Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
A soft, pink tint filled her cheeks as she peered up at me.
“Thank you for taking me,” she told me.
Most of the others were busy today doing a run, so I gladly volunteered to take her to her appointment.
The ultrasound technician, a mid-twenties brunette, turned to us after spreading jelly over Aisling’s stomach.
“Today, we should be able to tell the gender of your baby,” she said with a warm look on her face.
A look of surprise rang across Aisling’s face.
“Today? Already?” she asked as she looked up at me. When I didn’t look surprised like her, she tilted her head. “You don’t seem surprised.”
I grinned a little and shrugged.
“I’ve been keeping up with the timeline. You’re just at eighteen weeks, so it’s the perfect time to check for the gender,” I told her.
There was even a calendar in the office that was marked with milestone moments like when each trimester began and the expected date of birth. We were keeping as close of an eye on her and the baby as we could.
Aisling looked touched.
“Do you have a preference?” she asked.
I shook my head without even thinking. I already knew my answer from the moment I found out that she was pregnant. Whatever the gender ended up being, the guys were going to flip out. At this point, we didn’t care if the heir was a boy or a girl. All we wanted was a safe, healthy baby. Together, we could raise anyone to be a good heir.
“None at all,” I assured her.
“Me either,” Aisling said as she squeezed my hand.
The tech smiled and moved the transducer over Aisling’s stomach, her eyes hovering on the monitor.
“Heart looks good. Everything is looking good,” she told us, making me exhale in relief. Waiting for the tech to say those words was always the most stressful part. “Ready to know the gender?”
“Yes!” Aisling replied, balling her free hand up in an excited fist.
“It’s a boy!”
Aisling gasped and looked up at me with pure joy on her face.
“We’re having a boy!” she said, tears immediately filling her eyes.
My heart stopped for a second and then restarted, feeling like it was about to pound out of my chest as a look of shock crossed my face. I leaned down and kissed Aisling on the forehead, caressing the back of her head as we smiled at each other.
“This is amazing. You’re amazing,” I told her, hardly able to string words together because I was so damn happy.
Happy tears streamed down her face as she gripped my hand tightly, pressing her face into my arm.
“Thank you,” I told the technician once she handed us a picture of the baby and prepared to leave the room. I held Aisling for a few moments, letting her recover and catch her breath before I showed her the outline of the baby. “That’s our baby.”
Aisling sniffled as she traced the baby’s cheek with her forefinger.
“I never thought… I always heard of moms feeling this way about their babies. Like the world was perfect and bright. But I never understood them. I never thought I’d feel that way until now,” she admitted. “It’s like the sun has moved out from behind the clouds.”
I couldn’t help myself. I leaned down and captured her lips in a soft kiss, our breaths ceasing for a moment. When we broke apart, I brushed her hair back from her face.
“We should figure out a way to surprise the guys with the news,” I suggested, knowing that they would be over the moon.
Aisling nodded in agreement as she reached up to place her hand on my cheek.
“Take me home,” she said.
I turned my head and kissed her palm before helping her up. With the photo in her hand, I led her back out to my bike and helped her on behind me before taking us back to the courthouse for some much-needed rest. Even one little outing could tire her out, so I didn’t keep her out for long.
Plus, I was wary about Hornets possibly seeing us. I would fight like hell to protect her and the baby, but I was also realistic. I couldn’t fight off a group of Hornets by myself. It was best for us to stay in the clubhouse as much as possible unless there was a group of us with her.
“Oh, ouch,” Aisling muttered as she got off the bike and started tenderly walking toward the back door of the clubhouse.
“Your feet hurt again?” I asked as I walked up behind her.
Aisling nodded with a groan.
“I’m so tired of aching. Feels like I’m an eighty-year-old woman,” she grumbled as she hobbled a little.
Not on my watch. I scooped her up bridal style and carried her to the couch, gently setting her down on the right side. After taking off my jacket, gloves, and boots, I sat on the left side and gently worked off her black tennis shoes with extra support in them. They only did so much to alleviate the pain, though.