24
Mia
“Congratulations, Ms Stone, according to your HCG levels, you are definitely pregnant. It is quite early in the pregnancy, but it looks to be roughly two weeks. In a couple of weeks, we will perform an ultrasound to get a more accurate gestation and possible due date. If you like, you can hold the line, and my receptionist can make a booking for you, or if you would prefer, you can ring back after you have digested this information.”
“Um, yes, that would be best. Bye.” Disconnecting the call, I sank to my butt on the edge of the bed.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
“I’m pregnant,” I whispered aloud. Trigger was the only one to hear me. She rested her muzzle on my knee and looked at me with drowsy eyes as I absently stroked her ears. “You miss him too, hey, girl.”
Her whimpered answer made me laugh.
“Oh, Trigger, what are we going to do? This was not supposed to happen so quickly.” Hell, I never thought it would happen at all! Sex with Steel, then his super sperm gets me on the first try. The baby is an unexpected, lovely surprise, not that I ever seriously thought of having a child before. My childhood was fraught with being second best and living in the shadow of my older sister. My dad showed signs of loving me until Mum stepped in and reminded him who the boss was in their relationship. Eventually, he just accepted the status quo and rolled with it.
That had hurt more than anything my mother or sister threw at me. I felt love from my father, so when he stopped, I felt that loss. I never forgave him, and when he and Mum passed, I mourned what should have been. It had been his love I wanted back. There was nothing I wanted from my mother.
“Hey, preggers? Daddy, Darth, and Unca Coops are nearly home. Ford said that their trackers are close.” Shiloh’s excited voice interrupted my melancholy mood. Did she—did she just call me preggers?
“Shiloh Johnston, get your little tush in here now,” I called back to her. I waited for a few seconds as I listened to the clicking sounds of nails on the hard floors, then the stomping of size three shitkickers. Holding back my grin to my newest nickname, I put on my sternest face as she slunk through the doorway. When her fat puppy, C.O.D, saw Trigger, she bounded into the room, grunting and yapping at the German shepherd, who took it all in her stride. Such a good dog.
“Whatcha need, baby mama?”
Oh, this kid! She was four going on twenty-five. She was adorable, and I loved her beyond belief, but she was not going to let this cat out of the bag this time. This one was for me to tell. This was something I wanted to do—tell Steel he was going to be a father and watch his reaction to this news. Then, hopefully, we would live happily ever after.
Hopefully.
“Were you listening to me talking to myself just now?” I asked suspiciously.
“Nope, didn’t hear you on no phone call. Just talking to Trig.” She answered. Oh crap.
“If you tell Unca Coop that he knocked me up, I will take away all your Tour of Duty DVDs and make you watch Play School for two whole weeks. Every single day. For two weeks.” It was definitely playing dirty. Shiloh hated anything childish other than Frozen. She loved her war TV shows. She and Darth spent every day together watching an episode. There were only three seasons of the show made, so they watched it over and over. They both knew it word for word, and Shiloh loved the character named Zeke, so I knew she would not do anything that would stop her from watching.
“That’s bloody dirty and sneaky, Aunty Mia,” Shiloh grumbled, her blue eyes narrowing at me.
“Oh, don’t you Aunty Mia me, little squirt. You can’t fool me. Now button those lips up. Say nothing or Zeke goes bye-bye,” I threatened, not at all ashamed of myself. It was every woman for herself, and I had more to lose than little Miss Potty Mouth. I made a mental note to reprimand Shiloh for her cursing later because the sound of motorcycle pipes perked up my ears.
Steel was home.
Scurrying to my feet, being careful not to knock Trigger, I leaned over and kissed Shiloh on her chubby cheek.
“Remember what I said, Squirt. Not a word.” I mimed zipping my lips.
“Affirmative, woman.” She saluted me.
Laughing at her, I took off to where the bike sounds were coming from. My man was home. The phone calls every night, the multiple phone-sex calls, and the constant texting for fifteen days had been fun. We told one another about ourselves, learnt new things and remembered some things we’d forgotten. I also learnt that Steel could indeed make me come with just his growly voice and some pretty descriptive dialogue. He found out that he could, too, after I told him a few of my fantasies.
Now I needed to kiss my man, tell him he was going to be a daddy, and then spend the next day or two catching up on the real stuff. Without the phone.