The Nurse's Pregnancy Miracle. Ann McIntosh

Чтение книги онлайн.

       CHAPTER THREE

      NYCHELLE SIGHED AS she stepped into the kitchen of her South Fort Lauderdale bungalow and pulled the door closed. Putting down her tote bag, she toed off her shoes, appreciating the cool air indoors, so different from the heat of her garage. Twisting her head first one way and then the other, she tried to work out the tension tightening her neck muscles.

      Although each of the medical personnel were only asked to work a three-hour shift at the free clinic, she knew extra hands were always needed at the patient intake booth, or as troubleshooters for the other medical practitioners, and she’d offered her services.

      The afternoon had flown by, and before she’d even realized it the clinic had been winding down, so she’d stayed until it ended at five. She was tired—maybe even more so than she’d usually be—but as she yawned widely a feeling of accomplishment made the weariness bearable.

      Barefoot, she wandered into the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of water from her fridge, grabbing a handful of grapes at the same time.

      The day had been a resounding success, as usual, yet a nagging sense of discontent dogged her every move, and she wasn’t able to put her finger on the source. Stifling another yawn behind the water bottle in her hand, she considered having a nice soak and an evening of watching some of the myriad TV shows she’d recorded.

      Usually there would be some wine thrown into the mix for good measure but, of course, that wasn’t in the cards right now. Hopefully wouldn’t be for another thirty-nine weeks.

      There was no stopping the grin stretching her lips to the maximum, nor the little thrill trickling down her spine. No matter what else was bothering her, the prospect of a baby—her baby—made it all okay.

      She was still smiling as she put the grapes in a bowl and then headed across the living room toward her bedroom to prepare her bath.

      When her cell phone rang, the distinctive sound of Beethoven’s Fifth made her good humor all but evaporate. A little groan escaped before she could stop it, and the immediate wave of guilt that brought had her shaking her head.

      Reversing course, she strode back toward the kitchen, hurrying so as not to miss the call. Dumping the water bottle and bowl on the console table, she launched a frantic rummage in her bag to find her phone. Locating it under her wadded-up lab coat, she swiped the screen and brought it up to her ear.

      “Hi, Mom.”

      “Nychelle. How did the clinic go?”

      Not How are you? or What are you up to? Nope—straight to work. Sometimes Nychelle wondered if that was all herself and her mother had in common. The thought irritated her more than usual tonight, and she had to temper her annoyance so it wouldn’t show in her voice.

      “It went very well. We had approximately two thousand patients come through.”

      “When will you be taking on the chairperson position? Haven’t you been asked?”

      Nychelle took a deep breath, willing herself not to react to the obvious implication of her mother’s last question.

      “I was asked, but I didn’t accept.”

      Before her mother could launch into another lecture about ambition and the necessity of taking on hard tasks so as to be able to advance in the workplace, Nychelle continued.

      “I was in the middle of those skill improvement courses Dr. Hamatty requested we all take. To be honest, I wanted to make sure I didn’t just complete them, but aced them.”

       “Hmph.”

      Nychelle knew her mother still wanted to take her to task for not accepting the position anyway, but really couldn’t, since her reason for not doing so was also work-related.

      “Well, I suggest taking it on if it’s offered to you again. But don’t be surprised if it isn’t. Many of the best opportunities come along only once. Rarely are there second chances in life.”

      Nychelle bit her lip, holding back a snort of laughter. Her mother would have a fit if she knew Nychelle had already gotten another chance to chair the committee and had once again asked to defer to one of the other committee members.

      “Also, I want you to make sure you’re on time for the pre-gala reception next Saturday.”

      Having said her piece on one subject, her mother had swiftly moved on to the next. She probably had a list of points to touch on written out in front of her.

      “I know it’s embarrassing to come to these functions by yourself, but please endeavor to arrive early. If you lived closer to Martin, he and Jennifer could pick you up, but your house is too out of the way to be convenient.”

      Another one of her mother’s thinly veiled criticisms. While her parents and her cousin Martin all lived in the northern end of the city, in far more expensive neighborhoods, Nychelle had chosen to live in the trendier and more affordable South Fort Lauderdale. It was a nice area, but the way her parents talked about it anyone would be forgiven for thinking it a slum.

      “No problem, Mom. The hotel isn’t that far from here, so it wouldn’t make sense to have someone pick me up anyway. And, yes, I’ll be there early enough for the reception.”

      “Do you have something appropriate СКАЧАТЬ