point. “Yes, though at the time, I didn’t know it was Blake’s first time. It’s not like I was on the prowl for virgins or something.”

“There are people who prowl for virgins?” Missy gasped. “What college did you guys go to?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know if there are people like that, Missy. I’m just saying I wasn’t like that. And we went to a small college in upstate New York.”

Missy waved her hands. “Let’s get back on track. I swear my pregnancy brain takes me all over the place. I can’t even get a malaphor out of my lips without messing them up.”

“Once you have this baby, you’ll get mommy brain. It’s never-ending.”

Missy motioned to her stomach. “At least this girl will be in my arms and now my stomach.” She cradled her stomach and sighed. “And that was a nice try distracting me from you and Blake.” She wagged her finger at me. “Spill what happened.”

I might as well spit it out. “I met Sheldon when he was a freshman, and I was a junior in med school. There was a mentor-type program, and I was assigned to be Sheldon’s mentor. He was like my little brother. He was nineteen, and I was almost twenty-one, and there was just a connection between us.”

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