I clipped my hair up and bypassed the makeup. I wouldn’t need to impress anyone, but I had more color in my cheeks than in the last few days. Talking with Van last night had eased a lot of anxiety that had settled into my bones since the kiss. I’d also gotten the deepest sleep of my life as soon as Van’s weight was next to me in bed.
I left the bedroom and went to the kitchen. My stomach protested. No, I could not eat this morning.
Van was munching on a breakfast sandwich. He shoved the last bite in his mouth and dusted off his fingers. “Hungry?”
“I’ll get something after I’m done.” I pressed a hand to my stomach. “I don’t want to risk it.”
“Nervous?” He dug his keys out and twirled them on his finger.
“Yeah. Kinda excited too, I guess.”
“Let’s go so you’re nice and early.”
Was he… No. He couldn’t be. Yet he was dressed in jeans and a polo when he normally wore shorts and a T-shirt in his office. He had his shoes on. Elation could’ve lifted me off my feet, but I had to be misunderstanding this. He wouldn’t miss work for this. Would he? “Where are you going?”
“With you.”
Stunned, I stared at him. “What?”
“You shouldn’t have to do this by yourself.”
And I’d told him that I didn’t expect my family to hold my hand. Did he think I would stress myself too much? I was too inept? “You don’t have to.”
“Bean is my niece or nephew. Consider me checking in early for uncle duty.”
Oh. He wasn’t going to be a zero, and this baby was a part of his life—if he wanted it to be.
“You don’t have to, but thank you.” Heat poked the backs of my eyes. I didn’t realize how anxious I was until a tremble ran through my body, ending in my hands. I hooked them on my purse so he didn’t see them shaking.
“My pleasure. We can take my truck.”
“There might, um, be a physical, and it’ll involve stirrups.”
He winced. “If you said that to a dude about what his appointment would be like, he’d be running.”
“Wait until you see the speculum.”
Color leached from his face. “I don’t know what that is, but I don’t like that word.”
Laughing, I headed into the garage, and he followed me.
It didn’t take long to drive to the clinic. Walking in with Van should’ve been weirder than it was, but I was grateful to have someone by my side. We’d been living together for three weeks. Perhaps that was why. He’d met my whole family. All of them. He’d played kickball with us, we’d slept next to each other, and we’d even had our first fight.
I checked in at the counter, and we sat in the waiting room. Since Coal Haven was small, the clinic was for everyone. It was big enough to have a doctor who took obstetric patients, or I’d have to drive to Bismarck.
We scrolled through our phones, sitting side by side. He bounced a leg, and that was the only sign he might be nervous. A familiar face popped out of the door to the patient rooms.
“Clover, hi,” Emery Barron said. Her hair was in a clip, the strands fanning out behind her. She wore purple scrubs. “You can come on back.”
Her brows lifted when she saw Van next to me, but understanding filled her eyes. I wouldn’t be surprised if news got back to her through the Duke, Knight, and Barron grapevine.
Relief flowed through me, and I smiled as I rose and followed her. Van’s presence was a secure wall behind me. Once we were in the exam room, Emery shut the door and sat by the desk.
“You know my situation, don’t you?” I rubbed my hands together. “It’s okay if you do. The less I have to explain, the better.”
Her smile was just as comforting as being with Van. “I heard the story, but trust me, lots of stories have walked through these doors. Dr. Abdallah is only concerned about you and the baby. Whoever you’re comfortable with having with you is fine with us.”
“This is Van.” I clasped Van’s strong hand and let go like I touched a hot stove. “Van, this is Emery. She’s married to a cousin of Evander’s.”
