Page 36 of Property of Doc

Her head tilts back and her eyes close as she tries to think about what I asked. I suspect I already know the answer, but I’ll be confirming it as soon as possible. Part of me wonders if we should still go riding, then I realize that if I’m correct, it’s still early enough to not be cause for concern.

“Doc?” she calls out, redirecting my focus. “It was the week before I was taken, so I’m definitely past late and entering into the I-probably-need-to-take-a-test phase. I told you if we kept playing with fire, we were gonna get burned.”

Shrugging I tug her close until she’s in my arms. Kissing her temple, I say, “And I told you that it wouldn’t be an issue. I’ve always wanted kids, and you’re mine, so I’m okay with it, Gretchen.”

“We can’t stay in the clubhouse, though, that’s not really appropriate to raise a baby,” she murmurs. “But I like being here surrounded by everyone.”

“I’ll talk with Rio and see if there are any available plots we can build a house on, sweetheart. For the time being, we can stay in my room at the clubhouse which will give us time to get it constructed,” I reply.

“Should we still go riding?” she asks, her hand reaching down to gently cup her stomach.

“We’re not going to be racing, the most we’ll be doing is a slow trot, so we should be just fine,” I tell her. “Both horses are spirited but gentle.”

“Then let’s go, cowboy, because I’m ready for another ride,” she teases.

We gallop through the property, and I show her where the rodeo is held, as well as the barns that house the bulls that the ranch studs out. Issy’s quickly becoming known in the circuit for breeding stock that’s highly coveted. Several are even gaining notoriety because no one has been able to last eight seconds.

“The property is beautiful,” she says as we head back to the stable. “A lot of forethought went into building this up into a viable business.”

“Paps was definitely ahead of his time. The ranch is so compartmentalized that many have no clue that it also has a motorcycle club living on the premises. Many of us started out as ranch hands, actually, and Paps asked us to prospect after seeing what we were capable of doing.”

“I wish I could have met him, he sounds like he was a great guy,” she replies as Luis grabs the reins of Karev so she can dismount.

“What, no help for me?” I tease, causing Luis to smirk as he leads Karev over to his stall. I know he’ll brush him down then make sure he has plenty of food and water to compensate for the ride.

“I think you’ve got it,” she says, walking over to me. “Can we go to the clinic?”

“That was gonna be our next stop,” I admit.

“I know you should take it first thing in the morning, but I suspect it’s not going to matter what time of the day you pee on the stick,” I say as I hand her a kit.

“Great, looks like we’re getting all the mystery out of the way,” she sasses as she walks to the employee bathroom. When I attempt to follow her, a grin on my face, she throws her hand up and says, “No. Absolutely not. It’s bad enough if this is positive that somewhere down the road, you’ll be seeing my poor vajayjay stretched big enough to push through a small watermelon, you’re not watching me pee on a stick, Doc!”

I burst out laughing as she slams the door in front of my face. Since that’s going to take a few minutes to process, I gather the supplies I need to draw some blood. So, when the door opens much sooner than I anticipated, I turn to see her standing there with a shocked look on her face.

“Gretchen? Baby, talk to me,” I urge as I stalk in her direction. Instead of answering, she shoves the stick, wrapped in a paper towel, at me. “Holy shit,” I murmur, looking at the twoverysolid blue lines. “We’re going to be parents, sweetheart.”

“I know,” she whispers as her hands cup her belly.

I immediately go into overprotective mode. “I don’t want you to come back to work here, too many germs and the last thing you need is to get sick,” I command. “You can do online continuing education to keep your license active and once the baby is born, you can decide then what you want to do. I bring in more thanenough income that if you want to stay home, have babies, and make your sweet treats, you can do so. The choice is yours.”

“Is it really though?” she asks. “I mean, you just basically put your foot down about working here.”

“How do you think you’ll feel if you pick up a GI bug and have morning sickness on top of that?” I question. “Or, what if we get someone in here who is combative and you get hurt?”

“That happenedonetime, Doc!” she exclaims.

“Which is one time too many as far as I’m concerned,” I growl out. “Please, Gretchen, see it from my perspective. You’re my ol’ lady and it’s my privilege and duty to protect you and provide for you.”

She sighs and melts into my arms before saying, “Fine, fine. I’ll sit at the clubhouse and get fat carrying your baby.”

Grinning, I lean down and kiss her. “Somehow, I think you’ll find plenty to do to keep you occupied. Not only that, but you’re going to need your rest as well, since your body is still recuperating from your abduction.”

“Daily naps? Food made with love by Constance and Maria? Chats with Issy that always breed new ideas for me to try? Learning about babies from Livy? You’ve given me a dream I never thought I could attain, Hanson,” she says, tears in her eyes. “All my life, I just wanted some close friends, someone who would love me no matter what, and the ability to use what I’ve learned to teach others. You’ve given me that. You and the Kings.”

“Whatever you want, whatever you need, if it’s in my power to give it to you, then that’s what I’m gonna do. Now, let’s go aheadand draw your blood so I can make sure you’re as healthy as possible. We’re going to need to find you a good obstetrician as well, baby. In a pinch, I can deliver our baby, but I’d rather have someone who’s had the schooling necessary to handle any issues that might arise.”

“So, so bossy,” she teases as she moves to sit on the table and extend her arm. “Go ahead, Sir Vampire, and take my blood,” she says in a horrible Dracula impression.