“It’s just a precaution because you’re having twins. Nothing to worry about, we just monitor you a little more closely.” She pulled a machine closer to the table I sat on. “I’ll just have you lie back, and we’ll take a look.”
I did as I was told, and then I heard a commotion outside the exam room door. Suddenly, in walked Matthew McGinnis, larger than life and scarier than ever. To my emotional state of mind anyway.
“Matt?” I sputtered. “What are you doing here?” I couldn’t stop thinking that he might be a part of some crazy clover cult.
“Excuse me, sir.” Dr. Joy frowned. “You can’t just barge into an exam room when the door is closed.”
“Chaz told me about the sonogram.” His gaze locked onto mine, silencing any protest I might give, almost daring me to tell him to leave.
“Dr. Anderson shouldn’t be talking about patients to anyone, let alone patients who aren’t his.” Dr. Joy crossed her arms over her lab coat and tapped her foot at Chaz, as he appeared by Matt’s side, out of breath.
“Sorry, Tiffany.” He looked apologetically at Dr. Joy before he scowled at Matt. “I did not tell Mr. McGinnis about your sonogram today. He was asking me about twin pregnancies in general, and how often sonograms were done. I told him it depended on the mother, but we typically do them every four weeks in our office.”
“Tiffany told me at eight weeks that she had a sonogram, and the twins were confirmed. I did the math and knew she was twelve weeks now.” Matt’s gaze swung back to mine. “It wasn’t too hard to find out when yer appointment was today. Yer office isn’t exactly discreet, if that’s what ye were counting on.” He narrowed his eyes at me, almost as if he felt hurt in some way. “What I want to know is why ye didn’t tell me about yer sonogram today? I’m the babies’ father. I have a right to know. Not to mention, did ye ever think maybe I would want to be present?”
He acted like he genuinely cared about his babies already. That was a first for me and was confusing me. Maybe he wasn’t part of a cult, but I had to be sure. I didn’t know I was having a sonogram today. I thought it was just another checkup. But he had a right to be involved if he wanted to.
“You’re right,” I finally said, coming to a decision.
He blinked. “I am?”
“As long as you’re okay with him being here, Tiffany, then I’ve got my own patients waiting.” Chaz raised a brow at me, waiting for my confirmation.
I nodded. “Matt can stay.”
Chaz tipped his head once and then closed the door behind him.
“Well, Mr. McGinnis, you won’t be finding out the sex of the babies until twenty weeks, if that’s what you’re hoping for by being here.” Dr. Joy gestured for him to stand on the other side of me where he could still see the monitor as she performed the sonogram.
“I don’t care what sex the babies are. I just want to see them with me own eyes.” He watched her squeeze a jelly type substance onto my stomach and roll a wand around until images popped up on the screen. “Make sure they’re okay.”
I studied his face and the sincerity written all over it. He really did care about his children already, I thought, surprised. When a look of wonder transformed his features, I turned my head to stare at the monitor and my jaw unhinged. The 3D ultrasound was in full color. I couldn’t get over the detail of how developed a twelve-week-old fetus already was.
We could see both babies, and it was like nothing I had ever experienced.
All of a sudden, I felt a hand squeeze mine. I glanced up at Matt and saw tears in his eyes at the same time that I felt my cheeks grow wet. Something happened between us, and I felt a bond grow. At this moment nothing else mattered. We would forever be connected to each other through our children.
I’d never had an “our” anything before.
“Okay, Mom and Dad, your babies look great. I’ll see you back in four weeks for another sonogram. And four weeks after that you can decide if you want to know the sex.”
“Yes,” I said.
“No,” Matt said simultaneously.
Dr. Joy looked back and forth between the two of us. “Like I said, you have time to decide. In the meantime, you’ve made it through the scariest part of the pregnancy. The first trimester. Feel free to tell anyone you haven’t already.”
“In this town, everyone knows everything,” I said.
“That’s fer sure,” Matt agreed.
“Okay, well, I suggest you start planning your nursery, buying baby clothes, figuring out a schedule, etc.” Dr. Joy made some notes on her computer. “The babies will be here before you know it.”
I could feel my face pale.
“We’re on it, Doc.” Matt spoke up when it was clear I couldn’t.
Dr. Joy finished up, and Matt didn’t leave until I did. He walked me out of the exam room and through the packed waiting room, causing all eyes to focus on us. Great. Gerty and Gabby Rogers raised brows at us, while Bitsy’s hand fluttered over her stomach as if just being in my presence might cause her harm.
I sighed.
“Come on, lass.” Matt rested his hand at the small of my back as he steered me outside. “Let’s get ye out of here.”
I allowed him to lead me outside because I didn’t have the energy to put up a fight. Once we hit the parking lot, I dug in my heels as reality set back in. What was his agenda? Did he really have a clover tattoo? Had he been mad because he’d gotten caught? Had he not used protection on purpose, hoping to get me pregnant because he’d found out it was my fortieth birthday? Had his proposal been a sham to throw me off? Did he plan to fight for custody and get rid of me after they were born?
I squeezed my eyes tight and shook my head hard, trying to stop myself from spiraling. “I appreciate what you were trying to do back there, Matt, but I’m a big girl. I can handle whatever this town throws at me on my own.”
“Why when ye don’t have to? Yer not alone, Tiffany.” He looked me in the eyes with an honesty even I couldn’t deny. Or he was a really good actor. “Ye have me.”
“Look, I know we’re connected through our babies, but that’s it,” I said firmly. “There is no us.”
He ran a hand through his curls. “Aye, yer a stubborn lass.”
I thrust my finger in his face. “You should talk.”
He dropped his hands to his hips and just stared at me. Finally, he scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “Okay, then. I’ll make ye a proposition. There is no us, but ye agree I can be a part of our children’s lives.”
I frowned. “We’ve already been over this. Of course you can be a part of our children’s lives. I would never deny them that.” But I would be secretly watching him like a mama bear. If he tried to take my cubs, I’d be taking care of him…permanently.
