Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“Oh, I forgot,” Jenna exclaims and then moves over to a large black bag sitting by the wall. “I got something for all of us.”
We all crane our necks as she pulls out individual clear bags that hold some type of white material inside. Our names are written on the front with Sharpie and she hands them out.
No one waits, opening the gifts and extracting what appears to be a long-sleeve T-shirt. Harlow is the first to get hers fully opened, followed by Ava, and they start howling.
I pull mine out and see a logo in purple and gray on the front breast pocket. It reads, “Titan Queens.”
“Turn it around,” one of the ladies says, and I do, not able to control the laugh that pops out of my mouth.
Across the back, it reads, “The real power behind the Titans.”
“I fucking love it,” Brienne says.
I cut my eyes to her before rolling them. “Yeah, well, everyone knows you are really the power behind all the Titans, so technically you don’t need this T-shirt. But I love it.”
Without waiting, I undo my puffer vest and pull my turtleneck off, hoping we’re far enough back from the edge of the suite balcony that no one can see us.
It fits perfectly and I twirl for everyone to admire.
“Let’s all wear them to Mario’s after the game,” Sophie says.
We’d all decided to make it a full night out and we’re going to meet the guys there—provided we win.
I hope we do, not just for the good of the team, but this is the first opportunity for Bain and me to be out as a couple. I’m not sure how it’s going to go and it’ll be a little awkward, but I’m looking forward to being in the group and having someone rather than being the odd one out. That’s silly, I know, but since Bain and I agreed to give this whole relationship thing a go, I find myself willing to trust in a man again.
I always hoped there’d be a day when I could get past my bad experience and be willing to take a chance. Bain made it easy when he committed to staying by my side and helping me raise our child.
CHAPTER 25
Bain
Kiera’s OB-GYN’s office is not what I expected. It’s not clinical or sterile like other doctors’ offices I’ve been in but rather warm and inviting. It’s a space that’s deliberately designed to be calming. Walls painted in soothing blues and greens, nature-themed art on the walls, the space lit with only natural sunlight through big windows and small table lamps scattered about. If I didn’t know it was a doctors’ office, I would have thought it was a spa.
The receptionist is efficient but warm as she has Kiera fill out some basic forms. Her fingers fly over the keyboard as she takes information down. I stand beside Kiera and glance out over the lobby, filled with couples like us and several women who are alone. I wonder if they’re pregnant and their partner isn’t here or maybe they’re just here for the regular yearly checkup.
Honest to God, I didn’t know what that entailed, but as Kiera and I were researching the upcoming appointment and what would occur, she sort of educated me on Pap smears and I was horrified. I mean, I knew women had them, but I didn’t know about tables and stirrups and what sounds like a torture device Kiera called a speculum.
After she’s checked in, Kiera and I sit together on a small sofa. There’s a coffee table and I’m a bit cramped, but it’s all good as Kiera leans her weight into me. I glance around, observing the other couples. Some are fidgeting while others chat quietly. The married couple adjacent to us are discussing baby names, which is something they need to decide soon as she’s very, very pregnant. They’re called by the nurse and the husband stands first and has to help his wife up from her chair. I bite back my grin, knowing I’ll relish doing that for Kiera one day because she’ll hate needing the help.
I get a few looks from some of the men here, likely trying to determine if they recognize me. I wore a khaki baseball cap with an Audi logo on it. No clue where I got it from because I’ve never had an Audi, but it was in my closet with about a hundred other caps I’ve collected. I steered clear of anything with a Titans or Vengeance logo, though, as I prefer not to get recognized here.
Kiera flips through a magazine, the picture of serene contentment. She hasn’t seemed anxious about this appointment, but I’m not sure she’d admit it if she was. She likes to showcase her resilience and independence. I, on the other hand, am a buzzing mixture of nerves and anticipation. My heel rhythmically taps on the carpet as I wait to see the miracle of life I helped create.