Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

KATE

Luna

Okay, I've collected everyone's guesses and only Jon thinks you're having one of each. The rest of us think you're having twin boys or girls.

JJ

Hey, woah. I've always said one of each.

Luna

You don't count. You're the daddy.

JJ

Yeah, I fucking am.

Felicity

Oh the maturity in this group chat is palpable.

Jon

I thought it was pretty smart actually.

Felicity

I rest my case.

Jon is typing…

Me

Jon, if your next message in this chat concerns punishing your wife for her snark, then I'm leaving and withdrawing your entry.

Jon

Fuck.

Jessie

Withdrawing his entry…there's still a joke in there somewhere.

Luna

ANYWAY. I personally would like two girls, please. That would counteract the two boys I'm to live with come March.

Zach

We aren't done with babies, Rocket.

Jon

I am LIVING for this.

JJ

I'm going to be the mature one here and say everyone be at my place at seven tonight. Dinner will be served at seven-thirty.

JJ

And Jon, prepare to taste and weep.

Jon

Wifey, when can we arrange a dinner at ours?

Adam

As long as it doesn't affect my weekly dinner nights with you.

Me

I'm going to go and be pregnant now.

JJ

Pick you up in an hour.

Jon

(Princess)

Jessie

Ooo…He's had you there.

I roll my eyes and close out the group chat. Nothing short of chaotic.

Standing up from my desk at work, I'm about to head to the bathroom for what feels like the fiftieth time this hour when an email from Mark Preston pings into my inbox. I take a seat as I process all he has to say.

From: Mark Preston

To: Kate Monroe

Cc: Nina Higgins

Kate,

Once again, congratulations on your news. We are delighted for you and wish you all the best with your pregnancy.

I have now had the chance to speak with my HR department in preparation for your six-month maternity leave, and I can confirm Nina Higgins will be stepping in to work on your cases during your absence.

I trust I can leave you to communicate and hand over all the work and details quickly, but if you have any issues, please let me know.

Kind regards,

Mark

Nina Higgins is a top-performing litigation lawyer in Washington. She's formidable and has an incredible client retention rate.

Panic races through me when a response comes through from Nina herself.

From: Nina Higgins

To: Mark Preston

Cc: Kate Monroe

Thanks, Mark.

I'll be delighted to take on your cases, Kate. I know they'll be in excellent shape for me to pick up and continue working with your clients.

Let me know when you have time in your schedule to begin the case familiarization and handover process. Might I suggest not leaving it too late, perhaps a month to six weeks before your departure.

Regards,

Nina

Ugh, not even a fucking "kind" before the regards, and who the fuck does she think she is? Of course, I wouldn't leave it "too late" to hand over my cases.

Moody, irritable, and now desperate to pee, I make my way to the bathroom and almost get taken out when the door swings toward me.

"Oh shit. Sorry, babe," Felicity winces.

"No worries." My tone is flat, like my mood.

"What's wrong?" She reaches out, placing a gentle hand on my arm.

Getting antsy to make it to the bathroom, I whisper-hiss. "Nina Higgins is taking over my caseload."

"What?? The Nina Higgins?" Her eyes flare with surprise.

Not helping Felicity .

"Yes. There's only one. She'll make me look like an amateur."

"Well, that's not true. And you never put yourself down, so don't start now."

"I'm not putting myself down. I'm just saying I can't live up to her." I glance around to make sure no one's listening.

Felicity looks down at my crossed legs and smirks. "Let's resume this conversation when you aren't about to pee yourself, shall we?"

She steps to the side, and I dash in, thankfully making it in time.

Nina Higgins nearly made me pee myself, literally. Ideally, I should wait and have a full bladder for the scan I'm about to have, but with the way I'm peeing lately, I'll no doubt be desperate again in a half hour.

Returning to my desk, I check my email for more delights, but this time, my phone screen lights up.

JJ

I'm outside. Do you want me to come up or wait here?

Me

I'm coming down now.

Grabbing my jacket and bag, I smile at my best friend as she says, "Two girls," and gives me a matching thumbs-up.

There's been a lot of speculation around the office, but no confirmation about who the father is. I've heard whispers in the kitchenette, where some have said it's Tom's. At one point, I almost choked on my coffee when I heard one of the receptionists claim I've been having an affair with Mark Preston.

The truth is, Jensen and I will announce the twins when we're ready. Just because he's thrust into the limelight doesn't mean every member of the public is entitled to every detail of his, or now my, life.

Jensen's parked along the sidewalk, and when he sees me approach, he quickly climbs out and hurries around to open my passenger door.

"Hey," I say, smiling sweetly at him.

He looks killer as always in black jeans, gray sneakers, and a cream long-sleeve designer shirt, the sleeves rolled up in the way he always does. He looks tired, though. His eyes are slightly puffy and red.

"Hey."

My heart drops when I see the deflated way he takes me in. Things have been only slightly better than really awkward since I saw him outside the locker room. We're talking, but only about the babies and when we're going to start ordering furniture, which we finally agreed would be after this scan.

He jumps into the driver's side and takes off toward the hospital, not saying another word.

"Are you excited?" I turn to him.

"Of course. This is huge." He throws me a quick smile but concentrates on the road ahead.

"Felicity wants two girls."

"I bet she does," he responds, taking a left.

"You still think one of each?"

"Yeah, I do. You?"

"Boys." I'm bound to be outnumbered for the rest of time.

Jensen looks at me and then back at the road. He opens his mouth but closes it again, clearing his throat.

"What were you going to say?" I push cautiously.

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"It's fine."

"It's not fine," I argue as we pull into the hospital parking lot.

Putting the car in park, he rests his forearm over the steering wheel and blows out a long breath. "Just inner thoughts, Princess."

The nickname I once hated washes over me in a wave of relief—it's the first time he's called me that in a couple of weeks.

"Care to share them with the class?"

He shakes his head, and I deflate further. "Nah. Not class appropriate."

"Okay, fine. Let's get going." I grab my bag from the floor and open the door when he stops me with a hand on my thigh.

"Are we definitely going to find out today and know what we're having?"

With hope in his eyes and the way our group is so excited, I can't say no. I place my hand over his. "Yeah. Let's do it."

JENSEN

"Alright, let's see what we have." The sonographer pats the bed for Kate to lie on.

Getting the probe ready, I stare at the screen, waiting for the moment she places it on Kate, and I'm reunited with the two bundles that haven't left my mind since July sixteenth.

"Okay," the sonographer chimes, making some adjustments and pressing a few buttons. "Ah, here we are."

She stops over two much clearer heartbeats than the previous scan, and I hear Kate pull in a sharp breath.

Reaching out, I place my hand over hers as emotions overwhelm me. "There they are," I whisper.

"Amazing," she responds, wonder lacing her tone.

"I have in my notes that you declined the blood tests to find out the sex of the babies. We can confirm genders right now if you would like to know?" the sonographer asks.

I look to Kate to give the final word. I'm fucking desperate to know so I can start buying the shit out of every baby store I can find. "We still good?" I ask.

She doesn't hesitate. "Yeah. Hit me with it."

I chuckle, and without being able to stop myself, I lean across and kiss her forehead.

Yeah, baby daddies and friends don't do that, Jensen .

Kate's eyes flare wide, but the flush of pink painting her cheeks tells me she loves it. It gives me hope for everything I'm waiting, praying, fucking dying for her to admit.

"Well," the sonographer points to one baby on the screen. "First, everything looks perfectly fine, and you are right on schedule with your due date. Although, we may only take you to thirty-six or thirty-seven weeks. I'm sure your doctor has discussed all of that with you."

Kate nods. "Yes, since it's twins."

The sonographer nods back. "That's right. But that decision will be made by your primary care team. From my point of view, though, everything looks perfectly normal."

Every ounce of tension leaves my body. Fuck me having a baby is stressful, never mind having two.

"Now for the exciting part." She adjusts the probe and presses a couple more buttons.

"Wait, that's a dick," I blurt out.

"Jensen!" Kate hisses.

I snort a laugh and point. "It is! It's…sizeable."

"Well, yes, you're right. You are having a boy."

"Holy shit," Kate responds, then throws a hand over her mouth.

"And…" The sonographer moves the probe once more and then freezes the screen. "A little girl." She points to the image. "There she is, hiding behind her brother, but she's there."

Dropping my head between my shoulders, I fucking lose it. This fucking hard ass six-foot-three NHL goalie loses it right here in this tiny white room.

"Are you okay?" Kate reaches out, takes my hand from my lap, and places it into hers.

"Yep." My voice shakes, and I lift a finger. "Just one second."

Taking a moment and a huge gulp of air, I center myself and then turn to the sonographer. "Can we have a couple of minutes?"

She smiles and nods. "Sure, I'll get your images sorted." She hands Kate a paper towel to clean herself up and then closes the door behind her.

I move Kate around to face me, her lower legs dangling over the bed. Standing between her parted thighs, my hands tangle in her thick blonde hair.

I half expect her to protest at the way I'm touching her. But she doesn't. Instead, her body relaxes against mine. She wants this—us—as much as I do. I can feel it in my soul.

"Fuck it," I whisper into her hair.

Tipping her head up, I brush my lips over hers, causing her eyelids to flutter shut. "Kiss me," I plead.

"Baby daddies don't do this," she whispers back, a sly smile pulling at her lips.

"If you don't want me, don't want us, then pull away. But if you do, just like I know it deep down in my gut, kiss me. Let me put my mouth on you and finally make you mine."

Fuck, this is it. The emotions from the scan, seeing this incredible woman carrying my whole world. I can't hold back; I have to know which direction she's going to choose. My hands tremble as I hold her.

We're nose to nose, eye to eye, when her hands come to my waist, pulling me close, and my cock stirs at the contact.

"Just to be clear, if I kiss you, then we're doing this, you and me? We're going to give it a shot?"

"You still don't get it, do you, Princess? I'm not giving anything a shot with you. This is it. Forever."

"I'm scared."

I shake my head softly. "Don't be scared. Be mine."

Come on, Katherine. Hold my hand and jump with me.

My whole fucking soul lights up when she slowly presses her mouth to mine. Bringing my hands under her ass, I pull her into me as far as she will go, desperate to make us one. Her rounded stomach presses against my body, and automatically, my hand shoots down between us to smooth a palm over it.

But that's not enough. Pulling up her soft white blouse she'd only just tucked back into her black work pants, I roll it until it's just below her breasts.

"I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful sight." My eyes find hers again.

Crouching down slightly, my mouth finds her navel as I press gentle, closed mouth kisses across her beautifully soft and perfect complexion, marks already beginning to show where her body is accommodating our children.

Kate gasps at the contact. "JJ, we're in the hospital. You can't fuck me here."

"I don't plan on fucking you," I say between kisses. "I plan on taking you back to my apartment, having dinner with our friends, and then making love to you in my bed."

"Oh." Kate's hand flies to her side.

"What? What's the matter?"

"Shhh. It's okay," she says in a hushed tone. "I just felt a kick."

"What?" I marvel, my voice cracking.

Taking my hand, she places it where hers was a second earlier. "Maybe they'll do it again."

Silently, we stare at each other while we wait, and I fucking pray I get to feel what my girlfriend just did.

Girlfriend.

That's fucking right, my girlfriend.

"Woah." A laugh bursts out of me as I feel movement.

"Crazy, right?" Goddamn. She looks so happy in this moment.

"Incredible." My voice is full of wonder.

"It's definitely the boy. Awkward, like his father."

Pressing my lips to hers, I smile against her mouth. "Well, you're my doppelganger and girlfriend, so what does that say about you?"

"It says I'm a very lucky girl."