Chapter 32
“ A nd you're sure you're going to be okay?” Mitch checks, his eyebrows creasing up with worry.
“I’ll be fine, I’m probably just a little nervous for you.” I smile up at him and nod my head. We’re in the middle of the yard and all the couples are saying goodbye to each other, the last thing I want is for Mitch to make a fuss.
“You don’t have to be nervous for me, darlin’, this is the shit I live for.” He kisses me in front of everyone, leaving me blushing when he pulls away.
“We’ll be back by nightfall.” He winks. “You take care of my girl.” He points his finger at Savannah as he jumps up on his horse.
“I gotcha.” She comes over and wraps her hand around my shoulder.
“What’s he so worried about?” She speaks under her breath.
“Nothing, I’m fine. I just got a little dizzy this morning when I got out of bed. You know how he can be.” I stand with the girls and wave the men off, and there's a real buzz of excitement in the air. The men clearly love doing what they do, and I’m told after a cattle drive the Carson ranch party hard.
As soon as the men are out the gates, Maisie turns to us all, “Let the fun begin.” She wiggles her eyebrows as she leads us all inside. I’m told by Savannah that the girls have made it their tradition to spend cattle run days together. They make enough food to feed an army when the cowboys return, and the drinks flow freely. I’ve never really drank alcohol before but I’m prepared to give it a try, like I am most things these days.
Leia's little sister minds the little ones in the living room while me, Leia, Savannah, and Maisie take to the kitchen and get started on the feast for later.
“It may seem like a lot, but you’d be surprised how much those cowboys can eat after a run. I need to find the big pot.” Maisie scrambles through the cupboard in search of it, and when Savannah takes a seat at the breakfast bar next to me and crunches her teeth through a pickle I feel my stomach roll.
“Excuse me.” I quickly rush out the kitchen before I throw up. Leia’s sister kindly directs me to the bathroom and I only just make it to the toilet before I spew.
“Shit.” I roll my eyes. I knew I was coming down with something, I’ve felt it coming on for a few days, and now I could have spread it to everyone here. I wait until I’m sure I’m done before standing up and patting some water on my face. Then I check my reflection before opening the door to head downstairs to ask for a lift home. I almost jump out of my skin when I see Savannah waiting on the other side of the door with a suspicious look on her face.
“You got something you want to share?” She crosses her arms over her stomach and tips her head to one side.
“I must be coming down with something, I thought it was just nerves building up, but?—”
“Oh, come on, we both know what this is.” She shakes her head and laughs. “Way to go, Mitch.”
“Savannah, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I stare back at her.
“You’re dizzy, you threw up because of my pickle. I know the signs.” The smile on her face keeps getting wider.
“Wait, you think I’m…? Oh, no. I can’t be.”
“Believe me, here you will be. I swear they put something in the water.”
“No, seriously. I can’t… I can’t have children. It was something that was done to me at the village.” I feel the heavy weight of reality sink into my stomach.
“And you're sure?” Savannah frowns.
“Positive, I was pregnant once before and…” I tear up real quick because now's not the time to be talking about this, not in a home so full of love and happiness.
“So, answer me this, are you and Mitch being careful?” She still doesn’t seem convinced.
“Savannah, you’re not hearing me. We don’t have to be careful because there is no chance of me getting pregnant. Solomon made sure of it.”
“Come with me.” She grabs my wrist and drags me down the stairs so fast I don’t have time to protest.
“Me and Everleigh are running back to my place. I’m sure I borrowed the big pot last week,” she calls through to the kitchen as she rushes us out the front door and toward her car.
“Where are we going?” I ask, getting into the passenger seat as she takes the wheel.
“To my place. I still have a bunch of tests left over. Cole made me take like twenty of the things before he believed me.” She starts the engine and pulls off with a skid.
“I appreciate your help, but I know it can’t be possible. Magna specialized in that kind of thing.”
“Well, in that case, humor me.” Savannah smiles as she pulls up outside her place and rushes us inside.
She marches me through the cabin to her bathroom and struggles down onto her knees to reach into the back of the cabinet and pull out a box.
“There, now get peeing.” She uses the basin to steady herself back onto her feet.
“Well, can you at least turn around?” I laugh at her as I try reading the instructions.
“Here.” She pops the cap off the end. “You pee on this bit. Then we wait for the two pink lines.”
Turning her back to me, she hums as if it's gonna make this any less awkward, and realizing that I’m not gonna win this battle, I get on and do as she instructs.
“All done.” I pop the cap back on and place the test on the side by the basin while I wash my hands. Is it mad that I feel a tiny niggle of hope, despite knowing that what Savannah is suggesting is impossible? It’s so stupid of me to even think that way, maybe I should start seeing Samantha again. It’s been a while.
“How long does it take?” I sit on the edge of the bath, feeling more and more foolish as the seconds tick by.
“Well, it should take another minute, but it doesn’t need to too—” She holds the test out to me with a clever look on her face. “I told ya…”
I stare at the plastic stick that she’s holding in front of me and when I see two very prominent pink lines I snatch it from her hand.
“You're very pregnant, they usually only show up faint in the early weeks. When was your last period?”
“I don’t know, some time ago, I don’t keep track of it. Savannah, this isn’t possible.” I look up at her, still in shock.
“It looks like it to me. No period, feeling sick, dizzy, and a positive test, the odds are stacked up. Welcome to the club.” She slides her hand over her stretched-out stomach and suddenly I feel very sick again.
I’m happy. Of course, I’m happy, this is something I never even let myself imagine could happen. But I have no idea how Mitch is going to feel. It was hard enough for me to convince him that he and I were a good idea, and now a baby.
“Don’t look so scared, this is gonna be awesome.” Savannah smiles before lifting the toilet lid back up for me to spew.
“This part, not so much, but you know what I mean.” She strokes my back for me as I hurl some more.