Page 41 of No First Kisses

“Zip it,” I snap at him over the table. “Or I’ll wish for you to fall in love with a woman who won’t want you back.”

Josh narrows his eyes at me over the table.

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh.” I laugh. “You don’t know me well enough to know that I absolutely would.”

14

LOGAN

“The ten-second rule only applies if there’s not actual dirt hanging off the food that you pick up.” I try to explain the reasoning behind throwing away the last piece of Poppy’s pizza.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem to understand that I haven’t just betrayed everything she cares about. Normally, I’d turn right back around and order her another full pizza, even if it is just one slice that ends up in the trash. But we are already running late for her appointment, and I don’t want to miss the chance to see our boy moving around.

“Come on,” I urge when she still doesn’t move from her spot in the parking lot. “I promise, if you give up on the craziness right now, I will order you two pizzas and have them waiting for when we get out.”

She sniffs, her eyes filling with tears. “Do you think I’m that fat? That I’ll be able to eat two of them?”

“No, P.” I laugh, despite the volatile situation I know I’m standing in. “I’m saying that I know you don’t work tomorrow and having a pizza that you don’t have to leave the house for or have delivered is exactly what you want while you relax.”

Immediately, the tears dry up and a smile overtakes her face.

“I feel absolutely crazy.” She admits when she moves to my side and takes my nondominant hand. “I get the hormones are supposed to be like this and all, but crying one second and happy the next is a bit extreme. Even for me.”

Like the smart man I was raised to be, I choose not to question my woman on her craziness. Instead, I brush one of her curls away from her face and kiss her forehead.

“No matter what happens or how you act, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good.” She smiles up at me. “Because I think I lost one of your gun clips. I couldn’t find it this morning when I was folding laundry and I know you forget to take them out of your pocket all the time.”

She lets go of my hand and walks into the doctor’s office without looking back. Giving her a ten-second head start, I check over my shoulder, making sure there aren’t any suspicious vehicles or people around. Then I go inside, not bothering to remove the gun from my hip. My badge sits in a visible position, and I nod at the security guard on my way in.

“Logan,” he greets with a smile. “Glad you’re bringing the redhead today. She’s always a bit happier when you’re in the waiting room with her.”

“Thanks, Steve.” I shake the other man’s hand and then walk through the metal detector, ignoring the way it goes off. “It’s luck we’re both off today. She’s been a bit amped up all day. Even had soda at lunch.”

“Girl still thinks she’s gonna get told it’s a girl and not a boy, no doubt.” He laughs. “You know if you don’t hurry, she’s gonna pop back up like a weed and drag you by the ear to make you follow her.”

“Yeah.” I laugh, starting to walk down the hall toward the OB department. “But she’s the most beautiful weed I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

“Like a dandelion?” Poppy stands just around the corner with a sly smile on her face. “Or are you thinking of like a clover or violets?”

“No.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “I think you’re more like Devil’s Snare. You know, that blooms at night and makes you hallucinate and die.”

When she slaps my chest and opens the door to the OB, I’m laughing.

“What?” I ask her after she checks in. “You don’t like the truth?”

Poppy pulls her hair out of the tie that she has holding it on top of her head and rewraps it in a ponytail at the base of her neck, rolling her eyes at me while she does it.

“You were romantic, up until you said that I’m toxic and kill people.”

“No,” I correct her, rubbing the back of her neck. “I said you make me hallucinate and have the power to kill me. I think that’s a pretty good compliment. There’s not much that I know for a fact has the power to destroy me. But you? Every single day and twice at night. You have the power in this situation. All you have to do is ask, and I’ll do anything you want.”

She doesn’t get a chance to answer because the nurse calls out her name. “Poppy Blake?”

“That’s us.” I stand up and offer Poppy my hand, smiling when she takes it to heave herself up even though she’s only been sitting for a few seconds. “I love how pregnant you are.”

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