“Okay.”
“Go ahead and get dressed. I’ll have someone come in and draw blood. I’ll call you tomorrow with the results and schedule you for an ultrasound.”
“Okay.”
Dr. Archer left the room, and Brooke put her clothes back on.
Ten minutes passed and no one came in.
She poked her head out the door to see if maybe they’d forgotten she was in there . . . or maybe she needed to find the nurse, and she heard a familiar voice.
Brooke instantly recoiled.
“You’ve gained three pounds. That’s good.”
“No, it’s not. The last time I didn’t gain weight until I was close to five months.”
Brooke sucked in a breath.
“Every pregnancy is different. You had morning sickness the last time, this time you don’t. Maybe you’re having a boy.”
Brooke closed the door as the people behind the voices walked by.
Holy shit.
A few minutes later, the nurse walked in. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It’s okay.” Brooke rolled up her sleeve for the blood draw.
When the nurse was done, she opened the door.
Brooke hesitated. “I noticed my boyfriend’s ex-wife come in. It would be really awkward for her to see me here. Maybe I can stay here until she leaves, or you can make sure she and I aren’t in the lobby at the same time.”
The nurse winced. “Absolutely. What’s her name?”
“Antonia D’Angelo. Although I’m not sure she still uses that last name.”
The nurse smiled with her eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
A few moments later, she swung the door open. “Coast is clear. The doctor is with her now.”
“Thank you.”
Brooke slid out of the office and scurried out of the building.
“Holy shit!”
Brooke returned home from her doctor’s appointment and went directly to the office and found Luca working.
“Hey.”
“Bella.”
“Can I pull you away?”
He tilted his head. “Is everything okay?”
She nodded, shook her head. “More or less. Let’s take a walk.”
“That’s never good.” He pushed away from the desk.
“We’re fine. I have news.”
The moment they were out of the office, Brooke took his hand in hers.
He kissed the back of it, told his shift manager he was leaving for a while.
They walked out onto the street, smiled at their neighbors, waved at their friends.
“What’s going on?” Luca asked.
“Not here.”
“Oh, it’s a secret.”
They walked toward the waterfront park, and Brooke kept them going until they were down by the bay.
“Are we far enough away?” Luca teased when they stopped against a railing separating them from the sea.
She looked left, then right. Didn’t recognize anyone. “Yes.”
“You’re adorable.” He kissed her forehead. “Okay, cara, what’s your news?”
Brooke took a deep breath. “I had to go to the doctor today.”
Luca’s smile fell. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
“What kind of doctor?”
“An obstetrician.”
Luca took in a sharp breath. “Cara!” He looked in her eyes, then at her waist. “You’re pregnant?” He was smiling. “Please tell me you’re pregnant.”
Brooke was at a complete loss for words. “Oh, God.” She shook her head. “No. Wow.”
His shoulders fell.
“Luca, holy cow. No, honey.”
“Why were you there then?”
Brooke squeezed his hand. “I was there for a routine visit, but there’s a slight chance I might have been.”
He looked horrified. “Brooke, why didn’t you tell me?”
“The doctor thinks I might have been.”
Brooke walked them over to a bench where they could both sit down.
“My cycle is really off and heavy and since I’d gotten pregnant on the pill before, she wants to make sure it didn’t happen again. I honestly never truly thought I was. I didn’t take a home test or anything of that nature. I would never keep anything like that from you.”
“But you went to the doctor.”
“I was already scheduled for a routine visit. I’ll know for sure tomorrow if I was pregnant.”
Luca placed a hand on her face. “Mia cara.”
“Either way I have more tests. And in the meantime, she wants me to go off the pill for a few months.”
“Flush them down the toilet.”
“You’re not worried?”
“About being a father? About bringing a life into this world with the most wonderful woman in the world? No.”
Brooke found herself holding her chest and wanting to cry.
“What’s the matter, tesoro?”
“I didn’t expect this.” A single tear fell down her cheek.
“Get used to it.”
She leaned forward, and he moved in for a kiss. She loved this man.
Never felt that more than in this moment.
“Now,” he said when he pulled away. “No more doctor appointments without telling me. Next time I’m going with you.”
“I thought that when I was sitting in there.”
He kissed her again.
“We’re going to have to be very careful. Buy the Costco box of condoms.”
Luca shrugged. “Eh.”
“Luca!”
“You don’t want to have a baby?”
“Yes. I do. At some point.”
“Okay then.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
He grinned. “Nothing.”
This man . . . this man! He couldn’t have responded better to the whole what if.
“Now . . . for the really big news.”
Luca looked at her as if she were crazy. “What?”
“Guess who is pregnant?”
He was silent.
“Antonia.”
“What?” His jaw dropped.
“Yeah. I overheard her at the doctor’s office. Was she sick with Franny?”
He still looked shocked. “Very sick. Couldn’t keep anything down for three months.”
“She was upset because she isn’t sick and is putting weight on.” Although Brooke wouldn’t know it to look at her.
Luca shook his head. “She tried hard to get me to go to her room when she first got here. While you were in Texas. I always met her in public.”
“That won’t stop her from trying to say otherwise.”
“Easily proved when the baby is born.”
“It makes sense now, doesn’t it? She’s not looking for a sugar daddy because pretty soon it’s going to be obvious she’s pregnant. Where do you go when you need something reliable?”
“You go home.”
“And here she is. And the lies and rumors she’s been trying to spread and the attempts to get between us all have a deadline for her.”
“The part about her being sick . . .”
“Sick with a nine-month cure,” Brooke told him.
“Why didn’t I see her lies before?”
“She’s a damn good liar, Luca. Cut yourself a break.”