Unfinished Ex (Calloway Brothers, #2)(72)

“You won’t. Park around back.”

“In the back? Why?”

“I asked them to keep this discreet, given my—”

I grin. “Celebrity status?”

“I wouldn’t say that, but I am a public persona. And I don’t want XTN finding out about this.”

“They can’t fire you.”

“I know. But on the remote chance Makenna doesn’t come back, they could decide not to hire me as her permanent replacement.”

“Right. So we keep this on the down low.”

“As if we aren’t already doing that with Calista.” She covers her face. “Jaxon, do you know how messed up this could get?”

I squeeze her thigh. “We can think about that later. Right now, I just want to see if you and the baby are okay. That is the only thing that matters.”

She pulls out her phone and sends a text.

Five minutes later, someone opens a back door.

Nicky exhales a long, slow, anxious breath. It kills me that we can’t even be excited about this. I open the car door. “Babe, we got this. Whatever happens, we’re in this together.”

Like with Calista, a nurse takes Nicky to a different area, and then they meet me in an exam room with the same ultrasound machine. In fact, it could be the same room, but I can’t swear it since we came in a different way.

“Everything off from the waist down,” the nurse says. “Then lie on the table. The doctor will be in momentarily.”

It’s like déjà vu. Nicky is right, this is going to be a fucking mess. What will we tell people? The gossip will rise to colossal levels. What will the people at school say? What if XTN finds out? Our only hope of her staying might be if Makenna doesn’t come back. Suddenly, a million questions loom heavily. Will she still go back to Oklahoma? And if so, I’ll not only be a bicoastal boyfriend—I’ll be a bicoastal dad.

The door opens and an older doctor comes in, bringing me a wave of relief. Thank the Lord for small favors. He walks to Nicky and extends his hand. “Ms. Forbes, I’m Dr. Peterman. Nice to meet you.”

I stand so quickly, my chair falls back. “Wait, Dr. Peterman? No.” There’s another knock on the door, and my archenemy walks through.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Hudson tries to keep a straight face but isn’t doing a very good job.

“No goddamn way,” I say, standing between Hudson and Nicky. “Excuse my language, Dr.

Peterman, but no way is this asshole getting anywhere near my wife.”

“You mean ex,” Hudson says. “She is still your ex, no?”

“Slip of the tongue,” I say. “I want you out.”

“What’s the issue here?” Dr. Peterman says.

“Their families don’t like each other very much,” Nicky explains.

“I want another doctor.”

“Jaxon, Dr. Peterman specializes in high-risk pregnancies.”

“Then how come he’s also Calista’s doctor?”

“We handle all kinds of pregnancies,” Hudson says.

“You.” I point. “Shut it.” I turn to the elder doctor. “If you’re the best, we want you. But he doesn’t get near her. Not her head, not her stomach, and sure as hell not her pus—uh, vagina.”

Dr. Peterman gives McQuaid a flick of his head, and Hudson leaves. My blood pressure is through the roof.

“Ms. Forbes,” Dr. Peterman says. “Do you concur with your partner?”

Nicky locks eyes with me. She knows I won’t stand for it. “If I do, can you still be my doctor?”

“Of course. You’re the patient. Dr. McQuaid is a resident. Although important that he learn from cases like yours, if you don’t want him involved, he won’t be. I have another colleague you can meet at the next appointment who can be my backup.”

“Thank you,” Nicole says.

I eye the door. “Can you wait two minutes, please? I don’t want to miss this, but there’s something I have to do.”

“Jaxon, really?” Nicky says, rising on her elbows.

“Two minutes.” I beg Dr. Peterman with my eyes, hoping he gets me man to man. “Please.”

He checks his watch and motions to the door. “Go. I’ll get her history.”

I run out the door and glance right, then left. “Where’s Hudson?” I ask a lady in scrubs. “Er, Dr.

McQuaid?” God—it tasted bad to say that.

“Just left.” She nods to the back door.

I race over, open it, and see him getting into his sleek red Maserati. “McQuaid!”

He shakes his head and stands at the door, smirking.

“Not a fucking word. I will hunt you down and kill you. Nobody, and I mean no one else, knows about this. Not even family. If word gets out, I’ll know it’s you, and I will do whatever it takes to ruin your career. I’ll go to the medical board. I’ll even go on TV. I’ve got connections at a pretty damn good network. Breathe a word to anyone. Make a joke. Even look at us funny, and I’ll nail you to the wall.”

“I know the goddamn laws, Calloway, so you can fuck off with your threats.” He gets into his car, laughing as he pulls away.

Goddamn it.