be, so it surprised her that her own heart started galloping. When she started fidgeting with the edge of the paper again, Tate's warm fingers closed around hers.
She turned her head to meet his dark eyes while the doctor pressed the rounded end of the wand at various spots on her stomach. He smiled a little when she started to pull her hand away, but before she could, a fast wop-wop-wop-wop sound filled the room. She tightened her fingers where they were woven through his. Tate's small smile spread into an almost blinding grin, and she felt an unexpected wave of relief swamp through her.
In that moment, everything was perfect. So perfect, it pricked at the back of her eyelids.
"There we are," the doctor said with the same broad smile on her face that matched Tate's. "Sounds great. And I think there's only one."
"Thank you," Rachel said sincerely. Doctor Madison left the room, and while Rachel closed up her pants, Tate just shook his head.
"That was ... that was the most amazing sound I've ever heard." And he smiled at her again, wide and open, making her heart constrict in a whole different way than she had ever felt. The pressure on her chest wasn't bad. It was warm and solid. And supremely annoying.
While they walked out into the parking lot, he stayed with her until they reached her car where it was parked in one of those awfully convenient expectant mother spots.
"Thanks for letting me come with you."
"You're welcome," she said, jingling her car keys in one hand. As much as she wanted to thank him for being there, for her not having to do it alone, she just smiled. "So, now that we've heard the heartbeat, are you going to tell your parents tonight?"
"As long as you feel comfortable with it."
She nodded. "Thanks for waiting. A lot of guys wouldn't have."
"Rachel." He looked at her so seriously, searching her face. "I hope I never respond the way most guys do. We're in this together, okay?"
Swallowing proved difficult, but pushing the boulder down her throat helped take away the pinprick of yearning that was hovering beneath her skin. She had a sudden wave of gratitude, that this man would be the father of her child. No other way around it, her kid had won the lottery.
Which meant that she'd won the lottery too.
"I know telling my parents with me wasn't the most fun thing, so if you want me to repay the favor when you tell yours, I'll come with you." She straightened her shoulders, even though the thought of facing Marie and Elliot Steadman to inform them of this little bombshell made her knees practically shake. She'd only ever been 'Casey's friend', and now she'd be providing them with another grandchild. He just smiled and shook his head.
"That's okay. Besides, don't you have your ladies night tonight? I'm guessing you'll do some announcing on your own."
"Oh, son of a bitch, I forgot." She smacked a palm on her forehead. "Your sister is gonna flay me alive."
He laughed. "Nah. I don't think she will. This will be a great distraction for her anyway, since Jake's leave just ended, she's probably pretty down." Rachel blew out a deep breath, and Tate reached a hand up and rubbed her upper arm. "It'll be fine, Rachel. I promise."
Rachel turned to open her car door, his hand dropping off of her, and she had to grit her teeth to not feel like a big gooey mess from that small supportive touch. Looking back in her rear view mirror as she pulled out of the parking lot, Rachel took a sliver of comfort that he was still standing there, watching her pull away.
Her mom's car was in the driveway when she got back home, and that in and of itself was weird during the work day, but when she saw two large bags sticking up above the passenger side window, she groaned. Two purple bags with 'Babies R Us' written on them.
She cautiously opened the door, and her jaw dropped when she walked into the kitchen.
"Mom," she breathed. "What the hell did you do?"
"Oh Rach, I couldn't help myself. I stopped to just look at a few things, and I thought, you know, this is the only first grandchild I'm ever gonna get. And Lord willing, your sister won't be getting impregnated for another ten years, so this my only chance to spoil for a while."
Her mom sat on the dining room floor, literally