While We Waited (Smuggler’s Hideaway #3)

Chapter 21

Offside – when a baby is not positioned where it’s supposed to be

Hudson

“N ova! Come on. We’re going to be late.”

I prowl the living room as I wait for her to come out of her bedroom. I hate her having a separate bedroom. I want her in my bedroom. In my bed. With me. I want to hold her in my arms all night long every night.

And she will be in my bedroom. I won’t allow for anything else.

“What’s the hurry?” Nova asks as she rushes into the living room.

“It’s my first doctor appointment. I don’t want to be late.”

Her smile lights up the room. “You’re excited about the doctor’s appointment?”

“Hell, yeah, I am. Today is the mid-pregnancy ultrasound. We can hear Sprog’s heartbeat and find out their gender.”

She freezes. “Find out the gender?”

“Do you not want to know if Sprog is a girl or a boy?”

Her nose wrinkles in that adorable way it does when she’s unsure. “I don’t know.”

“Let’s discuss this on the way. I don’t want to be late.”

She giggles. “I never thought Mr. Crabby Crabapple would be worried about being late.”

I never used to be. Until I arrived late at football practice once when I was a senior because I couldn’t get Brooks ready for school on time. After spending an hour running laps around the field, I decided to never be late again.

I usher Nova out of the chalet and into my truck. Warmth spreads through me when she allows me to lift her up into the passenger seat. She smiles at me and I can’t resist her. I kiss her forehead before clicking her seatbelt into place.

I’m not a man who needs a woman to follow his rules but I do want a woman who allows me to care for her the way Nova does. Or maybe I just want Nova. She’s all I can see and hear.

“I want to know the gender of the baby,” I announce once we’re driving toward the hospital where the OB/GYN has her practice.

“You couldn’t have mentioned this before today?”

“Sorry. I thought after you and my mom oohed and aahed over having a girl you wanted to know.”

“Are you okay with having a girl?”

I glance over at her. “Why wouldn’t I be okay with a girl?”

She shrugs and glances out of the window to avoid my gaze. “You’re a manly man. You have four brothers. Girls don’t seem to fit into your life.”

I grasp her hand. “You fit into my life.”

She snorts. “Because you knocked me up.”

“Best mistake of my life.”

She gasps. “Are you serious?”

I grunt. I don’t want to explain how spending a night tangled up in the sheets with her was the single most sexy experience of my life. Or how her getting pregnant allowed me to see past my fear of ruining her. Or how I’m falling in love with her.

She rubs a hand over her belly. Her pregnancy is still not visible but every time she touches her stomach and reminds me of the child we created, I get hard. My cock twitches and I clear my throat before I get hard now.

She rolls her eyes. “A grunt is not an answer.”

“We’re here,” I announce instead of responding to her.

I park and help her out of my truck. I enjoy the feeling of her in my arms. It’s why I often carry her out of the truck. I want her in my arms where I can protect her and cherish her as often as possible.

“You ready?” I ask as I lace my fingers with hers and lead her into the hospital.

She bounces on her toes. “Beyond ready. I can’t wait to hear Sprog’s heartbeat and see the little fingers and toes.”

Her smile spreads from ear to ear and her eyes sparkle with happiness. Those dark, exotic eyes mesmerize me. I want to stare into them while I’m moving inside of her, buried deep.

So much for not getting hard this morning.

“Nova Myers,” Nova announces to the receptionist and I scowl. Nova’s last name should be the same as mine – Clark. But we’re not there. She doesn’t even realize we’re a couple yet.

“Have a seat,” the receptionist says and I place my hand on Nova’s lower back to guide her to a chair.

I notice several women staring at me as we settle in our seats but I ignore them – the only woman I’m interested in is sitting next to me – and pull out my phone to check my email while we wait.

“Psst,” Nova whispers.

I grunt since I’m in the middle of reading an email about some water damage to one of our chalets.

“Psst.”

When I don’t respond this time, she elbows me. I set my phone down.

“What is it?”

“Keep it down,” she whispers.

“What is it?” I mumble.

“All the women here are staring at you.”

I don’t bother scanning the room to confirm. I don’t care.

“So?”

“So?”

“Yeah. So?”

“They’re practically drooling over you.”

“They’re not drooling over me.” I learned long ago the attention has nothing to do with me. It’s about the fame being a football player brought me. They want to feel the attention if only for a second.

She giggles. “I beg to differ.”

I grasp her hand. “I’m not interested in anyone other than you.”

She rolls her eyes. “Because I’m your baby mamma.”

She’s a lot more than my baby mamma. She’s the woman I want to spend my days and nights with. She’s the woman I want to build a family with. She’s the woman I want. Period.

“Nova Myers,” a nurse calls before I have a chance to answer. Which is probably for the better. A hospital waiting room is not the appropriate place to reveal to Nova that our relationship has changed.

We follow the nurse into a room. “Dr. Katz will be with you in a moment,” she says before leaving us.

Nova picks up the gown and hurries behind the curtain to change. I settle into a chair next to the exam table.

“Not a word,” she orders before coming out from behind the curtain wearing the hospital gown and a pair of fuzzy socks.

“You look adorable,” I say as I help her onto the exam table. I kiss her nose before sitting down again.

“Adorable?” She snorts. “I don’t think you know the meaning of the word.”

The door opens and the doctor rushes in. “Nova.” Her brow wrinkles when she realizes Nova isn’t alone. “Who is this?” Her gaze rakes up and down me.

“This is Hudson. Hudson this is Dr. Katz.”

“Is Hudson your baby daddy?”

Nova’s cheeks heat but she nods.

“No wonder you got pregnant the first time the two of you had sex.”

I chuckle.

Nova gasps. “You laughed.”

My brow wrinkles. “I laugh.”

She rolls her eyes. “Not very often, tallest crab apple in the orchard.”

Dr. Katz laughs. “You two are adorable. I love it when my adorable couples have babies.”

“We’re not a—”

I squeeze Nova’s hand to cut her off. “We’re excited about today’s scan.”

The doctor settles on a stool next to the ultrasound machine. “Do you want to know the sex of the baby?”

Nova raises an eyebrow at me.

“I do. Nova isn’t sure yet.”

“If you want to know, we’ll find out,” Nova says.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Do what?”

“Allow my wants to trump yours. Your wants are just as valid as mine.”

Dr. Katz sighs. “I love the caring baby daddies. They’re the best.”

“I think our doctor has love on the brain,” Nova whispers to me. “She should join Maya’s book club.”

“Well,” the doctor prompts. “Yes, to the baby’s gender?”

“Lady’s choice,” I say.

Nova nibbles on her lip and I fist my hand before I reach forward to free her lip from her teeth. It’s not my place. Not yet.

“Okay,” she breathes out.

I smile. “Okay?”

“You’re smiling. Definitely the right decision.”

“Here we go.” The doctor lifts up Nova’s gown to reveal her belly. It’s still mostly flat since she hasn’t ‘popped’ yet.

I’m fascinated by the sight of her naked skin. I squeeze Nova’s hand to stop myself from touching her. Now is not the time. Soon, though. I hope.

“This is going to be cold.” The doctor squeezes gel onto Nova’s belly and Nova gasps. “Sorry.”

The doctor places the probe on her belly and glides it around. “Before I determine the sex, I’ll check the baby’s health.”

“Baby Sprog is okay, isn’t he?”

“We’ll find out now,” Dr. Katz reassures Nova.

I push Nova’s hair off of her forehead. “I’m sure the baby’s fine. And, if not, we’ll deal with it.”

“You’re always calm.”

“It helps to remain calm when a three-hundred-pound defense lineman is barreling his way down the field at you.”

“I knew it! You’re Double Crown. I’m delivering Double Crown’s baby.” The doctor appears excited about the idea.

“It’s Nova’s baby, too,” I point out.

She clears her throat. “Of course.” The doctor glides the probe over Nova’s belly. “Look here.” She points to the screen. “Here are the baby’s fingers. Five on each hand.” She glides the probe to a different location. “And here are the feet. Let me count the toes. Five on each foot. The baby is looking good. Do you want to hear the heart?”

Nova’s eyes light up with excitement. “Yes, please.”

The doctor flips a switch on the machine and the room fills with the whoosh-whoosh sound of our baby’s heartbeat.

Nova squeezes my hand. “It’s Sprog. Our baby.”

A tear leaks from her eye and I wipe it away. “Our baby.”

Excitement and wonder fill me. We made this tiny creature. I can’t wait to meet him or her. I really don’t care what the gender of the baby is, but I know Nova wants a girl. She hasn’t said she does but the way she lights up whenever she talks about having a little girl makes her choice obvious. For her sake, I hope it’s a girl.

“Now to find out if our little one is a girl or a boy.”

Dr. Katz moves the probe around for a while. She frowns as she works.

“Is something wrong?” I ask.

“Sometimes a baby doesn’t cooperate when we want to figure out the gender.”

“What do you mean?” Nova asks.

“I mean your baby is mooning me and refusing to show me their genitals.”

I bark out a laugh. “Our baby is mooning you.”

She taps the monitor where it does appear as if the baby is showing us its rear end.

“This is Hudson’s fault,” Nova declares. “I met his family. Trust me. It’s their genes causing our baby to moon you.”

“We’re all done here,” the doctor announces. “I’ll print out a picture of the baby and you can schedule your next appointment with the receptionist.”

She hands the picture to Nova before standing and snapping her gloves off. She offers me her hand. “Nice to meet you, baby daddy.”

I chuckle as I shake her hand. Leave it to my sunshine girl to have an OB/GYN who’s amusing.

She leaves and I return my attention to Nova who’s clutching the picture to her chest. “We’re having a baby,” she whispers as tears fall down her face.

“Hey now.” I wipe the tears from her face. “There’s no reason to cry.”

She smiles at me. “I’m feeling too many emotions and they’re leaking from my eyes.”

“You’re nutty, Sunshine.”

Nutty or emotional or laughing, I don’t mind. I just want this woman in my life forever. Now to convince her she wants to be in mine.