by Maree, Kay
“Demetri couldn’t work out what the hell was wrong with her. He thought we may have had to lock her in the bedroom for the duration of the trip,” Sophie winks at me giggling.
“Oh, shut ya face,” Lucy mumbles.
Folding her arms across her chest, popping out her hip and tapping the toe of her high heel boots making us laugh.
Squinting her eyes at us looking insulted but I catch the small smirk curling her lips.
“Demetri is here?” I ask, changing the subject, looking around Sophie towards the door.
“Oh, yeah, that man wouldn’t let her come alone,” Lucy jabs at her sister before taking the seat next to me.
“He loves me,” Sophie simply says, poking her tongue out at her smart-mouth sister, laughing.
Sophie's laugh is infectious, triggering everyone else around her.
“He's out in the waiting room comparing planes with Lou,” Sophie shrugs, rolling her eyes.
“Lou’s is NOT a plane, it's a bloody tin can with wings. I have never prayed in my life until I was strapped into that beast. I was worried the thing would fall apart around me as we flew,” I argue, pouting.
Folding my good arm across my casted arm that’s resting on my chest.
Nash comes over and slides in next to me on the bed, his body shaking as he tries to hold in a chuckle but fails miserably.
I bite into my bottom lip, careful not to split the healing cut as I try not to smile.
“Baby girl,” John says from beside me, cutting my eyes to him with what I hope is a fierce look, but I guess it didn’t work as amusement washes over his features.
Nearing the same height as Nash but not as built, I take in his now worried expression, making him look 10 years older than his 55 years.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you,” he husks out the room quieting with the weight of his words.
“Kevin called me and we ended up going fishing for a few days. My phone was out of service,” he looks down to the ground, shoulders slumped forward, hands in his pockets.
I have never seen him look so defeated before, and it breaks my heart.
Reaching over with my good hand, I rest it against his arm until he pulls his hands out of his pockets and cups mine in both of his.
“You couldn’t predict this would happen,” I say, trying to ease his worry.
“I knew it was too easy, that prick never did like the word no.”
If only he knew the half of it, I think.
“This is no one's fault but that dickless wonder,” Lucy spits out.
Cutting through the heavy silence.
“Lucy,” Nash growls.
“What?” she says, confusion coating her words.
“Cora is having trouble remembering wh--”
I cut him off, not wanting anyone to walk on eggshells around me.
“I remember,” I mumble.
Sinking more into Nash’s side, John squeezes my hand before lightly patting the top.
“You do?” Nash looks down at me, one eyebrow raised.
“Yeah,” I nod, unease coating that one word.
“Where is he?” I ask, afraid of the answer, my whole body shivering.
“Dead,” Nash spits out with a dark edge.
“You didn’t...” I can’t even finish what I was about to say, not sure how I feel about the fact Nash had to do that for me or what it would mean for his soul.
Pulling my hand from John’s I grip Nash’s shirt.
“I wish I did,” he grunts out, making me gasp.
“Little Mare, he took you from me. He hurt you and then nearly fucking killed you, of course, I would want to kill him for that. However, when he rolled the car Dave Donaldson had been working on that part of his farm all week and there just so happened to be a Tractor mounted with a Forklift parked along that stretch of land. Since it wasn’t in use, the forks were up and I guess you get the picture,” he shrugs.
“Like a skewer kebab,” Lucy winks, laughing.
Making me grimace.
I don’t think I will ever look at a skewer kebab the same way again.
“Come on, that was funny,” Lucy belly laughs.
Nash chuckles beside me, making me roll my eyes, looking over towards Sophie and John. I notice they are trying to hide their laughter.
John turns his face into his shoulder and Sophie covers her mouth with her hand, but I see her mouth twitching, her eyes shining with amusement.
“Well Shit,” I throw my arms up in the air the best I can in a sign of I give up and join the lot of them.
If you can’t beat em, join em, I always say.
“Your sister is mental,” I gasp.
Sophie nods like a bobblehead doll. “Yep,” she chuckles.
“Hey, I’m right here bitches,” Lucy mock gasps, hands over her heart and everything.
“You girls just wish you had my quick wit,” she winks, not annoyed in the slightest.
Taking a few deep breaths, trying to catch my breath, I shake my head at her crazy ass.
God, I can’t believe how much I have missed them.
These girls are my sisters.
It doesn't matter that we ain’t sisters by blood this friendship is built on so much more than blood.
A throat clearing at the door catches our attention.
“Doctor Harris,” I say, not able to wipe the smile off my face.
“It’s good to hear some laughter around here,” he chuckles.
I do a quick introduction around the room.
He nods in acknowledgement.
“Could I please have a moment alone with Miss Hope?” he smiles.
“Is everything okay?” Nash asks.
“I just need to talk to Cora please, don’t worry, I won’t take up too much of her time,” he answers. A knot of worry twists in my belly at the serious look now crossing his features.
“We will just be in the waiting room, Baby Girl,” John says.
Leaning over kissing my forehead.
“Okay,” I nod as everyone except Nash moves towards the door.
“Mr Steel If you could just--”
“I'm not leaving,” he gruffs out, cutting him off.
Nash’s whole body next to me goes ramrod straight, as if daring the Doctor to make him leave.
“I think it may be best--”
“I want him to stay, we have no secrets and I will just tell him what you say anyway,” I shrug. Cutting him off this time, feeling every one of Nash’s muscles flex and ripple against my body.
“Fair enough,” he nods, closing the door.
Coming back to the end of the bed, he flips open my patient folder, reads something, then locks eyes with me.
“What’s wrong?” I blurt when the silence stretches between us.
“When I had the Nurse get another blood sample, I put them through to be tested straight away this morning. I got them to do a CBC (a complete blood count) so I could make sure everything was healing and working the way it should. Because I was extremely concerned last night that you had been throwing up then again this morning.
I thought it could have been linked to something in the medicine that was hooked up to your IV. We thought you may have been allergic to it but it turns out you are in fact pregnant.”
PREGNANT - and just like that, my final pieces clicked back into place.
With my arms resting on my belly, warmth spreads through me knowing life is starting to grow inside me.
I don’t know who you’ll be Little Bit but I do know you’ll be our EVERYTHING!!!
Holy fucking shit.
Did I just hear correctly, looking down at Cora, I notice the stunned look on her face as well.
Well, shit, that is not what I expected him to say but fuck I’m gonna be a father.
Holy shit we are having a baby.
Warmth explodes through me at the thought of seeing her round with my child.
&nb
sp; My dick which has been quiet the past two weeks finally makes himself known pushing against my sweatpants.
Fuck I can’t get hard now there is no way I could hide it in these fuckers.
“Excuse me, can you say that again?” Cora’s soft voice breaks the silence and I can’t make out if she is happy or not. Biting my tongue against my arousal and my need to show her how happy I am at the news. I wait for the Doctor to repeat himself, not taking my eyes off her face, needing to see how she reacts.
“I’m guessing this wasn’t planned? I had them run the tests twice, and they both came back with the same answer. You’re pregnant Miss Hope, it's still only very early days, but you are roughly two-and-a-half weeks.”
“Oh my god,” slips out of her mouth on a gasp.
Her bottom lip begins to tremble and worry knots in the pit of my stomach that this may be too much for her to deal with right now.
Then those mood ring eyes of hers lock with mine.
The swirling colours bleed into each other as they begin to glass over, but the giant smile curling her lips breaks the unease gripping me.
“Nash,” she whispers.
“Thank you,” I choke out.
Leaning down I lock my lips with hers pouring everything into it.
All the worry over the last few weeks pours into that kiss, not wanting to stop.
Wanting to consume every drop that is her.
Pulling back when my lungs scream in protest needing air, I feel the smile tugging at my lips but then it hits me.
“Doctor, with everything that’s happened,” I choke out “will that have affected the baby?”
That knot twisting my gut only seconds ago comes back full force.
My breath catches in my throat.
Squeezing Cora tighter into my side, feeling her body begin to shake.
“We won’t know this early on, but I have scheduled Miss Hope for an Endovaginal ultrasound four weeks from today.
I also have a supply of vitamins I want her to take throughout her pregnancy.”
“Okay, sounds gre--” Cora’s soft words are cut off when a deep growl rumbles through my chest.
“What the fuck is an Endovaginal ultrasound? And Doc, you better pick your words wisely,” I gruff out my whole body tight and locking onto one word Vaginal.
The Docs eyes widen at my outburst but I don’t give a shit.
“It’s an ultrasound test that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of your internal organs.” He swallows before going on.
“Since Miss Hope is so early on in her pregnancy, this is the best way to check for the baby's heartbeat and to make sure everything is working the way it should be.”
That’s all the explanation he gives me, but I know there is more.
“What else?”
He swallows hard again, not meeting my eyes.
“Unlike a regular abdominal or pelvic ultrasound where the ultrasound wand rests on the outside of the pelvis.
This procedure involves inserting a probe about 2 to 3 inches into the vaginal canal.”
“Yeah, that ain’t fucking happening,” I spit.
“Nobody sees what’s mine.” I growl and it rumbles right through me.
“Nash,” Cora giggles.
“No Cora, this shit is not funny,” I bite out.
An image of Doctor Harris shoving a probe up my woman's pussy penetrates my mind.
“It really is,” she giggles.
Burying her face into my side, her whole body shaking now from laughter.
Running a rough hand through my hair, trying to get my shit together, my jaw locks.
“Mr Steel, this is the only way we will get an accurate reading,” he pushes.
“Fuck,” I grunt. “But you’re not doing it. I want a female,” I demand.
No other fucking man is going to be all up in what’s mine.
Fuck that shit.
“Morine Sanders will be Miss Hope’s OB-GYN after she has been discharged from the hospital,” he confirms, which eases me a little bit but not much.
“When can I head home?” Cora speaks up.
“We want to monitor you overnight and if everything stays the way it is now, we'll see about discharging you sometime tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Doctor Harris.”
Cora dismisses the Doctor and I’m so stuck in my head I don’t bother to say anything.
I’m going to have to ask Mum if there is another way because this shit will fuck with my head if I have to witness someone else touching what’s mine.
“Nash, it’s a simple procedure,” Cora says.
Her small hand cupping my cheek, pulling my face down to hers.
Leaning the rest of the way down, I brush my lips across hers.
“I’ll talk to Mum. I'm sure she will know of some other way,” I blurt, making Cora's smile widen.
“My very own Cowboy Caveman,” she giggles, making me growl.
“Well, it ain’t happening,” I clip out being totally irrational, but I don’t give two fucks.
“Whatever you say, Cowboy,” she smirks.
I know this shit will be happening and there is nothing I can do about it.
“Fuck,” I grunt.
Making her laugh harder.
I try to hide the smirk threatening to escape, but lossing the battle as her eyes shine with her laughter.
Tucking her in closer to me, I lean against the back of the bed, running a hand down my face. Looking down at the beauty in my arms when her nails run over my chest.
Cupping her hand, I rest it against my heart.
“Seriously, Little Mare, you have made me so happy,” I whisper gently curling my hand around the back of her neck.
Like always, I feel her melt into my touch.
Her eyes lock with mine as a lone tear gathers in the corner of her left eye.
Before it has the chance to fall, I swipe it away with my thumb.
“I hope when you said home you meant our place,” I ask, searching her face.
“Wallumbia is now your home Little Mare you better start getting used to that,” I grunt.
“What if I said no?” she challenges, smirking, one perfectly shaped brow arched.
“I would say,” I lean forward brushing my lips over hers once, twice before pulling back feeling the heat of her breath float over my lips.
“I love you, and the minute you are all better you are gonna marry me.”
Before she has a chance to answer me I slam my lips down on hers, pulling her up my body.
Her palms cup the sides of my face, her nails running through my short beard.
Running my tongue over the seam of her lips just waiting for her to give me what I want, the taste of salt combines with her natural flavour.
Cupping one warm cheek I feel the wetness of her tears coating my palm but her kiss has me captured, I don’t want to pull back and break this sweet moment.
After what feels like forever, we are both panting as we rest our foreheads together.
“I love you,” I repeat on a whisper.
Watching as those swirling glassy eyes flutter open, hit mine and lock holding me hostage.
“With that smooth whiskey whisper of yours, you had me at hi, but that’s not what had me falling in love with you Nash Steel. The way you hold me, that touch you said would show me.
How this would be between us brought me undone but also put me back together again.”
“Cora,” I breathe into her hair.
My heart squeezing in my chest at the way this woman has slipped into my life and set up camp, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Fuck. I love you,” I growl.
“I love you too and yes I will marry you, today, tomorrow, next week, in a few months I don’t care so long as you are with me.”
“Good. Cause I wasn’t asking,” I grunt, snickering when she pinches my side.
“Asshole,” she grumbles, rolling those pretty eyes of hers.
“You’ll get used to it,” I mumble right before I capture those lips again in a soul-searing kiss.
I’m not sure it was an accident that sent her falling into my arms literally that first day, but I caught her.
She came here looking for herself and I promised her slow but slow is for pussies and now she’s MINE.
I just have to get her ass down the aisle and brand her as mine Forever.
“Here sweetheart, I brought you a chicken salad sandwich and orange juice,” June announces, making her way into Nash’s, I mean mine and Nash’s bedroom.
“Thank you, June,” I smile.
Sitting up against the headboard, I wiggle, pushing the pillows behind my back.
Giggling when June arches a perfect eyebrow at me.
“I mean Mum,” this time my smile is bigger.
My head floats back to a week ago when June and Lou rushed into the hospital room when Nash called them to tell them he had news to tell them about my treatment plan.
We didn’t want to tell them over the phone that we were having a baby.
I wanted to see their faces, and Nash agreed.
So later that day when they rushed into the room flustered and worried, it hit me at that moment how much they cared about me.
June folded me into her chest as if I was her daughter and cried happy tears that I had woken again that morning and hadn't slipped back into my coma.
“I love you as if you were my own daughter so no more getting hurt my heart couldn’t take it.” She admonished, smiling, but the worry swimming deep in her blue eyes tugged at my heart and Lou was looking no different.
“Now that you and my son are official, I was wondering if you would consider calling me mum?” June asked sheepishly and that hit me hard in the chest.
We hadn't even told them the news, and she wanted me calling her mum and that just started the waterworks all over again.
“Mum,” Nash panicked, running a comforting hand up and down my back.
“Dad, control your wife,” he rushed out, making Lou crack up laughing.
Simply shrugging his shoulders in answer.
“I would love that,” I managed to get out through broken sobs.