Page 20 of The Decoy

As I walk toward him, his eyes lock onto mine. A slow crook of his mouth appears, giving me that effortless, charming smile that seems to appear only when it’s the two of us.

“Morning, Princess,” he says, his deep voice carrying over the sounds of traffic passing by.

Before I reach him, he steps forward, taking his hands out of his pockets and grabbing the handle. He opens the door, creating a pocket of space shielding me from the wind between his body and the truck.

“Morning, Brody,” I reply, stepping up onto the side runner.

As I climb inside, the scent of cedarwood, leather, fresh laundry, and just a hint of his cologne lingers. It’s comforting.

“You’re early,” I point out, setting my tote on the floor as he shuts the door with a thud.

He jogs around the front of the hood before sliding into the driver’s seat.

“Traffic on the bridge was surprisingly light for a Tuesday,” he explains before throwing the truck into drive and smoothly pulling into the street. “Plus, I know you like to be on time. I’ve learned that from spending time with you on shoots. You run a tight ship.”

“I do like to be on time,” I agree, pulling my seatbelt across my chest. “I just get anxious when I’m late.”

“I like to be on time myself,” he smiles. He glances over at me briefly, his eyes sweeping over my face. “How you feeling today? Have you had any morning sickness or anything?”

“Um, not really. I get the occasional nausea, but I’ve been trying to eat little snacks here and there, so I’m not trying to eat big meals all at once. That seems to be when I get nauseous,” I tell him. Brody must have turned on the seat warmer before I got in because the warmth is spreading up my back. “I’m mostly just tired. And have a sense of dread every time I have to pick out clothes now.”

Brody lets out a rumbling laugh. “Well, you look great, as always.”

“I’m wearing stretchy pants,” I counter, turning my head to look out the window. “So basically, I feel like I’m wearing loungewear to work.”

“Trust me,” he says, his voice dropping in the way I’m learning makes my pulse jump. “Nobody looks at you and thinks you’re wearing loungewear.”

The sincerity of his words hangs in the warm air between us. I turn to look at him. He’s keeping his eyes on the road, his large hands gripping the steering wheel. His chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm.

There’s no subtext with Brody Vaughn. No hidden motives, no posturing like the men and athletes I deal with every day. When he says something, I really think he means it completely.

A shiver runs through me, not from the cold, but from the realization of how much I’m starting to rely on his presence to give me this kind of calm.

We pull up to the office building a few minutes later, and we luckily find a spot near the entrance. When we push through the lobby doors into the office, the receptionist gives us a professional smile.

“Good morning,” she says, checking her computer screen. “Ms. Renwick?”

“Yes.”

“Dr. Chen will be seeing you today. She’s one of the other physicians in the office. We like to have you seen by both doctors in the event your doctor isn’t on call the day you deliver. She’s just finishing up a consultation, but she’ll be with you in just a few.”

“Got it. That makes sense,” I reply, unbuttoning my coat.

Brody stands behind me, taking off his coat and folding it over one arm. Even standing in this quiet room, his presence is… a lot. He’s big, yes, but it’s also the way he moves with precision and awareness that makes my heart thump a little faster.

“Ellis Renwick?”

I stand and walk over to the nurse waiting at the door.

“I’m just going to weigh you, and then we’ll go into the room where you’ll be seeing Dr. Chen,” she tells me.

“Okay, thank you,” I reply and hold my hand out behind me, searching for Brody’s fingers, which he takes immediately.

Ten minutes later, Dr. Chen comes in wearing navy scrubs. She holds a tablet in her hands, her eyes briefly drifting to Brody standing next to the exam table. A subtle spark lights her eyes before she smiles.

“Hi, Ellis. I’m Dr. Chen,” she says. “I’ll be examining you today. And you’re dad?”

“Morning, Doctor.” Brody just nods politely, not acknowledging it or correcting her.