Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
He chuckles. "C'mon, we'll check it together."
Payton grabs my hand and leads me to the bathroom. I drag my feet, but once the test is in view, I freeze in place.
"You look," I tell him.
He drops my hand and walks to the counter. I wait as he picks it up and reads it. Though he’s expressionless, my heart hammers in my chest.
"Kate."
My shoulders slump, and I squeeze my eyes to stop the tears.
"Just say it."
"It's positive."
"What?" I study his face as he stares at the test. Swallowing hard, I ask, "Are you sure?"
"There are two lines..." His face pales, and I worry he's going to pass out.
Stepping closer, I grab it and see two dark lines.
"Maybe I should take another one to be sure?" I mumble in disbelief.
I grab two more tests and rip them open. Payton takes one, and I take the other, then we dip them in the cup together.
We’re too stunned to speak as we watch the tests' control lines appear.
"The second line has already appeared on this one," Payton states.
I look at the one in my hand. "Mine too."
The tears I’m holding back begin to fall.
I'm pregnant.
Payton pulls me close, tightly wrapping his arms around me as emotions pour through me. We stand holding one another for nearly a minute. Then he cups my face and stares at my lips. For a moment, I wonder if he’ll finally kiss me, but then he buries his face in my neck, and I inhale his musky soap smell.
"I can't believe I'm really pregnant," I finally say, wiping my cheeks when he releases his grip. "I was sure it was gonna be negative. How'd you know?"
He shrugs. "Just had a feeling. I've been watching you for the past couple of weeks and noticed little changes."
Like my boobs.
I place my palm over my stomach, trying to imagine how it’ll feel and look when it grows. Since I was tracking my days, I figure I'm about four weeks along.
Holy shit, we're gonna be parents.
"Does this mean I can go back to briefs?" He flashes a crooked smile. "And stop eating those nuts?"
I roll my eyes. "Well, they worked, didn't they?"
"You don't know that that was the reason."
"Well, regardless, you’re released from duty."
"Hardly." He scowls. "Just because you're carrying the baby doesn't mean my job is done. I’m gonna take care of you and help prepare. That's our child in there."
Maybe it's the hormones, but holy fuck is Payton hot when he's assertive.
"Sorry, that's not what I meant. I know you’ll be with me every step of the way. Your baby-making duties are over."
I've never felt happier to finally be pregnant, but that means my intimate time with Payton is over.
And that actually makes me sad as hell.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
PAYTON
Kaitlyn's been extra irritable for the past week, and I noticed her breasts looked a tad bigger as if they were swollen. She couldn't tell, but it was obvious to me.
Still, seeing those positive tests was a heart-stopping moment.
I was so overwhelmed and happy that I nearly broke the rules and kissed her.
I wanted to.
But I knew crossing that line would ruin everything we agreed to. And we’d already broken one of the rules that neither of us had brought up.
However, I wasn't about to fuck up and bring emotions into it at the end.
My phone buzzes in my pocket for the fourth time, and I know it's Knox or Kane. I pull it out and see I'm right.
"Fuck. Your brothers are blowin' up my phone. They'll give me all the bitch jobs if I show up late again. I hate that I have to leave you right now."
"It's okay. Not a whole lot we can do anyway. I'll get my first OB appointment scheduled, and we'll go from there."
I lean down and kiss her forehead. "Call or text if you need anything, okay?"
She smiles. "I will. I'll probably tell Maize since she's known about it from the beginning. It'll prevent me from blabbing it too soon if I talk to someone else about it."
"Fine with me."
"Though we shouldn't tell anyone else until I'm out of the first trimester."
That's another two months away. Not sure she'll manage to keep it a secret that long, but I promise to wait until she's ready.
My phone vibrates with another message, and I'm not even late yet.
"I wish I could stay and celebrate."
"We will tonight!" she reassures me. "It's fine. I’ve gotta get ready for work anyway because I can’t skip my training today."
I step closer, resting my hand over her belly. "Be extra careful."
She smiles. "Don't worry, BD. I will be."
I can't focus for shit.
Knox put me on cleanup duty for being ten minutes late. Not that I cared because it gave me time to work alone most of the morning.
I've always been concerned for Kaitlyn's well-being, but now I feel an intense protectiveness over her. Her job can be dangerous, especially if a horse spooks and she falls. Most of those she works with are well-behaved, but something could always go wrong when working with large animals. There's a risk involved each time she gets on that saddle.