His answering squeeze eased more of the fear in my chest.
The doctor shifted the little handheld device attached to the machine and pressed some buttons on the keypad. She spouted off something as she roved the thing over my stomach, but honestly, I didn’t comprehend anything, not as I watched the dark screen, trying and failing to understand what I was seeing.
“And there it is.” The doctor pointed with her free hand at a little blob on the screen. It sure as hell didn’t look like a baby, but there it was, I guess.
My heart constricted, a loud roar dulling all the sound in the room.
“Chey?” A deep, familiar voice cut through the blood rushing through my ears.
I let out a shaky breath, my gaze darting to him. “Huh?”
He nodded at the doctor. “She asked if you wanted to hear the heartbeat.”
“Oh…” I chewed my lip, my body trembling with… Fear? Excitement? Both? I met the doctor’s light brown gaze. “Um…sure.”
She smiled, pressed a couple more buttons, and then…
Beneath the white noise of the ultrasound machine was this thu-thump, thu-thump, thu-thump.
My free hand came to my mouth, a breathless gasp falling from my lips. Tears blurred my vision. “Oh…oh my God.”
That was a heartbeat. My baby’s heartbeat.
How could I have even thought of getting rid of that? I turned my watery gaze to Maverick. Emotion shone in his eyes and was drawn plainly on his face. Awe and excitement and wonder…and love.
There was no doubt about it. Love blazed in his light stare. And when he met my gaze, unshed tears of his own lining his eyes, that love was aimed at me too.
Chapter thirty-four
Wondering
Maverick
How was this possible?How could I care so much about something that wasn’t even more than a heartbeat yet?
That baby wasn’t mine, and yet the minute I heard that thumping, happiness—pure, undiluted happiness I had never felt before—filled me, warmed me to my core.
One thing was for sure, though. No matter what happened, no matter what became of Cheyenne and I, I would always love that baby. And I would take care of it, die for it, do anything I could to keep it safe.
After a few more minutes of listening to the heartbeat and the doctor taking down measurements, Cheyenne was cleared to get dressed, and an appointment was made for a couple weeks later for her twelve-week checkup. The baby was measuring at ten weeks and three days, with a due date of February second.
Nearly seven more months. It seemed so far away, but I had a feeling it would be here quicker than we were expecting.
I already was coming up with a mental blueprint for nursery furniture. Maybe oak? Or pine? Dark or light stain? I wonderedif it was a girl or boy. Would Cheyenne want to find out or wait and have it be a surprise?
It’s not yours.
I tried to ignore the voice of doubt in my mind. There was still a really good chance Cheyenne decided to up and leave. We still hadn’t talked about what we were. What the plan was. If she wanted my help raising it. If she wanted everyone to think it was mine.
I wanted to ask her. I’d looked over at her almost a dozen times now as we drove home to voice my thoughts, but she was closed off. Impossible to read.
She wasn’t lifeless anymore, but there was a wall up around her right now. One I didn’t want to knock down. She’d been through so much today. So many decisions weighing solely on her shoulders. I didn’t want her to have to worry about what we were on top of that. I would be right here, waiting.
It wasn’t a lie—I was the one thing she didn’t need to worry about. I could be patient. Bide my time. I was in no rush.
“So,” she asked, her tone lighter than it had been all day. “When do you think we should tell everyone?”
“Depends. Do we wanna do an announcement or just tell them?” I glanced at her.
