19. Lennie

19

LENNIE

“ W hat are you doing here? I thought you were working?” I’m sitting at the front desk during my lunch break waiting for Luke’s nurse to call me back when Asher walks through the sliding glass doors. He’s stayed on me about this appointment from the time I said anything, going as far as to stating that he’d talk to Luke himself. Absolutely not. A few days later, I finally found the gumption to make the appointment. Having to set the date when my health insurance kicks in was the only kicker. Luke somehow managed to find out I was on the schedule, and he moved my appointment date up and told human resources to push my insurance paperwork through. Which is where we are now, my appointment being a whole two weeks earlier than expected.

“Lunch break.” He saunters up toward the counter. My eyes are solely focused on his. We’ve been together for a few weeks, settling in and learning the ins and outs of one another. There’ve been some hitches along the way, mainly after I’ve had an appointment with my therapist where I had to divulge and then digest what we discussed. I tried to hide myself away in the dark, but Asher would be my light at the end of the tunnel. He held me until I came out of what I like to call my fog. He doesn’t ask questions, he doesn’t push, and he doesn’t prod.

“Shewww, girl, you hooked a good one. You are going to give the people in Whispering Oaks and all of Oak View something to talk about,” the other receptionist, Kelly, says beside me. She’s not wrong. Word travels fast, and with a group as big as Asher’s, everyone knew after the night we rescued Kennedy and Briar.

I’m unable to respond, mainly because Asher is walking around the counter and his lips are landing on mine in a soft kiss. The slight slip of his tongue along my lips has me wanting more. Too bad someone clearing their throat interrupts us, which is probably for the better since this is my place of employment.

“Lennon, Asher, you ready?” Luke caught us red-handed. I can feel the heat creep from my chest to my cheeks.

“Yep, just saying hello to my woman.” His hand reaches for mine, and he helps me up from my seat while his other shakes Luke’s.

“You just saw her four hours ago. Come on. You’re going to ruin my appetite if I have to watch much more.” From what I’ve heard and seen so far, this is the guys’ love language, giving one another shit.

“Not my fault you haven’t found a woman of your own and you’re staring at us,” Asher throws back. I’m just glad the office requested my files from the last gynecologist I visited before my divorce went through. I knew once the divorce was filed, I’d lose my health insurance, and sure enough, I did. My last job didn’t come with any type of perks that I have here, and even Zach’s insurance didn’t cover what my job does now.

“Yeah, yeah. Come on back.” We follow him, bypassing the scale and all of the other stuff the nurses do with patients regularly. I did that earlier today before the office opened to help things move along faster by the time Luke would see me. I’m certain we’re heading toward a patient room, because this is an appointment through and through, but Luke leads us right to his office.

“Have a seat. I’m assuming you’re good with this guy being here while we talk about your medical history?” Luke asks, moving around his desk until he’s in his chair, and we do the same. Asher has yet to let my hand go, and for that I’m thankful. While I already think the worst of the worst, maybe things could be whatever worst is.

“I am,” I assure the room. Asher makes a grunting noise, probably annoyed at these questions, though he more than knows it has to be stated.

“Alright, it says here your last menstrual period has been consistent at the same cycle monthly, the results of your urinalysis came back fine, and from your past medical records, everything seems to be okay. I’d suggest we do a blood panel, see where that leads us, as well as an ultrasound. I’m assuming you two aren’t preventing a pregnancy, correct?” Luke is in full-blown doctor mode, and I know depending on what those tests might say, he may need to refer me out to a fertility specialist. The only problem I have with that is I’ll have to go through some of this all over again with someone new, and that thought makes my skin crawl.

“No,” Asher answers before me. Luke looks from him to me, a small grin tipping his lips.

“We’re not,” I admit as well. I haven’t been on birth control in years, even after the split and divorce. The need to be on a preventative medicine just seemed silly.

“Then I’d say continue as you have been. Since we’re attached to the hospital, you can get the blood work done whenever. It won’t take me long to read, and then we’ll go from there. I have to tell you, looking at your chart, everything seems normal to me. I don’t want to get your hopes up, and I shouldn’t even say anything because this could blow up in my face.” Luke takes a deep breath, then says, “This is off the record. I’m talking friend to friend now. The chances of this being a you problem is low. You’ve had a regular menstrual cycle, there’ve not been any issues that I can see, your pelvic exam came back clear time and time again, and you haven’t complained of pain while menstruating. I’m doing the other workups as a precaution more than anything.” I mull this over, biting my lip and trying to flip the switch in my head that holds the truth. My heart says I’m fine. It’s the other parts of my body that my ex-husband conditioned me to believe something differently. I’m in the present now, and it’s time I keep looking at the future, which means believing in myself and the people around me.

“Lennon, you okay, gorgeous?” Asher squeezes my hand, dragging me out of my bad habit of overthinking.

“Yeah, I really am. Thank you for pushing everything through, helping me out, and calming my worries. I’m going to get the blood panel done just in case.” I don’t add on what Asher and I may or may not do. When Asher admitted to not having any condoms, it made me want him even more.

Asher Fontaine, the hottest man in Whispering Oaks, who looks at me like I’m the only woman on earth.

Asher Fontaine, who looks amazing in uniform but better out of it.

Asher Fontaine, who was unprepared.

He could have fixed the lack of condoms on our way home after we dropped his sister and niece off. We passed plenty of places that sell them, yet he didn’t stop once.

“Sounds good to me,” Luke states.

“Then we’re good to go. I’m gonna take my woman for a quick bite to eat. You want anything?” Asher stands up, and I do the same. He lets go of my hand to shake his buddy’s, and then he’s back to holding me. He always does in some type of way—my lower back, my hand, my hip, the nape of my neck. He’s always touching me, and right now, he’s lifting the back of my scrub top with the tips of his fingers until he’s grazing my bare skin on my lower back.

“Nope, making rounds at the hospital. Thanks, though.” Luke doesn’t have patients on the schedule for the rest of the day unless there’s an emergency. He’ll do his hospital rounds and catch up on paperwork, and the rest of the office will do similar in the admin and restocking department.

“No problem. See you at the club.” Their weekly man meeting to sit around and catch up. Kennedy says it’s more like where they go to bitch, gossip, and have a drink.

“Yep,” Luke replies .

We head out the door and round the corner, then Asher is backing me up until my back meets the wall, and his mouth is descending on mine. Right as I’m lifting up to meet him, he says, “Promise me you’re okay with everything Luke just said.”

“I promise I’m okay with everything he had to say. I promise I’m not looking at my past when all I can see is my future standing right in front of me.” The words no sooner leave my lips than Asher is kissing me, full on, hot and heavy, with lips and tongue, and low moans are all that surround us. This man, he’s the absolute best thing to ever happen to me, and I’m going to hold on to him with both hands and never let go.