Chapter 46

MPOV (Mallory's point of view)

My sister wasn't panicking from our baby discussion. It's not the first time we talked about it either. She was not ready when we first met, but I can see she's ready now.

While she was away on her mission, Lucas and I talked about them having children. He was more than ready to expand their family. Lucas wanted to talk her into having a child, but I told him to wait. Let her come to that conclusion on her own. When she's ready, she'd let him know.

Watching her face and hearing what she thinks is her inner thoughts, I smiled. I wouldn't be surprised if I have another niece or a nephew in 9 months. My smile quickly left my face as I realized exactly what Manny and I did in the shower.

Manny is a very thorough lover. He didn't take his own pleasure until I had at least one orgasm. The last few men I slept with didn't care if I was satisfied. Which I can assure you I was not. My only orgasms were curtesy of my vibrator… until last night. Manny induced orgasms were far superior.

We had sex nearly as much as Steph and Luke. Like my sister said earlier, they ran out of condoms and had unprotected sex. I'm not on birth control. It's still a few days before I would ovulate, but when Manny slipped into me bare as we showered, it was the furthest thought in my head. Wouldn't it be amazing to go through a pregnancy with my younger sister?

I can't believe my mind went there. What if I do get pregnant and Manny doesn't want a child? "Sweetie, if we got pregnant last night… or this morning, we'll handle it together. Just so you know, Manny would be overjoyed with becoming a dad," Stephanie answered my silent thoughts.

"Hija is right, Manny would be happy to be a papa," Ella added as she opened the door to her apartment. I'm so embarrassed she heard our conversation. "Your Lucas would be happy too," she said patting Stephanie's cheek.

Stephanie reached for my hand and pulled me into the apartment. Ella had quite the spread on her table for breakfast. Luis laughed when Steph's stomach growled followed by mine. "Our daughters are hungry," he told Ella.

"Come hijas, sit and eat," Ella stated. She pulled out chairs for us. Stephanie sat beside me and immediately pulled the cinnamon rolls towards her.

"You have to try one Mal, they are amazing," she mumbled around the large bite she took.

I picked up a sticky cinnamon roll and took a large bite. "This is amazing," I said between bites.

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SPOV

Ella was laughing as she listened to us eat. Mallory moans as much as I do when we eat. I thought I caught her doing it before, but I wasn't sure until now. "Hey, leave some for me," I said as she took a few breakfast burritos.

"But these are amazing. Mama made them spicy this time," Mal said between bites.

"Keep your mouth closed while you're chewing," I complained.

"You're one to talk," she countered. We kept talking and showing each other our chewed food. It was childish, fun and gross all at the same time. Ella just sat back to enjoy the Stephanie and Mallory show.

We tried to help her clean after breakfast, but she just swatted at us. My phone rang as I sat on the couch with Mallory. "Yo," I answered.

"Hey Steph. The doctor's here to examine you and Mallory. With the craziness after your mission, both of you missed your exit medical examination. Binkie mentioned you had a male medic at the beginning, so I thought you'd like to see a female doctor?" Bobby asked.

"You could have handled the exam Bobby, but I do appreciate you considering my comfort level," I stated.

"Well, um…" he stuttered. "Stitch said he examined you alone in the private room, but the other men could still hear everything. I love you Steph, but I really don't want to stand there and watch you piss in the collection cup."

I started laughing. "Oh Bobby, I love you too. Thank you for giving me a choice," I responded. "Mal and I will see the female doctor."

He released the breath he was holding. "Thank you Steph," he said before hanging up.

"We need to go Mal. Bobby has a female doctor for us this time," I relayed the message.

"Oh thank God," Mallory stated. "We can ask her about our predicament."

"You're right. I didn't think about that," I admitted. Ella gave us a hug and walked us to the door. "Thank you for breakfast mama. It was delicious and filling," I said as I patted my stomach.

Mallory parroted, "Thank you for breakfast mama." She grabbed my hand and led me to the elevator. "We should really take the stairs, but I ate way too much."

"Me too," I confessed. "I won't be able to eat until dinner."

She giggled and pulled me into the elevator. We entered Bobby's medic office arm in arm. I was surprised to find my OB, Dr Natalie McNall, waiting for me. Mallory and I decided to have our appointment together. We took our turn filling the collection cup as Dr McNall watched us. She dropped the necessary litmus papers into the cups and quickly pulled them out to dry.

"Everything looks good for both of you. I just need to take blood samples and examine you for any injuries," she stated.

Mallory stripped to her bra and panties before I quickly followed suit. "I see you added some ink," Natalie stated as she examined me first. After checking my stitches, she checked my tattoos. "These are beautiful," she commented.

"Thanks. My husband Luke designed the one on my shoulder," I bragged.

"What about the one on your hip?" she asked.

"Mal and I picked the design from a book, but made some modifications," I answered.

"Mal?" she asked.

"That would be me," Mallory raised her hand. "Stephanie's sister."

"Are you married?" she asked.

"No, our reason for having different last names is a very long story," she answered.

"You're done Steph," Natalie said as she changed her gloves to examine Mallory. It didn't take long for her to clear Mallory too. "Do either of you have any questions?"

"We do actually. I'll ask my question first," Mallory stated. "I stayed with my boyfriend last night. During our joint shower this morning, we got carried away and forgot to use a condom. I'm not quite mid cycle, but fairly close."

"Does your body follow the average 28 day cycle?" she asked.

"Like clockwork. My last period started 12 days ago," Mallory confessed. I winced knowing there's a very good chance she could get pregnant.

"I can give you a pill to prevent a pregnancy from occurring if you wish. You'll need to get the prescription filled and take it within the next few hours," Natalie informed her.

"How does it work?" Mallory asked. Natalie explained as I watched my sister's face. I could tell she would never take the pill. "I think I'll let nature take its course. If I get pregnant, I'll deal with the consequences then."

"Please see me if you miss your next period," she said handing Mallory an appointment card. "How can I help you Stephanie?"

"Kind of the same scenario as Mallory, but I received a birth control injection prior to my mission a few months ago. I'm almost due for my next injection," I admitted.

"And you're taking antibiotics," she added.

"Yes. What should I do? Like Mal, I don't want to take the pill to prevent a pregnancy. I'm not opposed to having a baby," I confessed.

"Actually, Mallory and Stephanie, I would like to see you both in two weeks. We'll be able to detect an early pregnancy more accurately using a blood sample," she said as she referred to her schedule. "Would you like joint or separate appointments?"

"Joint," Mallory and I answered. "If we both end up pregnant, we want to go through this together," Mallory stated.

"At least until Manny and Luke get involved," I added. Dr McNall gave me a card with our appointment date and time. She updated our Rangeman records and filled the form to file with the military. "Thank you for coming out today."

"No problem Stephanie," she looked towards the door and whispered. "I'm hoping you're both pregnant." I laughed when she gave us a wink.

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LPOV

Stephanie and Mallory have been acting very strange during the last couple of weeks. Bobby removed Steph's stitches last week. She's been cleared for duty and was back in the field today. Mallory accompanied Steph to her doctor's appointment after they met with a new client.

I happily handed the reigns back over to Ranger. He was pleased how Cal, Woody and I handled the company while his team was away on a mission. There's a good possibility he would leave us in charge again.

Watching the parking garage cameras, I saw her drive the SUV through the gate and park into her spot next to Ranger's Porsche 911. She looked into the camera and winked. My wife always knew when I was watching her.

Mallory and Stephanie faced each other in the elevator. Steph gave the camera a finger wave before she scrambled the feed. When they exited the elevator on the fifth floor, I watched Mallory drop something into the trash can. They went to Ranger's office and knocked on the door. I turned off my camera view and returned to my work.

Hector and I were running background checks on the original Rangeman Atlanta employees who were fired by Dixon. Most of them still qualify according to our current standards. I sent my recommendations to Tank. He would be contacting the men to see if they're interested in working at Rangeman Miami, Trenton or Boston.

During my debrief with the core team, it was unanimously decided I was becoming a partner in Rangeman. There was a significant buy in fee, but Stephanie and I discussed our options before deciding to accept the offer. I had more than enough money to invest.

Hal, Manny, Woody and Cal were also offered partnerships in the company. They readily accepted the offer. Ranger indicated there was a possibility of opening another branch in San Diego. Lester was hoping to head that office with his brother Enrique. I personally think it's because Lester's running out of women in New Jersey. Stephanie is convinced he will meet his match soon.

Time flew past today and my gorgeous wife knocked on my door a few minutes before quitting time. "Done already?" I asked her.

"Yes. Mallory and I have an early morning meeting with a client so Ranger said we could leave for the day. She's coming over for dinner with Manny. Can she stay the night?" she asked even though it was unnecessary. My wife doesn't need my permission for her sister to spend the night.

"You know she's always welcome to spend the night," I reminded her again.

"I know, but it's always nice to pretend you have a say," she joked.

She walked towards me pushed my chair away from my desk. Straddling my lap, she pressed her lips against mine. "Give me a few minutes to shut down my computer," I stated before giving her another kiss.

"Ella's sending dinner home with us. Mallory is grabbing the crockpot."

"What are we having?" I wondered.

"I think mama said chilli… extra spicy." Stephanie loves Ella's spicy chilli. It has to be her favourite meal.

I've been paying close attention to the calendar. Before Steph left on her mission, she had her three month birth control injection. She's supposed to get the next dose at least a week before it expires. If my math is correct, she was scheduled to have the injection last week. I don't recall any doctors appointments besides the one today. Before I could give myself the chance to hope, I remembered she met with the doctor a few weeks ago. It's possible she received the dose then.

Stephanie was all smiles as we maneuvered to the parking garage. I couldn't resist the urge to pull her into my arms. "You're in a very good mood," I commented. I couldn't help wondering what my wife was planning. She may be acting innocent, but I know her too well.

"Having the Merry Men know about my military career is very liberating," she deflected. I could tell by the glint in her eye her mood has nothing to do with the men.

"Mmm hmmm," I agreed. "Hop into the car my love." I opened her door so she could slip into the seat. We drove straight home and didn't hit any lights, which was rare for this route home.

Mallory and Manny pulled into the driveway a few seconds after I turned off my car. Stephanie's phone rang as I unlocked the door. She listened before catching Mallory's eyes and smiled brightly. When Mallory passed Manny the crockpot and grabbed Steph's hand to pull her into the house, I definitely knew they were up to something.

"What do you think they're plotting?" Manny asked as he maneuvered around me.

I followed him into the kitchen to grab bowls and utensils. We set the table then called the women for dinner. Each woman carried a small wrapped gift with them and placed them on the coffee table.

"I'm starving," Stephanie stated as she took her seat next to me.

"I hope you don't mind me bringing Manny," Mallory said hoping she didn't overstep.

"It's all good," I reassured her. "Steph and I love having guests." I wasn't being sarcastic. It's true, we loved having our friends over for dinner. Something niggling in the back of my mind was telling me this was going to be the new normal.

"Dad's moving into the new house this weekend," Mallory announced.

"I thought he was supposed to move in a few weeks ago," Manny commented.

"Delayed," Stephanie stated. "Enough talk, I'm hungry." She subconsciously rubbed her hand down her abdomen. My eyes immediately jumped to look into her eyes. I raised an eyebrow in question. She shrugged and helped herself to chilli. My intuition tells me our lives are about to change.

Throughout dinner, Mallory and Stephanie seemed to be having a very private, yet silent conversation. My wife looks very happy, but Mallory looks scared. I offered Manny a beer then excused myself to grab one from the fridge.

"Whatever is going on between our women looks very serious," Manny whispered as I bent over to grab a couple of beers. I readily agreed with his assessment. Our women were definitely serious.

After dinner, Manny and I cleared the table then loaded the dishwasher. The sisters were huddled on the couch whispering to each other.

When we joined them on the couch, I lifted my wife onto my lap. She giggled when Manny did the same with Mallory. "Are you going to tell us about the gifts?" Manny asked.

Stephanie leaned forward to grab the gifts. She passed one to me and the other to Manny. "Open them together," she commanded.

Both Manny and I made quick work to tear off the wrapping paper. Inside was a nondescript box. "Three… two… one…" Manny counted backwards as we simultaneously opened the boxes.

We looked at the item clenched in our hands before meeting each other's eyes. I have never seen Manny happier.