I jump out of my truck, pocketing my keys, and then I’m off like a rocket. I’ve never been so thankful for all the sprints Coach makes us do.
I stop in the main lobby to check which floor the clinic is on and the guide says the fifth. I push the button to call the elevator and wait. And wait. And wait some more.
Are you fucking kidding me?
I don’t even see the lights moving above the door signalling it’s moving. I notice a staircase down the hall and bolt forward. Racing up five floors of stairs is harder than I thought, but when I want to pause, I remind myself that Nadia is here and I need to get to her.
I reach the fifth floor and tear the door open. The sign for the clinic is right across the hall, so I rush toward there without wasting a second.
Stopping in front of the window, I try to catch my breath before I have to speak.
The receptionist slides the window open. “Can I help you?”
“My wife, Nadia Patel, is here. I’m supposed to be with her now.”
The phone rings. “Why don’t you take a seat and someone will be right with you.” I open my mouth to protest and she closes the window again. Motherfucker. This is not going well.
I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands. This is probably a bad idea… but fuck it. I open the side door that leads to the exam rooms and walk down the hall. They’re all open and empty except for two. One on the right and one on the left. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Fuck. Which one is she in?
Standing in the middle of the hall between both of them, I close my eyes and focus, trying to get a feeling drawing me one way or the other. But I feel nothing but panic because I need to fucking find her. Left or right? I’m right handed. I like to be right. Oh for fuck’s sake, just choose. My brain is tired of my own convoluted logic. I take a fortifying breath and open the door. Nadia lies on the exam table and there’s a male doctor doing something between her legs. “Get your sperm away from her,” I shout, rushing toward him. He holds his glove-covered hands up.
“Flynn?” Nadia calls my name, but I’m busy watching the doctor. “Flynn Shaughnessy.” She raises her voice, and I glance at her. “What are you doing here?”
Rushing to her side, I take her hand. “I’m stopping you from making a huge mistake. I love you, Nadia. If you’re going to have a baby, I want it to be ours.”
“You love me?” she whispers, her brown eyes are glassy with tears.
Raising her hand to my lips, I kiss her knuckles. “Yes, so much.”
“You want babies with me?”
I nod. “I do. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon.”
“It takes nine months to make one.” She laughs.
“We can get right on that anytime.” I wiggle my eyebrows.
“Like when we get home?”
“Works for me.”
The doctor clears his throat. “Shall we get back to finishing up?”
Releasing Nadia’s hand, I straighten up and glare at the doctor. “Fuck no. Didn’t you hear a word I just said?”
“Flynn, what’s wrong?” Nadia asks.
“What’s wrong?” Has the whole world gone mad but me? “How can you even think of continuing with the insemination after I just confessed how much I love you?”
“Huh?” Nadia’s eyes snap wide open and she snorts. “You think I’m getting inseminated now?”
“Yeah. Aren’t you?” Isn’t she?
“I’m having my yearly physical, not getting inseminated.” Nadia laughs. Even the doctor chuckles. Leaning forward, I put my hands on my knees and catch my breath for the first time since I left her office.
“I think you two need to talk. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” The doctor winks, walking by us, exiting the room.
Once we’re alone, I pull Nadia up to a sitting position and crush her in my embrace. She shifts her legs on the table so I can sit in front of her. “I was so scared you were going ahead with the procedure.”
“Why would you think I’d do something like that when I told you I wouldn’t?”
“I went to your office first and saw the appointment in your planner. I remembered you said something about having an appointment here and put two and two together.”
“You put two and two together and got five.” She rolls her eyes.
“I panicked when you didn’t return any of my calls or texts. And then Kendra showed me a picture that was posted on some gossip site and has been shared all over social media. I was worried you’d seen it assumed the worst.”
She presses her lips together like she’s not pleased. “You mean the one with you and the redhead?”
“Yeah. Are you mad?” Please don’t be mad.
“Do I have a reason to be?”
“Absolutely not.”
She smiles. “I figured as much. When your sister picked you up from the bar she texted me and said you hadn’t gotten into any trouble.”
She did? Nice of Kendra to fill me in.
“Then why have you been ignoring my phone calls?”
“I wanted to let you sweat it out a little. How would you feel if I was photographed with some guy under the same circumstances?”
“I’d be pissed, and I don’t know that I’d be as understanding as you are,” I confess.
“You can’t assume the worst from the jump. Especially if I’ve never given you a reason to mistrust me,” she says.
“So I’m learning.”
“You are, and it’s really sweet how you came charging in here to stop my phantom artificial insemination.” She giggles.
I shrug my shoulders. “Hey, I’m a meathead. What can I say?”
“You are not. Well, maybe sometimes, but I love that about you.”
The doctor knocks on the door before opening it. “Are we all set now?”
“I owe you an apology, doc. I misunderstood the situation. I’m sorry.”
“No harm done.”
I press a kiss to Nadia’s lips. “I’ll see you when
