His Texas Christmas Bride. Nancy Robards Thompson
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Название: His Texas Christmas Bride
Автор: Nancy Robards Thompson
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Контркультура
Серия: Mills & Boon Cherish
isbn: 9781474002578
isbn:
And here they were. Reunited.
And she was three months pregnant. He didn’t need a calculator to do that math.
“When did you get back into town?” she asked.
Her question answered something that had been lurking in the back of his mind. Had she come here looking for him?
Of course she hadn’t. It said right on her chart that food poisoning had brought her into the emergency room.
Then another question elbowed its way into the forefront of his mind: When had she planned on telling him? Was it even part of her plan? If he hadn’t changed his mind and accepted the job, would he have even known about the pregnancy?
“I’ve been here less than a week.”
“I see.” He glimpsed a note of sadness in her eyes. Or maybe she was simply mirroring his own confusion back at him.
She looked small and fragile lying there. Despite everything—the bombshell, the uncertainty—he still had the damnedest urge to gather her in his arms and protect her.
Wasn’t that how they’d gotten into this situation in the first place?
With that thought firmly in mind, he reminded himself that he was at work. In this moment he was her attending physician. Thoughts like that were off-limits. She was off-limits.
“Sally will be here in a moment to check your vitals. When everything checks out, you can go home. You’ll want to follow up with your obstetrician, and, of course, if you start feeling ill, call your doctor. Or come back to the emergency room. If it’s an emergency.”
She was quiet while he updated her chart.
When he’d finished, essentially signing off as her doctor, he said, “When are you available?”
“Excuse me?”
“We need to talk.”
She shrugged, then lowered her voice. “Listen, I’m not going to try to force you into anything you don’t want to do.”
“Let’s not talk about this here.”
Even though he hadn’t meant to offend her, and he wasn’t putting her off—he was on the clock, and they needed privacy—she looked offended.
“When are you available?” he repeated.
“I don’t know. I guess, whenever I feel stronger.”
Really, there was no sense in delaying.
“How about tomorrow?” he said.
Thirty minutes later, Becca was in Kate’s car on her way home. It was cold outside on this mid-November evening and she felt the chill down to her bones. It amplified how weak and vulnerable she felt.
Despite how she’d wanted to reconnect with Nick, how she’d tried to find him right after she’d found out that she was pregnant, she hadn’t been prepared for the reunion to happen this way.
Even though he deserved to know the truth, she’d wanted the disclosure to be on her terms. The vulnerable side of her wished she was still safe in her cocoon, the only one who knew about the baby. No one to please. No one to convince that this child was wanted and dear and loved—even if he or she was a surprise. She had just come to terms with the situation herself. Now things had suddenly gotten complicated again.
Becca stared out the passenger-side window into the inky sky. The trees were beginning to shed their leaves and stood stark and bare in the chill night.
How symbolic, she thought. Exposed. Stripped down to the naked branches with nothing to hide what lay beneath. Somewhere from deep inside, a voice reminded her that some of these trees had lined Celebration’s Main Street for centuries. They’d endured winters and storms and climate changes to see another season.
This was simply a new season of her life.
Nick was coming over tomorrow to talk. While she understood that he needed time to digest the news—just as she had—he hadn’t seemed very happy about it. And she wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with that right now. But if not now, when?
When they stopped at a red light, Becca felt Kate’s gaze on her. Kate was such a good friend. This was all fresh news to her—huge news that her best friend was pregnant and going it alone. Well, not exactly alone. Not anymore. So, it was actually a double bit of juiciness, and not once since they’d left the hospital had Kate pushed her to give up the goods.
Becca knew she didn’t owe anyone an explanation, but Kate did deserve to know what was going on.
“So, I’m pregnant,” Becca offered. “And Nick is the father.”
Kate’s eyes were wide, but all she did was nod.
“I probably should’ve told you sooner so that you didn’t find out like this, but I wasn’t ready to tell anyone. Still, I hope you know how much I appreciate all you’ve done today. You’re such a good friend, Kate.”
“I’m glad I was here for you today,” she said. “For the record, you don’t have to tell anyone anything until you’re ready.”
The two sat in silence and Becca let the solidarity wash over her.
“But he is a good-looking guy,” Kate added. “I can see the temptation.”
A hiccup of a laugh escaped Becca, and for a moment the tension lifted. “I know, right?”
Kate’s curiosity was almost palpable.
“Liam’s never mentioned Dr. Ciotti.”
The statement was a question. Kate was testing the water to see how Becca would warm to telling her more. The light turned green, and Kate accelerated at a gentle pace.
“He hasn’t even been at the hospital a week,” Becca said. “Since they’re in different departments, I’m not surprised he hasn’t mentioned him. They may not have met yet.”
That was a long shot. The hospital wasn’t large. Most of the staff knew each other at least by sight.
“How did you two meet?” Kate ventured. “You don’t have to answer that if you’re not ready to talk about it.”
The cat was already out of the bag. She couldn’t blame Kate for being curious. If the situation were reversed, she’d want to know. Then again, Kate was married to a fabulous man. It was a relationship made in heaven, though it hadn’t started out that way. Her husband, Liam, had been a widower when Kate had first met him. He came with adorable twin teenage girls and the expected amount of baggage that a man who had lost his first love much too young would bring to a new relationship. But Liam and Kate were soul mates. Despite fate’s cruel curveball, they’d been given a chance at happiness, and they’d taken it.
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