Unexpected Mates

Ty poked his head in the door, interrupting her musings. Poor guy looked as nervous as she felt.

“You about ready, Parker?”

Parker smiled at him as she walked over, going up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. “Everything’s going to be just fine, Ty. Breathe.”

He gave her a half smile as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Tell me you weren’t like this before your first appointment. Besides, I can tell you’re nervous, too.”

“Maybe a little,” Parker admitted. “Mostly excited, though. I can’t wait for you to experience this, too.”

Ty took a deep breath and stepped back. “Let’s go do this, then.”

The drive to town was mostly in silence, with Ty holding her hand the whole ride. They pulled up at the obstetrician’s office, and he told her not to move before running around the truck to open her door and help her out. He held her hand again as they walked in and went up to the check-in desk.

Parker inhaled sharply when the receptionist glanced up. It was Hannah. Probably one of the last people Parker had expected to see. Hannah’s eyes widened as she took in Parker and Ty, still holding hands.

“Hey, Parker. Tyler. Can I help you?”

Parker cleared her throat, clutching Ty’s hand a little tighter. “I have an appointment with Dr. Green.”

“Of course. Sign in right there and I’ll get all your paperwork ready. This is your first visit here, right?”

“The first since I was a teenager,” Parker said softly.

Hannah found the right stack of papers, handing them to Parker with a clipboard and pen. “Just fill those out and bring them back up here when you’re done. I’ll get you all checked in.”

Parker gave her a strained smile and accepted the packet. She followed Ty to a pair of empty seats, and filled out the paperwork quickly. She gave it back to Hannah and sat down again with a soft sigh.

“Was that too awkward for you? We can find another doctor after this appointment. I don’t mind driving to another town when you need to see the doctor,” Ty said with a frown in Hannah’s direction.

“Oh no,” Parker reassured him quickly, smiling at him as her heart warmed. Was he planning on going to all of her appointments with her? That was sweet. “Hannah has never been much of a problem. Sure, she’s said some stuff before, but nothing that half the girls in town haven’t. It’s Wendy that’s always been the bigger problem.”

“Hmmm,” Ty muttered, not looking like he believed her.

She was just about to reassure him again when her name was called. Giving him another smile instead, she said, “This is it. Let’s go.”

They were quickly ushered into an exam room, where the nurse spent a few moments getting vitals and taking blood. She had barely left the room when Dr. Green came back in.

“Parker! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. You look lovely, dear,” the white haired doctor beamed. She quickly sat down, grabbing Parker’s chart. “And you’re almost twenty weeks pregnant, I see. Congratulations! Do my eyes deceive me, or is that Tyler MacKeltar lurking in the corner? You the daddy, boy?”

Parker watched in amusement as Ty shifted uncomfortably as he answered in the affirmative. The doctor spent a few more minutes getting all of the details before she turned back to Ty.

“This is the part of the visit where I have to get personal with your lady here, Ty. Why don’t you give us some privacy for this part, and you can come back in for the good stuff. Come on, I’ll walk you out so Parker here can get changed.”

Parker couldn’t help smiling as Ty sent her a disgruntled look before following the doctor out. Things were about to get interesting.

Ty paced the hallway, waiting on the doctor to tell him he could go back in. He didn’t necessarily want to be in there for that part of the visit, but he felt anxious being out of the room, just the same.

He looked up as someone entered the hallway and felt his eyes narrowing when he saw that it was Hannah. She looked up and noticed him, her footsteps faltering before she took a deep breath and closer. “Tyler.”

“There isn’t going to be a problem, is there, Hannah?”

Eyes widening, Hannah shook her head. “No! Look, Ty, the one you have to worry about is Wendy, honestly. I just moved back to town not too long ago, and the last thing I want is trouble here. Or for trouble to follow me.”

Ty’s frown intensified as he heard her mutter the last part under her breath, too low for a human to hear. His shifter hearing picked up on it with ease. Deciding to let it go, he just nodded to her as she hurried away.

The door to Parker’s room opened and the doctor came out. “All finished up. She’s getting dressed now, and then we can get to the fun part. Everything was fine in the physical examination, so you can stop looking so worried.”

Ty forced the frown from his face, a bit unsettled by the friendly doctor. Most humans were always a little naturally wary of him, but not this little lady.