Walking into Doc’s was like walking in front of a firing squad. Bowie held Katie’s hand in his. Although she was the picture of calm on the outside, the way her body shook gave her away.

“We’ll take care of this so we can take care of you.”

She shot him a look as deadly as an on target bullet. “Haven’t you learned anything?” She pulled her hand from his. “I can take care of myself.”

She marched through the doorway that led to the examination room. He was hot on her heels, followed closely behind by Tate and Sophia. The latter had been tossing verbal grenades his way since she’d barged into Sage’s room. No doubt Sophia had been standing there the whole time with an ear to the door.

“I know you can, but is it a bad thing that I want to care for you?”

“Care for me? No. Control me? Yes.” She hopped onto the table. “If you want to help, tell Doc we’re here.”

Bowie nodded and walked out, but he heard Katie lay into her mom. With Doc’s shop empty, he didn’t miss a word she said.

“You know why I left, Mama?”

“Yes. You wanted independence.”

“That means making decisions for myself. If you want to be a part of my life, you need to step back and let me live it.”

Their voices faded as Bowie ran upstairs to Doc’s apartment. He had a setup similar to Katie’s, although hers was by far nicer.

“You okay, son?”

Bowie plastered his body against the wall so Doc could slide past him in the narrow stairwell. “No, not really. I finally opened my heart and found love, and I’ve planted a death sentence inside her.”

“Don’t put the cart in front of the horse. Let’s go see what’s up. If she’s pregnant, we’ll concoct the best plan.”

“She needs to get rid of that baby.”

Doc expelled a heavy breath. “Have you learned nothing about women—that woman in particular? She doesn’t want to be controlled; she wants to be supported. The decision is not yours. It’s hers. If she’s pregnant and wants to have that baby, she will. I’ve never met a more determined woman in my life. She rivals Phyllis for stubbornness.” Doc sucked in a long breath and sighed out a loud exhale. “You love her?”

Bowie followed Doc down the stairs. “More than anything.”

“Then you support her, no matter what.”

Bowie swallowed the lump caught in his throat. “I will.”

Doc swiped a few pregnancy tests from the shelf and walked into the room, where Katie was still talking to her mom.

“You had your life, Mama. Let me have mine, no matter how long it is.” She looked past her parents to Bowie. “I’m happy. I’m in love.”

Bowie walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “You okay?”

A weak smile lifted the corners of her lips. “Yes, but can you help me clarify something?”

“Anything for you, Duchess.”

She put her hand to her heart. “Was Brandy healthy?”

“Yes. She had no medical issues I knew about.”

Katie reached her free hand to her mother’s. “She was healthy, Mom. She woke up that day healthy and happy and in love.”

Her eyes turned toward Bowie. He could see the love in her brilliant blue eyes, but he also saw sadness. He wasn’t sure if it was because they were potentially facing a crisis or because she hated to bring up his wound. Knowing Katie, it was because she didn’t want to hurt him.

“What’s your point?” Sophia asked.

“My point is, no one is guaranteed anything. Brandy woke up to a normal day. She went about her business and climbed in a car to run an errand, and in the blink of an eye her life was gone.”

Bowie lifted his hand to the scar on his face. It was a visual reminder of how fast things could change.

“I have a donor heart. My life is risky, but no more at risk than any other life. So stop it.” She looked around the room at her parents and him. “Shall I take this test and see where the next chapter leads?”

“I’m going to take blood and send it off to the lab, but let’s see if we can’t get a preliminary result with these.” Doc handed her two different pregnancy tests and pointed to the bathroom.

Bowie dragged in several chairs from the hallway and lined them up against the wall for them to sit on. He took a seat and turned to Sophia.

“I really do love your daughter, and no matter what the outcome is, I will support her and take care of her.”

Bowie could see the moment of defeat and resignation claimed Katie’s mom. Her features softened, and the visual daggers she’d been slicing through him dulled.

“I know you do. And she loves you. Not having a child of your own, you can’t understand how I feel. I’ve spent twenty-nine years protecting her.”

Tate cleared his throat. “Maybe it’s time you spent the next phase of her life enjoying her. She’s right, you know. Life isn’t a guarantee. Live in the moment.”

Katie emerged from the bathroom carrying two sticks. One in each hand. “What if we get mixed results?” She handed them to Doc, who set them on the counter and prepped to take her blood.

“I’ve got a third one out there we can use as a tie breaker.” He tied a rubber strap to her arm and had her hold onto a rubber ball. After a few taps at the crook, the needle went in the vial and filled up. Doc put on a Snoopy Band-Aid and popped a Life Saver into her mouth before she could say a word.

They waited. Katie and Bowie stared at the tests on the counter, while Doc, Tate, and Sophia had their eyes on the clock. When the recommended time had passed, Doc read the results.

“It’s unanimous.” He raised the two tests, facing the group. One had two bright pink stripes, and the other clearly said pregnant 3+. “You can return your birthday gift for diapers since you won’t be needing what I gave you for a while.”

Bowie didn’t know how to feel. A part of him wanted to crawl into a ball and die right there. Another part of him wanted to leap into the air with joy. His child was growing inside Katie, but could he risk ending one life in the hope of bringing another into the world? Then he remembered what she’d told them minutes before. Nothing in life was guaranteed.

“Oh my God … I’m pregnant?” Gone was the weak smile, and in its place the sun that burst forth from within her. “I never thought to put that on my bucket list.” She reached for her bag and pulled out the journal where she recorded her dreams.

Bowie watched as she penned have a baby on a blank line.

Sophia stood and came over to her daughter. “Katie, are you—”

“Mama, I know what you’re going to say. Don’t.”

Sophia gave her a grunt of frustration. “You’re wrong. I was going to ask if you could clear a week next month so we can baby shop.”

“Really?” Tears ran down Katie’s cheeks.

“I’ll send the jet,” Tate said. He looked at Bowie. “Son, what are your intentions toward my daughter?”

“I intend to love her and care for her for the rest of my life.”

“That sounds great, but will you marry her? We’re old-fashioned that way.”

“Daddy,” Katie squeaked. “Bowie and I don’t do anything the traditional way.”

She was right. They’d kissed before they’d held hands. They’d slept together before they’d dated. They’d created a baby before they’d considered marriage. It was unconventional, but it worked for them.

“I’ll marry her today if she’ll have me.”

“No way,” Katie said with a hint of humor. Everyone looked at her in surprise. “If you think I’m going to make it easy on you by having my birthday and anniversary the same day, you’re nuts. I’m not cheating myself out of an extra present or an extra day to celebrate.”

Bowie cupped her face with his hands. “I love you. Every day is a day to celebrate, but I will marry you.” He lowered one hand to her stomach. “I will be the best father and husband I can be.”

Her father turned to Doc Parker. “What do I owe you, Doc?” Tate pulled out his wallet and tried to hand him a big bill.

Doc waved him away. “Nothing. Money isn’t the most valuable currency here in Aspen Cove. We take care of our own.”

“Surely, I can pay you somehow?”

Doc smiled. “Did I hear you have a jet?”

Tate laughed. “At your disposal.”

* * *

Katie’s parents stayed long enough to visit her new cardiologist, Dr. Holland in Copper Creek. After he gave her a full physical, he told everyone that although heart transplant recipients were at a high-risk for pregnancy, there was no reason to believe Katie wouldn’t deliver a healthy child.

While he set up the ultrasound, he outlined the risks from infection to early delivery. He explained Katie’s fever and the need to adjust her anti-rejection medications. When he gelled her stomach and placed the wand over her belly, the room fell silent except for the fast thumping beat that floated through the air.

All eyes went to the monitor, where a clearly defined baby snuggled inside Katie’s womb, its heartbeat a fast flicker on the screen.

“Your baby looks perfect,” Doctor Holland said. “He or she is about eleven weeks along, weighs about an ounce and is the length of your little finger.”

Sophia burst into tears, followed by a laugh. “I told you you’d gained weight.”

Everyone smiled at her joke.

“Can you tell what the sex is, Doctor Holland?” Tate asked.

“With this machine, it’s too soon to say, but we should be able to see at your next appointment. That is, if you want to know.”

Katie looked at Bowie. “You want to know?”

“Of course he wants to know,” Sophia piped in. “It makes shopping easier.”

“Let’s decide, then,” Bowie said.

The doctor printed several copies of the baby photo and passed them out to everyone. Bowie folded his up and placed it in his wallet. Whereas he’d once kept a picture of Brandy to remember his past, this was a glimpse into his future.

“Let’s go home,” Katie said. “I miss our fur baby.”

Turned out Otis was a fine father figure to Bishop. He’d taken to the puppy like they were raised together. Mike, on the other hand, wasn’t a fan of the little fur ball, but that could be because Bishop was teething and decided Cannon’s one-eyed cat was a good chew toy.

They dropped off Katie’s parents at the airport, with a promise to visit Dallas after the results of the next ultrasound.

On the way home, Bowie reached for Katie’s hand. “This is all my fault.”

“Are we back to that?”

Bowie thought back to his friend Trig’s conversation about Sledge and his sand baby. “Yes, but not how you think. You got pregnant the first time I made love to you. I think I knew in my heart I loved you then, but I wasn’t ready to admit.”

“My heart has always loved you.” There was a lot of truth to that statement. “What makes you think it happened on that night?”

“I used a condom that had been in my wallet for a year. It had been through the heat of the desert and a dozen sandstorms. When you warned me about heat breaking down latex, you were already pregnant.”

She laid her hand over her belly. “A desert baby, huh?”

“Our desert baby,” he replied.