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I laughed a little, an edge of hysteria bubbling over. “Yeah, yeah, it is.”
“I don't want to push too hard, but I do want to be involved. I understand if you don't want me at appointments and things, but—”
“It's okay,” I said hesitantly. “I guess I didn't know if I would find you. I didn't want this to be a secret.”
“We'll just have to figure it out,” he said matter-of-factly. “So what happens at the next appointment?”
“It's a checkup, and they'll do an ultrasound.”
“When do they check for the baby’s gender if we want to know? Do you want to know?”
“I don't know. Sometimes. What about you?”
When Chase smiled, my belly felt all fluttery and tingly. “I don't know. I haven’t really had time to think about it.”
Just then, the door to the office swung open, and the man entering came to an abrupt stop. “Oh, I didn't know you were in here.” The man with shaggy brown curls and piercing green eyes studied me for a moment before his gaze shifted to Chase.
“Sorry, Cade,” Chase said as he stood. “This is Hallie.”
I waved. “Hi.”
“I’m Cade. Nice to meet you. How much longer do you need my office?” he asked, entirely unperturbed about our presence there.
Chase glanced down at me, and I shrugged.
“Why don't we go get some lunch?” he asked. “Mind if I leave?” He looked toward Cade.
“Go for it,” Cade replied.
“How does that sound to you?” Chase asked.
I had been too nervous to eat earlier, so I was starving. “That sounds good.”
When I stood, Chase stepped to my side, resting his hand on my lower back. The gesture felt protective, and I savored the feeling. Cade’s sharp gaze bounced between us, and I sensed he had questions, but he simply smiled. “Nice to meet you, Hallie. Hope to see you again.”
“You too, thanks.”
We stopped in the hallway, and Chase glanced down just as Cade closed the door behind us.
“Why don't I drive? I'll bring you back to your car afterward.”
“Sure.”
He led me down the back hallway into an open area with a kitchen to one side and a counter running along the wall. Some guys I presumed were firefighters lounged at the kitchen table. They all looked at me curiously as Chase waved. We passed into an area that had a large sectional and a television with some guys working out in a gym behind a glass wall beyond that. Firefighters appeared to be a handsome, very fit lot.
I eyed them to see if I had the same kind of reaction to any of these men that I did to Chase. I didn’t. There was no fiery zing. It was just him. Just as we reached the back door, Maisie came walking out of a doorway and stopped. She held a stack of paper in her arms. “Hi,” she said brightly as she glanced back and forth between us. “Everything okay?”
Chase chuckled. “Everything's good. We're gonna go grab lunch.”
“Okay, will you bring me some coffee if you're going to Firehouse Café?”
“Sure thing,” he replied. “Your usual?”
Maisie was nodding when someone else called out, “Coffee for me, please!”
Chase cast a grin over his shoulder. “Tell Maisie any orders, and she can text a list to me. I'll bring them back.”
Maisie smiled at me again. “Nice to meet you, Hallie.”
