“Are you ok?” she asks with a smirk and a cock of her brow.
“You did that on purpose didn’t you?”
“Did what?”
“Decide to torture me.”
Her laughter jingles through the room as she argues with him good naturedly.
“I told you to turn around. You’re the one who didn’t listen.”
Before Austin has a chance to retort, there is a knock at the door and the doctor enters, followed by another young woman who very clearly would like Austin’s attention, judging by the sway of her hips and the glances she frequently shoots in his direction.
“Good morning, Nikki. How are you feeling?”
“I’m well, Dr. Burnett. I haven’t felt nauseated in about two weeks.”
“You can call me Charles, Nikki,” he chuckles, then asks his assistant to take Nikki’s blood pressure.
Austin watches as Nikki lies down and the doctor takes measurements of her stomach. Seemingly pleased with their exam, the doctor and medical assistant step out of the room.
“You can come up here. They’re going to bring in the ultrasound machine.”
Rising from where he was leaning against the far wall, Austin moves towards the head of the bed and looks down at Nikki as she readjusts the gown to cover up her chest.
“So…could that girl have tried any harder to get your attention?” Nikki jokes.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh my gosh, I bet Charles is out there telling her she isn’t allowed back in the room. She couldn’t even do her job she was too busy staring at you. It took everything in me not to laugh. The poor girl is barely twenty.”
“I didn’t even notice,” Austin asserts, completely honest in his assessment.
Peering into his eyes, Nikki’s blue beacons study his face searchingly, her smile widening when she sees the truth in them.
That smile could end wars, Austin thinks to himself.
Breaking the connection that was quickly forming between them, Dr. Burnett strolls back into the room, wheeling a large computer behind him. Nikki snickers when she notices that the assistant is no longer in attendance.
“Alright. First, I need to get some measurements, then we’ll take some pictures and see if we can determine whether this baby is a he or she. You still want to know the gender?” he asks, squirting the cool gel onto Nikki’s abdomen.
“Yes, we’d like to know,” Nikki replies.
Austin’s heart starts beating wildly upon the use of the word “we”. One sentence declaring the fact that they had made a decision about their child together. It was life-altering. Trying to restrain his emotions, he reminds himself that they are a team. Even if he hated that she left, she would be a part of his life forever. Though he’d give everything to deny it, the notion doesn’t bother him as much as it should have.
A whooshing sound suddenly reverberates around the tiny space, bringing his attention back to the moment, and Austin has to catch himself from falling to his knees in amazement.
“Is that…,” he swallows, “the heartbeat?”
“Yes, sir,” the doctor responds. “Steady and strong. Alright, let’s see if the baby wants to help us out.”
They watch in fascination as Dr. Burnett moves the wand across the expanse of Nikki’s stomach before stopping and clicking on the keyboard.
“Can you tell?” Charles asks them.
Nikki nods her head as tears stream down her cheeks, but Austin can do no more than stare at the life on the screen before him. He doesn’t care if it’s a boy or a girl. Hell, it could be a Velociraptor and he’d still be pleased as a peach. He was seeing his child for the first time, and it couldn’t have been more beautiful.
“Well, dad, you may want to get your shotgun ready, because you’re going to have one beautiful little girl.”
And he was fucked.
A girl. They were having a little girl. Austin suddenly felt as if everything in his life had been leading him to this moment. And if this little girl even remotely resembled her mother, Austin was going to have to prepare himself for an epic battle against the would-be suitors as she grew up.
For just a moment, Austin tears his eyes away from watching their daughter bounce around on the screen to observe Nikki. Her always-contagious smile leapt beyond its bonds, her tears were left unchecked as they cascade down the sides of her face. Without releasing her hand from his own, he uses the other to softly wipe at her cheek.
“We’re having a little girl. Can you believe it?” she inquires in the voice of one who is in a trance.
No response is needed to her rhetorical question; Austin simply leans down and kisses her forehead, stroking her hair away from her face.
Taking a deep breath, Austin murmurs against her soft skin, “Thank you.”
His heart had doubled in size that day.
NIKKI HAD NEVER FELT as emotionally drained as she did when Austin's gentle lips pressed against her forehead upon learning the sex of their child. She is elated by the fact he is so open to the revelation, yet devastated that he will only ever be so free with his emotions around her when their child was involved. But it doesn’t matter. In this moment, Nikki feels herself basking in his love and joy.
Dr. Burnett prints off more photos for their collection and wheels the machine out of the room, advising them to meet him in his office once Nikki had finished getting dressed. As the door clicks shut behind him, the spell that had just pulsed within the room is broken and Austin steps away from the table, taking his place back against the far wall. Rising from the table, Nikki closes the flimsy gown tightly around her body as she grabs her clothing from the chair. This time around, she turns to shield herself from Austin's gaze and dresses while still wearing the gown, only removing the cloth to replace her bra and shirt. She can feel Austin's gaze burning into her back and she rolls her eyes, using every ounce of strength she has to refrain from turning around and begging him to give her a second chance. She knows in her heart that it would be a hopeless plea. Austin had made his stance known, and it was clear that his love only covered their child. He would tolerate her as needed for the sake of the baby, but he would give no more and no less than that.
"I'm ready. Charles' office is right down the hall."
Holding the door for her to exit he says, "Lead the way," gently placing his hand on the small of her back.
His touch sears her flesh through the thin fabric of her sweater.
As they enter the small office that she has been in countless times before (though admittedly not as a patient), she glances around at their surroundings. Taking a seat in front of the desk, she watches as Austin twists his large body to fit into the small chair; the already cramped space feels even closer.
"Is everything ok, Charles?"
"Everything looks great. I only asked you in here because I'm concerned about your weight gain. At this point, you've actually lost weight. The baby is doing fine, but I'm concerned about her mother as well. I know you struggled with sickness during your first trimester, but let's come up with a plan to get your strength up. You're going to need it as we move farther along."
Before she has a chance to speak up, Austin exclaims, "Don't worry, Dr. Burnett. I plan on keeping a good eye on her and making sure she eats more."
Dr. Burnett and Austin begin to converse back and forth, as if Nikki is no longer in the room. Her eyes widen in alarm as Austin discusses how he plans to keep a watchful eye on her and how often he plans to feed her - every two hours.
"I am here you know. And I think I should get a say,” she says, somewhat ruffled.
Austin smiles smugly, clearly enjoying the fact that he managed to rile her up.
"Sure you have a say, Nikki," he begins. "We can talk about it on the way to the office."
Nikki stews as the Cheshire-cat grin widens across his handsome face. Instead of responding, she huffs loudly, grabs the bag she had placed on the arm of the chair and storms out of the office, furious that Austin and C
harles seemed to have ganged up on her.
Even in her anger, she stops at the checkout desk to schedule her next appointment, though she wishes she could just leave and find a way back to Avery and Logan's house. But luck is against her today. The receptionist is on the phone when she arrives at the main desk, giving Austin a prime opportunity to catch up to her.
"Nikki," he mutters, coming along beside her, though obviously determined to maintain a cautious distance. "Nikki," he repeats. After a pause, she finally directs her attention to him. "I'm sorry, we were only joking. I didn't mean to upset you."
Taken aback, Nikki eyes him skeptically, arching her meticulously manicured brow in a questioning manner.
"We really just want you to take care of yourself. And getting you worked up probably wasn't the best idea; raising your blood pressure and all. So I am sorry."
"And you're not going to force me to eat every two hours?"
"I'll ask you to snack, but I'll never force you to do anything you don't want to do. You know that."
Finally, the receptionist ends her call and proceeds to schedule Nikki's next appointment, exactly one month from today.
Nikki had hoped to see Logan and Avery at the office where they had all worked, but they were both busy seeing patients. Instead, Nikki leaves them a note, letting them know that she would be stopping by their home to grab her things and would leave the spare key they had given her in the kitchen. Still, Nikki was certain that Avery would be calling her once she received the message.
Anger having subsided, Nikki follows Austin to his truck so they can grab her things before heading to his office for her first day of work.
Their pit stop was short-lived: Austin had gathered all of her things before she even had the chance to get out of the truck. In almost no time, they were making their way back down Main Street on their way to Austin's office, a place she had yet to visit.
Nikki had imagined that his office would be a building covered in steel and glass, or perhaps made from a large, converted warehouse. She had also assumed it would be located on the opposite side of town (where the production plant had recently been built), so she is pleasantly surprised and confused when they pull up to the small Victorian on the edge of Main Street.
As he shuts off the ignition, Nikki leans forward in her seat and confesses, "Is this it? I never would have imagined this for your office."
Austin climbs out of the truck and makes his way to the passenger side to assist Nikki in getting down.
"I know this place is a bit...unexpected, but when she came on the market, I couldn't pass her up. She's right on the edge of town between here and the major road to Asheville. It just made the most sense,” he replies with a slight shrug.
Following him up the steps to enter the building, Nikki nods in agreement. "I get it. This building suits you. Do you just do your designing here, or is all of Connelly Construction based out of here?"
They continue into the main room and Austin steps behind a desk with a computer.
"This is the flagship. We hold meetings here and such, which I'll need your help with, and everything else related to the construction side. There is a drawing room on the second floor that Victor and Sara use to layout designs and such, but I pretty much use my office at the back of the house. So you'll see staff come and go pretty frequently. I’m not sure if you’ve met either of them before. Victor and I have been friends since college. We even take vacations together."
"Ok, I'm good with all that. What would you like me to do first?" she inquires, placing her bag into the bottom drawer of a filing cabinet, then taking a seat in the leather office chair.
As Nikki takes in her surroundings, she notices that Austin has remained silent. Turning in the chair, she brings her eyes level to Austin's and finds him staring at her indulgently.
"You don't have to do anything today, Nikki. But I would like your advice on the pediatric clinic that Avery has proposed to the town's counsel."
Surprised, Nikki can't help but grip the arms of her chair, knuckles turning white from tension.
"You...you want my help?” She stammers, “But… I don't know anything about designing and architecture."
Austin steps around from behind the desk and perches himself on the edge, his snug jeans pulling so that the denim is even more taught across his toned thighs.
"You may not know about the technical stuff, but you have worked in a clinic before and you’re Avery's best friend. Who else could know what she's looking for more than you would?"
"I guess I can talk to Logan's friend, Brooks. I think that's who he is trying to recruit to work at the clinic. I can work with him to get some suggestions about what he would like in his own clinic. You know, just in case he comes on board."
"That would be good. If possible, see if you can get him to come in for a meeting. We can walk the space and get some more ideas that way. Obviously, as soon as possible."
"Sure, I've spoken with Brooks a few times, so it won't be too hard to get him to visit on a day off. I actually think he is coming to Logan and Avery's New Year's Eve party, so we may be able to schedule a meeting or walk through then, even if it is outside of business hours."
"See, I knew you'd be perfect for this,” he smiles. “Now I don't have to deal with all the meeting setup bullshit. Do what you have to do, but come with me to my office and I can show you the rendering I have."
She rises from her new desk and follows him down the small hallway that is reminiscent of a home built in the 1800's. Soaking in the details of her new environment, Nikki takes note of the bathroom, small kitchen and two conference rooms before stepping through the door of Austin's office.
In front of her is a large, rectangular-shaped room that takes up the entire backspace of the house. Her eyes are immediately drawn to the left side of the room, which is comprised entirely of floor-to-ceiling windows. Austin's drawing table sits in the corner, natural light illuminating the bright, stark white sketch papers. In the middle of the room is a solid mahogany desk, papers scattered all over the surface.
Chuckling when he realizes the clutter she's witnessed, Austin jokes, "I may need your help with that as well."
His laughter warms her heart deep within her body - his joyfulness a sound she had missed and not heard nearly enough.
As he leads her over to the conference table on the opposite side of the room, Nikki notices a small bathroom tucked away beside his bookshelf. At least she can take comfort in knowing that she won't be seeing him several times a day, leaving his office to use the restroom.
Austin unrolls a large piece of paper that showcases the current rendering for the pediatric hospital. The new model is large and imposing, but blends well into its surroundings. The front-scape is a combination of glass and brick, matching the façades of the adjoining buildings.
Impressed is too small a word to describe how she feels upon seeing Austin's rendering.
"Wow, you drew this?" she asks in a whisper, astonishment evident in her tone.
Seemingly embarrassed, Austin shrugs his shoulders and points to the layout on the bottom half of the page.
"Yeah...well...I mean, it's what I do. So, this here is what I've envisioned for the clinic. Do you see anything off the bat that we need to change?"
Looking more closely, Nikki studies the patient rooms - eight in total - three offices, a lab, a break room, reception desk, and two waiting rooms.
"I think it looks good so far. I like the idea of having the sick and well patient rooms on different wings of the clinic with a central reception area. Obviously, if Brooks comes on board, he may want things differently, but I like it."
A sense of relief washes over Austin, almost as if he had needed her praise.
"Good, thanks for looking at this. Right now, we'll leave the second space open and can add rooms as needed. Jameson already asked for a standard office layout with cubicles running down the center, a server room, and a line of offices running along the front side of the bu
ilding."
Nikki recalls that Avery was gifting Jameson, one of her half-brothers, the upper floor of the building to launch his software and application development company. Avery had come into an extremely large sum of money when her fiancé Declan had passed, the contents of his trust fund passing to her. This was, of course, in addition to the funds she had received when her cruel (and wealthy) grandmother died. Avery hadn't wanted anything to do with the money, primarily due to how it had come to her. But she had a big heart that burned with the desire to better the community and her new-found family, who had embraced her with open arms. The decision to build a pediatric clinic for the growing town was one that came to her naturally. Jameson had been the only half-sibling who had been hesitant to welcome her to their brood. Nikki remembers the phone calls where Avery had expressed an unwavering need to have Jameson accept her. Her idea to gift Jameson the property and invest in his business had been overwhelmingly successful, even though Jameson had disclosed after receiving the gift that it was too much and he apologized for acting the way he had. As the baby of the family, he didn't adjust well to change or the fact that he was already sharing his father with five other siblings, let alone his twin. Nikki feels a sense of peace knowing that Avery finally has the family she had always craved as a child… a family that includes the sinfully sexy man standing beside her.
"Well, I need you to fill out a few forms so we can get you on payroll, then I can show you how to log in and adjust time sheets, which will be part of your job. Are you good with that?" Austin asks.
"No problem."
Following him back to the front of the building, Nikki inhales deeply, reveling in the masculine scent that clings to the air around him - the aroma that causes her heart to chant his name with every beat. Suddenly, she runs right into the back of him when he stops at her desk, her mind losing track of her environment as she basks in his smell.
"Sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."
"That's ok. You'll find the paperwork in your top drawer, along with your user name and password for the server. Take some time to go through the calendar I set up for you and familiarize yourself with any meetings that will be taking place in the coming days. Also, if you can get a hold of Brooks, please go ahead and schedule something. Logan mentioned that you were familiar with the software we are using."
Coming Together: Welcome to Carson, Book Two Page 5
