The Nurse's Newborn Gift. Wendy S. Marcus

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СКАЧАТЬ for something on the desk in front of her. “Stupid pregnancy hormones would have me doing the deed with the devil himself just to get some satisfaction.” Good thing Krissy had more self-control than that.

      “So I’m the devil?” Spencer asked, standing right in front of her, with a way too amused smile on his nauseatingly handsome face. He handed her a folder.

      Krissy took it. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.” Heck, she hadn’t even realized she’d said the words out loud. “I blame pregnancy brain.”

      The look he gave her screamed, “You’re a total nut job,” although without words.

      Maybe she was. “It’s a real thing. Look it up. It’s like a pregnant woman’s body is so busy growing another human being, the brain gets overloaded and doesn’t filter stuff that shouldn’t come out of her mouth or remember stuff she’s supposed to do. It doesn’t comprehend the same or think the same. I hope it goes back to working normally once all this is over.”

      His smile made her insides feel all fluttery.

      Then he opened his mouth. “Your brain never worked normally.”

      “Careful,” she gave him the stink eye. “Or I’ll call Kira and tell her you’re upsetting me. She’s gotten even more overprotective now that I’m pregnant.” And more bossy and more opinionated and more of a pain in the butt—who Krissy loved dearly, but still a pain in the butt, which was why Krissy needed to find the energy to go apartment hunting.

      “Hmmm,” Spencer said. “It’s not like you to let Kira fight your battles. You going to blame that on pregnancy brain too?”

      “No. I’m going to blame that on mother-protecting-the-health-of-her-unborn-baby brain. Stop trying to upset me, Spencer. What do you want?”

      He had the good sense to look contrite. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” He leaned in and added, “And I’m sorry about the other day. When I told you—”

      “Don’t.” She held up her hand to get him to stop talking. “You already apologized.” About ten times in ten different messages on her cell phone. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Or think about it. “So if that’s the only reason you’re here, you can take your friend and leave now.”

      He looked at the man standing beside him. “This is Alfonso Gianelli, a newly acquired player with NYC United. He just arrived from Italy. I spoke with Derrick and then Kira yesterday. She said she could get him in for a full physical this morning. We’d like him to be able to start practicing with the team as soon as possible.”

      Nice of her darling sister not to mention a word about it. Krissy held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

      Alfonso smiled a charming smile, brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

      Spencer flashed him an annoyed look and said something in what sounded like Italian. Alfonso dropped her hand.

      Killjoy.

      “He doesn’t speak much English,” Spencer said.

      Krissy looked Alfonso over and smiled. “He doesn’t need to.”

      “Is Kira here?”

      “She’s in the back.” Krissy checked the spelling of Alfonso’s name on the paperwork Spencer had given her then wrote it on the label of a specimen cup and handed it to the patient along with two antiseptic cleansing wipes. “We’ll need a specimen for a basic urinalysis,” she told Spencer. “Does he need a drug screen?”

      “Already done.”

      “Bathroom’s over there.” Krissy pointed.

      Spencer spoke to Alfonso in Italian and the other man walked toward the bathroom.

      Krissy couldn’t stop herself from watching him walk away, even if she wanted to, which she didn’t. “That is one fine backside on that man.” Tight and round and just begging to be squeezed.

      “Stop trying to make me jealous,” Spencer snapped.

      “I’m not trying to make you jealous.” For that to happen he’d have to care about her, even the tiniest bit, which he didn’t. “I’m merely stating my opinion.” If verbalizing her opinion bothered Spencer, well, bonus points for that!

      “How are you feeling?” he asked.

      Now he was going to be nice? Which meant she should be nice too? Fine. “I’m feeling well. No more pains. Derrick has been checking my blood pressure three times a day. Mornings and afternoons it’s been running around one hundred and thirty-eight systolic, seventy-four diastolic. In the evenings it’s been spiking a bit. But I think that’s because by the evening time I’ve taken all I can handle of Kira commenting on everything I do and eat and telling me what I should be doing and eating.” She lowered her voice and looked him straight in the eye when she added, “While I know she loves me and just wants what’s best for me, she is absolutely driving me crazy, more crazy than you drive me, which is something I’d never thought possible. If I don’t find an apartment soon there’s a good chance I might wind up back in the hospital strapped to a bed in an isolation room for the rest of my pregnancy.”

      And he was smiling again. Frustrating man. “You find something amusing about me being strapped to a bed in an isolation room for the rest of my pregnancy?”

      His smile grew. He didn’t even try to hide it. “I find you amusing, Krissy. Always have.”

      She looked away. “Not always.”

      A woman carrying a small child walked in and got in line behind Spencer. Krissy leaned to the side to see her. “May I help you?” She needed a little break from the soon-to-be godfather of her baby.

      Spencer stepped away, far enough to respect the woman’s privacy while Krissy checked her in. “You’re all set.” Krissy gave the woman a friendly smile as she handed back her insurance card. “A nurse will be with you in a few minutes.”

      No sooner had the woman left to find a seat in the waiting room, Alfonso returned. Perfect timing. Krissy held out a little plastic tray and he set his urine specimen on it. Then she placed their new patient paperwork on a clipboard, hooked on a pen, and handed it to Spencer. “Do the best you can to help him fill this out. When you’re done, I’ll take you back.”

      While Spencer and Alfonso took two chairs in the waiting room, Krissy accessed the computer system to see if Kira had already set up a new patient file for Alfonso. Of course her ever efficient sister had. Then she walked Alfonso’s urine specimen back to their small lab, slid on a pair of latex gloves, and completed a dipstick urinalysis. After waiting the required length of time, she loaded the normal results into the computer on the counter.

      “Hey,” Kira said from behind her. “Why aren’t you out at the desk?”

      Krissy turned around to face her. “Why didn’t you warn me Spencer was coming in today?”

      Kira walked over to grab the phlebotomy tray. “Because I didn’t know he’d be here. He called the answering service over the weekend. They’ve been having problems getting immediate appointments with the general practitioner they’d been using. He asked if we could complete a physical exam СКАЧАТЬ