Page 117 of The Business of Love Box Set 1: Books 1 - 4

HAILEY

M y palms were clammy and hot when Jackson pulled into the parking space behind my clinic.

He’d driven here before about three years ago when I had strep throat and a high fever, and he’d sat through the appointment with me to make sure he heard all the instructions so he could take proper care of me.

I was living alone at that time, so Hannah wasn’t around to make sure I stayed hydrated and took my antibiotics.

But Jackson made sure. He crashed on my sofa and doted on me without making me feel guilty.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when he cleared his throat. “Ready to go in?”

No. I nodded. “I think so.”

Jackson opened his door and got out. I stayed where I was. My ass was glued to the seat of the rental. He walked around the hood and opened my door for me. I stared at his hand when he offered it and couldn’t bring myself to accept it.

Everything had suddenly become intensely real.

There was a baby growing in my belly. And for the first time, I was going to hear its little heartbeat and get medical confirmation that yes, this is real.

This is happening. After that? Well, there would be no burying my head in the sand and pretending I was still just plain old not-pregnant Hailey.

Jackson flicked his fingers in a come-hither motion. “Let’s go, Hails. We can do this.”

We.

I slapped my hand into his. Jackson helped me out of the car and nudged the door closed behind me with his hip.

We walked hand in hand around the side of the building to the front doors.

It was warm inside and uncomfortably stuffy, like a waiting room in a humid hotel lobby.

I immediately regretted wearing such a big sweater but wasn’t willing to take it off and sit in my tank top.

I checked in at the desk and was told by Cheryl, the receptionist, that Dr. Davies would see me in about fifteen minutes.

Jackson and I found chairs in the waiting room and sat shoulder to shoulder. He put his hand on my knee and I rested my cheek on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

I still wasn’t thrilled with how he’d proposed but I was thoroughly convinced he felt terrible and he had seen the error of his ways—and understood the reason why I was upset in the first place. He was my best friend and it was in my hands to let this destroy us or not.

I couldn’t imagine a life without Jackson in it. So forgiveness was my only option.

Kim may or may not have had a hand in talking some sense into me but I didn’t plan on ever admitting that to her. Her ego didn’t need any more stroking.

It felt like only two minutes had passed when the doctor called my name.

I sat up straight. My blood ran cold, my stomach rolled over, and I felt all the blood drain from my face.

Jackson got smoothly to his feet and pulled me up with him. He flashed a dashing and excited smile over his shoulder at me. “Let’s do this thing.”

His confidence and enthusiasm dispersed my worry.

I followed him and Dr. Davies down the hall to the last room on the left.

We stepped in and the doctor closed it behind us.

He had a clipboard in hand, most likely containing my file, and he peered over the top of his glasses at me as Jackson and I took our seats.

“Congratulations, Hailey,” Dr. Davies said. “This is big news.”

I nodded weakly. “Thank you.”

“Unexpected?” Dr. Davies mused.

“Very,” I admitted.

He chuckled. “Well, most of the best things are, aren’t they? Here, hop up on the examination table. Let’s see if we can hear that heartbeat. You followed Cheryl’s instructions?”

I nodded. She’d given me a list of things to do to prepare for my appointment and I’d followed them to a T.

The first half of the appointment was spent doing bloodwork to run necessary tests. I’d never been bothered by needles, so that part seemed a lot less nerve wracking than the part that would follow.

The next five minutes went by in a blur as Dr. Davies prepped me to hear the baby’s heartbeat. He confirmed that I was just over six weeks along.

Dr. Davies told me all about how nervous he had been when he found out his wife was expecting their first child.

Apparently, they’d found out about it three weeks before their wedding, and they had to keep the whole thing under wraps and hide it from her traditional grandparents, who might have thrown in the towel on the wedding.

“It was very important they didn’t turn their backs on us because as a med student, I wasn’t exactly flush with cash and they were covering a good portion of the wedding,” Dr. Davies said.

“Luckily, we kept it under wraps and they never found out our firstborn was conceived out of wedlock. Times have changed since then. People are a lot more tolerant of couples following less traditional paths. How long have you two been seeing each other?”

I’d always loved Dr. Davies, but admittedly, he was a bit nosy. He asked a lot of questions and didn’t understand personal boundaries all that well. He never pried to be rude. He just wanted to know you as best as he could.

“We aren’t seeing each other,” I said.

Jackson let out a nervous laugh. “We’re best friends actually.”

Dr. Davies’s eyebrows inched up his forehead. “I see. Very untraditional indeed.”

I blushed. “The baby wasn’t part of the plan. And Jackson and I… well, it’s complicated.”

“Isn’t it always?” Dr. Davies smirked. He set me up with a hearing device pressed to my tummy connected to a monitor. I tried to get comfortable as he pressed it all over my stomach searching for the heartbeat. He paused. “Ah. Here we are. Let’s have a listen, shall we?”

Jackson moved to stand by my head. He took my hand in his and put his other hand on my shoulder.

Dr. Davies smiled victoriously.

Suddenly, the room filled with the whirring, rushing sound of a tiny heartbeat. I’d only ever heard such a thing in the movies, but hearing it with my own two ears and knowing it was coming from inside me was the most overwhelming sensation I’d ever experienced. A half-laugh half-sob escaped me.

“Jackson,” I breathed as tears streamed down my face. “That’s our baby.”

Jackson wiped my tears away and crouched down beside me. When I turned to him, his eyes were glassy and his cheeks were flushed.

“I’m scared,” I whispered.

He pressed his lips to my forehead and I closed my eyes. “Me too,” he said softly. “But I’ve got you. And you’ve got me. Like always. Right?”

Right. Like always.

I nodded.

Dr. Davies rose from his chair and moved to the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. You two enjoy the moment. It’s precious and you will remember it forever.”

He left the room.

Jackson stroked my hair off my forehead. “This doesn’t even feel real.”

“It feels real to me.”

“I wish it would sink in,” he said.

“It will,” I promised.

He kissed my forehead again. The warmth and reassurance of his lips chased away my lingering fears. He was right. We were in this together. There was so much uncertainty ahead of us but I knew in my soul I could face anything so long as I had Jackson.

I reached for him and cupped his cheek. “I’m sorry I pushed you away.”

“I deserved it. I never should have—”

“Hush,” I said. Jackson fell quiet. “I should have come with you to New York when you first asked me. I wanted to. But I was afraid of change. I convinced myself I had to stay behind. The invite was a no-brainer. I should have said yes. I regret that I made you feel like I didn’t want to be with you. ”

“Is that what we’re doing now? Getting our apologies out in the open?”

I laughed softly. “It feels right, doesn’t it?”

“Clean slate?”

I nodded. “Clean slate.”

“In that case, I’m sorry I set you up on that stupid date with Ambrose. I never wanted it to work out for you two. I mean, sure, I told myself it would be good for you, but deep down, I wanted you to myself.”

“I’m sorry I stopped talking to you and shut down after we slept together.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t push harder.”

I pulled him down to me and crushed my lips against his. He crouched frozen in my grasp for a moment, but eventually, he relaxed and gave in to the need that had washed over me. The kiss filled the empty well inside my heart, and any lingering fear I had was replaced with excitement.

We were going to do this. And we were going to do it together.

When we broke apart, Jackson was smiling like an idiot.

I rolled my eyes and laughed at him. “Whatever wise-ass joke you’re thinking about, keep it to yourself.”

“I can do that.”

I giggled, rolled onto my side, and propped my head up in one hand. I gestured back and forth between us with the other. “So, what does this mean?”

“It means I love you,” he said simply. “And I always have. And maybe this was the kick in the ass we needed to finally do something about it.”

I shoved him in the shoulder. “Don’t swear in front of the baby.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Sorry, it was the kick in the booty we both needed.”

“Better.”

He grinned and put his hand on my stomach.

“Hey, Jack?”

“Mm?” His focus was still on my tummy and I imagined how wonderful it would be to be round and full and six months along and have him smiling and talking to my belly as he prepared to be a father.

Tears blurred my vision. “I love you too.”