AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Marissa glares at Nathan.
"Oh, sh—I mean, sorry." He makes a face. "Didn’t know she was here."
I undo the latch and exit the stairwell, struck again by how large and empty our living room looks without Crew’s monstrosity of a couch.
"You’re going to have to clean up your act before the baby is born," my mother says, walking past us to answer the door. "All of you."
"Fucking damn it!" Mark yells from the kitchen. He’s waving his hand when we all turn our heads on a swivel. "Cut my finger. I’m fine, though." He pops his finger in his mouth.
Dani emerges from the powder room. "What did I miss?"
The front door opens and Owen Phillips comes in with his son and a teenage girl. I see Crew’s father, who drove separately to pick up a few things, behind them. William seems to have his arms filled with yard toys.
"Nothing, Cookie. Just happy chaos."
Crew made it clear he’s here for the long haul and I’m relieved and thrilled. Our girl needs to know that, too, and it’s what she wants.
All of us.
It’s what I want too.
CHAPTER 10
Crew
"Danielle Larkin," Dani says to the receptionist as we approach the desk.
Nathan makes a sound in the back of his throat.
I glance over at him. He looks irritated and I’m not exactly sure why.
"I just need you to fill out these forms and I’ll need to see your insurance card," the receptionist says with a smile. She looks around mine and Dani’s age.
We’re at the medical center for Dani’s first ultrasound appointment. Michael is coming straight from work and meeting us here, though he hasn’t arrived yet. Nathan spent the morning at home with us.
"I don’t have insurance," Dani says, taking the clipboard from the receptionist.
Honestly, that’s news to me. We’ve never discussed it and I’ve always had insurance, so I realize I take it for granted.
"Oh, well, um, I don’t think that was clear when the appointment was made," the receptionist says. "You’re going to have to talk to our financial consultant before you do the ultrasound."
"Why?" Nathan demands. "I’ll just pay out-of-pocket for it."
The girl looks taken aback. "Well… that has to be paid for then before the appointment and you still need to speak to the consultant because there are different pay scales based on financial need so we’ll have to reschedule…" Her voice trails off and her eyes widen when Nathan pulls out his wallet and opens it to reveal a fat wad of cash.
"We’re not rescheduling the appointment," he tells her firmly.
Now the poor girl just looks scared.
"Just give us a second," I tell her, giving her a reassuring smile. "Dani, why don’t you have a seat, sweetheart, and fill out the medical history forms."
She nods and goes to sit down, clipboard in hand.
Nathan looks poised to go another round with the receptionist but I gesture for him to step to the side. "Relax," I tell him. "You’re freaking that poor girl out. You look like a drug dealer or a mafia boss waving hundred-dollar bills at her."
He snaps his wallet shut. "Shit, I do, don’t I?"
"Yes. Just let me handle this right now. Then we need to figure out how to add Dani to your insurance as a domestic partner or whatever before the next appointment."
