Chapter 31: Start of a Wild Ride

Melody didn’t seem taken aback by our connection. She gestured towards Brennan’s office.

“I’ve left the coffee and danishes on your desk, sir. Grace, I’m looking forward to working with you both.”

“Thanks, Melody.” Brennan swung his door open.

I gave Melody a warm smile and a nod before stepping into Brennan’s office.

We chatted about work for a bit. I put in an order for the stationery I’d need and a new computer. It was almost half past eleven when we finally stepped back out.

“Grace and I are off to our appointment. Feel free to knock off early if you want. Have a great weekend.”

Brennan’s tone with Melody was respectful and kind. It was clear they’d built a solid professional relationship in my absence. I smiled, slipping my hand into Brennan’s.

Even before all this, before I’d quit and everything went haywire, there had been something simmering between us. Now I could see it had always been there.

“Lost in thought?” Brennan asked as we strolled back through the office.

“I was just thinking about how professional your relationship with Melody is,” I said softly. “And how, despite the distance, ours was never just professional.”

Brennan chuckled. “No. It wasn’t.”

We left the office and Brennan drove us to the clinic where Dr. Harber worked. We checked in and waited. A little after twelve, the nurse called us in. She took my weight and blood pressure before Dr. Harber came in.

“Grace, Brennan. Sorry for the wait. Okay, so I’ve reviewed the blood work from the hospital in Arcane Falls and the sonogram.”

As Dr. Harber moved around her office, I noticed she was about my mom’s age, with long brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail.

She gave me a reassuring smile, which instantly put me at ease. Brennan’s grip on my hand tightened.

“Everything looks good. I’ll redo the blood work and another sonogram today, just to double-check.”

I smiled. Brennan was going to get to see our baby. I turned to look at him. He looked stunned, like someone had zapped him with a taser and then propped him up in the chair while he was still dazed.

“Question?” Dr. Harber asked, clearly noticing Brennan’s reaction.

“To double-check what?”

I looked back at Dr. Harber, and she smiled.

“It’s just part of my onboarding process. It’s been a few days since your last bloodwork and we like to see the hormone levels increase.

“I’d like to do a sonogram to estimate a due date along with the questions we’re about to go through. Nothing to worry about.”

I felt Brennan’s grip on my hand relax a bit and he let out a quiet sigh. After a series of questions, Dr. Harber had a nurse draw my blood before taking me into a separate room for the sonogram.

I lifted my shirt and rolled down my leggings. Dr. Harber applied the same kind of gel on my stomach as the sonographer at the hospital had used. Then she placed the wand on my belly and moved it around.

Before long, she found the little blob, which seemed to have changed so much in just a few days. She took a few measurements before focusing on the heart.

I watched as the rhythm tracked across the screen. Brennan leaned forward and I looked at him. His eyes were wide, and he seemed in awe.

“Is that the heartbeat?”

“Yes. Would you like to hear it?” Dr. Harber asked.

“Yes,” Brennan said, barely letting her finish her sentence. Dr. Harber chuckled and turned the dial. The room filled with the sound of a galloping horse.

“Holy shit!” Brennan exclaimed. He placed his hand over mine and then pressed his lips to my forehead. “This is wild.”

A few minutes later, Dr. Harber finished up. I cleaned off the gel and we went back into her office. She looked at her notes, then began typing on her computer.

“Okay. So based on your scan and your missed injection date, I think you’re roughly six and a half weeks pregnant. Everything looks perfect and I’ve scheduled an appointment in a month’s time.

“I’ll email you the time and date. If you decide to go with another OB, I promise I won’t take it personally.

“I’m printing another prescription for vitamins. The hospital gave you the basics but there are a couple more you can take if you want.”

Dr. Harber stood up and walked to her printer. She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. My prescription and a copy of the sonogram.

I handed them both to Brennan and he stared at the picture, while I turned my attention back to the doctor.

“It’s been a pleasure meeting you both. Congratulations on this new journey.”

I smiled and stood up. “We’ll see you in a month, Dr. Harber.”

Brennan and I left the office. We paid for the visit and then left to pick up my things from Belle’s. Brennan was on cloud nine the entire way. He wanted to go shopping right away for everything baby.

I laughed, just grateful that things had turned out the way they had when it all could have been so different. Once I’d grabbed my suitcase from Belle’s, we went to a baby boutique in Tribeca.

While Brennan wanted to buy out the entire store, I managed to talk him into settling for a couple of t-shirts with “Mommy loves me” and “Daddy loves me” on them.

Once we got home, Brennan put the sonogram on the fridge.

“How about I order pizza, and we watch movies on the couch for the rest of the day?”

My stomach growled in response. I was hungry.

“Sounds perfect.”

It was perfect. The afternoon was perfect. A few days ago everything had been so uncertain, and now it was anything but.

We both fell asleep on the couch watching movies after a second round of pizza. When I woke the next morning, my stomach churning from a mix of pregnancy-induced indigestion and nausea,

I was alone. I sat up on the sofa and called out Brennan’s name, but he didn’t answer.

I frowned and reached for my phone. I unlocked it and opened my messages. I had one from Brennan sent at 7 a.m.

Brennan

I ordered you breakfast. It’s in the kitchen. I’ll be back before lunch. Love you, baby.

I let a smile play on my lips, my eyes fluttering shut for a moment. Brennan Wolf and I were an item. More than that—we were in love. I licked my lips and rose to my feet.

On the counter sat a glass of orange juice and a croissant. I pushed away the nausea and indigestion long enough to gobble it down in three bites.

After tidying up the kitchen and living room, I took a shower. By the time I was done, it was nearly eleven in the morning.

I reached for my phone, intending to call Brennan, but before I could, it rang. Belle’s name lit up the screen, so I swiped to answer.

“Hey, Belle!” I greeted.

“Morning, Grace!” she chirped through the phone. “Did you make it to the apartment okay?”

“Yeah, I’m back at Brennan’s.” I paused, a smile spreading across my face. “Home, now.”

“~Home~,” Belle echoed.

“I know, it’s hard to believe.”

“Well, I can believe it.” Belle laughed. “I ~told~ you two were crazy about each other.”

“Really, Belle, is this the time for I told you so?”

“You bet it is.” She chuckled. “Anyway, I called because my birthday is next weekend and I’m throwing a big party. I want you and Brennan to come.

“I know you can’t drink, but you’ve never been much of a drinker anyway. I’ll have my bartender friend whip up all the mocktails your pregnant bladder can handle, okay?”

I laughed, settling into a chair at the kitchen table.

“Of course, I’ll need to check Brennan’s schedule, but I’ll definitely be there.”

“Great!” she replied. “So, where’s your man?”

I frowned, glancing at the wall clock. It wasn’t even noon yet, but I hadn’t heard from Brennan.

“He went out to run some errands, I think. He left while I was still asleep.”

“What a sweetheart.” Belle giggled, then muttered something under her breath. “Oh, babe, I’ve got to go. Someone can’t keep their hands to themselves. I’ll call you later!”

After we hung up, I shot Brennan a text.

Grace

You okay? Love you too.

I returned to the couch and lay down where we’d been earlier. His aftershave still lingered on the cushion, so I nestled my head, closed my eyes, and let sleep take me.