Page 42 of No First Kisses

“Shut up,” she growls, walking ahead of me the entire time. “Close your eyes so you don’t see how fat I am, Lo.”

I close my eyes and even turn my head when she steps on the scale. I meant it when I told her that anything she wants, I’ll give her.

“You’re not fat,” I tell her with my eyes closed, presumably while the nurse finishes taking her vitals before walking us to the exam room. “You’re pregnant. With my kid. It’s hot as fuck.”

“She’s done,” the nurse says with a small laugh. “You two are adorable together.”

I open my eyes to see Poppy beaming at me. “You kept them closed.” She steps away, and I follow like the lovesick fool that I am.

“Of course I did.”

When we are alone in her exam room, I hold out a hand and help her step up to the table where she lies back against the reclined top.

“Did you really order the pizza?” Poppy asks, her eyes wide with concern. “Because I’m actually starting to get hungry again.”

With a laugh, I hold out my phone for her to see. “I sent Vi a text as soon as you dropped it. I would never joke about your pizza.”

A knock on the door announces the doctor, and Poppy smiles when he walks in. “Hey, it’s you. I thought I was meeting with the other doctor today.”

Kyle Harmon walks in, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, not looking in the slightest like the physician he is. All of which would set me on edge if it weren’t for the fact that I know he’s not even the slightest interested in my woman.

“Hi, Poppy. Nope. You’ve got me for this visit. Try not to let anything happen this week, though, because I’ll be out of town with Josh to celebrate him leaving the troopers.” He nods at me. “Logan.” Before stepping any farther into the room, he washes his hands at the sink. “How’s the baby growing in there?”

“Good.” Poppy laughs, rubbing her stomach. “He’s just like his father. Ornery and taking up all the space in my life, demanding attention when all I want to do is sleep.”

“That’s good.” Kyle slips on a pair of gloves and proceeds to check Poppy’s chart for the notes the nurse made. “Your weight is still the same. Are you making sure to get enough calories in?”

Poppy shoots me a dark look. “Don’t even say a word.” Then she sniffs. “Yes, I am. It’s hard, but I’m making sure to get plenty of carbs, too.”

“Remember, the stress you’re adding to your body isn’t good. That’s why you have to see me, after all. High-risk pregnancies like yours?—”

“Wait, what?” I interject. “Poppy’s high risk?”

Poppy freezes, a guilty look on her face, and she turns away. But not before I see the truth on her face.

“P.” I speak quietly. "What the hell is going on?”

Kyle looks between the two of us. “You said you were going to tell him. That the two of you made the decision together.”

My heart feels like it is on fire and frozen at the same time. It literally hurts to breathe while I wait for one of them to tell me what I’m missing.

When it is clear Poppy isn’t going to say anything, Kyle clears his throat and sits down on the rolling cushion next to the computer in the corner of the office.

“When Poppy came in for her first official visit, at twenty-one weeks along, I gave her all of her options. Because of the damage to her heart from before, and the fact that she’s technically over thirty, she’s not only high risk, but she’s technically considered a geriatric pregnancy. One of the options that I gave her, and told her to strongly consider, was electing to terminate the pregnancy due to the danger it poses to Poppy herself.”

“What?” The question tears itself from my core. “Terminate?”

“No,” Poppy snaps, her hands covering her stomach protectively. “If you call me geriatric one more time, I’m going to make it so that you never have children, Dr. Harmon.” She sneers. “I’m not freaking old. And if you keep calling me old, you’re going to have to eat through a straw for a month. I also told you that terminating wasn’t an option. For either one of us. And when I came back, I told you that Logan and I were in agreement, which we are.” Her eyes meet mine, and the determination there keeps me silent. “I’m having this baby.”

“I know,” I tell her. Turning to Kyle, I nod. “She’s right. Terminating isn’t an option for us.”

“And when you told me that, I told you that medically, it would be hard on your body. That’s why you’re not gaining weight. Why you’re struggling to sleep, according to the notes from the nurse.” He sighs. “Poppy. You’re in the last stages, where the baby is growing more and more every day. You’re thirty-two weeks along. In another four, I would have zero concerns about you going into labor.” Kyle stares down at her chart. “I think your best bet is to go back on bed rest until the end of your pregnancy. I’m just not happy with where your health is at. Your blood pressure is slightly elevated.” He ticks off the problems using his fingers. “You’re experiencing intermittent edema, where your extremities are swelling.”

“But that’s normal,” Poppy defends. “And I just ate pizza, so that could have my blood pressure elevated.”

“Stop.” The quiet order leaves both of them completely silent.

It’s rare that I use this tone of voice on anyone outside of a criminal setting, and using it on Poppy could leave me in the doghouse.

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