Hillbilly Girlie Marries a Billionaire – Episode 36
Emily stared at the nurse. The past weeks had blurred into hospital rooms, threats, and sleepless nights, making dates difficult to remember. When she counted backward, surprise replaced the dizziness.
Lucas tightened his supporting arm around her. He asked whether stress could explain the delay. The nurse said it could, but given the faintness and timing, a pregnancy test was the simplest place to begin.
Emily’s mother smiled from the bed. She suggested the couple stop looking as though the nurse had announced an alien invasion. Emily reminded her that life had already produced stranger news.
A blood sample was taken. The laboratory promised results within an hour. Lucas attempted to appear calm and failed by asking the nurse three times whether Emily should sit, drink water, or avoid walking.
Emily sent him to his own room before he injured the stitched shoulder again. He obeyed only after she promised to call the moment the result arrived. The separation gave her space to examine her feelings.
She wanted children with Lucas someday. That truth no longer frightened her. What frightened her was the speed at which their lives had moved and the possibility of bringing a baby into a family still healing from manipulation.
Mrs. Davis understood without being told. She said perfect circumstances were rare, but a child needed honest parents more than a flawless family. Emily and Lucas had learned honesty the difficult way.
The doctor entered carrying a tablet. The blood test was positive. Emily was pregnant, likely early enough that an ultrasound would reveal little, but her hormone levels appeared healthy.
Joy arrived softly rather than explosively. Emily pressed a hand to her abdomen, amazed that something so small could change the shape of every future thought. Tears filled her eyes before she knew she was crying.
She asked the doctor to keep the result private for a few minutes. Lucas deserved to hear from her, not a chart notification. The doctor agreed and arranged follow-up care.
Emily found Lucas pacing in his room despite orders to rest. He stopped the moment she entered and searched her expression. Concern came first, hope only after he saw her smile.
She teased that she had forgotten to tell him something. Lucas waited, barely breathing. “I’m pregnant,” she said, and the words made the future real.
He repeated the sentence as though learning a new language. Then he asked whether she was certain, whether she felt well, and whether the kidnapping had harmed the baby. Emily assured him the doctor found no warning signs.
Lucas laughed, a startled sound filled with relief. He pulled her close with his uninjured arm and whispered that he was going to be a father. Emily felt his joy tremble through both of them.
The history of surrogacy misunderstandings and stolen samples hovered at the edge of the moment. Lucas said this child was not an heir, bargain, or duty. It was theirs because they had chosen each other.
Emily reminded him that she had not yet received a completed proposal after the garden interruption. He glanced toward the corn-leaf ring already on her finger and claimed technical victory. She told him accepting the ring and hearing the question properly were separate matters.
Lucas promised to correct the oversight. Emily warned him against fireworks, press releases, or another garden large enough for Sophie to interrupt. He said nothing, which made her suspicious.
Noah entered carrying discharge papers and immediately recognized their expressions. When Lucas shared the news, Noah hugged Emily, then warned his brother that the child would obviously prefer its charming uncle.
Grandfather Anderson reacted with tears and began discussing nurseries before Emily finished asking for discretion. Victoria offered quiet congratulations from the doorway, careful not to claim the moment.
That evening, Lucas called Adam and reopened the file containing his interrupted proposal plans. He removed every public element and chose a private location instead. This time, he intended to ask Emily the question where no family ambition, false pregnancy, or camera could take the answer from them.