No Exchanges, No Returns

by Laurie Kellogg

  “Fine.” She huffed, silently vowing it would be the last time she’d let him play on her sympathy. “But we’re skipping lunch, and you’re buying me a giant tub of popcorn.”

  “Deal.” He stood and gave her his hand to help her up.

  “And if I order extra butter, there will be no lectures about my cholesterol level or wisecracks about my expanding ass-ets.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He smirked, eyeing her tush. “Your assets look just fine.”

  Oh, dear Lord, how on earth could she handle living under the same roof with him all summer if he insisted on looking at her that way?

  She snatched her purse off the end table and wrung its strap on the way out the door, imagining it was her twin’s scrawny neck. “So,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at him, “what do you know about voodoo?”

  Chapter 3

  A week later, the smell of perfume in Dr. Paul Brennan’s waiting room tickled Casey’s nose. She scratched it and shifted sideways on the vinyl upholstered sofa to face David.

  “Anyway, I’ve been calling Brianna’s cell phone all week to tell her I’m still going to stay with you. She refuses to pick up or call me back.”

  “Maybe she can’t get a signal where she is,” David suggested, tossing aside a dog-eared baby magazine.

  Casey fired a you-and-I-both-know-better look at him. His insistence on giving Brianna the benefit of the doubt proved how much he still cared. Which should be no surprise. Love didn’t fade away overnight, and Casey wouldn’t think much of him if he quit loving her sister so quickly—nor did she want him to. Really.

  “Possible, but not likely.” If she wasn’t so familiar with her twin’s inclination to avoid conflict, she’d be worried. Undoubtedly the whole reason Brianna moved to Minnesota was to hide from the mess she’d created.

  “You know, Tinkerbelle, I’m as much to blame for this situation as Brianna. When you volunteered to be her surrogate, I jumped right on the bandwagon as your cheering section. When you think about it, the two of us didn’t really give her much of a chance to object.”

  “I know. I guess I’m as angry at myself as I am with her. I have a bad habit of thinking I know what’s best for other people. Especially Brie.”

  The door to the entrance opened and a pretty blond woman strolled in hauling an infant carrier with pink and white ruffles.

  David catapulted out of his seat. “Maggie? What’re you doing here? You’re not pregnant again already, are you?”

  The woman placed the baby’s seat on one of the chairs and laughed. “Heaven forbid. I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “How old is Katie now?” He leaned over the baby and stroked her tiny blond head

  “Almost three months. In fact, we have her well-baby visit with you right after we finish here.” Maggie glanced curiously at Casey and then back at him. “A better question is why are you hanging out in Paul’s waiting room?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m forgetting my manners. I’d like you to meet Casey McIntyre—Brianna’s sister and surrogate.”

  “Oh, congratulations! I didn’t know you’re expecting.”

  “Thanks.” His faced flushed as if he were embarrassed. “Casey, this is Maggie Manion. She’s Paul’s neighbor.”

  “Manion? Are you the high school football coach’s wife?” Jake Manion was a sports legend and a hero in Redemption.

  “Yes, I am. I married Jake last September, a few months after my daughter, Emma, married Jake’s son, Alex.”

  “I’m happy to meet you.” If Casey recalled correctly, there’d been a nasty scandal involving Jake and Alex last summer that had made the front page of the local newspaper.

  Maggie turned to David. “By the way, I can’t thank you enough for speaking at the Board of Ed meeting last summer on my husband and son-in-law’s behalf. If it weren’t for people like you and Doc Foster, Jake might not be coaching today.”

  “Anytime. How are Alex and Emma doing? Are they enjoying college life? I understand Alex had an outstanding football season last fall. Jake must be very proud of him.”

  “The kids are both great. They just came home for the summer,” Maggie explained. “They’re both looking for summer jobs, so I’ll be taking care of my granddaughter, Elisabeth, while they work.” Her chuckled held a terrified, I can’t believe I agreed to it note in it. “Since Little-Bit, as Alex calls her, is only four months older than Katie, it’s going to be a lot like having twins in the house.”

  David glanced sideways at Casey. “Have you found a college student to fill the summer teacher’s aide position yet?”

  “No, and to be honest, I’m getting desperate. Tomorrow is Samantha’s last day.” She smiled up at Maggie, immediately catching David’s intent. “If you think Emma would be interested in working for me, tell her to stop by the preschool tomorrow morning for an interview. We might even be able to arrange is so she could bring Elisabeth to work with her.”

  As Katie began to fuss, Maggie rocked the infant carrier “Thank you. I’ll definitely mention it to her. Emma’s still nursing, so it would be a real blessing if she could bring the baby.”

  The door leading to the examination rooms swung open and a nurse built like Wonder Woman called, “Casey McIntyre?”

  David gave Casey his hand to help her up, and the vinyl sofa stuck to the back of her bare legs. She wobbled, exhibiting less grace than a lumberjack dwarf. She hated to think what a klutz she’d be after her belly really expanded.

  “I’ll see you and Katie in a little while.” David waved to Maggie and turned to smile at the Amazonian brunette wearing hot pink scrubs. “How’re you, Tammy?”

  “Can’t complain, Dr. Lambert. Well, actually I could, but no one would listen.” Tammy glanced around the nearly empty waiting room. “Where’s Brianna?”

  Apparently he hadn’t told anyone he worked with about his divorce. Casey held her breath while he hemmed and hawed a moment before stretching the truth like a rubber band without actually lying. “She’s in Minneapolis on business.”

  “Tell her I said hi and that I’m still waiting for those free samples of that new face cream.” Tammy led them down the corridor, stopped beside the scale, and turned an expectant smile toward Casey.

  She kicked off her sandals and waited for David to continue down the hall. When he didn’t budge, she made a stirring motion with her finger. “Don’t you dare look.”

  Chuckling, he spun his back to the mechanical tattle-tale.

  As Tammy slid the weight all the way across the bar to 132, Casey groaned. She never should’ve eaten that maple walnut ice cream last night. Except, after feeling the baby move for the first time, she’d needed something to cope with suddenly realizing the immense responsibility she was taking on.

  “Hey, I’d be thrilled to be your weight.” Tammy patted Casey’s shoulder. “I’m not even pregnant.”

  “You’re also not five-two.” Casey glanced down at her belly. “I still have four months to go,” she muttered, stepping off the scale. “By the time I deliver, I’ll be as wide as I am tall.”

  Tammy showed them to an examination room decorated in varying shades of teal where she took Casey’s vital signs.

  “Everything looks good.” Tammy told them. “The doctor will be in shortly.”

  Less than two minutes after the nurse left Casey and David alone, Paul Brennan rapped on the door and strode into the tiny room, wearing his usual smirky Bruce Willis smile. The good-looking doctor’s receding hairline and muscular build simply reinforced his resemblance to the actor in his younger days.

  David punched his friend’s arm lightly. “Hey, pal, you really need to get a subscription to Sports Illustrated for your waiting room. The last thing I want to read is baby magazines.”

  “Then bring your own. If I put anything else out, the other dads will quit reading the child care articles. Unlike you, they need to.” While Paul washed his hands with the antiseptic-smelling soap, he glanced at Casey. “How’re
you feeling?”

  “At the moment, pretty ticked at my sister.”

  “I think he meant physically,” David interjected.

  “No.” Paul scowled at him and dried his hands before chucking the wad of paper towel into the trash can. “I treat the whole mother. I want to hear about Casey’s emotional issues, too.”

  In truth, her feelings were so jumbled she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Not that she wanted to share that with David’s best friend.

  “You know,” David muttered, “I like you less every time I come here.”

  “Shut up and let the woman talk.” Paul turned back to her and smiled. “Really, Casey, how are you? Any complaints—aside from the headache you brought with you?”

  “No.” She chuckled as he felt her ankles and calves. “Other than minor backaches and being tired, I feel pretty good. The perpetual queasiness is gone.”

  “I know it’s pointless to tell a preschool teacher this,” Paul said, picking up the fetal Doppler, “but try to stay off your feet as much as possible.”

  “I will after tomorrow night’s graduation program. On Monday, the school switches to summer daycare.” After that, she would only go in a few afternoons a week to handle the payroll and check on the construction progress. “Unfortunately, it’ll also be the most exhausting day of the year.”

  “What still has to be done?” David asked.

  “We use the all-purpose room as a gymnasium on rainy days. It has a lot of indoor playground equipment that has to be moved out to the yard so I can set up chairs and a portable stage. Afterward, it all has to be put back.”

  “A stage? How much room do you need for one class and their parents?”

  “The program is for the whole school to show off what they’ve learned all year. Grandparents and siblings attend, too. Last year, it was standing room only.”

  “That’s way too much for you to do. I’ll take care of it.” David slapped Paul on the back. “In fact, this guy can help.”

  “I can’t let him do that.” She shot an apologetic smile at Paul, refusing to participate in his friend’s attempt to railroad him.

  “Just invite him for a home-cooked meal, and he’ll be happy to help. Won’t you?”

  “Sure.” Paul shrugged.

  “Okay, but only if you’re sure.”

  David sank into the dad’s chair beside the head of the examining table.

  When Paul helped lower her back on the table and lifted the hem of her top to bare her stomach, nervous anticipation tightened her chest. He shot an encouraging smile at her. “You’ll have to push your shorts down a bit.”

  Heat flooded her cheeks as she raised her hips and slid her waistband down as far as she could without reveling exactly how much the sun had lightened the hair on her head. She held her breath while Paul splayed his hands over her abdomen.

  David stroked her cheek. “Relax.”

  That was easy for him to say. His short-n-curlies weren’t barely a millimeter from being exposed.

  “He’s just checking the baby’s size to make sure he’s growing.”

  “She,” Casey corrected.

  “No way. I’ve told you before, there hasn’t been a female born on the parental side of my family in five generations.”

  “That may be. But I felt her move again last night.”

  “You did?” Delight sparked in his eyes.

  “The first few times, I thought it might be gas, but it kept fluttering in the same spot.”

  Paul continued gently palpating her belly. “The timing is right.”

  David stood and asked softly, “Uhh....Tink, would you mind if I feel, too?”

  A gaggle of goose pimples popped up all over her at the thought of him touching her so intimately. At her other appointments, Brianna had been present, and he’d stayed pretty much in the background. The yearning in his eyes now said it would mean a great deal to him. She couldn’t deny him the pleasure of interacting with his child. Swallowing hard, she nodded.

  Time seemed to stop as David took Paul’s place and slid his palms over her stomach. His touch was more of a tender caress than his friend’s clinical exam. Her breath caught at the awe filling David’s eyes as he felt the tiny lump inside her.

  Casey shoved away the guilty surge of pleasure the familiarity stirred in her. Even still, her nipples tightened and liquid heat spiraled down to the void between her legs, making her ache for his palms to slide up to cup her breasts.

  Or rather, udders. In the last few months, her previously B-cup boobs had lost their perkiness, making her a perfect candidate to model for a milk advertising campaign.

  She smiled to herself. Now there was an image that could douse any embers beginning to glow inside her.

  David shifted his gaze to her face, and his intimate wink suggested he’d misinterpreted her amused expression as joy over sharing this warm baby moment with him. He stared into her eyes while he continued gently stroking her belly almost as if he were rubbing a magic lamp.

  She had no doubt what his three wishes would be if a genie popped out of her navel. A healthy baby, the appointment to Chief of Pediatrics, and for her sister to come home.

  “You do know how much this means to me, don’t you?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

  Brianna had been a colossal fool to leave such a fabulous guy.

  “Yes,” she whispered. Fearing he’d see how deeply his touch affected her, Casey jerked her gaze to the wall and studied the creative Anne Geddes baby prints decorating the room.

  Paul stepped in and squirted a dollop of slippery warm jelly on her abdomen. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to ignore the sensual slide of the Doppler over her aroused body.

  During the two serious relationships she’d had in her life, neither guy had ever lit her fire in the bedroom. She used to wonder if maybe her on-switch was broken. But lately....Oh-boy.

  She didn’t know if she’d hit her so-called sexual peak or if it was simply being pregnant. The last month or so, she’d felt as if the volume on her libido had been turned up to supersonic.

  “Oh, yeah.” David released an elated breath.

  She snapped her gaze to his. Was it possible he’d picked up her thoughts instead of the baby’s heartbeat? The soft swooshing reverberating from of the hand-held amplifier revealed the true source of his satisfaction.

  “Strong and steady at 160.” Paul’s mouth twisted in one of his action-hero smirks.

  “Isn’t that heart rate a tad high for a boy?” She shot a self-satisfied smiled at David.

  “It’s an old wives’ tale that the gender of a baby can be predicted from the heart rate,” David countered.

  “I can do another sonogram since you missed it,” Paul suggested, gently wiping the jelly off her abdomen. “Maybe the baby will cooperate this time. Or you could get one of those new home gender-prediction tests. They’re supposedly eighty to ninety percent accurate.”

  “Nah.” David engulfed her hand in his, squeezing it. “I’d like to be surprised. As much as I’d love to see the baby moving, I really don’t care what we have.”

  “Me, neither,” she rasped, her stomach flip-flopping. His use of the word we made it sound like they were any ordinary couple having their first baby.

  “I just like giving Casey a hard time.” He poked her in the ribs.

  Screeching, she yanked her top down.

  Ever since they’d arrived at Paul’s office, the tension between them had been as thick as the paste her preschoolers loved to smear on everything. It felt good to relax into the banter that had defined their relationship from the beginning.

  “Okay. Back to your corners.” Paul stepped between them. “Are you registered for the childbirth prep class?”

  The examination room became dead silent as the question lay between David and her like rancid meat. Neither of them wanted to touch it, let alone get close to it. Finally, after several uncomfortable moments, she sat up and whispered, “Brianna and I were supposed to sta
rt the classes next week.”

  “So, now, you have no coach,” Paul concluded.

  “Yes, she does.” David flashed a hopeful smile. “That is, if you don’t mind me being in the delivery room with you.”

  Her heart leapt at the idea of having him there during their child’s birth. Unfortunately, the thought of him partnering her in a class with a bunch of happily married couples and explaining their situation and relationship to a bunch of strangers was too weird for words.

  “Good.” Paul clapped his hands together, mistaking her silence for consent. “Unless one of my patients decides to deliver early, I’ll see you two tomorrow evening at the preschool. What time do you need me?”

  Casey let the childbirth-class issue drop. She’d deal with that when the time came. “The program starts at seven. Is five too early?”

  “That’s fine.” Paul extended his hand to help her slide off the examination table. “I usually keep my Friday afternoon schedule light just in case I get lucky and convince some unsuspecting woman to go out with me.”

  “Don’t worry,” David told her. “That doesn’t happen too often.”

  “Not for lack of trying,” Paul said in defense of his machismo. “Not many ladies want to have dinner with a guy who might run out during the appetizer to poke around between another woman’s vagina.”

  She patted his arm. “Well, they’re fools.”

  “Thanks.” Paul winked at her. “If I wasn’t allergic to monogamy, I’d propose.”

  “Watch out, or I might accept,” she called over her shoulder, laughing. “Not many guys want a woman who’s carrying another man’s baby.”

  David’s forehead furrowed as he guided her out of Paul’s office and waited while she made her next appointment.

  “You’re awfully quiet all of a sudden,” she said a few moments later, squinting in the glaring sunshine while he opened the driver’s door on her white Escort. “Is something bothering you about my exam?”

  “No, nothing like that.” He lifted one of his shoulders in a half-shrug. “I guess it just hit me how much having my baby has infringed on your personal life.”