My Almost Ex (The Greene Family #2) - Piper Rayne Page 0,72

you didn’t want to give it to me.”

He eats up the distance between us with a few long strides and his thumb and forefinger touch my chin again. “I want you to stay my wife, and you should have a ring on your finger that symbolizes that. I gotta go. Let me know about the doctor.”

He kisses me again, his tongue sliding in my mouth this time. As always, it stirs a buzzing through my body that zeros in between my legs.

“Have a great day, dear,” I say to his retreating back.

“Thanks, wife.”

I wait for the door to shut before I grab my phone and call Cora to see if she can grab me before I call the doctor.

“Sorry, Luce, I’m taking Toby’s mom into Anchorage,” Cora says.

“I wish, but the inn is crazy right now,” Mandi says when I call her.

I call every sister, and even Marla has some luncheon thing.

My phone rings before I can decide whether I should try someone else or just call an Uber.

“Hello?” I ask.

“I heard you’re looking for a ride?” Ethel asks. I didn’t have her number programmed in because I didn’t know if she had a phone.

“Oh, yeah, I don’t have an appointment at the doctor’s yet, but I can just call an Uber.”

“Nonsense, we’re about to leave. We’ll get some supplies, and I’ve already got you scheduled with Dori’s granddaughter-in-law.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Stella. She’s squeezing you in as a favor to us. Be there in twenty.” She hangs up.

I remember Dori mentioning that her granddaughter-in-law is a family doctor, so I search up my old gynecologist and call the office to get an appointment. The receptionist answers on the first ring and I explain my situation, hoping I can secure an appointment before Ethel and Dori get here.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Ramirez no longer has a practice here and we haven’t found a replacement yet,” she says. “Most of our patients are going to a new clinic in Lake Starlight that handles OB-GYN issues.”

“You don’t have any doctors there?”

“No one who specializes in that. I promise you’ll love the clinic. People rave about it. I wish it had been around when I was having babies and raising them. Sadly, those years are gone now.”

“Okay, well, I think someone I know got me an appointment with one of the physicians there, but I wanted to see Dr. Ramirez since she’s familiar with me.” Of course that was the old Lucy, not the new one.

“Go, sweetie. Promise you’ll love it. I heard there’s a waterfall in the waiting room,” she whispers as though it’s a secret.

“I don’t have much of a choice, so I’ll go. Thank you so much.”

I hang up and go back to the bathroom to make sure I haven’t leaked through the toilet paper. There isn’t a ton of blood, so I get rid of it and put more in, hoping Ethel and Dori can take me to buy some pads.

As though they heard me, after I wash my hands and walk out of the bathroom, the doorbell rings. The sound of two arguing old ladies comes through the door.

I barely open the door before they shove in, Dori pushing a box in my stomach. “Here you go… oh, you were right, Ethel, this place is beautiful.”

“They did so much work. It was horrible when they first moved in. I tried to give Adam a loan, but he wouldn’t hear of it.”

I listen, hoping a memory triggers, but when it doesn’t, I look at the box they thrust at me. Super Plus Night Absorbency. Are these… bladder control pads?

I sigh, but I can’t very well complain.

“I told her you weren’t menopausal,” Dori says.

“What? Are they too big?” Ethel asks, clutching her purse. “You should’ve seen the look the guy gave us, so we felt we had to explain.”

“You told the guy at the drugstore that I needed pads and you selected these?” I hold them up, really hoping that when Nikki gets this news, she doesn’t share. The last thing I need is for all of Sunrise Bay to think I don’t have my memories or control of my bladder.

“We didn’t say names.” Ethel smiles.

I nod. “I’ll be right back,” I say through clenched teeth.

By the time I get the pad on, I understand what poor babies feel like. But it’s better than toilet paper.

I come out and they’re standing by the door with their hands in front of them like kids who were up to no good. I eye them suspiciously, but