Maybe his insight had come too late. What he needed was another flash of inspiration, to keep her and the baby safe.
And to keep them with me.
* * *
WHEN PAIGE AWOKE, SHE knew instinctively that Mike hadn’t returned yet. The quiet house vibrated with his absence. Also, the light remained red on the duplicate alarm panel in her bedroom.
How long would it take before this place no longer felt incomplete without him? Or am I the one who feels incomplete?
Ashamed of her weakness, Paige fixed a cup of tea in Bree’s airy kitchen, where pots of herbs that her aunt had planted still flourished in the greenhouse window. Stretching her legs under the table, she gazed out at the street, peaceful once again in the twilight.
Was this a weakness, to love a man so much that the prospect of losing him tore her apart? She’d simply have to get over it. Mike would never yield to persuasion. If anything, he grew more distant at anything that he interpreted as pressure.
They belonged together. But his heart didn’t have room for their baby.
A tear slid down Paige’s cheek. Embarrassed, she wiped it off. She was strong enough to weather this storm. She just wished she didn’t have to be.
Outside, she glimpsed his powerful shape pacing along the sidewalk. Unbidden, her spirits lifted as, at the front door, she heard Mike remove his shoes and shake out the sand. He came in quietly, then saw her sitting in the kitchen. “You’re awake.”
“Just needed a nap.” He couldn’t see the trace of tears, could he? “I’m fine now.”
He paused in the doorway, uncharacteristically hesitant. Finally he said, “I have an idea about the halfway house.”
That was good. “I’m open to anything you can suggest.” Setting aside her empty cup, Paige accompanied him into the front room. “What is it?”
“Let’s get comfortable.” He indicated the couch.
“Sure.” Relaxing against the cushions, she watched him with an attempt at nonchalance.
Instead of sitting, he removed the smart phone from his pocket. “I’ve been doing a little research.”
How odd. “On the beach?”
“Just checking something out.” He frowned at something on the screen. “The escrow officer who handled the sale of the halfway house to its current owners was a woman named Yelena Yerchenko. She owns the escrow company next to my office.”
“Okay.” Although she didn’t see why that mattered, Paige figured he was working up to that.
“I’m not at liberty to disclose the details, but I believe Mayor Hightower had a conflict of interest when he served as the swing vote on the council. He should have recused himself,” Mike went on.
That sounded promising. “You think we could force a revote?”
“Possibly.” Mike gave her a wry smile. “But there’s an approach that might produce results a lot quicker. The company that owns the house has invested a lot of money. They won’t want to risk losing their permit. After the arrest today, I’ll bet they’d be willing to make a few changes, especially when I drop a hint about the mayor’s conflict of interest. Would you accept a rehab facility as long as the occupants aren’t ex-cons?”
“Sure.” Paige sympathized with people trying to kick their drug and alcohol addictions.
“I’ll get to work on it.” Mike tucked the phone in his pocket. “Paige, I don’t want you to move to Texas. If you feel safe here, will you stay?”
“That’s not the reason I considered going.” No sense delaying; she’d meant to tell him her decision last night, anyway. “I thought I needed family around me, but I’ve decided to stay here.”
He looked startled. “You have?”
If she said she hoped he’d be involved with the baby, it might push him away. Better not to. “I’ve put down roots in Safe Harbor. This is my home now.”
Mike blew out a breath. “I’m glad. More than glad. Paige, can you forgive me?”
“Forgive you for what?”
“Being an idiot,” he said.
She chuckled. “I got over that a long time ago.”
“I mean, about the baby.”
She could hardly resent him for refusing to accept a child she’d conceived on her own. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“Please let me finish.” He rushed on. “Paige, I love you and the baby, both. I know I haven’t acted like it. I’ll prove it to you, however long it takes.”
She could hardly believe it. Had he really said the words she longed to hear, or was she misinterpreting? “Love isn’t something you have to earn, Mike. Trust, yes, but you’ve never done anything to break trust with me.”
“So I can stay here with you?” He shook his head as if he hadn’t meant it. “No, wait.”
Disappointment arrowed through her. She had misunderstood. “What?”
When he reached into his pocket again, she thought he was going to pull out the phone, although she couldn’t imagine why. Instead, he produced a small dark shape and held it in his open palm.
“What’s that?” Paige leaned forward.
“Sorry. The light’s bad.” Mike switched on a lamp and came to sit beside her. Holding up the small object, he angled it against the glow until it shone a brilliant shade of purple.
“Sea glass.” Paige took it with a sense of awe. He hadn’t borrowed it from her collection; she’d never seen this particular shape before. Naturally buffed, it formed a slightly misshapen diamond. “Where did you get this?”
“Just now, on the beach. If it weren’t for a ray of sunlight, I’d never have noticed it.” Mike studied her intently. “You told me once that your aunt promised to send you purple glass as a sign of approval or a nudge in the right direction. Is it fair to suggest I have your aunt’s blessing to ask you to be my wife?”
Paige couldn’t speak. Those darn tears were welling up again. Finally, she said, “I love you, Mike.”
“Will you marry me?”
The knot in her stomach dissolved. “Yes!”
Mike glanced at the gemlike glass. “I could have this made into an engagement ring, surrounded by diamonds.”
She had to ask one question. “What about the baby?”
“I love the baby, too. Did I leave that out?”
“No, but…how did this happen?” Before he could respond, she added, “I’ll get a DNA test.”
“Not necessary. It’s mine. I know it in my heart, and frankly, I don’t care anyway.” He stroked her hair lightly. “I saw the sonogram. Paige, I love him. Or her. Do you have a name picked out?”
“Baby B.” She gave him a tentative smile. “That stands for Bree or Brian. Is that okay?”
“Everything you do is okay,” he said.
“Sounds good to me.” Slipping her arms around Mike, Paige cuddled close. Before she knew it, he was kissing her forehead, her cheeks, the tip of her nose and her mouth as if he couldn’t stop.
It felt wonderful.
* * *
THEY SET THE WEDDING DATE for early September, planning a simple ceremony with immediate family and close friends. That still made for a long list.
In her happiness, Paige almost forgot that there might be one person for whom their joyful news would prove unpleasant. Then one day in late August, as she was on her way to lunch, she ran into Sheila Obermeier in the hall outside the office. The short blonde was leaving also.
Paige gave herself a mental kick. Nora had told her that Sheila had an appointment that morning, but Paige hadn’t taken note of the time. Still, she couldn’t avoid the woman forever.
“How’re things going with Dr. Franco?” she asked as they walked toward the elevator.
“Good, I guess. I like both of you about the same.” Sheila’s forehead fur
rowed. “I hear you and Mike are getting married.”
It wasn’t like Nora to gossip. But then, Sheila might have heard the news any number of places, considering that she knew Mike’s family. “Yes.” At the elevator, Paige pressed the down button.
“Did you really get pregnant through artificial insemination?”
“I did,” Paige confirmed.
“And he’s marrying you anyway?”
She heard the pain in Sheila’s voice. Despite everything that had happened, the woman harbored feelings for her ex, or perhaps this was a matter of insecurity. “Thank you for giving him some straight talk.”
The doors opened. “Did that really help?” Sheila asked as they stepped into the empty elevator.
“I think you had an impact,” Paige said.
Sheila brightened. “I’m glad.”
The elevator glided downward. “Now we both get happy endings,” Paige noted.
“Don’t you mean happy beginnings?” Sheila asked as they reached the lobby.
“Exactly.” Paige liked that phrasing.
“Listen.” Sheila stopped in the middle of the lobby. “You should feel free to compare notes with me anytime. I’ve learned a lot about handling men.”
“I can see that.” Paige appreciated the good intentions. “Thanks.”
“’Bye!” Sheila beamed as she walked away.
Paige had to admit she had no idea how to handle Mike. And she intended to keep it that way.
* * *
IN A GLOWING CIRCLE OF LIGHT from the bedside lamp, Paige tried to read a medical journal. Tonight, though, she just couldn’t focus, not with Mike ensconced beside her in his crisp striped pajamas, laptop on his knees, working intently.
She plucked a bit of lint from his sandy hair. When he looked up, she said, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“That’s okay.” He closed the laptop. “I meant to tell you something at dinner but we were interrupted.” His parents had stopped by unexpectedly on the way home from visiting friends. Between catching up on wedding plans and sharing family news, the evening had flown by.
“What’s that?” Paige waited for him to continue.
“I decided to stop donating sperm.” He cleared his throat. “It seemed like a good idea at the time but…well…”
“No explanation necessary.” Besides, she had a small confession to make. “I know you said it didn’t matter, but I ran a DNA test using the last sample of your sperm. The baby’s definitely yours. I should have asked you first because if it had turned out not to be…”
His fingers brushed her cheek. “When I said it didn’t matter, I meant it. Now, any other revelations? This seems to be the night for them.”
She hadn’t had a chance to mention Sheila’s visit, Paige realized. “I ran into your ex-wife at lunchtime. She made me promise to ask for advice in dealing with you, if I need any.”
He grinned. “Do you?”
“I’d say I’ve done just fine without it.”
She held out her left hand, where the purple centerpiece on her ring shone as brightly as the diamonds around it. Everywhere she went, people commented on it. To their questions, Paige described the purple glass as a family heirloom, which was what she considered it.
“Okay, now that we’ve taken care of business, look at this.” Reopening the laptop, Mike swung it toward her. The screen displayed beach-oriented baby decor. “What do you think?”
She loved the theme. “Look at that cute mermaid mobile!”
Mike frowned. “I was thinking more of the surf’s-up theme.”
“It’s cheerful,” Paige conceded. “But I could live without the surfboard wall decals.”
“They’re nice and bright.” He sounded disappointed.
“The surf’s-up sheets only come in blue.”
“That’s the color of the ocean. And lots of girls surf.” He sighed. “I suppose we should table this discussion until we know the sex for sure.”
Although Paige never knew how he’d react to teasing, she decided to go for it. “Or we could have more than one baby.”
Mike froze. In the silence, she heard the low beat of rock music from their neighbors. At last, he squeezed out the words, “It’s a small house.”
“I’m joking,” she said.
Instead of meeting her gaze, Mike returned his attention to the laptop. A few clicks later, he turned the screen so she could see.
Bunk beds.
“We could buy a set of these when the kids get bigger.” He quirked an eyebrow. “If I survived sharing a room, so can they.”
Incredible. Curling close to him, Paige murmured, “Just imagine making a baby the old-fashioned way.”
“Oh?” he said. “Which way is that?”
She closed his laptop and set it on the nightstand beside them. “Let me show you.”
“I always appreciate a demonstration. It helps me get the hang of things,” Mike said, and turned off the light.
* * * * *
ISBN: 9781459226432
Copyright © 2012 by Jackie Hyman
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SH Medical 08 - The Baby Dilemma Page 19