Love Me Like You Do: Winter Lake

by Rhian Cahill

  “I—”

  “All right, you two. Everything looks great in your reports, Covington. We’ll keep an eye on your weight gain for a while but I don’t envision any further issues. You said the nausea has settled down in recent days which would tie in with you hitting the second trimester.”

  “Yes, the last week has been pretty much free of it and my appetite has returned. I’ve been eating anything I can get my hands on. I managed to keep up the prenatal vitamins in spite of the vomiting too.”

  “Good girl.” Jared rubbed his hands together. “We’ll start with basic things. Temp and blood pressure. We’ll do your weight last. I’d like to have a feel around your tummy if you’re okay with that. Just for my own reference. You file is detailed and I could probably forgo it, but I’d like to handle you the way I would any other pregnant patient coming through my door for the first time.”

  “Whatever you need to do and whatever Tristan needs to know.” Cov grinned. “He’s been out of the loop with this, so he’s got some concerns you might need to address.”

  “Ah, already a concerned daddy. Got it.” Jared winked at Cov. “Okay, Tristan, what do you want to know?”

  “She’s lost weight. A lot by my estimation and I’m worried about what that means for her and the babies.”

  “Understandable. It’s not uncommon for women with morning sickness to lose weight in the first few weeks; some even do it before they know they’re pregnant. I had a look at the scan dated two weeks ago, and both babies look on track for the due date so I’m going to assume we’ll see Covington regain that weight and put on more in the coming weeks. The loss certainly hasn’t affected the growth of the babies.”

  Every muscle in his body seemed to let out a sigh. He hadn’t realized how worried he was about it until Jared said he shouldn’t be.

  “I told you it was okay.”

  He glanced at Cov. “I know, but you’ve been sleeping and crying since you got here, and don’t get me started on that mild panic attack—”

  “Panic attack?” Jared’s head snapped up from where he was feeling around Cov’s stomach. “What panic attack?”

  “I’m fine. It was earlier today. Everything just got overwhelming and I was tired and as Tris said”—she shot him a dirty look—“it was mild.”

  “Get them often?”

  “No. That was only my second. The first was when they told me I was having twins.”

  Jared chuckled. “It’s normally the dads who have the panic attack then.”

  Tristan appreciated the attempted at lightening the moment but he could all too easily see himself having a panic attack after being told his woman was having two babies. “You better give me a prescription now then. I see plenty of anxiety in my future.”

  “With two babies, my friend, you’ll be seeing plenty of action good and bad, but I think you have what it takes to survive. You run into burning buildings for living, don’t you? Parenthood is a similar experience.”

  “Oh? How many kids do you have?” Cov asked with an arched eyebrow.

  Jared threw his hands up. “Sorry. Those words come from years of observation. I’ve yet to experience the joys of fatherhood myself.”

  “It can’t be that bad,” Cov mumbled.

  “I’m told it’s as good as it is bad, but not one parent has ever admitted to me they wished they’d never had kids, so that should tell you something.”

  “They’re too panicked to know?” Cov asked with a laugh.

  “Possibly. But I’ll tell you what I’ve told all my first-time parents. I’d swap places with you any day of the week if I could.” There was something that passed through Jared’s eyes before he smiled and changed the direction of the conversation. “Okay. Time to get a listen to these two peanuts.”

  It took him a few moments to get the first heartbeat pulsing through the air but when he did, the hair all over Tristan’s body stood on end. The rapid thump-thump-thump filled his ears and sank into his bones. That was his baby. His and Cov’s. Their baby.

  “Sounds good.” Jared moved the device around Cov’s stomach until he was almost leaning right over her. “Ah, there you are, you sneaky devil.”

  Thump-thump-thump.

  “Also good. Strong, the right speed.” Removing the device from Cov’s belly, he sat back on his stool. “All right. I’m happy to put off the scan for another week or so but with the storm rolling in over the weekend if you can swing by tomorrow I’d like to get it done then. Other than that, and let me be clear, I’m completely happy with the progress you’ve made so far, I’m only requesting the early scan so we can get comfortable with this new arrangement. It’s not ideal to change doctors partway through and I want you both to be assured that I’m on top of any possible issues.”

  “We can come in tomorrow.” Cov eyed him. “Can’t we?” he asked with a sheepish smile.

  “Yes. That’s fine. Can we get a picture? I didn’t last time. I didn’t even think to ask.”

  “I can give you a copy from your file now. But yes, we’ll make sure you have pictures to take home tomorrow.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” Cov grinned.

  “What time should we be here?” Tris asked.

  “Whenever, we’ll squeeze you in around the rest of the patients.” Jared patted Cov’s knee. “Hop up and we’ll get your weight then you’re free to go home. I’m going to prescribe rest as your blood pressure is a little elevated to what you’ve presented with so far, but I think that might be because of exhaustion due to the last few days of travel which, as your doctor, I will advise against doing again.”

  “Oh, it’s high? One of the handouts they gave me in LA said high blood pressure could be a problem with multiple births.” Cov scrambled to sit up and Tris lunged forward to help her.

  “Should she be on bed rest?” he asked.

  “No. But don’t go driving across the country or running a marathon.”

  “Ha! No chance of either of those. I’m done with driving for days on end, and let’s be real, I might be a professional dancer but running is not one of my exercises of choice.”

  “A dancer? Not sure you’ll be able—”

  Cov held up a hand to stop Jared’s words. “Don’t worry. My balance went at the same time as my ability to eat. I won’t be dancing until after these two are born.”

  Jared frowned. “You lost your balance?”

  “Yeah,” Cov answered as Tris helped her off the table. “I’m not sure if it was to do with the nausea or just pregnancy in general, but I’m a complete klutz now. I’m bumping into things, and if I move too quickly, I’m dizzy.”

  “We’ll see how that goes. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about but I’d like to make sure there isn’t anything underlying going on.”

  “My other doctor didn’t think so.”

  “I tend to agree but I’ll make a note of it anyway.”

  “Oh, hey, all that junk food was good for something.” Cov beamed. “I’ve put on four pounds.”

  “Since you left LA?” Jared asked.

  “Well, no, since two weeks ago when I had my last appointment.”

  “We’ll take that number as an improvement but every scale is different so we can’t be sure that’s the exact amount you’ve gained. We can say you are gaining and that’s our goal so we’re happy.”

  “Do you always have to put a disclaimer on everything?” Cov asked as she stepped off the scales. “It’s kind of depressing to think of it that way so I’m going to ignore you and go with my answer.”

  Tris laughed. “No point arguing with her on that.”

  “Those sound like the words of experience.”

  “They are.”

  “Oh, and what experience would that be, Tristan?”

  Cov folded her arms across her chest which didn’t have the desired effect, he was sure. The gown opening had parted at some point and she was currently flashing him and Jared half a boob and everything below her belly button.

  The direction
of his gaze must have given her a clue because she glanced down and gasped. Spinning around, she put her back to them. “Can I get dressed now?” she grumbled.

  “Yes. I’ll meet you both out front.” Jared’s laughter wasn’t quite hidden, but the man made it out of the room before he laughed outright.

  Tris moved closer to Cov and wrapped his arms around her waist, putting his chin on her shoulder. “I only meant, once you make up your mind you stick to it.”

  “Sometimes I shouldn’t.”

  He stiffened. “Meaning?”

  “I knew things weren’t right with Gavin. Knew I wouldn’t—couldn’t—marry him and yet I never broke it off.”

  “I’m not sure that’s the same thing as what I mean, Cov, and staying true to your word isn’t a bad thing.”

  “How?” She glanced sideways at him. “How is staying engaged to a man I didn’t love a good thing?”

  He didn’t know how to answer her. Couldn’t find the words to tell her she wasn’t in the wrong for keeping the promise she made when she took Gavin’s ring. And that killed him. Because if she wasn’t wrong, did that mean she was wrong to break it?

  Had she loved Gavin in spite of his asshole behavior?

  Did finding him with another woman destroy that love or did she still feel it?

  Tristan wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to that but he wasn’t sure they could move forward if he didn’t.

  Chapter 12

  He crossed his arms and said for the millionth time today, “You’re not going.”

  Covington blew out a breath. “Yes, I am.”

  “No. You’re. Not.”

  Slamming her hands on her hips, Cov argued, “For god’s sake, Tristan, it’s just a group of women getting together and talking. We’re not climbing a mountain.”

  “The doctor ordered you to rest.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “I have been resting and I’m not running over to Lindsey’s. You’re going to drive me. The most active I’ll be is a couple of trips to the bathroom, which is all I’ve done for days.”

  “One day,” he argued. It had only been one day—not even twenty-four hours—since they’d seen Jared. But it felt like a billion of them with the amount of complaining Cov had been doing.

  He could hear the frustration in her voice, see it on her face, and knew he’d have to give in on this.

  Except the thought of her out of his sight for a few hours gave him hives.

  How the hell was he going to cope when he went back on shift in the morning?

  Forty-eight hours without seeing her would kill him.

  He didn’t want to think about the things she’d get up to without him here to remind her to rest. Or think about the huge storm heading their way. The forecast called for eight inches in one day. The one day he wouldn’t be home.

  “Look. I know you’re worried. I am too, but Dr. Groves said my blood pressure was only a little elevated from my last check up and could be attributed to the long drive and lack of sleep,” she reasoned.

  He knew all that. Knew he shouldn’t be as worried as he was, but that didn’t stop him from coming up with numerous worst-case scenarios. Which was why he’d bought a blood pressure machine.

  Although he hadn’t told her about it. Hadn’t shown her everything that had arrived with the UPS guy this morning. Not after she’d freaked out when he opened the box of pregnancy books.

  So he’d bought a few. Ten was a few, right?

  “Please. If I don’t get out of this house soon, I’m going to go postal and beat my head against a wall.” She threw her hands in the air then gripped her head and crossed her eyes for emphasis.

  Tris cocked one eyebrow. “Dramatic much?”

  “Ha! You’re not the one who’s not allowed to lift more than a glass of water or walk more than five steps without being yelled at.”

  He grinned. “Yelled at?”

  She let go of her head with a sigh. “Okay, fine, not yelled at exactly.”

  Reaching out, he drew her close and tipped her face up to his. God, he wanted to kiss that mouth. He hadn’t touched her in a sexual way since yesterday.

  In spite of the fact they had shared his bed last night, he’d managed to keep his hands—and lips and let’s not mention any other body parts—to himself. But she had this pout thing going on and she looked so cute in her frustration that he couldn’t resist dropping his mouth on hers for a brief kiss.

  “All right. I’ll drive you to Lindsey’s.” Her grin blinded him. “But you’re only staying for two hours, not a minute more, and I’m checking your blood pressure before we leave and again when I pick you up.”

  “Okay. Whatever you say.” Her smile dropped, her eyes narrowing “Wait. How are you going to check my blood pressure?”

  “I bought a machine.”

  “You bought…” She shook her head. “When? You haven’t left me alone for five minutes. There’s no way you could have gone to the shops without me knowing.”

  She looked at him as though she’d cut his knees off if he admitted to sneaking out without her.

  Laughing, he planted another kiss on her lips before tucking her in closer and holding her tight. “I bought it online.”

  “When?”

  “Same time I bought all those books you turned your nose up at. Last night. After you went to sleep.”

  He’d watched her for hours, the glow from his phone screen the only light in the room, while he’d Googled all manner of things to do with babies and pregnancy.

  Eye opening were the words he’d use to describe his late night activities.

  His brain was now filled with far more information about a woman’s body and what happened to it during pregnancy than one man could handle. But it was his heart that was overflowing.

  In the dull light of his bedroom, with Cov snuggled up next to him sound asleep, he’d had an epiphany.

  He was completely in love with her.

  Totally, irrevocably in love with Covington Valenti.

  The mother of his children.

  And he had no idea how she felt about him.

  He knew she at least liked him. They were friends—close friends—long before they’d made love. Made babies. But that didn’t mean she loved him.

  She’d been engaged to another man. Willing to pledge her heart and life to someone else only hours before she’d let Tris kiss her that first time.

  She wiggled against him and his cock perked up with interest. That particular part of his anatomy had been making itself know more and more over the last two days. How he’d kept from jumping her was anyone’s guess and a fucking miracle.

  When she wiggled again, he couldn’t hold back a groan.

  She stilled instantly. “Sorry. But…”

  “What?” he ground out through clenched teeth. He wouldn’t push himself on her but suddenly he was perched precariously on a tightrope of restraint.

  “I have to pee,” she whispered into his chest.

  He laughed. Of course she did. It was the one truly predictable thing about her.

  “It’s not funny.” He couldn’t see it but he heard the pout in her voice.

  “You’d think it was if you knew what had been running through my mind while you did your little need-to-go dance.”

  Her hips bucked forward, the swell of her belly pressing against his length. “I’m pretty sure I can guess what you were thinking.”

  “Cov.” He couldn’t keep the apology out of his voice.

  She pulled from his arms and met his gaze. “It’s fine. It’s not like I haven’t thought about it.”

  With that parting shot, she disappeared down the hall. A moment later the bathroom door closed and he stood there, mouth agape, mind spinning.

  Had she just implied she’d been thinking about having sex with him?

  They’d cuddled, kissed. He’d held her hand and cupped her belly to feel the shape, connect with the babies, but he hadn’t done any of that in a sexual way. Yes, their contac
t was intimate, the most intimate of his life, but it hadn’t been erotic or held any intent.

  Not that he hadn’t thought about having her naked and under him.

  Their sexual attraction—well, his at least—was the pink elephant in the room. He saw it but ignored it. There was no way he could do that now.

  He hadn’t wanted to push her, especially after Jared said her blood pressure was up. He still thought they should get married. More so now he knew the babies were his.

  He’d kept quiet though, concentrating on making sure Cov saw a doctor, got plenty of rest, ate the right food. It was the only way to stop himself from dragging her down to the court house and putting a ring on her finger and a signed certificate in her hand.

  But now she’d pointed out the elephant…

  It felt as though she’d thrown flammable liquid on his libido. In a flash it had gone from smoldering to inferno and he didn’t stand a chance in hell of putting this fire out. Not without a cold shower.

  Or sixty.

  Or maybe just a bucket of ice to rest his balls in.

  “C’mon, we should get to the clinic before we make Dr. Groves stay after hours again.”

  Tris glanced at the time. She was right. They were going to be late if they didn’t leave now.

  He’d called this morning to see what time would be the least busy and Georgia, Jared’s nurse, told him to come in near closing time as the last few appointments weren’t booked.

  And while he’d been on the phone to the clinic, Cov had been on the phone with Kirby. That was why they’d spent the day arguing over Books and Bitches.

  It seemed his ordered-to-rest woman had been putting an escape plan in place.

  He’d even received a text from Lindsey assuring him they’d take care of Cov, make sure she didn’t do anything strenuous or blood pressure raising. Then Addy had called to check on Cov and remind him of the book-club invite.

  They were ganging up on him, he knew it. He liked that the women of Winter Lake were welcoming Cov into their fold. And really, he was overreacting. Her pressure had been fine when he’d sneakily taken it while she took a nap not an hour ago.

  Sighing, he moved toward her. “Fine. I’ll drop you off at Lindsey’s after the clinic if your blood pressure is within normal ranges.”