Page 16 of Nave (Henchmen MC: Next Generation #14)

“She just has so much personality. She wants to be involved in anything you do. She’s always clucking and chirping and trying to escape. Her name is Kevin.”

“ Her name is Kevin?”

“The girls thought she was a roo when she was little. But, nope, she was just loud and confident and crazy like the boys.”

“You’re really loving the homestead, huh?”

“I’m loving the freedom. Honestly, I don’t know how the girls do everything they do in a day.

Just weeding seems to take forever. And they muck out stalls, feed animals, drain and scrub duck pools and ponds, cook, mow—I mean it just goes on and on.

But they seem tireless. Meanwhile, I need a two-hour afternoon nap after just completing one of their tasks.

Though, I wouldn’t object to having a few sweet chickens as pets one day. They’re not as much work.”

We moved through the security checkpoint and out to the grounds, where one of the dogs—a shepherd mix—came running up to meet us.

“I adore Edith, but I’m starting to have a soft spot for large breeds. The Great Pyrenees and the Anatolians have grown on me. And Edith loves them. She thinks she’s their queen and they her minions.”

“As it should be,” I agreed.

“Heya, Nave,” Fischer greeted me, holding open the door. “Trust you know the way.”

“Yep.”

“Congratulations, sweetheart,” he said to Lolly before wandering off.

Her curiosity melted into a sweet, soft look.

“I don’t want you to think I’m spreading your news around,” I explained as we stepped inside. “But Fischer is a higher-up around here, so I think Chris must have mentioned to him why we were coming here.”

“It’s okay. I mean… it is going to come out eventually. Wow, this place is winding.”

It was. And the deeper we went, the more dumbstruck Lolly became.

“It didn’t seem this sprawling from the outside.”

“Yeah. This place was fucking amazing for playing hide-and-seek or capture the flag when we were kids. Didn’t ever make it easy. But this is the hospital ward,” I said after pressing a finger into the buzzer.

The door unlocked, and we moved into the open patient room, lined on each side with metal beds, white bedding, nightstands, and privacy curtains. But with no active patients, all the curtains were open.

“It’s amazing how bright it is in here when there are no windows.”

“It’s the sunlight lamps. Can almost make you feel like you’re outside.”

“Hey, Nave!” Steph, the pretty brunette nurse, greeted me. “And you must be Lolly. Why don’t you come on in? We are just going to get things started.”

We were led into a little exam room where Lolly was weighed and had her vitals taken.

“We’re just going to need to take some blood,” Steph said, reaching for her kit.

“Do you want me to step out?” I asked.

But Lolly’s hand shot out, grabbing my forearm, fingers digging in hard enough to hurt. “Don’t you dare.” At my raised brows, she winced. “I don’t like needles.”

“No?” I asked, stepping closer to the exam table. “They’re not so bad. The trick is you can’t watch.”

“How can I not when it’s right there?” she asked, staring down at the needle like it might jump off the tray to stab her a dozen times.

Steph shot me a worried look. “We need to run a few tests.” Code for: I’m going to need a fair amount of blood.

“Alright, how about…” I said, stepping even closer as Steph prepped Lolly’s arm. I reached behind her head, turning her and pressing her face against my torso.

She tensed for the barest of seconds before relaxing into me. I kept my hand at the back of her head so she wasn’t tempted to look. She wrapped her free arm around me, holding on tightly.

“You won’t feel anything,” I assured her, earning a snort.

My fingers started to massage her scalp, feeling the way her body went lax with each little circle my fingertips made.

When a soft little sigh escaped her, I gave Steph a nod, and she was quick to find the vein and tap it.

Against me, as my fingers kept moving, Lolly’s breathing went quick and shallow. Her fingers dug into my hip.

And I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she had a similar reaction to me as I had to her.

But that was almost certainly just wishful thinking.

“All done,” Steph said when she was sure to move the vials away. “Not too bad, right?”

“You were right,” Lolly said, pulling back. “I didn’t even feel it.”

“Okay. You sit tight. I’m going to have the doctor come in.”

“Thank you. I was pretty sure I would have flailed and painted the walls red if left to my own devices.”

“Is it the blood that is the problem, or—what?” I asked when she rolled her eyes at me.

“Men,” she said with a little laugh.

“Men what?”

“You guys forget that we’re kind of… used to blood,” she explained. “So, no. It’s not the blood. It’s just the needle going in.” Even saying that made her do a full-body shiver. “Do you come here for healthcare?”

“Not general healthcare, no. But for trauma injuries, yeah, we tend to come here.”

“Because the hospital will tell the cops if your injuries are suspicious?”

“Exactly.”

There was a quick knock at the door before the doctor walked in.

I hadn’t seen her before. She was tall and willowy, with her blonde hair pulled back into a low, no-nonsense ponytail.

“Hey, you two,” she greeted, giving us a warm smile. “I’m Dr. Kinsey. I know Steph got your vitals here. And I am going to need to do a pelvic exam since you haven’t had one yet. But I thought maybe we should do an ultrasound first.”

As she said it, she wheeled over the machine.

“Sound good?” she asked.

“Do you want me to go?” I asked.

“Please don’t,” she said, her eyes a little panicked.

“Then I’ll stay,” I agreed, watching the doctor reach down to fold up Lolly’s shirt and roll down the waistband of her shorts. “This is going to be a little cold,” she warned before squeezing the jelly on Lolly’s skin.

With that, Dr. Kinsey reached for the wand and started to move it around Lolly’s belly, her gaze fixed on the screen.

I could sense Lolly tensing.

I felt my own body going rigid.

It was as if we were both holding our breath, both unsure if the news was good or not.

Dr. Kinsey reached out, hitting something.

Then a strange sound filled the room.

It was a galloping, high-pitched whoosh whoosh whoosh .

Dr. Kinsey smiled. “That’s your baby’s heartbeat.”

Lolly’s hand shot out, silently seeking mine as she tried to blink the flood of tears out of her eyes.

I slid my fingers between hers and squeezed.

“Is it okay?” Lolly asked, her voice thick.

“Everything looks good. There’s a strong heartbeat.

If you squint, you can already see the profile.

I think they kind of look a bit like gummy bears at this stage.

And that’s the placenta forming over here.

Your baby is growing right on schedule for where you said you were.

Have you been having any morning sickness? ”

“None.”

“Lucky! That’s great. From now on is where it starts to get fun.

In six to eight weeks, we should be able to try to see what the gender is, if you want.

And you will start feeling little flutters in a few weeks—like bubbles or wings flapping.

Everyone describes it a little differently.

But that’s your baby moving around in there.

I’m going to print out some pictures for you.

You didn’t want anything digitally, right? ”

“Right,” I agreed, giving her a nod.

“No problem,” the doctor said, wiping off the jelly and folding down Lolly’s shirt. “I am going to leave this here for you,” she said, producing a gown for Lolly. “Take your time,” she added as Lolly sniffled. “You can just give me a call when you’re ready for the rest of the exam.”

Alone, I reached out, brushing her hands to the side, then catching the stray tear that slid down her cheek.

“It feels more real now, doesn’t it?” I asked, feeling the same way. The baby had been a reality, but an abstract one before. Now, having seen it, having heard it. It wasn’t an idea anymore. It was real.

“Yes,” she said, squeezing her eyes closed.

“You can cry,” I told her, giving her hand a squeeze.

“I feel like half of what I do is cry around you.”

“I’m not of the mind that keeping tears in is ever a good idea. Are you… conflicted about it?”

“About the baby?”

“I think I was at first. I mean… the idea that it will be part Ben. But it’s not. It’s not Ben’s. It’s mine.”

“It is,” I agreed. Ben didn’t deserve another thought, let alone any consideration when it came to this future child.

“So, no. I’m not conflicted. Just maybe a little… overwhelmed. There’s something alive in there,” she said, looking down at her stomach. “That’s… weird. I mean, wonderful. But also… weird.”

“Right?” I asked, glad to hear someone else say it. “It’s a miracle and all that shit. But also… kinda freaky.”

To that, I got a snorting laugh.

“And you’re not even the one carrying it.”

“Did you want kids?” I asked. “You know… before all this.”

“Well, before Ben, I think I was too young to really give it any thought. I just wanted a more stable life. And during Ben… God. I didn’t even want to think about that.

A baby was the complete antithesis to everything Ben liked: cleanliness, quiet, order.

He would never have wanted this. He wouldn’t have…

allowed it. I never really gave this any thought. What about you?”

“I think I’ve always wanted a kid or kids. You know… eventually.”

“I think you’d make a great dad.”

“Yeah?” I asked, bringing her hand up to my lips to kiss the back of it. “You’re already a great mom. You’ve done everything in your power to get a better life for your baby.”

“Thank you.” She reached for the gown and folded it up with a deep sigh. “I guess I should get this part over with.” Her lip curled.

“Can’t imagine this part is pleasant.”

“I think I deserve a milkshake after this.”

“You got it,” I promised, giving her a smile before moving out of the room.

I gave her a minute to change before calling the doctor over.

“You two are great together,” Dr. Kinsey said, all smiles, as she reached for the doorknob. “Don’t worry. I’ll be quick. Then I’ll get your girl back to you, Daddy.”

With that, she was gone.

Before I could correct her.

And I was going to correct her.

Right?

But I wouldn’t deny it; it felt like there was something right about what she’d said.