Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
S he had never felt so nervous in her life. Watching the clock for Moon to arrive was nerve-racking.
The crinkling of a magazine made her glance toward the office, where Jet was sitting, flipping through the magazine; he seemed unbothered about having to come to Treepoint with her.
Sex Piston had texted her this morning that Jet would be driving and staying with her during the appointment. She had protested that the appointment was with her sister, so she would be fine going alone, but Sex Piston had argued until she gave in.
“Gosh ... he makes me want to join the Destructors,” Priss whispered, staring appreciatively at Jet.
Larissa gave her a dirty look. “Don’t you even think about him. From now on, if they belong to a motorcycle club, they’re off limits.”
Priss made a face at her. “You were never the fun one of the three of us.”
Unable to argue the truth, Larissa settled for watching the clock.
Priss saw where her attention had turned. “Lana texted that she’s on her way.”
The opening of the door had three sets of eyes move toward it as Lana came rushing in.
“Okay, let’s get this started. I have thirty minutes before I have to be back from lunch.”
Larissa frowned. “Moon isn’t here yet.”
“He will be,” Lana told her as she headed to the examination room. “He was parking his motorcycle as I was coming in the door.”
“Yippee,” Priss mumbled under her breath.
Giving Priss a quelling glance, she warned both of her sisters, “We are going to be professional and polite, aren’t we?”
Her sisters both raised their hands.
“I promise,” Lana said.
“Me, too,” Priss agreed.
Larissa looked toward Jet, who was watching them.
“Why are you looking at me?”
“I want you to promise, too.”
“Then you’re going to be disappointed.” Indifferently. he turned a page in his magazine. “Moon will get as he gives.”
“I can tell this is going to go so well.” Larissa rubbed her temples. The headache she had been battling since the drive from Jamestown was gradually becoming worse the closer she came to seeing Moon.
The sound of the door opening made her lower her hand. Forcing a polite smile, she motioned toward the examining room. “We’re ready.”
She didn’t miss the way Moon’s poker face turned foreboding at finding Jet in the lobby.
“Why is he here?”
“Jet drove me here. He’s waiting to drive me back to Jamestown.”
“I’ll drive you back.”
“On your motorcycle? I don’t feel comfortable riding on a motorcycle. I’m fine driving back with Jet. We need to get started. Lana has to get back to the hospital.”
Larissa walked into the examination room and sat on the exam table as Lana took a stethoscope out of the cart she had set up for her sister to save time.
Moon took a position against the wall as Priss shut the door.
“You can take the chair, Moon.” Priss moved around Lana to ready the equipment for the ultrasound.
Larissa sat self-consciously as Lana did a routine check of her vital signs.
“I see Priss has taken your weight. You’ve gained a pound. How are you feeling?”
“Good.”
Her sister gave her a concerned frown as the blood pressure gave a beep. “Your blood pressure is slightly elevated. That’s new.”
Larissa felt blood rushing to her cheeks when she saw Lana and Priss glance toward Moon. who was still standing against the wall, observing them in silence.
“I want you to take the blood pressure kit home with you. Text me the readings. I want to keep an eye on it.”
“Okay,” Larissa agreed.
“Lie back.”
As she lay down on the exam table, she felt Moon’s eyes on her. So far, she had managed to look in his direction only sparingly. His cold expression showed he’d rather be anywhere than in a room with them.
Staring at the ceiling, she blinked back tears. This was all her fault. She could practically read the feelings come off him in waves. Her carrying his child was Moon’s worst nightmare.
When she felt a tap on her arm, she glanced back down to meet Lana’s concerned eyes. Silently, she gave her a thumbs-up that she was okay.
“Everything is looking good,” Lana told her. “Moon, do you want to see?” Lana pushed a button so they could listen to the baby’s heartbeat as Moon came to stand next to the machine.
Watching him from under her lashes, Larissa didn’t notice one change in his countenance, so she turned her head and stared at the blank wall.
“Do you have any questions, Moon?” Lana asked politely as she turned the machine off and began wiping the gel off Larissa’s abdomen.
“He’s healthy?”
Larissa sucked in her breath as Moon spilled she was having a boy.
“What?” Moon stared at them while Lana and Priss glared at him, aghast at what he had done.
Priss’ hands went to her hips. Larissa thought it was to prevent herself from hitting him with the metal tray, which was on the table next to her.
“When I texted you the information that you were having a boy, I specifically reminded you that Larissa wanted the baby’s gender to be a surprise!”
Larissa turned her face away.
Rather than be apologetic, Moon doubled down. “Was it a surprise when I told you?”
Larissa turned back to Moon. “We’re done here.” She made sure to keep her tone even so he couldn’t hear how badly he had hurt her. “I haven’t had lunch yet. If you wouldn’t mind, could you get us a table at King’s? I’d like to talk with you before I go back to Jamestown.”
Without a word, Moon left the room.
Her sisters stared at the closed door, their expressions mirroring the same disgust.
Larissa sat up. “Moon is angry I’ve put him in this position.” She made the excuse for Moon, not wanting her sisters to hate him for the way he had behaved. “He’s angry, and he has a right to be. I should have told him I was pregnant instead of taking off like a coward. We have to get along, whether we like it or not, for the baby,” she pleaded with her sisters. “Gradually, we might be able to become friends.”
Priss looked at her as if she had taken leave of her senses. “We’ve been looking forward to one of us having a baby one day, and he’s going to ruin it for us.”
Larissa slid over the exam table. “I’m sure he’d say the same thing about me being the mother of his child.”
Lana rolled the ultrasound back in place. “I agree with Larissa, Priss. We have to be understanding if we expect the same in return.” She moved to stand back in front of her. “But I do want to say one thing.” Her voice became firm. “You didn’t make this baby on your own. It took two. I’m not going to watch him behave this way when he comes in for the appointments, or he can wait out in the lobby. Either you can say something, or I will.”
“I will.”
“Good. Then I need to get back to the hospital.”
“Thanks, Lana.”
“Anytime, sis.”
“You really going eat lunch with that jerk?” Priss asked after Lana had left.
“Yes. We need to find a middle ground, not for us to be able to get along, but for the baby’s welfare. I want him to have a healthy relationship with our child, and it’s going to start today,” she said with determination.
“You want me to come with you?”
“No, I think Moon and I need to have this talk alone. Sooner or later, I have to be able to talk with him and come to a mutual agreement to be more cordial toward each other.”
Priss gave her a conspiring nod. “Fake it until you can make it sort of thing?”
Larissa shook her head seriously. “No, more like work on it until it comes true.”