Pulse (Collide, #2)(89)
“I love you,” she whispered.
That broke his trance. Seething, Gavin dragged his eyes from Dillon’s and focused on the reason he was there. He could do this. He would do this. He only hoped to God he would survive without killing Dillon.
The doctor cleared his throat. “Well, you’re just shy of twenty weeks. If we get some cooperation from the little one, we’ll know the sex in a few minutes.”
Calming her, the unease of the moment faded as Gavin gently stroked her hair. Emily zoned out Dillon as she zoned in on the monitor. Praying the soft, humming heartbeat swirling through the air like a sweet melody half belonged to the man next to her, Emily pulled in a deep breath as the doctor pushed his handy microphone against her abdomen.
After a few blinking beats, the doctor chuckled. “Look at that.” He pointed to the screen as he pressed a tad harder along the right side of Emily’s stomach. “Not sure of the sex yet, but that’s the baby with its fingers in its mouth.”
Emily squinted, trying to make out the blob on the screen, and then it hit her. She could see exactly what he was talking about. Tiny, delicate fingers drifted in and out of a small mouth with the tide of the fluid it was floating in. Eyes watery, she turned to Gavin, his expression just as awed as she felt.
The doctor eased the microphone across Emily’s stomach. “And if it’ll just open those legs a little more, we’ll know if you’ll need pink or blue clothing.” A series of whooshes, a harder press of the instrument, and a warm smile on the doctor’s face later, he said, “Congratulations, Miss Cooper. You’re having a boy.”
Emily let out a choked gasp, tears falling down her cheeks as she smiled at Gavin. She watched him swallow, his eyes misting over as he stared at the screen. He’d played it off that as long as the baby was healthy, he didn’t care if it was a boy or a girl. Of course she knew he honestly meant that, but the day she walked into the almost bare nursery and noticed a signed Yankees mitt and ball set up on the dresser, she knew her Yankees lover’s heart wanted a little boy.
Gavin pulled his chair closer, his eyes landing on Emily’s. He brushed his hand over her hair and looked at the doctor. “A boy? You’re sure?”
“That little body part right there tells me yes.” Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Dr. Richards pointed at the screen, his smile wide as he looked at Gavin. “They say not to do it, but considering I’ve seen thousands of those over the last thirty years, I’d say go out and buy some blue cigars in celebration.” The doctor cleared his throat and glanced at Dillon. Wearing a composed but taut smile, his tone held awkwardness as he spoke. “You go ahead and do the same.”
Dillon straightened his tie and stood. His bright brown eyes mimicked his fake smile. “I plan on doing so. My family’s going to be stoked it’s a boy.”
Gavin felt every f*cking hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He rose from his chair, preparing to break every single bone in Dillon’s face, but Emily grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her side.
After wiping the gel from her stomach, Emily sat up and licked her lips that’d gone dry. “We’re finished, correct?” Her breath slipped from her mouth shakily despite her attempted poise. “I can use the restroom now?”
The doctor nodded, and with the aid of Gavin, Emily hopped off the table. Staring into his eyes, she lifted her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. “I love you, Gavin Blake,” she whispered after a long moment. “Thank you for not doing what I know you could’ve so easily done. You continue to shock me. You also continue to make me fall further in love with you. My heart, soul, life, and body, you own it all.”
God. Never did Gavin imagine such simple words could make not turning into a lunatic worth every second. But those simple words weren’t spoken by a simple woman. They were thanks from his angel. Yeah, she had a way of making every struggle they’d endured worth it. He watched with adoration as she disappeared into the restroom.
Gavin swiped his hand through his hair. “Doc, while Emily’s cleaning up, I wanted to speak with you in private regarding a few things.”
“That’s not a problem.” The doctor shut down the sonogram machine and flipped on the lights. “We can talk in the hall.”
“No way, Blake.” With arrogance seeping through his pores, Dillon stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. “This baby is just as much my business as it is yours. No private bullshit.”
Crossing his arms, Gavin cupped his chin. He cocked his head to the side, a slow smirk lifting his mouth. “You’re correct, Dillon. My bad.” Bring it. He was about to blow Dillon’s f*cking mind to pieces. Relaxing into a chair, Gavin’s smirk widened. “So, Doc, you see my girlfriend’s a total catch. The woman brings a whole new meaning to the word beautiful, right?”
The doctor cleared his throat, appearing somewhat confused. “Yes, Gavin, she’s a very good-looking woman.”
A reverent smile broke out across Gavin’s face as he brought his attention to Dillon, who looked equally confused. Eyes pinned on Dillon’s, Gavin lifted a single brow. “Yeah, she is. Well, given she and I started out with an extremely active, at least four times a day, wild sex life, I wanted to know if it should change now that she’s pregnant. My concern lies in hurting her or the baby.”