Autumn Spice: The Doctor's Surprise Baby

by Belle Linde

  “But are you sure that we’ll have enough food? Maybe I should run to the Costco and pick up a few more party trays?”

  Melissa rolled her eyes and glared at her brother. “What on Earth has gotten into you? Did you subscribe to Martha Stewart’s newsletter or something? Suddenly nothing is good enough and you’re driving me nuts. Dad is gonna love the party. He loves every party. What is going on?”

  It was true, he had been overbearing. “Sorry, Mel. I’m panicking a little because I asked someone on a date.”

  “Seriously?” Melissa privately found her brother’s awkwardness when it came to romance hilarious, but she was glad that he’d asked someone out. “Who is she?”

  “Margaret Adler. She’s the mom of one of my patients.”

  “A single mom, hmm?” Melissa couldn’t help but to let the skepticism seep through her voice. Chris was getting older, so it made sense that the women he went after might already have kids, but she still had some reservations. Chris could get so attached to kids and she was afraid that he wanted kids so bad that he’d end up with a woman who wasn’t quite right for him just so he could be a father.

  “Yes, she has a three month old daughter.” Chris could hear the judgment in his sister’s voice and was a bit peeved. “She conceived with a donor.” Not that it was any of his sister’s business.

  “A donor?” Now Mel was interested. Her eyebrows shot up. Melissa knew that Chris had donated when he was younger, and he had no doubt that the wheels in her head were turning. He wasn’t about to get into that conversation, though. As it happened, Margaret arrived at the party just in the nick of time.

  “Yep, that’s her there,” he indicated with a little tilt of his head.

  “Ah! The Swedish Chef and her chicken. I met them during the Halloween parade. Nice lady.” Suddenly Mel’s eyes opened wide. “Chris.” She stared at him. “You’re gonna ask her, right?”

  “Ask her what?” Chris knew what his sister was talking about. Edith did look just like him. He had briefly wondered if that was why he was so attracted to Margaret, but dismissed the thought almost immediately. Margaret was a babe, and a cool lady.

  Mel could tell from the tone of her brother’s voice that he wasn’t interested in continuing the discussion, but she couldn’t help herself. “But you’re going to at least tell her it’s a possibility, right?”

  “What do you suggest I say? ‘Oh, by the way, I might be your child’s biological father, hope you’ll welcome me into your life?’” Chris was a little worried that Margaret would be too weirded out if he admitted that he was a donor. He figured he’d mention it casually after they got to know one another a bit better. He harbored the irrational fear that she would think that he purposefully sought her out because he thought Edie was his.

  Mel saw her brother’s point, but she didn’t envy him. It took every ounce of her self control not to butt into any conversation she saw them having. She was just so curious. Plus it was cute to see her brother clumsily flirting with a woman who seemed so into him. She watched as her brother brought this woman platefuls of food. She watched him hold the baby like it was his own. She even watched the couple dance to a few songs while she held the baby. It was so cute, really.

  *****

  By the time the party was over, Margaret felt like she was Cinderella or something. She had been wined (well, juiced), dined (with cheese cubes and other party tray snacks), and swept off her feet by Dr. Chris Nillson. She had almost felt a little bit like it was her party.

  It was really a shock to her. She had expected, after having Edith, not to date much. She figured that men wouldn’t be interested in a woman with an infant. It had come as quite a surprise when, after having Edith, she had attracted the attention of the most attractive man she had ever met in her entire life.

  She hadn’t even lost her baby weight yet, and she definitely didn’t have time to fix herself up quite as carefully as she had before Edie. She had squeezed into one of her old ‘date’ dresses for the party, and put on a little makeup, but she hadn’t had time to blow out her hair. She had just swept it into a loose bun.

  Apparently motherhood was a good look for her. Margaret was on Cloud 9 for the entire week and she couldn’t wait for her one-on-one date with Chris on Thursday. Well, technically it would be one-on-two since she had to bring Edie, but Edie didn’t have much to say, being three months old and all, so Margaret wasn’t expecting her to dominate much of the conversation.

  Margaret was so excited about the date that she decided to treat herself to a new outfit that fit her perfectly. Her closet was full of pre-baby stuff that was a tiny bit too small, or maternity stuff that was way too big.

  She spent nearly an entire afternoon at the mall with Edie, wandering around boutiques and department stores, trying stuff on. Edie was the perfect shopping partner, riding quietly in her stroller and entertaining the salesladies with her adorable behavior.

  After a lot of searching, Margaret settled on a pair of tight jeans that hugged her new curves perfectly, a new cashmere sweater (since she wasn’t able to get the spit up completely out of the old one), and a pair of knee-high boots that had small heels. She wasn’t usually a very sexy woman, but she had to admit to herself that the jeans and boots combo made her butt look awesome. She was feeling quite confident and proud, and it occurred to her, why shouldn’t Edie also get a ‘date’ outfit?

  She picked out a little ruffled denim skirt, a sweater with autumn leaf appliques, and a new pair of tights for Edie. She already had a cute beanie and a little pair of patent leather Mary Janes.

  It was remarkable how much confidence a new outfit could give a person. What was even more remarkable was how much someone else’s new outfit could give a person. Edie looked so cute in her little autumn ensemble that she looked like she came right out of the pages of Baby Vogue. She made Margaret an extra proud mommy.

  When Thursday finally rolled around, Margaret was so excited that she felt like a schoolgirl. She was so eager for her date that she and Edie were actually ready to go nearly an hour before they had to leave. She knew that it was a risk dressing Edie early, so she packed not one, but two extra changes of clothes for the baby just in case.

  She arrived at the bakery only fifteen minutes early, and to her surprise, Chris was already there. He was sitting at the only table, nervously twirling a pen around in his fingers.

  “I wanted to make sure that we had a place to sit…,” he explained.

  “I was just excited to get out of the house,” Margaret answered, with a smile. They ordered coffee and pumpkin bread and sat down.

  “You look incredible,” Chris admired her and Margaret blushed. They sat and talked about their jobs and their interests for so long that the bakery closed. “Hey,” Chris asked. “You want to get some dinner?”

  “I’d love to,” Margaret responded. She felt like she had known Chris for years. It was just so easy to sit and talk to him, and he was great with Edie. No surprise there, really, since caring for children was his profession.

  The couple went to a little Italian place on the same block and both ordered the pumpkin ravioli fried in sage butter. Margaret even treated herself to a single glass of wine, which Chris assured her was perfectly safe to drink even though she was nursing. Between the wine, the delicious food, and the candlelight, Margaret almost felt like she was in a romance movie. Then it happened.

  “Margaret,” Chris said, his brows knit, “I have to tell you something.”

  Of course, thought Margaret. Of course this is all too good to be true. He’s about to tell me that he needs to get home before his wife does. Or he just joined the Peace Corps for two years and he’s shipping out to Zambia in the morning. Margaret braced herself for the bad news. “Okay, shoot.”

  “I was a donor back when I was a student.” Chris just spit it out so fast that Margaret could barely understand what he was saying.

  “A donor?” Actually she had no idea what she was talking about.


  Chris hung his head. “Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away. I was afraid you would think the coincidence was too weird.”

  “Ahh,” finally Margaret got it. Chris had donated sperm and he had been afraid to tell her. “Well, I think that’s great. It was a wonderfully generous thing you did and you probably helped to make some family’s dreams come true.” If she wasn’t ashamed of using a donor, why should he be ashamed of being a donor? Still, she knew all about the stigma surrounding fertility.

  Chris perked right up. “Really?” he asked. “That’s such a weight off my shoulders. I was afraid that you’d think I was some kind of weirdo.”

  “Why would I think you were a weirdo for donating to a service that I used?”

  “I guess when you put it that way, my concerns were a little silly. Still…”

  “You’re wondering if she’s yours?” Margaret laid it right out. “Honestly, I’m curious too. That would definitely be a weird coincidence. Maybe a wonderful coincidence. But I have to ask you right now for an honest answer. Would it matter if she was your biological daughter?” Margaret held her breath. She was extremely interested in Chris, but could only pursue a relationship if he was willing to accept and love her daughter, biological ties or no.

  Chris tilted his head in consideration. He looked at the adorable sleeping girl in her Maxi Cosi and thought about how warm he already felt towards both the girl and her mother. “You know what?” he asked, smiling. “It wouldn’t make any difference at all.”

  ###

  About the Author:

  Belle Linde is a hopeless romantic who lives in a tiny beach house with her husband and kids. She loves reading, crafting, and trying out new recipes, and you can keep up with new releases and special offers by joining her mailing list.

  Check out Belle's latest work, Next of Kin: The Billionaire's Surprise Baby

  After the embarrassment of her shotgun wedding and abrupt midnight departure, Rose Delgado never thought she'd find herself back on the Forge ranch. She also never thought that she'd be a widow by age 25, and she never, ever thought that she'd be a desperate single mother. Life has a way of interrupting even the best-laid plans, though, and Rose has got to face the facts: she needs help.

  There's no one better situated to offer her that help than her old boss, Henry Forge. He's smart. He's rich. He's smoking hot. Unfortunately, Rose left him in a lurch and she isn't quite sure whether she's welcome back. She’s going to have to swallow her pride and beg for her old job back. There’s only one little problem; Henry doesn’t know about Rose’s most precious secret. What he’s about to find out could change three lives forever.

  Almost Home

  Megan Carter is an old-fashioned girl who just can't seem to find Mr. Right. Her biggest dream in life is to become a wife and mother, but men these days just aren't interested in her type. After a shocking discovery lands Megan in the role she thought she always wanted, her determination to plot every step of her life is put to the test.

  Patrick Rourke has it all. His career on the police force is on an upward trajectory, he's just inherited a huge house, and his Irish good looks turn heads everywhere he goes. It's too bad that he just can't seem to find what he's really looking for. Patrick needs a wife so that he can fill that old house with the pitter-patter of little feet. Girls these days just don't seem interested in having the kind of big family that he was raised to love. When fate brings the smart, beautiful, and desperate Megan Carter to his doorstep, he's not about to let anything stand in the way of his dreams.

  Or Remember Me...

  Everyone has secrets...

  But not everyone's secrets are buried as deep as Merrie Taylor's. A single night of passion two years in the past turned Merrie's life upside down, but she wouldn't change things for all the tea in China. Her beautiful daughter Elise is her entire world. She might not have planned on becoming a single mother, but she's made a safe and loving home for her daughter, and she's not looking for any trouble.

  Everyone has a past...

  But not everyone can remember that past. Michael Coyle is missing the past three years of his life, thanks to a helicopter accident in Afghanistan. When he transfers to a private hospital to begin his rehabilitation, he's haunted by the notion that he knows his beautiful nurse from somewhere. He can't quite put his finger on the nature of his relationship to her, but he can tell that she's hiding something from him. Something big. And if he gets his way, she won't be able to hide for long.

  And don't miss Belle's forthcoming new adult romance novel, Rebel Heart!

  Hank Richter's a cowboy with a chip on his shoulder. All his life, he's struggled to overcome the embarrassment of his illegitimate birth. When his dream to found his own horse rehabilitation clinic finally looks like it might actually come true, he's forced to face the shock and disappointment of a lifetime.

  Cass Langley is a woman who's fought tooth and nail for every single crust of bread she's ever had. She's never received a handout in her life, but that hasn't stopped her from making it in the world of business finance. When she's faced with an inheritance from a father she never knew, her entire world is turned upside down.

  Fate has thrown these two together in ways they never could have imagined, but pride and insecurities keep tearing them apart. Will they be able to overcome their pasts in order to achieve their dreams together?