Page 50 of Pretty Desperate (Pine Village #6)

JILLIAN

M y foot is tapping a mile a minute. I can feel it. Kameron can feel it. Everyone in the lobby of the OB/GYN office can feel it. It practically shakes the entire building, but I can’t seem to make it stop. Even when Kam reached over and placed his palm gently above my knee, it didn’t settle down.

“Jillian,” a polite woman states at the doorway leading to the exam rooms.

My heart leaps in my chest and my hand darts out to grab on to Kameron’s. He takes it readily and stands up, escorting me to the waiting nurse. “Don’t be nervous,” he murmurs softly before we reach the doorway.

I snort. “Easier said than done,” I comment.

“Ready?” she asks when I reach her side.

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me your date of birth?” she asks, confirming my identity before we step back to the exam room area.

We stop in a little kiosk looking space, where the nurse asks me a few questions before taking my blood pressure and temperature.

She hands off the little plastic cup. “Every visit you’ll have to give a urine sample.

Restroom is across the hall, and there’s a door in the wall where you can place your sample when you’re done. ”

I nod and take the wrapped plastic cup.

“You go on in, and I’ll take Dad down the hall, room three on the left when you’re finished.”

I step inside the restroom and do my thing.

As I wash my hands, I try to calm my racing heart, but it’s no use.

I don’t know why I’m so nervous for today’s appointment, but I am.

And I’m so damn glad Kameron is here. He didn’t balk for one second when I told him my appointment was on a Friday afternoon.

He just made sure Marlin could cover his absence, which he did and mentioned he’d make sure he was available for every appointment Kameron needed to attend.

Taking a deep, calming breath, I unlock the door and make my way to room three. Kameron’s blue eyes light up the moment I enter the room.

“Go ahead and have a seat, Jillian. We’re gonna go through your medical history and then the doctor will come in and talk to you. She’ll do an eight-week ultrasound, so you’ll be able to get a first peek at your baby today,” she informs me with a smile.

I hope up on the exam table, while Kameron remains seated in the chair beside me.

He’s able to reach my hand, which he does as soon as I start answering health questions.

We go through my history and that of my immediate family.

I blush a bit when she starts asking about my period history, even though I shouldn’t be embarrassed.

The man has seen me naked on many occasions.

Hell, he’s eaten buttercream icing off me naked.

We’re having a baby. I have nothing to be embarrassed about.

When we’ve gone over everything, the nurse pulls a paper gown from the cabinet and sets it on the counter, along with a paper drape.

“Go ahead and get undressed from the waist down. Gown open in the front. Dr. Bergman will be in shortly,” the nurse, Gina, informs me before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her.

“You doing okay?” Kameron asks, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing my knuckles.

“Yeah, I guess. I mean, I have to do a pelvic exam,” I grumble, carefully getting up from the table and walking over to the gown.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t envy you right now,” he says, glancing down at the floor before meeting my gaze. “I know they’re pretty invasive.”

“Super, but I get it.” I toe off my slip-on shoes before grabbing the waistband on my leggings and shimmying them down my legs.

“I’ll give you some privacy,” he blurts out, spinning around and looking at the wall. Of course, there’s a graphic diagram of a woman’s reproductive organs there, and watching him study it as if he’s about to take a high school final on it is pretty amusing.

“Why did you turn around?” I ask, placing both my leggings and my panties on the empty chair and reaching for the paper gown.

“To give you privacy,” he repeats, still examining the poster on the wall.

“You’ve seen it all, Kameron,” I remind him, making my way back to the table. “All done.”

“I know,” he confirms, turning back around and holding my gaze, “But if I see you naked then I want to do naked-time things to you, and this is hardly the time or place.”

My giggle comes out a snort, and I’m saved from having to comment by a knock at the door. “Good afternoon, Jillian. How are you feeling today?” Dr. Bergman greets when she opens the door and steps inside.

“Not feeling too bad,” I tell the female physician who is in charge of my care throughout the pregnancy.

I’ve always seen the nurse practitioner in this medical group for all of my lady bits care, but I’ve heard nothing but positive things about Dr. Bergman.

In fact, that’s who both Hallie and Blair used, and she comes highly recommended from Blair and Gabe’s medical practice.

“Always happy to hear that,” she replies pleasantly before turning her attention to Kameron. “Dr. Bergman,” she states, offering him a hand.

“Kameron Markley. Dad.”

Dr. Bergman gives a wide smile. “Pleasure to meet you, Dad.”

That reference alone seems to brighten the room. Kameron beams with pride and excitement as Dr. Bergman returns her attention to me. “Shall we get started?”

We go over my history and she spends a few minutes talking about my age and what that means for pregnancy.

“There are a few things we’ll watch for, associated with an advanced maternal age pregnancy.

There can be a higher risk for pregnancy complications, chromosomal abnormalities, and an increased risk of preterm delivery.

We will monitor you closely and make any necessary care changes if something should arise. ”

“What kind of monitoring?” Kameron asks. I can tell he’s listening intently to everything she’s saying, and even though I’ve already talked to Blair extensively, I make sure to do the same.

“We’ll stay on a regular schedule with appointments that’ll include measurements and perhaps an extra ultrasound or two.

You have an option to do genetic testing if that’s something you’re worried about, and we can go over the risks when the time comes.

But I think it’s important to say, while there is a risk because of Jillian’s age, many women have perfectly healthy pregnancies and babies every day.

The age is just a guide, and we’ll use that guide to navigate you both through this. ”

I feel my heartbeat settle a bit as I give her a small, grateful smile. I know I’m in good hands with Dr. Bergman, and if something should arise that sparks concern, we’ll deal with it.

“Now, are you ready for the uncomfortable part?” she asks, getting up from her stool and moving to the sink to wash her hands. “We’ll do a quick pelvic exam today and then a transvaginal ultrasound. It’s too early to hear the heartbeat on the doppler, but we should be able to pick it up this way.”

A bubble of excitement erupts in my chest. Even though I’m about to be subjected to the dreaded pelvic exam, the fact I get to see and hear the baby’s heartbeat afterward is a reward.

I lie back and the nurse comes inside. Kameron stays near my head, his eyes widening as Dr. Bergman helps my feet into the stirrups. “Should I leave the room for this?” he asks, panic laced in his voice.

“No, you’re fine,” I tell him. “Just stay up here by my head.” The paper gown covers what she’s doing down there, so it’s not like he’s going to get a front row view of the exam.

“All done,” Dr. Bergman states after a couple of minutes, gently patting my leg with her hand after removing the gloves. “Stay just like this, and we’ll take a peek at that baby.”

I try to relax, but really, the only thing that seems to do the trick is when Kameron scoots up and takes my hand. Together, we watch Dr. Bergman wheel the ultrasound machine beside the table and prepare for this part of the exam.

“Okay, here we go,” she says, talking me through what’s about to happen.

It’s not comfortable, but it’s not uncomfortable either, if that makes sense, and fortunately, I have no time to dwell on what’s happening down south because the screen fills with the first image of our baby.

“I’m going to take a few quick measurements,” she informs me before tapping on a keyboard and rolling a mouse around. “Hmm…”

My heart catches before pounding hard in my chest. I look at the screen, trying to see what she’s seeing, but it looks foreign to me.

“Is something wrong?” Kameron asks, his grip on my hand tightening.

“No, not wrong, really,” she says, clicking and zooming in. “Look right here.” She points to a bean-shaped little spot on the screen. “That’s Baby A.”

My eyes water as I lay eyes on our baby for the first time. My heart swells in my chest and through tears, I just watch the screen. I’m completely smitten, already so over-the-top in love with my child, and the sight of seeing him or her on the screen is almost overwhelming.

“Wait, Baby A?”

Kameron’s words pull my attention away from the screen and crash with his wild, wide eyes. Realization sets in for both of us at the same time, and our gazes fly back to the screen.

Dr. Bergman is smiling. “Yes, Baby A. This right here,” she says, pointing to the second little bean on the screen, “is Baby B.”

“Holy shit,” I mutter, my mouth gaping open at the sight before me.

“Congratulations, Mom and Dad. You’re having twins.”

We’re silent the entire ride back to Pine Village, both of us lost in our own thoughts. The only thing keeping me grounded is his hand wrapped firmly around mine. Otherwise, I fear I might float away, part exhilaration, part shock, and part fear.

Twins.

Holy crap, we’re having two babies.

“So…” Kameron seems lost for words and doesn’t say anything else.

“Yeah…”

“I think I’m still in shock.”

I snort, thinking about how big I’m going to get with twins.

Will I be able to work the entire pregnancy, like I had planned before?

What will I do with the bakery? Who is going to help me take care of two babies?

Childcare wasn’t something I was going to look into until closer to my delivery date, but now I feel like I need to figure this out right now.

Who is going to have the space to take two babies instead of one?

Looking over to the driver of the vehicle, a faint smile reaches my lips. He’s concentrating hard, and I can practically see the wheels in his head spinning, but there’s also this aura of happiness surrounding him, and that brings me comfort in a moment of turbulence.

“I’m scared.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, not that I’d want to.

Suddenly, he’s slowing down and pulling off the roadway into the lot of an old gas station that’s been long closed down. He throws the engine into park and turns toward me. Reaching out, he pulls me into his arms as best he can, considering we’re both seat belted into place.

Kameron brushes my lips with his and rests his forehead against mine. “I’m scared too, but do you know what? I know everything is going to be okay. Why? Because I have you beside me and we’ll be doing this together. Every step, side by side. You and me.”

“It’s going to be pure chaos,” I blurt out with a laugh.

“Oh, for sure,” he quickly agrees with his own chuckle. “But, again, we’ll figure it out. Besides, two babies, two parents. How hard can it be?” He’s clearly joking by the look on his face.

“Double the diapers? The feedings? The crying?”

“Double the snuggling?” he adds, making my heart soar.

“That too,” I reply.

He exhales deeply and brings our linked hand to his lips.

After swiping a kiss across my knuckles, he pins his blue orbs on me.

“It’s going to be hard and scary, but it’ll also be the most joyful, rewarding thing we’ve ever done.

And the fact I’ll have you at my side, figuring this whole thing out together, is what keeps my fear at bay.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still worried. We have a lot to figure out over the next few months, but one thing I’ll never question is how much I love you.

I’m honored to walk through this craziness with you, Jilly, and I’m so fucking glad that condom broke. ”

I blurt out a hard laugh and shake my head. “Twins. Can you believe it?”

“Actually, I can, because ever since I showed up on your doorstep and asked you to be my fake girlfriend, everything has sort of been this beautiful mess, you know?”

“I do know,” I confirm, leaning forward and resting my cheek against the crook of his neck. “Thank you, Kameron.”

“For what?” he asks, holding me tightly.

“For loving me,” I whisper, lifting my head and meeting his gaze. “For loving me the way I’ve always dreamed of.”

His hand pushes hair off my forehead as he looks deeply into my eyes. “That’s the easy part, sweetheart. Loving you is as natural as breathing.”

His words make me all swoony. “You’re very charming, Mr. Markley.”

He snorts a laugh. “Charming. That’s probably not the term I would have used that night I showed up on your doorstep.”

“Nope. Desperate would have been more accurate,” I tell him, remembering the wild look of panic in his eyes when he asked me to play pretend.

“I was pretty desperate,” he confirms. “But that’s okay, because I got the girl.”

“You did. And now two babies.”

“I hope they look just like you,” he murmurs, kissing the tip of my nose.

I return my head to rest against him and just breathe in his familiar, woodsy scent. “We should probably get back to town. You have to work.”

“It can wait. First, I’m going to take you home and show you just how desperate for you I am.” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, causing my nipples to pebble against my bra and a rush of moisture to flood my panties.

I brush my lips across the underside of his chin and murmur, “Less talking, more driving, baby daddy.”

His eyes blaze with an intensity I’ve never witnessed before, just by saying those two words.

And that’s how we end up getting pulled over for speeding…

But the moment we crossed the threshold of my front door, and I was being pressed against the wall, my clothes ripped from my body by a madman, it was his words that echoed through my head as he made me come on his cock.

“Best. Ticket. Ever.”