The Virgin Cowboy Billionaire’s Secret Baby(50)

This time, though, Dara’s heart sped up. Not from the intrusiveness, which was only mildly uncomfortable, but from the reality of what they were doing. What the ultrasound was going to show. The backside of the monitor suddenly intimidated her—what was on the screen that she couldn’t see?

Matt took her hand. While she wasn’t freaked out over the procedure itself, the results suddenly made her nervous. Was everything okay? Was the baby growing and developing the way he was supposed to? What if…

No. No what ifs.

She just squeezed Matt’s hand, grateful for the offer of comfort.

The tech moved the probe around. Dara grimaced, glaring up at the ceiling.

Matt squeezed her hand. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” She winced. “Just having some flashbacks to one of my ex-boyfriends.”

The probe stopped for a second, and she was pretty sure she sensed the tech glancing up at her. After that, the movement was a little gentler, but definitely not something she’d be asking Matt to do later.

She smothered a giggle.

“What?” Matt asked.

“Nothing.” She shook her head. “Just trying to keep my mind off having to pee.”

“This won’t take too much longer,” the tech said. “I’ll wrap this as quickly as—”

The abrupt pause sent Dara’s heart into her throat. It didn’t help when the tech leaned forward, eyeing the screen.

“Is something wrong?” Dara asked.

“No, no. At this stage, sometimes it takes a minute to find—ah, there you are!” She smiled and turned the monitor around.

And there he was. Or she—wasn’t like they could tell quite yet. There wasn’t much to see.

But the truth slowly began to sink in.

Four pregnancy tests, weeks on end of puking the morning away, and a whole drawer full of bras that she didn’t think would ever fit again—none of that made this as real as that strange little blob on the screen did. Even though there wasn’t much beyond grainy black and white blobs, this was the very beginning of what would eventually be her baby. Their baby.

Matt’s thumb ran along the back of hers.

She glanced at him. He was transfixed by the image on the screen. Eyes wide, lips apart, he leaned forward as if he needed a closer look. His eyebrows were up and pulled together, his face the very picture of panic and disbelief, even when their eyes met and he smiled back at her. Thank God—she wasn’t the only one scared shitless. At least he wasn’t a flight risk. Not if the death grip he had on her hand was any indication.

Neither of them spoke. She had no idea what was going through his mind, but the image certainly had his attention as well as hers.

“Do you want some printouts?” the tech asked.

“Yes, please,” Dara said, wondering when her mouth had gone dry. She had a feeling she’d be staring at those pictures for quite a while later on.

After the ultrasound, Dara finally got to use the restroom—keeping a full bladder for that long was just bullshit. While she was in there, she changed back into her clothes too. Then the tech took them back to a regular room and left them there to wait for the doctor.

She and Matt took seats in the chairs beside the exam table. She drummed her fingers on the armrest. Her phone was in her pocket, but she didn’t think she’d be able to concentrate on anything anyway, so she didn’t bother. Matt wasn’t playing with his either.

He turned to her. “Doing okay?”

She nodded. “Is it weird to be more nervous now than I was before?”

“If it is, then I’m weird too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” He swallowed. “I actually wasn’t nervous at all before now. Something about seeing that picture…”

“I know the feeling,” she whispered.

He slipped her hand into hers again, and his palm was damp. So was hers. Their eyes met, and the smile he offered was probably meant to be reassuring, but the uncertainty in his eyes killed the effect. And yet, at the same time, it was reassuring to know she wasn’t crazy for being nervous, and to know that he cared enough to be nervous.

A tap on the door startled them both, and they turned as Dr. Walton stepped in. After he’d shaken hands with both of them and introduced himself to Matt, he leaned against the cabinets and opened her chart.

“Well, your ultrasound doesn’t show any abnormalities, and all measurements are perfect for this stage of development.” The doctor smiled. “Everything looks great.”

Dara released her breath. “Thank God.”

He ran through everything he’d been able to gather from viewing the ultrasound, and she heard it and understood it, but most of it faded behind “Everything looks great.” That was the important part. After all the time and hell it took to get pregnant, the baby was developing normally. After all the shit the universe had thrown at her recently, the doctor’s words were a bigger relief than the moment Matt had hugged her in his sister’s office.