by Cindy Kirk
He wished he could reassure her, but Adam knew assuring her that he’d be there for her if she was pregnant would only increase her stress.
Once they were inside her apartment, the way she kept glancing furtively at the door told him she planned to make one last-ditch effort to send him on his way.
“It’s getting late. Your dad has been alone all day.” Her bright smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I promise I’ll be in touch.”
He strolled over to the sofa, a walk of only a couple of steps—as the room was small—and dropped down on the sofa. “This way, you don’t have to call or text. I’m right here. If the test is positive, we can hash everything out.”
Adam kept the comment deliberately vague, knowing that might appease her. For now. Because he needed her to be honest about the results.
His greatest fear was that she’d discover she was pregnant, tell him she wasn’t, and leave town.
Charlotte stared at him for a long moment. “You’re not leaving.”
He smiled. “Nope.”
Adam could almost see the wheels turning in her head and saw the second she gave in to the inevitable.
“Okay. I’m sure it’s probably negative.” She blew out a breath. “But I’ll take the test.”
“For the best.”
Adam didn’t know much about such things, only that she didn’t have to be all that far along for a pregnancy to register.
When she went into the bathroom and closed the door firmly behind her, Adam pushed to his feet and began to pace. How had this happened? He was thirty-seven years old. He knew the importance of using a condom.
Raking a hand through his hair, Adam strode to the window to gaze unseeing on the street below. Questions rolled through his head with the speed and force of an avalanche.
Why was it that Charlotte, of all women, made him ignore reason? Would she truly not want his help? Would she try to keep a child from him? Or was she simply trying to be brave and give him an easy way out?
What kind of person in her life had treated her badly enough to make her feel as though being alone was always better? Didn’t she know how hard single parenting could be?
The sound of a door opening, followed by footsteps, had him turning toward the hall.
Charlotte held a plastic stick in one hand. She gave a nervous-sounding laugh. “I guess long shots sometimes do come in.”
Adam crossed to her, but catching the strong vibes, he didn’t attempt to touch her. Instead, he lifted the stick from her fingers.
Pregnant.
He cocked his head. “Are these accurate?”
“I think so.” Charlotte brought a hand to her head. “I think there are more false-negatives than positives, but I guess I don’t know for sure.”
“That information should be on the insert that came with the test.”
When she only stared, he motioned to the sofa. “You look like you should sit down. I’ll get the information.”
He strode down the hallway and found the box the test had come in sitting on the vanity. Pulling the paper out from inside the box, he didn’t read it, but returned to the sofa.
Charlotte had taken him up on his suggestion and sat on the sofa, staring into space.
He dropped down beside her and unfolded the paper. “Let’s see what it says.”
Adam skipped the instructions and other unnecessary information, quickly finding what he was looking for.
Charlotte leaned close, her silky hair brushing his shoulder. “What does it say?”
“Ninety-nine percent accurate when used correctly.”
“What about false-positives?”
Adam couldn’t tell from her voice if she was hoping for that outcome or not. “Sounds like it’s rare. It says here a false-positive result can occur if you have blood or protein in your urine.”
He glanced at her.
She shook her head. “Anything else?”
“Certain drugs, such as tranquilizers, anticonvulsants, hypnotics and fertility drugs can cause false-positive results,” he read from the insert.
Once again, his eyes met hers.
“No to the first three.” She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “I’ve taken fertility drugs, but it’s been a good five months.”
“That seems like it should be long enough to be out of your system. But let’s check to make sure.” He pulled out his phone. “What drugs did you take?”
When she told him, he searched online. “It says Clomid should be out of your system within six to eight weeks. And the HCG you received to stimulate ovulation is gone from urine in nine to thirty-five days with a median of nineteen days.”
“They should both be out of my system.” Charlotte spoke slowly. “Which, when you couple the test results with my symptoms, seems to indicate I am pregnant.”
Her words were matter-of-fact, but the stunned look on her face told him more.
“This is what you wanted,” he reminded her. “You wanted to get pregnant.”
“Yes, but not like this.”
Though Adam hadn’t imagined having a child in the next couple of years, the idea of being a dad felt surprisingly right.
His heart stuttered at the distress on her face. Surely she wasn’t considering…
“You’ll continue the pregnancy.” Though he said it as a statement and thought he kept any emotion from his voice, she must have heard the underlying question.
Charlotte’s eyes widened, and her hand dropped to rest protectively on her flat belly. “Yes. I want this baby.”
Adam expelled the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Good. Now that we know, it’s time to talk about where we go from here.”
Charlotte somehow managed to smile before she shut the door behind Adam.
She sighed, relieved to finally be alone. She needed the quiet, the silence, in order to think. In order to plan.
Adam had wanted to talk it out, to make plans. She’d held him off by saying after her doctor confirmed the pregnancy, they could discuss where they went from here.
That bought her time. Time she’d use to look into paternal rights, maybe even consult an attorney to see if Adam had any rights.
It’s his baby, too, a voice whispered in her head.
Charlotte knew that. And of course, she’d never be unkind to Adam. He wouldn’t deserve it, and that wasn’t who she was. It was just so complicated and unexpected.
For a moment, Charlotte remembered a time in her life when she’d pictured welcoming a baby into the world with a loving husband at her side.
Unfortunately, she also remembered what a lie that picture could be.
She closed her eyes and shook the memory away. She wouldn’t think of that now. For tonight, she would revel in the fact that what she wanted had come true. She was going to have a baby.
It didn’t seem real. She had to admit seeing the word pregnant on the stick had shocked her. After each insemination, she’d longed to see that word, but both times she’d been disappointed.
Now, it had happened. A bit unconventionally—well, actually the way it usually happened—but there was a baby growing inside her.
Adam would come to see reason, she told herself. He would step back and let her handle this by herself. He was a busy man who, unlike her, hadn’t longed to be a parent. She had no doubt that one day he would marry and have kids of his own when it made sense for him.
Her days of looking for Mr. Right had ended long ago. She’d become set in her ways, happy with being in charge and able to live her life exactly the way she wanted.
Charlotte thought of her first husband. During the years she and Jake had been married, it had felt as if she’d had no say in anything. She’d wanted to open her own salon as soon as she got out of school. He’d insisted it was too soon.
Big decisions or little ones, it hadn’t mattered. The man had wanted his fingers in every piece of her pie. She’d been so young when they married and hadn’t seen that side of him. As time had
gone on, she’d realized they’d never be true partners. With Jake, it had been about control. He’d had a vision of who he wanted her to be, and it hadn’t mattered if she wanted that or not.
According to Facebook, he and wife number three were happy together. She was happy for Jake. Most of all, she was happy she was no longer tied to him in any way.
A baby ties you to a man.
She wasn’t sure which of her friends back in California had said that. It didn’t matter. It was true. Which was why they’d all applauded her decision to go the insemination route.
What was she going to do? She had to handle the situation with Adam carefully. She—
The dinging of her phone had her picking it up. She expected the text to be from Adam. Though he’d mentioned he wanted her to let him know when she scheduled her first doctor’s appointment, she hadn’t promised she would.
Had he realized that on the drive home?
The text wasn’t from Adam.
Paul Lux. She hadn’t thought of the Hollywood producer in almost a year.
They’d met in San Diego and had some fun times together. He was the kind of man she liked—smart, well-traveled and curious about the world.
It’s been too long. I’ll be in SD next week. Love to take you to dinner at Top.
Charlotte was flattered he’d remembered Top of the Market was a favorite restaurant of hers. It offered an impressive view of San Diego Bay and amazing seafood.
Would love it but no longer in SD. I’m back in Good Hope, WI.
When there was no immediate response, Charlotte rose and got ready for bed. Even though it was still early, she was exhausted. Was the fatigue due to stress? Or being pregnant? Maybe a little of both.
Charlotte found herself thinking of Paul as she washed and moisturized her face. Way back when, she’d thought they’d been a perfect match. Until he’d returned to LA, promising to help her get established there, but that never happened.
She hadn’t been heartbroken. Since her divorce all those years ago, she hadn’t let herself get close enough to anyone to be hurt. Still, Paul’s departure had stung.
The phone dinged just as she slipped her feet into her pink velvet UGG slippers.
I’ll be filming not far from there. Plan on dinner. You pick the place.
Charlotte would like to see him, but would it be wise? Her life was in such turmoil right now with the opening of the new salon and now the pregnancy.
Another ding from her phone.
If you’re in a relationship, just say so.
She smiled. She’d taken too long to respond, and his mind had jumped to an obvious conclusion.
No guy. You know me. I’d have said that right off.
The emoji he sent swiped sweat from his brow. Big relief.
Charlotte laughed out loud. Laughing and talking with Paul might be what she needed to remind herself that life as she knew it hadn’t ended when she’d relocated.
I’ll pick the most expensive place.
His text came back immediately. I wouldn’t expect any less.
Chapter Seven
Stan’s brow furrowed as he stared at Adam. “You scheduled a meeting for this morning?”
“The crew knows what they’re doing. You guys won’t even miss me.” Adam took a long drink of coffee. So far, he’d resisted the urge to tell his father about the baby. He wanted to make sure the positive test hadn’t been a fluke. Charlotte’s visit to the OB-GYN today would either confirm the diagnosis or not. “It’s not really a meeting. Charlotte needs my help. It shouldn’t take long.”
If he’d waited for Charlotte to get back to him with the time and date of the appointment, he might still be waiting. He’d known she was calling Tuesday for an appointment. When Tuesday had clicked over into Wednesday, he’d called her. That’s when he found out the appointment was this morning.
Stan’s face creased into a smile. “You like her.”
“I like helping her out.” The fact was Adam wasn’t sure how he felt about Charlotte, other than she’d gotten under his skin. She was beautiful and smart, and they had an intense spark. And she might be the mother of his child.
Stan chuckled. “The love bug has bitten.”
Adam opened his mouth, then shut it. There was no reason to dispute Stan’s assumption and every reason to let it stand, at least for now. If Charlotte was carrying his baby, it would be easier on her if people believed they truly had romantic feelings for each other.
And, down the road, that would be easier on the child.
Nothing like knowing you were the result of a one-night hookup on the Fourth of July.
When his father arched a brow, waiting for a response, Adam grinned. “She’s pretty great.”
“I like her,” Stan declared. “There’s something real at the core.”
“I told Jerry that if they have any trouble with anything to give me a call.” Adam poured the coffee from his cup into a to-go container, then added more from the pot on the counter.
“I can handle the crew’s questions.” His father motioned him toward the door. “Get going. Be sure and tell Charlotte I said hello.”
“I’ll do that.” Adam hated to lie to his father, and a lie of omission was still a lie. But he also didn’t want to draw him into any of this, if it turned out to be a false alarm.
The clinic where he was to meet Charlotte was on the edge of Good Hope. After doing her research and having heard good things about her from Marigold, Charlotte told him she’d decided to see Dr. Janice Swanson.
Though he arrived fifteen minutes early, he saw Charlotte’s car already in the parking lot. He parked beside the BMW, then hurried up the walkway to the two-story medical office building. A lobby directory told him he’d find Dr. Swanson on the second floor.
Adam took the sweeping staircase rather than wait for an elevator. His heart skipped a beat when he stepped into the waiting area and found it empty.
He strode to the desk. “Hi, I’m—”
“Adam.” Charlotte suddenly appeared in the door leading to the back.
“I thought the appointment was at nine.”
“It is.” She offered a rueful smile. “I got here early, so they weighed me, took my blood pressure and had me give a urine sample.”
“I didn’t miss anything.”
“Nothing exciting.” She glanced around, appearing relieved the waiting room was empty. “The nurse said I’m the first patient of the day.”
“How have you been feeling?” He nearly reached out to her, but dropped his hand at the last second. The look in her eye told him she preferred he keep his hands to himself.
“Good. I’ve—”
“Charlotte.” A woman in lavender scrubs with a floral top called from the doorway.
When Charlotte stepped forward, Adam did as well.
“You don’t need to—” she began.
“I want to come back with you.” If she protested, he’d back off, though he really did want to hear what the doctor had to say. This was a get-acquainted visit. “If that’s okay with you.”
Her sigh held resignation. “I guess.”
Then she gave his arm a squeeze, and the tightness gripping his chest eased ever so slightly. He followed her down a hallway with wheat-colored walls and pictures with accent colors of red and yellow.
They were ushered into the doctor’s office, rather than an exam room. The nurse gestured to a grouping of chairs, and they sat.
Seconds later, a woman in her mid-forties with a short cap of gray hair and a friendly smile hurried in. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”
Charlotte pushed to her feet at the same time as Adam.
The doctor extended her hand. “I’m Dr. Swanson.”
Charlotte took the hand. “Charlotte McCray.”
“Adam Vogele.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” Dr. Swanson gestured to the chairs, just as the nurse had moments earlier. “I like to meet with new patients first and use this time to b
ecome acquainted and to let you know what to expect.”
Charlotte lifted one hand. “I did a pregnancy test at home, and it came back positive. I came by yesterday, and you drew some blood. What I was hoping to confirm at this visit is whether it—”
“Was or wasn’t a fluke?” Dr. Swanson flashed a smile.
“Exactly.”
“I have the results of your blood test from yesterday.” Dr. Swanson’s steady gaze met Charlotte’s. “You are pregnant. How do you feel about that?”
“Stunned.” Charlotte blew out a breath and glanced at Adam. “Earlier in the spring, I went through IUI twice without success.”
Dr. Swanson’s curious gaze settled on Adam. “Is that because your sperm count was low? Or—”
“Adam and I weren’t together then,” Charlotte explained. “I was living in San Diego and decided if I was going to have a baby, I couldn’t afford to wait. When I moved to Good Hope, Adam and I reconnected.”
The doctor’s gaze shifted from Adam to Charlotte. “Then you’re happy about the pregnancy?”
Charlotte smiled brightly. “Absolutely.”
Realizing the doctor’s gaze was fixed on him, Adam forced himself to breathe. He was going to be a father.
He clasped Charlotte’s hand, brought it to his lips and planted a kiss on her knuckles. “Very happy.”
A startled look crossed Charlotte’s face, but she didn’t pull away.
“Wonderful. Let’s go through the forms you filled out online.” Dr. Swanson slanted a glance at Adam. “It looks like Charlotte completed her section, but left your information blank. Which means I have a few questions for you.”
Adam relaxed in the softly cushioned chair. “Ask away.”
Dr. Swanson went through his family’s medical history. Anything related to his birth father and that side of the family was marked unknown.
“It looks like I have everything except…” Dr. Swanson flipped through the pages on her tablet. “I need the date of your last menstrual period.”