Page 79 of Pinch

He ducks into the waiting room and walks straight to where I’ve scurried to hide behind a Ficus tree.

“Did you check in?” His voice is low.

“Not yet. I was waiting for you.” Again, a total amateur move.

I look around the room. It’s not crowded, and the few women who are here are either preoccupied with their own tiny babies or they’re pregnant. Thankfully, they all seem to be distracted, which means it’s possible we’re safe.

“Wait here,” I whisper, going to the window to sign the clipboard.

I have to fill out a questionnaire, and Gav turns to the wall, keeping his hood up and studying his phone. Thankfully, it’s not too long before they call my name.

The nurse is very pleasant, taking my vitals and getting my weight. She leads us to a small room with a bed and assorted ultrasound equipment and monitors, then she says the technician will be right with us.

When she leaves, I look up at Gavin. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”

He pushes the hood off his head and puts his sunglasses on the counter before pulling me into a tight hug. I’m surrounded by strong muscles, the scent of soap and leather, and comfort.

“It’s going to be fine. You’ve been sleeping well, no spotting. These are all good things.” I’ve always been strong, but he’s really good at this. “It helps knowing exactly when conception happened. You should be in the tenth week, which means the baby is the size of a strawberry…”

Pushing out of his arms, I squint up at him. “How do you know all this stuff?”

His brow lowers. “I’ve been readingThe Expectant Fatheron my phone. My dad said it’s the book he read when theywere expecting me. I also downloadedFrom Dude to Dad, but I like the other one better.”

I only blink at him with my jaw dropped. We’ve been home a week, and with school starting and hockey games, I haven’t been paying a lot of attention to his reading habits.

Hell, I’ve never paid attention to his reading habits. I didn’t even know he read. Now, the thought of him studying baby books has me melting inside.

“I didn’t know you were doing that.” My voice is soft.

“You’re not?” The side of his lips rises in a half-grin. “I figured you’d be way ahead of me on all of this.”

Pressing my lips together I climb slowly onto the ultrasound chair. “I haven’t read anything… other than Google.”

“I don’t believe that. You’re the scientist. You study everything in detail. I’ve heard you talk about wind currents and viral transmission.”

“I know!” I cringe. I’m sitting with my legs hanging off the side of the chair, and I cover my face with my hands. “I guess I’ve been in denial? I finished up the semester and visited with my family and set up the lab for spring… I’ve done everything but think about this tiny being inside me.”

He lifts one of the chairs from beside the wall and places it right in front of me. Then he reaches up and takes both my hands in his.

“Maybe it’s too theoretical… or you could still be in shock. The books say it can take as long as the first diaper to feel a connection with your baby.” He holds me so securely, my eyes heat. “They say not to shame yourself about it. You’ll get there when you do.”

“Gavin…” My voice is a whisper, and I don’t know what I’m about to say.

The door bursts open, and a friendly woman enters. “Hello, Bradfords! I’m Dr. Mandy Barry. Yep, just like the Barry Manilow song, easy to remember.”

Her hazel eyes dance, and her blonde hair is streaked with white. Google reviews for the win!

“I’m actually the Bradford,” I nod towards Gav. “He’s a Knight.”

“A white knight. I love it!” She reaches out to shake Gav’s hand.

“Gray night, actually,” he corrects, but I can tell by his response and the tone of his voice he likes her as much as I do. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Manilow.”

“Ha!” Dr. Barry points at him. “Good one. I hope that gray knight thing doesn’t stand for ‘morally gray.’”

Gav is quick to answer. “Not at all. It’s more a mix of Gawain and Galahad.”

“Galahad was the greatest knight ever. I love it.”