Page 68 of Until Ireland

Three, ain’t no one sticking some sixty-foot long needle into my belly.

“I’m good. Honest. Just tell me what to do so we can schedule the NIPT.”

“Well, I’d like to see you every week. Due to your age, we do it out of an abundance of caution. Also, I want you to take your prenatals every day. If you begin to feel unwell, i.e. headaches, or loss of appetite, nausea, or vomiting or a combo of all of those symptoms or something else, I need you to come in so we can monitor you for pre-eclampsia, since the risks for such are higher now. On the flip side, I want you to relax and enjoy the experience again.” She wrote out a prescription for prenatal vitamins then handed over my slip. “I’ll see you in a week. The ladies up front will schedule your next appointment and your labs.”

After I’d arranged everything, I exited the office. I had to tell Mack. There was no getting out of it. He’d been concerned about how much I’d been dragging ass, but we’d both figured between home and the shop, which was growing in business, I was exhausted.Notpregnant. But, then again, the asshole did have a pregnancy fetish. I figured since we had the boys, he’d have settled down. Ha, who was I kidding? If Mack could knock me up every chance he got until we died, he would. The smug bastard.

I glanced down at my stomach and frowned. Why hadn’t I noticed the changes, especially since I was carrying two babies? Over the last sixteen years, I’d put on some weight. It was only natural since I’d pushed three humans out of my vagina, but I wasn’t fat, nor was I super skinny. I should’ve noticed the changes in my body, right? Had I been that oblivious? My vision blurred as I got in behind the wheel of my Custom. This beast had been through everything with me. She brought home all three of our boys and taught them how to cruise. Now, she would carry me and baby number four and five to Flame so I could tell Mack the news.

I drove on autopilot mostly, trying to make lists of everything we’d need, only to find myself jumping from subject to subject. Unable to focus. A quick glance at the time showed the boys would be home from school soon.

The boys.

Shit.

They would be excited for us. They were good kids with level heads on their shoulders. I wasn’t worried per se, but I also knew this would change their lives too. They would go from being a pack of three to a pack of five in less than four months. Like us, they literally had little to no time to prepare.

I’m such a bad mom.

Again, my vision blurred as the first tears began to fall.No. Stop. Get your shit together. You will not fall apart. You are the baddest bitch around. You helped take down a car theft ring. You have a successful classic repair shop and an amazing family. You’ve got this.But did I really have this?

Pulling up in front of Flame, I questioned everything while finding a parking spot. Once I did, I shut off the ignition then got out. The warm spring day greeted me with the scent of wildflowers and food. My stomach growled. At least I still had an appetite. I started for the front door then paused to collect my thoughts. If the staff saw me being a weepy bitch, they’d run and tell Mack something happened before I could do it.

Shaking off my erratic emotional state, I lifted my head and stepped inside the building. I was greeted by a new hostess who had a warm smile. “I need to see Mack. Is he around?”

She nodded. “Right away, Mrs. Redman.” She pointed to the stairs. “He’s in his office. He said I should be expecting you at some point today.”

“Thank you.” I climbed the stairs, willing my knees not to knock while also trying to pep the hell out of myself for the coming conversation. Yes, Mack would be over-the-moon excited, but we were old people now. This... This baby would change everything.

I knocked once at the office door then opened it. There Mack sat, going over the numbers for the restaurant. His head popped up the minute I closed us in his office. His gaze locked on me, and I swore he still had the ability to take my breath away. He was older now, distinguished. Handsome as fuck with all his tattoos and his crazy-ass silver fox beard. I wanted to jump him then and there. Unfortunately, I threw cold water on the idea when I reminded myself I was six months pregnant.

“Hey,” Mack said, crossing to me. “You don’t look so good.”

I snorted. “Oh, I’m peachy keen.”

Mack’s face grew serious. “We haven’t used that term since you found out about Cal.”

Ding, ding, ding. “Oh? I hadn’t remembered.”

“Cupcake,” Mack growled in that sexy voice of his. “What happened at the doctor’s today?”

“I think you should sit, Mack,” I said, guiding him back to his chair. When he sat, he took me with him, placing me on his lap. “The doctor and I figured out why I haven’t felt well. It wasn’t the hormone pills.” I took a deep breath then pulled the sonogram from my purse to show him. “We’re pregnant—more specifically, I’m pregnant with twins.”

Disbelief colored his features. He stared at the strip of photographs as though he’d never seen them before, even though we had three boys. “Pregnant? With twins? But h—”

“I swear to fuck, if you ask how, I am going to beat you, Mackinley Redman!” I crossed my arms, hoping to cover up the tremble in my hands.

“I know how,” he said, wiggling his brows. “But what I meant was how when your doctor said you were pre-menopausal.”

“Guess my oven wasn’t as done as we thought.” I sighed. “Six months would be around the time I transitioned to hormone supplements.”

“Wait.” Mack dropped the sonograms. “Repeat that phrase again?”

“Which part?” I glanced at him, watching the color leech from his face.

“The beginning,” his voice cracked.

“Yes, Mack, I am twenty-three weeks and five days pregnant with these two peanuts.” Boy, no one would ever guess I’d been the one freaked out only a short time ago. Now, I sounded like I had my shit together.

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