Six Hot Summer Nights. Leslie Kelly

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      He threw her a glance. “You were smiling. You’re happy about this.”

      “The baby, yes. The situation, not really.” She smoothed her short cotton skirt over her knees. “I won’t lie. The more I think about this baby, the more excited I get. But I do wish I was at a different place in my life. I’ve always envisioned myself married before having kids.”

      He said nothing, and Mia wasn’t sure she even wanted to know what he thought. Other than her giving him directions to the doctor’s office, nothing else was discussed. Obviously, he didn’t want things to get too personal, and that was fine with her. If he was going to be a jerk about this, she didn’t want to open up her feelings to him. He didn’t deserve to be privy to her thoughts.

      Once they were in the office, Bronson’s tension meter skyrocketed as his shoulders stiffened and his gaze moved around the room. They were immediately shown to a private waiting area, complete with a closed door. Considering Hollywood’s lame attempt to keep things hush-hush, Mia assumed every doctor’s office had private waiting areas like this one.

      “You okay?” she whispered as she filled out all the documents about her medical history.

      “Fine.”

      Mia let it go and proceeded with the questions. She knew her information, but when it came to the father, she was a bit uncomfortable asking.

      “Could you um …” She nudged the clipboard and paper onto his lap and handed him the pen. “I need you to fill this section out.”

      His eyes darted down, then back up to her. “Can’t you leave it blank?”

      “If I didn’t know who the father was I would. But since you’re here, fill it out and pretend this isn’t torturous.”

      She’d seriously had it with his take on the pregnancy. He didn’t want to acknowledge the baby was his because he was scared of losing another one. But the least he could do was be supportive of her. Not financially, but some conversation or even a smile now and then would help.

      Lord have mercy, would he ever believe that she wasn’t out to sabotage his family? She could only hope time and her actions would prove her innocence.

      He grabbed the pen, began reading then checking the appropriate boxes next to family history of illnesses and diseases. Mia stared at the paper, jealous that he actually had a family history that he knew about, had heard stories about. That is what she wanted for her child. That sense of family, a unit.

      Mia had only been able to answer the questions strictly on what she had been told about her birth parents. Beyond them, she knew nothing about her family back in Italy. Her mother had been a diabetic, but other than that, she didn’t know about any major health issues.

      Tracing a finger over the scar on her hand, Mia silently vowed to her unborn baby that there would always be stability, always a place to call home.

      “Here.” Bronson handed the clipboard back to her. “I’m done.”

      She took the forms out to the receptionist and within minutes they were called back to the exam room. When the nurse told Mia to change into the gown, her eyes darted to Bronson. He merely lifted a brow as the nurse left the room.

      “I’ll just change in here.” She motioned to the bathroom.

      As Mia put on the paper-thin gown, she nearly laughed at how modesty now overtook her. The man had touched, tasted and savored every inch of her body. And he would probably be in the delivery room.

      Yeah, modesty definitely had no place here. Her needs were no longer a priority. Her baby trumped everything and everyone.

      Mia put on the hospital footies and padded back out to the exam table, holding her gown together with a fisted hand. Bronson’s presence filled the room as he sat in the corner in a plastic chair.

      “What will they do today?” he asked.

      Mia’s heart softened a little. She knew he was nervous. He’d lost a baby once before. He may have his doubts about whether or not he was the father, but she could tell he was getting more used to the idea.

      “I think they listen for a heartbeat and maybe do an ultrasound to see exactly how far along I am.”

      “I came to a couple appointments the first time …” He trailed off, looking her in the eye. “Never mind. Let’s just focus on now.”

      Mia wanted to say something, to not let this intimate moment pass her by. For a split second he’d thought of opening up to her, and she realized she wanted that more than she’d thought. She did want a connection to Bronson, other than a physical one, if for no other reason than for the sake of the baby. Could they work backward and attempt at least a friendship? Would he ever feel comfortable enough to not close up when personal issues arose?

      The door swung open and Mia smiled at her doctor.

      “Good afternoon, Mia,” Dr. Bender said. “How are you feeling today?”

      Mia nodded. “I’m adjusting to the morning sickness and I know to keep food by my bed and eat before I even think about standing up.”

      The doctor washed and dried her hands at the sink in the corner. “You should be nearing the end of the queasiness. Not many women have morning sickness through their entire pregnancy.”

      The entire pregnancy? Mia couldn’t even fathom that. She prayed she had the typical first trimester kind and the sickness would end soon.

      Dr. Bender moved around the exam table. “Just lie back here and let’s listen for the heartbeat.” She eased Mia down and glanced over to Bronson. “You’re the father?”

      Mia didn’t look at him, didn’t want to see his denial, but she was even more crushed when he spoke.

      “How soon can a DNA test be done?” he asked.

      The doctor placed a sheet over Mia’s legs, then folded the gown up to expose her belly and squirted some cool gel onto her stomach. She began to move the Doppler around, spreading the sticky gel, obviously not fazed by Bronson’s question.

      Mia, on the other hand, wanted to cry. How dare he humiliate her like this? Even worse, how could he deny this baby in public? Besides making it sound as if she slept around, he was disrespecting their child.

      “That depends,” Dr. Bender said. “There is one test called chorionic villus sampling, which can be done between ten and fourteen weeks. The other is called an amniocentesis, which is done between fourteen and twenty weeks. I can go over the procedures and the risks involved if you’d like before you make a decision.”

      Amid all the static of the Doppler machine and the doctor telling Bronson about the testing, Mia heard it. The rapid thump, thump, thump of her baby’s heartbeat.

      Her baby. Her eyes darted to Bronson. Their baby.

      “Baby’s heart rate is right at the norm for eleven weeks.” The doctor wiped off the gel from Mia’s stomach. “Sounds like you’ve got a healthy one. Are you experiencing any other symptoms, other than morning sickness?”

      “Just some slight cramping,” СКАЧАТЬ