Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
He looked intimidating as hell.
And delicious.
Definitely delicious.
“He looks like he’s in a bad mood,” Hollis said as she waited for Quincy to round the hood of the car.
I hopped out without getting the door opened for me, eliciting a growl from Quincy.
“I said I’d get it!” Quincy complained.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said as I waited patiently. “Let’s go, let’s go!”
“Keep your pants on,” Hollis groaned. “I’m not as fast as I once was.”
We walked relatively quickly to the entrance, and though I kept my eyes on everyone and everything, I didn’t see anything.
Quaid moved upon my arrival. Wrapping his arm around me, he dropped his mouth to my ear and said, “Ready for this?”
“Ready as I guess I can be,” I admitted.
“So,” Hollis said quietly as we got onto the elevator, “how does it feel to get your actual medication today?”
I burst out laughing.
And poor Quaid’s cheeks went pink. “My ankle feels great.”
I peed in a cup.
I got my weight—which was higher than I expected.
I got naked.
Then Quaid and I sat in the freezing ass cold room for what felt like forever but was really like fifteen minutes.
“You know,” Quaid grumbled as he got up and moved to me. “If they were going to make you wait naked, they could’ve at least given you a blanket.”
He wrapped his arms around me, and I groaned at the heat of his body.
“It’s freezing in here,” I agreed. “And I don’t understand why they would do this when they damn well know that we only have this stupid little paper gown to cover up with.”
Just as I said that the door opened, and a haggard looking redhead filed in, pushing a computer on wheels.
“I’m so, so sorry.” She winced at the sight of us. “I know it’s freezing in here. There’s something wrong with the air. That’s what took so long. I was meeting with the air conditioner guy.”
Quaid didn’t let me go completely, but he did move to the side of the exam table to give me an unobstructed view of the woman who would be up close and personal with my vagina for the next nine months.
“Anyway, I read your chart before I came in,” she looked at Quaid. “Luckily, birth control isn’t toxic for men.”
Quaid’s cheeks again went pink. “I can’t say it was my finest moment.”
The redhead, Dr. Herreros, grinned, then turned to me. She studied my face, took in my appearance, and then said, “You look well. Good news.”
I beamed.
“Let’s give that baby a look,” she said. “Lean back, spread your legs, and get them up in those little stirrups right…” she paused as she hefted the metal contraption into place, “here.”
I did, then scooted all the way down until my butt was hanging over the edge, just like every woman in the world knew how to do.
And before I knew it, things were being shoved up inside of me, and Quaid was looking on as if he’d never seen a thing in the entire world so interesting as a wand being stuck up my hoo-ha by another woman.
“Ahh,” the doctor said. “Here she is.”
“She?” I squeaked.
“Well, generic she,” she said. “It’s still quite a bit early to tell. I’d say you’re about…” She tilted her head. “Whew, for a second there I thought I saw two. But this one’s just moving around like crazy. I’d say you’re about seven weeks.”
Seven weeks.
Nothing in the grand scheme of things.
But still.
I was pregnant.
Whoa.
It was real now.
“What am I looking at, Dr. Herreros?” Quaid asked.
Dr. Herreros leaned forward and pointed at the screen. Head. Body. Legs. Arms.” She showed Quaid, as patient as could be.
I swallowed hard at the look on Quaid’s face.
Awe.
Excitement.
Fear.
All of it, rolled into one perfectly masculine, incredibly handsome face.
As if he felt my eyes, he turned and caught me staring.
His eyes warmed, and he said, “Okay, baby?”
Was I okay?
I decided, right then, that I would be. As long as he was always at my side.
“I love you, Quaid.”
His eyes widened, his breath caught, and then a smile overtook his face as he replied, “I’ve been waiting for you to say that for what feels like forever. I love you, too.”
It costs nothing to be kind. Except my sanity. But who needs that anyway?
—Text from Ellodie to her mom
ELLODIE
5 weeks later
“All hands on deck. Officer down.”
I whipped my head in the direction of Garrett’s walkie talkie.
“Who?” I asked, feeling a surge of adrenaline dump into my veins.
Don’t be Quaid.
Don’t be Quaid.
Please, don’t be Quaid.
“Officer 455, officer down. Officer down,” I heard a pained voice say over the radio.
“Where are you?” I heard Quaid bark.
“Corner of Beltline Road and Houston,” Officer 455 responded.
“Who is Officer 455?” I asked, sounding alarmed at the way Garrett had stiffened so completely.
“Quinn,” Garrett answered.
“Let’s go,” I said. “I’m not due into work today.”
I’d officially made the switch from nursing to nurse anesthetist.