Maybe I'm not doing as well as I thought. I've spent all my time making sure Ace is okay. Which he is, he's fit and strong and healing well. He won't be getting on a bull anytime soon, though. Not that anyone's been brave enough to tell him that to his face.
"I'm nervous and excited, I think," I say.
He wraps his good arm around me. He's getting pissed off about how slow the other one is healing.
"You're doing the best job of growing our baby, Harper."
I smile, resting my head against his chest, calming myself to the sound of his heartbeat.
"Miss Jones?" the nurse calls.
I look up and smile. I stand, then help Ace to his feet.
It's nice to be called something other than Mrs. Blake.
"Thank you, sweetheart," he murmurs.
"I got you, Acey." I wink.
With his hand in mine, we follow the nurse to the private room on the left. Ace lowers himself into the chair beside the bed, and I lie down, pull up my cami, and hold out my arm.
He takes my hand again and holds it tight.
"Okay. So, we're just checking progress today. You were in a car crash recently, correct?" the nurse asks.
I nod.
"And everything was checked and cleared at the time?"
"It was."
She smiles and squeezes the clear gel onto my stomach, making me hiss out a breath.
The screen comes to life when she presses the monitor against my skin.
"Ace. Remember to breathe," I tell him.
"Sorry. I'm?—"
He doesn't finish the sentence.
Tears well in my eyes when I see our baby. Bigger now than the first time. A clearer picture. The most perfect thing I’ve ever seen.
I glance at Ace. He's not even hiding it. Eyes locked on the screen. Tears running down his cheeks. This man kills people for a living, and he's crying at a sonogram in under four seconds. My heart can't take him.
"Our girl," he whispers.
I squeeze his hand twice. "Our baby."
"Do you want to know the gender? I can try to get a clear enough image," the nurse says.
Ace sucks in a breath.
"Yes," we say in unison.
My heart is in my throat as she moves the monitor around my stomach. I don't take my eyes off the screen.
"Hey, Goldie. Breathe," Ace teases.
