Page 76 of Wilde Flame

I could feel Caden’s eyes on me.

“Try eating small, frequent meals. And stick with foods that are more on the bland side. Toast, potatoes, rice, crackers. Make sure you’re getting in protein as well. I’ll write you a prescription today for prenatal vitamins.”

Nodding, I played with the sheet that was covering my lap.

“You’ll want to avoid greasy or really spicy foods.”

“She doesn’t like spicy foods.”

I was sure I had a surprised expression on my face when I looked over at Caden. I’d told him that on our first day together during the storm, and he’d actually remembered. When he winked, I couldn’t help the smile on my face.

After a few more minutes of talking, we did the exam.

“Have you ever had a transvaginal ultrasound?” Dr. Lawrence asked.

“I haven’t.”

She explained the process to us, then invited Caden to stand beside me so he could see the monitor when she turned off the lights.

“Just relax, I promise this won’t hurt you or the baby.”

I drew in a deep breath and let it out.

Suddenly, something appeared on the screen. At first, I couldn’t really see anything.

“This right here is the gestational sac. Do you see that right there?”

Caden took my hand in his as we both said, “Yes.”

“That is your baby,” she said, smiling.

“It looks like a frog!” Caden blurted.

The doctor chuckled. “That’s the baby’s little arms and legs right there.”

I stared at the little blob on the screen as tears welled up. “She’s beautiful.”

Caden grinned. “Or he.”

“I’ve got something even cooler for you,” Dr. Lawrence said. “Do you see that little flutter on the screen? That’s the heart.”

The sound of her heartbeat suddenly filled the room, and a sob slipped free before I could cover my mouth with my hand.

“Holy shit,” Caden whispered, as he squeezed my other hand.

“Oh, she or he is wiggling!”

Dr. Lawrence clicked around and did some measurements. “I’m just measuring so we can get a better idea of how far along you are.”

I looked at Caden—and my breath caught in my throat. A single tear was rolling down his cheek as he watched the screen. I looked away before I broke out into full-on sobs.

“The baby is three-quarters of an inch. About the size of a raspberry.”

“Wow!” Caden and I said at the same time.

The heartbeat filled the room again, the sound pulsing through my entire body.

“Heartbeat is nice and strong at 160 beats per minute.”