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“Oh…” I thought back to when my last period had been. “Um, I can’t honestly remember. I’ve had a lot on my plate lately, and I haven’t kept up with it like I should.”
“I’m going to have Wendy do a pregnancy test, but I think it’s safe to say that you’re most likely pregnant.”
All the air rushed from my lungs with a whoosh. I hadn’t been expecting that to be his diagnosis, but now that those words were suddenly a glaring neon light, I felt stupid for not having thought of it myself. Weren’t women supposed to know—or at least freaking suspect—when they had life growing inside of them?
I chanced a glance at Hawk to determine his reaction. His face had gone pale as a ghost, and the look in his eyes was shell-shocked. “You…” He cleared his throat. “You’re sure?”
Doc shrugged. “I can’t say one hundred percent for sure until we do the test, but my professional opinion is that, yes, she’s very much pregnant. She will have to have an ultrasound to determine how far along and get an accurate due date, but I would say Gracie is between eight and nine weeks at the least.”
Hawk turned away, effectively blocking out the doctor and me. Doc shot me a grim smile, promised Wendy would be in to take care of me, and then made a quick exit. I stared at Hawk’s back, unsure of what to say or do. Hell, I was just as shocked as he was.
Wendy opening the door less than a minute later saved me from the tension that was rolling off Hawk, and I was all too happy to take the cup she offered and go into the bathroom to pee in it. After putting the little cup in the cubby so the nurse could use it for the pregnancy test, I washed my hands but didn’t leave the bathroom. Instead, I just stood there, staring at myself in the mirror.
My face was just as pale as Hawk’s, but my eyes looked bright. With what, though, I didn’t know. Excitement? Was I excited to be pregnant? Not particularly. I had so much on my plate at work, and if Jenkins did run for mayor, I was going to have twice as much. Being pregnant wasn’t going to make my workload any easier. If anything, it was going to get in my way a whole heck of a lot.
But I wasn’t particularly unhappy about it either.
My hands covered my lower stomach where Doc had pressed and made me so uncomfortable earlier. Was there really a baby in there? A part of Hawk and me that was growing and waiting to take the world by storm as soon as he or she t
ook their first breath? Did I want there to be?
Yes. The answer floated through me without hesitation. Yes, I wanted there to be a baby. I wanted this part of the man I loved growing inside of me.
With that thought, I opened the bathroom door and went back to the exam room where I’d left Hawk. As I closed the door behind me, he lifted his blond head, and I was glad to see that most of his paleness had faded. “You okay?”
I shrugged. “I was about to ask you that.”
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” he asked with a frown. “You said yes to marrying me, and Doc just said you’re probably pregnant. I’m on top of the fucking world right now.”
“Really?” I asked weakly, tears surprising me as they leaked from my eyes.
He groaned at the sight of my tears and pulled me into his arms. “Really, baby. I’m so fucking happy right now, but I’m scared too.”
I didn’t ask why, because I was scared myself. Anything could happen between now and the time our baby was born, and after having Tanner and Warden taken from us the day before, I was even more scared. Not for me, but for Hawk. What if the next time they tried to take out one of the MC guys, they targeted the MC’s VP?
There was a light tap on the door. Hawk turned me in his arms as Wendy stepped in, a beaming smile on her face. “Well, it seems someone is going to be busy in a few months. Your pregnancy test was positive, hon.” She handed over a slip of paper. “Doc said to have these filled today. They’re prenatal vitamins. Take them before bed because they might upset your stomach, and you’re already nauseated as it is. Also, I’ll make an appointment with the OB-GYN that Doc suggested. He said that he was Raven’s doctor, so you’ll be happy with him.” Her laughing eyes lifted to Hawk. “Or at least, Daddy here will be. I’ll call you when I have the date and time.”
Out in the car, we sat there for a long while just looking at each other. We had lost two people the day before, but this baby was proof that life goes on. I took Hawk’s hand and placed it over my lower stomach. “I don’t want to tell anyone yet. Not until we see the OB-GYN and find out how far along we are.”
“Whatever you want, baby.” His fingers stroked over my stomach through my shirt, his look of shock replaced with one of awe now. “I’m serious. Whatever you want, it’s yours.”
“I have everything I want,” I whispered.
Chapter Sixteen
Rory
IF I HAD BEEN EXHAUSTED after my initial meeting with my father that afternoon, I was dead on my feet after the second one. My dad was an emotional vampire where I was concerned because I felt like I had zero energy left by the time I parked Raven’s car in the clubhouse parking lot. I wanted to fall into Matt’s bed and sleep for a week.
But with the emotional exhaustion also came a feeling of vindication. That first visit may have been a score for Derrick Michaels, but I had come out the winner. Matt was safe from my father’s manipulations, as were the rest of his MC brothers. Or at least, from the mayor. Royce Campbell was still going to be hanging around, and because my second meeting with Dad had just been him, me, and Mr. Jenkins, I doubted the creepy DA even knew what was going to happen in the coming weeks. If Dad wanted the money I had offered him—offered, because blackmail was a criminal offense, as Mr. Jenkins had explained to my father—then he wouldn’t say a word to anyone. Ever.
The way I saw it, this was a win-win for us all. My father was getting the money he had always been itching to get his greedy hands on, and with it, a shot at the governor’s mansion. I was getting my father out of my life for good, hopefully giving Creswell Springs a fighting chance with a new mayor, and keeping Matt safe. All at the same time.
Mr. Jenkins had tried to convince me to keep a little of the money for myself—if you could say a million dollars was a little. I didn’t want anything to do with that money now, but he had insisted that my mother would have wanted me to have something out of all of this. A million dollars was probably chump change to my father now that he was getting so much more, but for me, that money would go a long way. I was set for life with it to fall back on if I ever needed to.
At least, financially.
My heart was still feeling bruised and achy.
