Screw my life.
The extension rang. Dylan dropped the cell in his bag and reached for the handset. No doubt it was another walk-in. “Yes, Emily.”
“Carina’s on her way in, Doc,” Emily said, just as his door opened.
“Thanks,” was all he could manage before he returned the handset to the cradle. His pulse tripped, over and over and he tried to keep his composure as she drew closer.
God, she was such a stunning woman, and tonight she looked even better than ever, with a soft glow he’d never seen before. She wore a loose, floral dress that fell to her knees, but the modest outfit did nothing to hide her beautiful shape.
“Hi.” Carina gave him a smile, but her eyes held no emotion. She knotted her fingers together.
“Hey.” He stared at her hands as she fiddled them, noting the telltale sign of nervousness. “Are you okay?”
A long stare came before a heavy sigh and a sob. Alarmed, and without thinking, he moved from around his desk to embrace her. “Carina?”
She looked up at him and he reached to wipe a tear that flowed down her cheek.
“I’m pregnant.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“You’re what?”
Carina removed Dylan’s hand from her face and eased from him. “I’m pregnant.” Saying the words to him made it seem more real, official. Sure, the raging hormones and morning sickness were a constant reminder of her new condition, but this was the first time saying it out loud.
God, it felt good.
His distressed expression mirrored her feelings the day she saw the positive sign on the pregnancy test after a week of flu-like symptoms that would not go away. Her missed period was the deciding factor along with the memory—a too-late memory—that she and Dylan hadn’t used a condom when they made love.
She did not know what to feel. There was a measure of joy at having a source that bonded her and Dylan, but it came with sadness that their child would never connect them the way she wanted. But a greater emotion came in the mix; a stifling dread at the thought of Mateo finding out.
It was an inevitable event, she knew, but one she wanted to delay as long as possible. For now, Dylan was the only one who needed to know. She hoped that, at least, he would be on board with raising a child. But the horrified look on his face brought no hope. Her stomach dipped.
“Are you sure?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? Yes, I’m sure.”
“Fuck me...” He linked his fingers and pressed his hands against the back of his head, turning his back to her. “How?”
This is not good. “We didn’t use a condom, remember?”
He nodded as he seemed to recall. “It all went so fast that night. Shit…”
“Look, maybe there’s a chance you want to be a part of our baby’s life. But it’s no pressure, ok? You don’t need to be.”
“Like hell I don’t,” he replied, spinning to her. “What kind of man do you think I am?”
“I’m giving you an out, that’s all.”
“Well, I don’t need it. I’m just…I need some time to get used to this, ok?”
“Ok.”
“Did you tell Mateo?”
“He doesn’t know. I’m still trying to find a way to break the news.” She paused and twirled her fingers once more. “I’d love for us to do it together. Whenever you’re ready.”
Dylan gave her a look that resembled a deer caught in headlights. “Are you sure?”
Carina gave a dry chuckle. “Of course not. But it’s best to show some sign of solidarity, right?”
A rough sigh came before Dylan wiped his brow. “I guess. When do you want to do this?”
“As soon as possible.” She was almost two months along. The longer she waited, the more furious Mateo would be.
***
“Well, here goes nothing,” Carina breathed, taking the cobblestoned walkway to the main house. Beside her, Dylan remained silent, but she could see the tension that stamped his features, matching her nervousness.
She gave him major credit for stepping up. He still seemed terrified at the reality of becoming a father but he had been there since the moment she told him the news. She carried a secret hope that his constant attention would blossom into something more, that he would discover his hidden feelings for her. It would be a dream come through, to settle with him and raise their family.
But baby steps. For now, she would take what he offered.
Just ahead, beyond the double exterior doors, the inevitable awaited, but also the unknown. Mateo’s wrath was sure to come, but she had no clue what his next move would be. Would he disown her? Most likely not. She was his only child, his heir. He loved her.
But would he accept her unborn child? Mateo had always been a traditional man who turned his nose up at having kids outside of wedlock, and he had been pretty vocal on his expectation that she would save herself for marriage. And she would have, probably, if not for her feelings for Dylan. She braced for his disappointment and prayed his love for her would flow to the child that grew inside her.
Her hand felt two times heavier as she raised it to ring the doorbell. After what seemed like hours, it opened to Gina’s smile, which faded when she saw them standing there.
“Carina? What are you doing ringing the doorbell? Did you forget the code, again?”
She shook her head in response. Considering the news they carried, it seemed the right thing to do; to ring the bell rather than entering without warning. “Is daddy home?” She did not see his SUV parked at its usual place at the end of the driveway. For a moment, she prayed he wasn’t so she could delay their confrontation.
But Gina nodded, dashing her hopes. “He’s in the family room.” She glanced at Dylan and shot Carina a questioning look, which she ignored. Gina would find out soon enough why they’d come.
Gesturing to Dylan, she led the way in, her heart beating overtime. The steps that led to her father seemed to take minutes rather seconds. Mateo looked up as she approached, and the smile died on his lips when he saw Dylan. He recoiled from his lounging position and adjusted the robe that covered his pajamas.
“Carina?” His eyes darted from her to Dylan as he stood. “What’s going on?”
She took a deep breath. “Dylan and I are here to talk to you.”
Mateo’s scowl darkened his features at once. “Whatever it is, I don’t want to hear it.”
“Daddy—”
“Didn’t I tell you to stay the hell away from her?” he said to Dylan. “Or did you not get my message?”
“Mateo, please,” Gina said. “Just hear them out, whatever it is.”
“Are you in on this?” Mateo asked, transferring his scowl to her.
“Of course not,” she replied. “I have no clue why they’re here. But whatever it is, just give them a chance.”
Dylan took a step forward, but Carina stretched out her hand to stop him from going further. “With all due respect, Mateo, I tried. I really did. But—”
“It’s Mr. Morales, you asshole. You have no fucking idea who you’re messing with. See, when I’m done with you, you will wish you never laid eyes on her, I promise!” He dipped down in the couch for his cell phone and punched the keypad. “Get the hell out of my house. I don’t want your blood on my carpets.”
As he raised the phone to his ear, Carina dashed and grabbed it, taking him by surprise. She cut the call and tucked the phone in her pants pocket. “He’s the father of my child, daddy. Your grandchild. You can’t harm him.”
Mateo’s expression went blank and he stared at her for a long moment, as if he was trying to process what she’d said. “My what?”
“I’m pregnant.”
“Oh, my word,” Gina whispered.
The stunned look on his face lasted for a split second before a dark fury emerged. He dashed towards Dylan with raised hands, but Gina and Carina moved to block his path. He stopped, just beyond the border, giving Dylan a hateful glare. “You’re dead, you hear me? Dead.”
“Daddy, no!” Carina’s shout reverberated around the room. “You hurt him and I swear to God, you won’t see me or your grandchild, ever!”
The pain in Mateo’s eyes brought a rush of pity, but she would not back down. “For the millionth time, I’m an adult, daddy. I’m capable of making my own decisions, and this was one of them. And yes, this is unexpected, but I have no regrets.”
“No regrets, Carina?” Mateo said, and the hurtful look intensified. “Is this the life you want, a knocked-up single parent? Huh? This is what you want, to raise your child in a broken home? This is not how I raised you. You disappoint me. Your mother would have been crushed if she was still alive.”
“Mateo, that’s enough,” Gina said, as Carina broke out in sobs. “You’ve gone too far.”
Dylan pulled Carina in his arms and she cried against his chest. “Look, Mat—Mr. Morales, I know this isn’t ideal—”
“I don’t want to hear a word from your mouth. Carina’s barely an adult, but you knew better. If you cared for her at all you would have protected yourself, at least. And now we’re here, in this freaking mess that’s all your fault.”
“It’s not a mess, Mateo.” Gina came around to palm his cheeks with her hands. His face relaxed as he looked down at her. “It’s a baby. A new life. Your grandchild. It seems impossible now, but we’ll figure a way to make this work. But don’t shut them out.”
Mateo stared at Dylan and Carina, then took a deep breath and touched Gina’s forehead with his. “I’ll try.”
“Good.” She gave him a peck on the lips before pulling away and pushing him towards them. “Now, go apologize to your daughter.”
Carina eased from Dylan’s arms as he approached and flung herself at him. “I’m sorry, daddy, I never meant to hurt you.”
“It’s ok, baby girl.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry too, for saying what I did.” The soft smile disappeared when he turned his attention to Dylan. “You dodged a bullet tonight, my friend. But if you hurt my daughter, I promise, her words won’t save you.”
Dylan held Mateo’s hard gaze with a determined look. Carina watched the stare off, realizing Mateo’s intention and knowing Dylan would not back down from his attempt to intimidate him. This was one of the things she loved about him. Unlike the other men who tried to get with her, he had a bold heart that withstood fear.
Mateo broke the gaze with a grunt. “I raised my daughter to become someone’s wife, not a single mother,” he said. “Do you have any plans to change that?”
“Daddy, no,” Carina muttered beside him.
But Dylan’s confused look signified he wasn’t catching on. “I don’t know what you mean… I haven’t made any plans, not yet, anyway.”
“Ok. So, how about I give you a hand?” Mateo moved closer to him, a sly smile bringing a twinkle in his eyes. “Marry Carina, and I’ll forgive your sins, wipe the slate clean. How does that sound?”
With a groan, Carina covered her face with her hands, but not before she saw the terror that flooded Dylan’s face.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The sound of the alarm woke Dylan from a dream. Well, a nightmare; one filled with wedding invitations and cake tasting and floral decorations that triggered an allergy he did not know existed. He took deep breaths to push the residue of the dream away and flung the sheet from his damp, naked body.
The sunlight peeked through his windows, bathing the room in a warm glow, reminding him that today was the beginning of the weekend, the only days he could sleep late.
Then why had he set an alarm?
Habit, maybe, he thought, sinking back against the pillows, just as his cell phone rang. He reached to the night table for it. Seeing Carina’s name flashing across the screen reactivated his memory.
It wasn’t a dream. He and Carina were getting married. The remembrance brought a panic that had been with him since the night he agreed to Mateo’s crazy proposal.
What the hell had he been thinking? He wasn’t ready for marriage and neither was Carina. But at the time he’d agreed wholeheartedly, glad to get Mateo off his back and thinking it would take at least a year to plan a decent wedding. A year seemed enough time for him and Carina to decide if this was what they wanted.
But Mateo seemed in a hurry to get them down the altar. The last three months had been a whirlwind of wedding planning activities, with the ceremony only a month away. He’d never been more disconnected from anything in his life.
It did not feel right. It was a business transaction, nothing like the sweet, intimate affair it should be. On one hand, he wanted to throw caution to the wind and call it quits. The other side of him did not want to hurt Carina.
He saw her enthusiasm and wished he could share her joy. A year or two from now he probably would. But they were moving too fast, way too fast for his comfort. He’d rather they focus on getting ready for their daughter’s arrival than force a premature event. But he wasn’t willing to get in Mateo’s bad graces again.
So, he planned to suck it up, marry Carina and hope they could make it work.
“Hey.” He swung his legs from the bed with the phone pressed against his ear. Carina’s early morning phone call meant one thing; he was late for something. What did they have planned today?
“Please tell me you’re on your way.”
“Uh…” He dashed to the bathroom and ran the hot water. “Almost.”
Carina sighed on the other end. “You forgot, didn’t you? Again.”
Dylan gave himself a mental kick. This was probably the tenth time he forgot a wedding appointment with her. He was all up to date in the baby department, but with the upcoming nuptials, he had a constant memory loss. “I did,” he confessed. “What did I forget?”
“You’re impossible, you know that? We have an appointment with the cake designer which you claimed to have been looking forward to. Liar.”
“I’m sorry. There’s been a lot on my mind.” Besides the wedding process that was moving way too fast, his relationship with Carina weighed his mind.
At the beginning of their engagement he’d tried to stay away. They were having a marriage of convenience, nothing else. Sending mixed signals to Carina, getting her hopes up was the last thing he wanted to do. But the more time they spent together, the stronger temptation became and he’d taken advantage of her desire for him more times than he could count.
Dylan tried to convince himself that he wasn’t; that their lovemaking came from a mutual decision. And it was. But Carina was now on her way to planning happy ever after while he was still at the crossroads like a deer in headlights.
He wanted to get on board one hundred percent, really, he did. But taking a premature jump to the altar would do more harm than good. He wished he had the guts to tell Carina.
“Oh, I can tell,” came her dry response.
“Give me half an hour, tops. I’ll be there, ok?”
“If you say so.” The click sounded in his ear. He placed the phone on the counter-top and stepped into the shower, wondering if Carina suspected his lack of enthusiasm. Since the beginning, he tried to his best to appear interested in the planning, but she had a sixth sense that was sharper than any two-edged sword.
He braced for an incoming confrontation. He’d gotten to know Carina well enough to expect it. She had a take-no-bullshit attitude and he liked that about her. He liked a lot of things about her, in fact. Her boldness, the way she pursued what she wanted without inhibition and the vulnerability that clashed with her confidence. She harbored a level of positivity that made him marvel. Her faith, her ability to see the glass as half full at all times, they all summed up the woman he cared for.
He just wished they could take things slow and get to know each other more, for he knew a long-lasting relationship could develop. But now, based on how fast the plans progressed, he feared they would not make it.
***
“This one’s perfect,” Dylan said, returning the fo
rk to the plate.
“You said the same about the others,” Carina replied. She pushed the other plates of cake towards him. “Choose one.”
“I can’t. They’re all good.”
Carina clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed. “It’s like I’m doing this on my own…”
Dylan tried not to roll his eyes. He couldn’t care less about the cake for their wedding reception. All he wanted was to end this appointment and get the hell out. “Fine,” he said, pointing to the white chocolate cake with raspberry, the one he’d taken the smallest bite from. “This one.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“You told me to choose one, and I did. What’s the problem?”
Carina pursed her lips and turned to the cake decorator and wedding planner. “Ladies, give us a moment, please.” At the women’s nods, she grabbed his arm and pulled him from the seat.
“Whoa, slow down,” he said, as she dragged him through the hotel ballroom and entered the hallway. She braked at the corner and released his arm with a violent swing.
“I’ve had enough, Dylan. Come on, level with me. What’s going on?”
Dylan looked over her head, searching for a response.
“Do you even want to get married?” she asked.
He jammed his hands in his pockets and met her gaze, summoning a convincing look. “Of course, I do. Why else would I endure all of this?”
Carina released a dry chuckle with a head shake. “Endure… wow.”
“Ok, that was a wrong choice.” He gave himself a mental kick in the ass. What the hell was he thinking? “I’m doing this because I want to.”
“Do you really? Because I’m sure I’d get more enthusiasm from someone who’s watching paint dry. You show up late for our appointments with hardly any interest. You have no opinion on any detail that goes towards our day. A blind man can see the truth, Dylan. You don’t want to marry me.”
“That’s not true.” At least, not now. But he would love for a chance to work towards that day. Just say it; rip the band-aid once and for all.
“Be honest with me, please.” She stared at him wide-eyed, the emerging tears moistening her eyes. Her folded arms and squared shoulders betrayed her attempt to remain strong.
Doctor Love: A Medical Romance Series (Medical Heart Throb Series) Page 13