She drank a few sips before cupping her hand and pouring some into her hand to slather along the back of her neck. She’d already taken her hat off, leaving it discarded upside down in the chair beside her.
What was going on with her? The headaches. The vomiting. Now, the dizziness. I remember being sick for a bit after the fire, but she hadn’t even been in the thick of it like I was either time. And even now, I felt perfectly fine. Could it really be that? Or was it something else entirely?
“You okay?” I asked, wiping a hand across her brow and pushing her curls back off her face.
She blew out a breath and nodded. “I’m okay. A little nauseous, but the water helped. I think I was just dehydrated.”
I pursed my lips. There was more to it than that, but it was beyond me for the moment.
She laughed, pressing her free hand to my chest. “I’m fine, cowboy. I promise.”
Not gonna lie, hearing her say that, the smokey warmth of her voice, the bubbling sound of her laughter, it eased some of my fears. The knot in my chest loosened a bit. Not completely, but a bit.
“Seriously, Maverick…” She leaned in, tilting her head so as not to bump my hat still on my head as she kissed me reassuringly. “I’m okay. Now come on, we gotta get back for the bull riding.”
Chapter twenty-nine
There Goes My Life
Cheyenne
Iwoke up torays of sunlight streaming in through the window in Maverick’s bedroom. My head spun, and my tongue felt like it had been glued to roof of my mouth. I needed water and some ibuprofen.
We’d gone out last night celebrating our wins. Maverick and Cash snagged first in team roping. Cash had gotten Reserve Champion in bareback bronc riding, and Ryder had gotten another first in bull riding. I’d drank way too much. Especially, considering we’d be drinking today for the Fourth.
The smell of food let me know Maverick was already getting things ready for that. What time was it, even? I wiped the sleep from my eyes and grabbed my phone off the charger. 9 AM. Of course, he’d let me sleep in. I’m sure all the chores were done. He’d probably cleaned the house, and gotten at least half the dishes ready for today.
I smiled at that. Perfect man.
A wave of desire sparked to life, trying to push away the nausea cloying for dominance in my body. Maybe a shower would help. I walked into the bathroom and froze. Sitting right there on thecounter was a box of pregnancy tests. A frown tugged on my mouth. Why were there pregnancy tests on the countertop? Better yet, why would Maverick put them there?
You’re really askin’ that?The little voice of reason whispered in my mind.
I thought of the past week. The couple of vomiting episodes. The headaches. The dizziness. The fact that my damn show jeans were tight as hell trying to put them on this past weekend.
Knots formed in my stomach, accompanied by an overwhelming wave of nausea.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
No. No, I couldn’t be pregnant. There were about a hundred different reasons for all that. Pregnancy symptoms and period symptoms were almost identical. I blew out a breath and ignored the pregnancy tests, grabbing for my toothbrush out of the vanity, the boxes all but mocking me in the corner of my eye. The taste of mint in my mouth brought on another wave of nausea and a growl escaped me.
“God damn it,” I groaned, spitting the toothpaste out and reaching for the box.
What could taking a test hurt? Better to be safe than sorry, right?
My hands trembled as I opened the box and tore open the sealed test. It was one of those fancy ones that would say ‘pregnant’ or ‘not pregnant’. Dear God, I hoped like hell it said the latter.
It didn’t even take the full two minutes like it stated on the box. Nope. Ten. Fucking. Seconds.
One little word appeared on that small screen and then the whole world shifted beneath my feet. My heart lodged in my throat, my stomach clenching so tightly I actually wished I could throw up just to relieve the pressure. I took in a deep breath. Well, tried. It’s like my lungs didn’t work anymore. It reminded me of the fire, when no matter how hard I tried to get in a deep breath I just couldn’t.
My legs buckled and I curled my knees up to my chest, trying and failing to control my breathing.
Fuck... Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
How? How the hell could I be pregnant?
You know how.
