Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 90290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“Is that your job? Babysitting Beau?” I ask him.
Mack shrugs. “Nah, I walk him after school and will take him to the park if I don’t have practice. If she’s working late or if Ben has a meeting and she’s stuck at the studio, I’ll grab Beau on my way home. He’s my friend,” he tells me. “And now I have Stevie Nicks.”
“She is pretty cute. Okay, my loves, let’s see this trick.”
“Stevie Nicks, whisper,” Peyton says.
She lets out a very quiet bark.
“Are you shy?”
Her paw covers her eyes, and she dips her head. I can’t help but smile.
After each trick, Peyton rewards her.
“Will you dance with me?” Peyton holds her arms out. Stevie Nicks stands on her hind legs, rests her paws on Peyton’s arms and moves her back feet side to side.
“Oh my, this is amazing.” I start clapping.
“Take a bow,” she tells our girl. Stevie Nicks leans back, dips her head, and Peyton rewards her with another treat.
“This is what you’ve been doing for the past month?”
Peyton laughs. “She’s so easy to train. Your mom and I were watching some pet show and saw a dog like her doing all these tricks. I made a list and started working with her. Each trick takes her a couple of days to master.”
“Amazing.” I crouch down to her level and give her a lot of love. “Good girl.”
Peyton’s timer on her phone goes off, signaling we need to go. I look at Mack. “Wanna stay or go?”
“I’ll go and stay in the car with Stevie Nicks.”
Mack gets off the elevator first to take the dog to the courtyard for another potty break. I tell him I’ll pick him up out front. In the garage and because we’re alone, as soon as we get to the rental, I turn Peyton and push her up against the side. Before she can react or ask me what the hell I’m doing, my mouth is on hers. She moans and opens for me, inviting me in. Our tongues meet, dancing together in longing, want, and need.
“I fucking missed you,” I say as I break away and kiss along her jaw. “I wish—”
“Mack,” she says as her hands slips under my shirt. I slow down and groan.
“Tonight, in the shower. You’re mine.” I kiss her again.
“In the shower?”
I nod and open the door for her. “Yes, the water will drown us out. Mack doesn’t need to hear us having sex.”
“You’re right. Maybe we should wait until he goes home.”
I glare at her, wondering how she became my wife with an attitude like that. I shake my head and shut the door. When I open the driver’s side, she’s laughing.
“You should see the look on your face.”
“I’m sure I wouldn’t find it very funny,” I tell her as I start the car and pull out of the spot. “I’ve been cooped up with those juvenile men all day, every day, for a month. I need my wife.”
“Yes, but Mack’s with us and the apartment isn’t that big.”
“Locker room it is then.”
“Absolutely not!”
“Your office?” I look at her. “We’ve done it there before.”
“Yeah, when I was ovulating.”
“What’s the difference? Last time I was trying to get you pregnant. Now you are.”
She doesn’t have time to answer since I’m pulling up to the curb to get Mack and the pooch. Once they’re in, I meander our way through the downtown traffic until we reach the hospital.
“Will we have time to go to the zoo?” Mack asks.
“If it’s something you want to do,” Peyton tells him.
“I want to take some pictures. I signed up for photography class for next year.”
“Are you still using the camera my dad gave you?” I ask him.
“I am. It’s been great. Liam taught me how to develop film. He let me do it in the basement and even though I’m not there every day, if he’s home I can go into the dark room.”
“That’s awesome, Mack.”
I park and leave him the keys in case he wants to get out and walk the ground. The hospital where Peyton’s doctor is, is expansive with lots of open space. The elevator ride is quick. She checks in and barely sits before the nurse comes out and calls her name.
“Peyton, I was so happy to hear you’re pregnant,” Dr. Chan says when we enter the exam room. “I’ve been in touch with Dr. Ringman. She seems nice.”
“She is.”
“Hello, Noah. Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Dr. Chan.”
Peyton sits on the exam table, has her blood pressure and temperature taken, and then is told to pull her yoga pants down.
“Dad, you’ll want to get your phone out for this and record.”
I do as Dr. Chan says without question. Peyton reaches for my hand and shivers when some gel type stuff lands on her bare stomach.
“What’s that?” Peyton asks.
“Gel. Nothing harmful,” the nurse says.
Dr. Chan presses a wand to Peyton’s stomach. “We may or may not be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat. It’s still early, but sometimes . . .” She pauses and nods to me. I hit the red record button. “Yes, there it is.”