It might not last all day though, so I finished up, rolled up my mat and set it beside the door, and went inside to rustle up some breakfast. This small bit of freedom from nausea meant I could actually enjoy breakfast. I pulled out spinach, eggs, salsa and avocado for the biggest, fattest omelet my belly had seen in what felt like ages.
With a big, greedy smile I sat down and dug in.
“Damn something smells good in here!” Lasso’s bare feet hit the bottom of the steps with a loud smack, his wide, lazy gait eating up the kitchen floor. “Please tell me you made enough for two?”
“Didn’t think you’d be up yet.” I didn’t really know what time he got up though, because I’d planned to make sure I was long gone in case he thought I was trying to lift a few of his precious possessions.
He frowned at me a
nd drank the coffee that had brewed on a timer. “What are you doing up so early?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” I answered around a mouthful of omelet.
“Everything okay?” His voice was filled with concern but I shrugged it off because the last thing I needed was to see that big sexy outlaw cowboy staring at me like I was his something special.
“Yep. Just restless.”
If he was bothered by my short answers, he didn’t show it. Just flashed that panty melting smile and leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee. “What are you up to today?”
I savored the last bite with a little bit of everything on the fork, chewing slowly because I’d made it through a meal—through breakfast—without getting sick. It was a sweet moment that ended with a scowling biker. “Just running a few errands and mailing a few orders. How about you,” I asked automatically, still the polite southern girl at heart. Yeah, right.
“Fine.” He pushed up from the table and grabbed his coffee before he stormed from the room.
If I didn’t savor being a bitch once in a while, I might have felt bad about that. But I couldn’t find my give a damn, so I cleaned my dishes and went upstairs to get everything I’d need for the day. Including cash for a visit to the medical clinic in town, just in case Genesis was much smarter than I gave him credit for.
A few plans played out in my mind as I loaded up the Blazer and got on the road but for one reason or another, they all ended the same. With Genesis and his thugs finding me, making me pay and then locking me up to be their little dancer monkey.
I pulled into the parking lot of the family planning clinic, parked in the middle of the lot and looked through the rearview mirror just in time to see a familiar vehicle roll right past me. Checking up on me.
There was no time to worry about Lasso because it was time for my first official doctor’s appointment and I was nervous as hell. Not that there was anything for me to do, really, other than getting probed and interrogated, but the difference was there was a baby in there, growing and taking nutrients from me. It was bizarre. But by the time I got up on the butcher paper, my nerves had settled a bit and I was excited to know more. “Well?”
Dr. Hanson had a kind smile and soft brown eyes, somehow understanding the gravity of the moment enough to take a moment before she answered. “You’re about eight weeks along and everything looks normal. I have a prescription for prenatal vitamins, take them every day and be sure to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Some things may give you heartburn, onions, pizza, spicy foods, stay away from alcohol and beer. Come back and see me in six weeks or call so we can forward your records to your obstetrician.”
When she asked if I had any questions, I just stared at her like a deer caught in the headlights on a dark road. I had a million questions, and I couldn’t remember a single one. “Stress!” I just blurted the word out rather than ask a question but Dr. Hanson smiled.
“Try to keep your stress to a minimum. It’s good for you and the baby, just remember that.”
How could I forget? The mixed scents in the waiting room had brought my nausea right to the forefront of my day which meant deep breathing through the doctor’s visit, the trip to the drug store to fill the prescriptions and pick up a couple cases of ginger ale and plain wheat crackers, and a little bit of junk food because I wanted to be prepared.
Inside the bookstore, the scents were the strongest with coffee as the aggressor, and I held my breath and quickly perused the pregnancy books before settling on three different ones. My dad was a good provider, but stunk at being a dad, had no patience or time for things like play time and nurturing unless it would help with his next score. I needed all the help I could get, before I passed out from holding my breath.
It wasn’t much better outside but at least I could breathe. It felt like I’d driven all around the town of Mayhem and parts of Vegas, stopping at the grocery store, bakery and craft store before heading home. It was a long day and I hoped Lasso would be home soon so I could go to the guest room and crash.
I waited ninety minutes for him to come home, when he didn’t I bit the bullet and went inside, leaving my bags beside the bed as I curled on top of it. I remembered one final task before I could finally sleep.
I needed to send Lasso a text.