“I said you are pregnant.”

“Pregnant? There is no way, I can’t have children.”

“Well you are, and you are exhibiting all the signs of morning sickness. Like I said, your dipstick came back positive but we would like to confirm it with a blood test.”

“No, I’m sorry, you are incorrect. I can’t have kids. I was told that when I was nineteen.”

“Well they were incorrect, ma’am, because you are pregnant.”

“There is no way,” she said, her heart kicking up in speed. She felt dizzy, and something was bubbling inside her. Maybe panic because there was no way she was pregnant! She had had sex with a lot of guys and never gotten pregnant, and…

Oh my God, Tate never used protection, not even once.

The room felt like it was spinning as a wave of nausea hit her hard. She looked up at her grinning doctor and then promptly puked all over the floor.

For f**k sakes, am I pregnant?

Chapter 26

“I need to see Dr. Richards.”

The receptionist looked up at Audrey, and she knew the girl thought she looked crazy. After rushing from Doctor’s Care to her OB/GYN, Audrey was frantically looking for some answers. The first doctor was pretty damn sure of himself when he said Audrey was pregnant, but for some reason, it wasn’t clicking for her. She would need to hear it from Dr. Richards for her to believe it.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No.”

“Then I’m sorry, ma’am, but he is-”

“No, he is never too busy for me, tell him Audrey Parker is here and it is an emergency,” Audrey gasped out.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that-”

“Yes, you can,” Audrey said, interrupting her again, “I know you can. Who are you? Where is Linda?”

The girl gave Audrey a snobby little look before saying, “Just a second.”

Audrey’s heart was pounding as she tapped her foot quickly against the hardwood of the lobby. Her stomach was queasy and her head was clouded with questions. She had ignored all of Tate’s texts and even his calls. She was pretty sure he was about to start panicking, but hell, at this point all she cared about was finding out if there was a baby inside her.

Because she couldn’t believe it.

After years of thinking she couldn’t have a child, she couldn’t grasp the fact that it could be happening, and she wouldn’t until Bryan Richards said it was true. When Linda Richards, Bryan’s mom came into view, Audrey let out the breath she was holding.

“Linda, I need to see Bryan. Like yesterday.”

“Audrey Jane, you’re white as a ghost, are you okay?” she said, coming to the window and cupping Audrey’s face. When Bryan and Audrey used to date, eons ago, both their families became very close and still were to that day. Everyone was convinced that they would get married but during his senior year of high school, Bryan dropped the ‘Hey, I’m g*y’ bomb on everyone. Audrey always thought it was true, since Bryan never really liked sex, but she had loved him. She still did, but more as a brother than anything.

“No, I need to see Dr. Richards, Sr, or Bryan, ASAP.”

“Okay, darling, my goodness, you got my hands shaking!” Linda turned quickly to the nurse standing behind her, “Put her in room 3. Tell Bryan to see her next. Audrey, honey, Matthew is sick today, so Bryan will have to work.”

“That’s fine, thank you so much, Linda,” Audrey said as the door opened and she followed the nurse to room 3.

“Anything for you, honey, I hope you’re okay,” she heard Linda say as she entered the room. Audrey sat on the foam bench and looked up at the ceiling. She felt bad for making Linda think she was dying, but Audrey needed to see someone who knew her cooter, and that person was Dr. Richards, or Bryan. They had both been there, Dr. Richards had been her OBGYN since she was 16 and Bryan used to…well, they dated for a very long time. Bryan had graduated from Vanderbilt last year, and had started interning here with his dad’s practice. She knew that he was more than qualified now. He had always wanted to deliver babies and she was proud of him for living his dreams.

Kicking her legs back and forth, Audrey looked down to see her hands settled against her stomach. She slowly poked her stomach as her eyes pooled with tears. Was there a little someone in there? Was it to have Tate’s eyes and her hair color? Was it a girl or a boy? Audrey felt the tears come hot and fast down her cheeks as her heart skipped a beat. Could this be her chance? Did God bless her with a miracle?

When the door opened, Audrey looked up to see Bryan Richards standing with a worried look on his face. Bryan was a beautiful man. Sharp angles to his face, light green eyes, and blonde hair that was cut high and tight. He had a friendly happy face, and was overall one of the best guys Audrey knew. The whole Richards family would basically do anything for her.

“Audrey, are you okay?” he asked coming in and shutting the door. He came over to hug her tightly. She basked in the hug. She needed it. When they parted, she looked up at him and said, “I was just told I’m pregnant.”

Bryan paused, and then lowered himself to a rolling chair, “Okay? That isn’t an emergency, honey, it’s a part of life.”

“No, Bryan, Dr. Richards told me I couldn’t have kids because of that crappy abortion I had all those years ago,” she said through shuddering breaths, “I’ve gone almost nine years thinking I couldn’t have kids. Crying because I thought I wasn’t a complete woman but apparently I am! And I’m pregnant now!”