Page 170 of Reaper's Rival

I looked up, stunned. “Why?”

Brad had a smug expression on his face. “You didn’t think Reaper was going to let you face all this on your own, did you? I’ve been ordered to go to every doctor’s appointment. In fact, anything that involves that baby of yours. So think of me as your partner in crime.”

“You don’t have to come.”

“Like I said. I’ve been ordered. And I take my Vice President Patch seriously. So let's go.” He walked off, leaving me standing there, stunned. So Reaper had thought ahead. Why didn’t he tell me of his little plan?

I was relieved I didn’t have to do this on my own, and at the same time scared, because what if something was wrong?

I fiddled with my fingers. I guess I couldn’t put it off.

“Hurry up, would ya?” Brad shouted from the front door.

Yeah, I was right. I couldn’t put it off.

***

“So how many photos?” the lady asked me as she wiped the goo off my stomach.

“Um, just one,” I answered.

“Make that two,” Brad said over the top of me. I wanted to roll my eyes. Of course he would want a picture.

“Proud dad.” The lady smiled at me and tapped me on the arm. “Not often you get one of them. I’ll be back in a minute.”

I wanted to correct her, but before I could, she was out of the room. I dragged my eyes from the door to the Mr. Proud Father.

“See that, she thinks I’m the dad!” Brad whacked my arm. “Me!”

“Well, you did ask for a picture.” I pulled my top down.

“Yeah, but come on. As if someone would look at us and think we had sex. Really.” Brad helped me up.

“Well, if you are coming to every baby appointment, a lot of people are going to think you had sex with me.” I cracked a smirk getting up. “I wonder what that will do for your rep around town.”

His face blanked. “I didn’t think of that.”

“All those single girls thinking ‘he’s taken.’” I was trying to talk him around not taking the picture because I know him. He will be waving the thing around the clubhouse, showing any poor bastard that walks his way.

His eyes were locked with mine, and then a smile cracked across his previous blank expression.

“I’m still taking the picture, Abby.”

I groaned. “Fine.”

The door opened up, and the lady came in and handed us copies of the photo and a DVD. She said she would see me at the next appointment. As far as we knew at the moment, everything looked normal and healthy. So ‘it’ was still ok.

“So what do you want to do now?” Brad asked as walked back to the truck.

“Go home.”

“Come on. We could go shopping.” He was holding up the picture as we walked. “You know everyone is going to think this is my kid. Look at its nose.”

“That’s an elbow, Brad.”

He looked at it again. “Really?”

“Positive. Can we go now?”

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