Having My Baby

by Theresa Ragan

  She followed him down the hallway. On the way, she peeked inside his bedroom and noticed he’d fixed his bed frame since she’d been here last. The memory caused her cheeks to burn while her insides fluttered.

  When she entered the last room where Derrick waited, her eyes widened in surprise. The guest room had been made into a baby’s room. Two bands of blue lined the wall. There was a blue rug with a choo choo train and white shelves filled with stuffed animals. “It’s beautiful. When did you do this?”

  “Today.”

  “Is this why Maggie was here earlier? To help you decorate?”

  He looked surprised and maybe even uncomfortable.

  “I saw her leaving your apartment,” she explained.

  “How did you know it was Maggie?”

  “I saw you with her in the courtroom when you were on the news.”

  “Ahh,” he said. “I designed the room myself, although Maggie did suggest I hang the animal mobile higher so Ryan wouldn’t be able to reach it.”

  “You and Maggie have been friends for a while?”

  “Practically forever,” he said. “Growing up, she was like one of the boys.”

  The Maggie she had seen looked much too serious to play with boys.

  “That was years ago. She’s changed since then.” He left it at that and went to the crib. “They call this the four-in-one sleep set. It reassembles to grow with your baby. The mattress has a thick foam layer inside and it’s hypoallergenic. What do you think?”

  “It’s stunning. I love the cherry wood.” Jill looked from the matching changing table to the tall dresser and the plush bedding, a mixture of soft suede and cotton. Everything from the window valance to the diaper stacker matched perfectly.

  Derrick opened up a dresser drawer. “Everything Ryan could possibly need is right in here.”

  Holding Ryan close, she reached out her free hand to touch a sweater. “This is cashmere.”

  He nodded. “I liked it because it was soft.”

  There were at least three cashmere outfits and then soft cotton one-pieces in every color imaginable. There were also cashmere hats and socks, long-sleeved shirts and short-sleeved shirts, corduroy pants and matching tops. “Ryan is going to be the best dressed baby this side of Los Angeles.”

  “You think so?”

  She laughed. “I think you got carried away. He’s an infant now, but later on, too much of this sort of thing could spoil a kid rotten.” She looked inside the closet where he’d stacked every baby accessory imaginable. “You must have spent thousands.”

  “He’s worth every penny.”

  “Of course he is, but that’s not the point.” Derrick was a good man and a naturally good father, too. Earlier today, when she’d heard voices and then glanced out the window, she’d seen Derrick holding Maggie close as they said goodbye. Instantly, she’d felt a wave of resentment and envy. Who Derrick spent his time with should be no concern of hers. She needed to rein in any feelings she felt toward him since he’d made it clear he wanted the two of them to be nothing more than friends.

  She placed Ryan on the center of the mattress inside the crib and smiled when he kicked his legs as if he was riding his first tricycle. “Looks like you won’t need the portable crib, so I guess I’ll be on my way.”

  Derrick turned on the musical mobile. “Look at that, would you? He likes it.”

  She swallowed the knot in her throat. “If there’s anything else you need, you should find it in the diaper bag. My cell phone number is in there, too, in case you have any problems.”

  He walked her to the door.

  “I’ll be across the way getting ready if you need me before then.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Do what?”

  “Go out with this Nate guy.”

  She smiled. “Of course I do. He’s been on a shopping bag, remember?”

  “That’s a dumb reason to go out with a guy.”

  “I’m only teasing. He’s a wonderful man. Besides,” she said over her shoulder as she headed back to her apartment. “Nate Lerner could be the one.”

  ~~~

  A little powder on her nose, some lipstick, and she was ready to go. Turning toward the full-length mirror, Jill gave herself one last look. She wore a pair of white stretch pull-on jeans and a Marc Jacobs V-neck black tank. She’d bought the outfit a few weeks before she found out the insemination process had been successful and she was pregnant. She turned to her right and then to her left. Between stress and hormonal changes, she weighed three pounds less than she did before her pregnancy. Even though she wasn’t breastfeeding, she was still almost a cup-size bigger. “Not bad.”

  Nate wasn’t due to pick her up until six thirty, which gave her another ten minutes. She had dropped Ryan off early since she’d wanted enough time to take a nap and a long hot shower. Her skin was glowing, and she felt rejuvenated. Satisfied with her hair, she went into the bathroom and unplugged the flat iron. Another swipe of Burt’s Bees Super Shiny lip gloss and she was ready to go.

  A knock at the door told her he was early. It was date time. She was nervous and yet excited to spend some time with Nate so that she could begin to get Derrick Baylor out of her head for good. She didn’t waste any time getting to the door.

  Only it wasn’t Nate.

  “Great. I’m glad you haven’t left yet,” Derrick said. “I had to show you this.”

  He held Ryan upward and outward.

  Her poor baby was covered from head to toe in some sort of weird looking fur.

  “What is he supposed to be?”

  Derrick made a tsking sound. “A porcupine, what else? Look at how the fur actually sticks up in spikes.” To demonstrate, he fluffed up the fur around Ryan’s head.

  “I don’t know if that will fit him by the time Halloween rolls around.”

  “You don’t think so?”

  She slipped the spikey hood off of Ryan’s head so she could read the tag. “This costume is for infants. He’ll be wearing big boy clothes in five months.”

  “Well, either way it’s awfully cute, don’t you think?”

  “It’s adorable,” she agreed, “but I really need to go now. I need to finish getting ready before Nate gets here.”

  “That outfit you have on is a little on the revealing side, don’t you think?”

  “Not at all.”

  “All I can see is cleavage.” His gaze traveled lower. “I also see that you borrowed your sister’s leather pants.”

  “These are jeans, not leather. They’re white, not black. Nice try.”

  “The truth is,” he went on, “Ryan and I were just talking and we both think it’s too early for you to be out gallivanting around town. You just had a baby, for God’s sake.”

  “You’re not my father or my brother or my boyfriend. In fact, I’m having a difficult time having you as a friend. So knock it off. I refuse to let you ruin my first night out.”

  “You enjoyed a nice dinner two nights ago.”

  She laughed. “It was three nights ago and if that’s your idea of a good time, then you need to have your head examined.”

  “The guy is late, isn’t he?” Derrick asked. “Maybe he stood you up. I knew there was something fishy about that guy.”

  Looking over Derrick’s shoulder, Jill waved. “Hi Nate.”

  Nate looked absolutely dashing in dark slacks and a striped button-down shirt that fit him like a glove.

  Trying not to laugh at the annoyed expression scrawled across Derrick’s face, she moved around him so she could greet Nate properly.

  “Look at that,” Nate said after she gave him a hug. “A porcupine.” He touched the tip of Ryan’s nose. “A little early for Halloween, isn’t it?”

  “So we’ve been told,” Derrick said. “Don’t keep her out too late. She’s got a magazine to run and a baby to take care of.”

  “Don’t listen to him,” Jill said as she grabbed Nate’s hand and pulled him inside her apartment. Reco
gnition hit Nate, and he snapped his fingers. “He plays for the Condors, doesn’t he?”

  “That’s right,” Jill said. “He’s a football player.”

  “Ahh,” Nate said. “I thought I recognized him the other day.”

  When Jill turned about and saw Derrick still standing there, she shooed him away and then gently shut the door in his face.

  ~~~

  Derrick heard another noise and peeked through the curtains. He looked toward Jill’s apartment but nobody was there. The plastic clock hanging on the kitchen wall mocked him with its tick tock, tick tock. It was only nine o’clock. Jill wouldn’t be back for hours.

  He took a seat on the couch, picked up the remote, and did a little channel surfing. Ryan had fallen asleep over an hour ago. He was bored out of his skull. But then he heard keys jangling outside and this time he knew he wasn’t hearing things. Jumping to his feet, he went to the door and opened it.

  Jill had returned, and she was unlocking her door.

  “Back so soon?” he asked.

  “Are you keeping tabs on me?”

  “No, of course not. I was just sitting here watching a little television and I heard a noise. So where’s pretty boy?”

  “He was called to the hospital for an emergency.”

  “How rude,” Derrick teased.

  “He’s a doctor,” she reminded him. She looked at Derrick for a moment longer. “Is everything all right? Is Ryan okay?”

  “He’s fine.”

  “Wonderful,” she said before turning about and disappearing inside her apartment.

  Derrick stood at the door for a moment, figuring she would reappear since she hadn’t bothered to say goodnight. When she failed to return right away, he quietly shut the door to his apartment and went to Jill’s door. Without knocking, he opened the door to her apartment and stuck his head inside. Her purse was on the floor and her wallet and keys made a haphazard trail around the corner. “Jill?”

  The beat of his heart doubled in rhythm. Afraid somebody had been waiting for her inside and dragged her to one of the bedrooms, he headed that way. The door to her room was open and there she was wearing nothing but a pair of lacy thong underwear and matching bra.

  Damn. Shapely legs and curvy hips were going to make it difficult for him to look her in the eye next time they had a conversation.

  “Oh, my God! What are you doing in here?” She reached for her clothes and held a shirt in front of her.

  With his hands held out like a traffic cop, he backed away from the door. “Sorry. I just came over to see if you wanted to watch a movie with me. I saw the contents of your purse scattered across the floor and I thought you had been accosted.”

  She shooed him away. “Why don’t you go back to your apartment and I’ll be right over to get Ryan.”

  “What about the movie?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  He stayed in the hallway as he continued the conversation. “Ryan is asleep. He won’t be awake for hours. I’ll make popcorn and I have a bottle of chardonnay that I want to share with someone.”

  “Just go, okay? I’ll be right there.”

  “Great. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  Seventeen minutes later, not that he was keeping track, Jill knocked on his open door.

  He stood and gestured for her to come inside. “Welcome.”

  She entered his apartment, but she wasn’t smiling. She swept past him, heading straight for the baby’s room. A few minutes later, she returned empty handed. “He’s so cute when he’s sleeping.”

  He imagined Jill was probably cute while she slept, too. The pink sweat pants and loose, long-sleeved T-shirt didn’t do her curves justice now that he’d seen her in a thong and a push-up bra. All he had to do was shut his eyes to call forth the vision.

  “What are you doing?”

  He opened his eyes. “Nothing.”

  “Your eyes were closed.”

  “No they weren’t.” He pointed at the leather binder filled with DVDs, the binder he’d brought from his Malibu home. “Why don’t you pick a movie while I open up the bottle of wine and fix us some popcorn?”

  She took off her sneakers and left them side by side at the door. Then she picked up the binder and brought it with her to the couch. She tucked her feet under her bottom and flipped through his DVD selection. “Sin City, The Terminator, Pulp Fiction, Bourne Identity, Blade…oh, this one is perfect.” She pulled out a DVD.

  He handed her a glass of wine and set a bowl of microwave popcorn on the coffee table. Then he took the DVD she had selected to see what she had chosen. “The Notebook? How did that get in there?”

  “It’s one of my favorite movies of all time. I’m so glad you suggested I come over.” She lifted her glass as if to say cheers and then took a sip of her wine.

  Damn. She knew she had him right where she wanted him.

  He slipped the DVD into the machine and hit the Play button, figuring one of his sisters must have stuck that particular movie into his collection. With wine glass in hand, he took a seat on the couch next to her. Jill’s gaze was directed at the coming attractions while his gaze fixated on her. Truthfully, he didn’t care what they watched. He liked how this night was playing out. Enjoying a quiet night with Jill, knowing his son was right down the hall, felt like coming home after a long journey on the road.

  Strange, he thought, that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so content.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next morning, when Jill opened the door to her apartment, Derrick took a step back so he could get a good look at her. “You look great.”

  “Thank you.”

  She was wearing a pair of white slacks, not as snug as the ones she wore on her date, and a cute little forest green sleeveless number that made her green eyes look even greener. Her hair was curly today. There was always something refreshing about seeing Jill, he realized. Yes, she had flawless skin and a cute turned-up nose, but it was more than that. There was something about the way her eyes lit up every time she looked at him that made it difficult for him to look away.

  He looked down at his blue short-sleeved button-down shirt, the one his sisters had given him last Christmas. It wasn’t horrible, but he could have done better. If he’d known Jill was going to go all out, he might have taken a little more time getting dressed this morning.

  “Howiewood!” Lexi said, hopping around Jill so that she could latch onto Derrick’s leg.

  Jill winced. “Is that your bad leg she’s holding onto?”

  “No worries,” he said as he patted the bouncy curls on Lexi’s head. “I took a couple of ibuprofen, and besides, the little squirt is a lightweight.”

  Jill smiled again and this time a cute little dent appeared below her left eye, something he hadn’t noticed before.

  Sandy came to the door next. She was holding Ryan in one arm and a large bag stuffed with baby bottles and diapers in the other. “Here’s your son,” Sandy said as she handed Ryan over to Jill. “Lexi,” she said, “go get your coloring books so Hollywood can keep his promise and color with you today.”

  Lexi let go of his leg and ran back into the apartment.

  “Are you sure your parents don’t mind Lexi and I coming along?” Sandy asked.

  “Positive,” Derrick said. “Mom’s a big believer in ‘the more the merrier.’”

  “Do you have extra diapers at your apartment?” Jill asked. “I was going to call you, but I didn’t have your number.”

  He pointed inside Jill’s apartment. “I’ll go inside and write my number down for you.”

  “You don’t have to do it now,” she said. “I can get it from you later.”

  “I’ll do it now before I forget.”

  “We have to wait for Lexi anyhow,” Sandy added.

  He went to the kitchen where he knew he’d seen a pad of paper the last time he was here. While Jill and Sandy fussed over Ryan, he opened a couple of kitchen drawers until he found the paper. He a
lso found a picture of Jill. She looked like a million bucks dressed in a long formal gown. Her hair was pulled up and lots of jewels glittered from her ears and neck. The guy next to her looked like a weasel, tall and reed thin with slicked back hair and big ears.

  Lexi appeared out of nowhere and said, “That’s Tommy. He’s bad cuz he makes Jill cry a wot.”

  “A LLot,” Derrick repeated with emphasis on the L sound as he bent down so he was eye level with the kid. “See how my tongue hits the back of my front teeth when I say a word that starts with ‘L.’ A Lot,” he said again so she could see. “A Lot. See? It’s easy.”

  Lexi opened her mouth wide and put her tongue on the back of her teeth like he had done and said, “A Wot. A Wot. A Wot.” Then she smiled.

  “Yeah, keep working on it kid.” Lexi was stealth, sneaking up on him like that. She was also very perceptive for a four-year old. He wiggled the picture and said, “Jill must like him a Lot if she keeps his picture around.”

  Lexi shook her head.

  If anyone knew what was going on around here, he was confident it was Lexi, and her head shaking told him Jill was through with ol’ Tommy Boy. For reasons he couldn’t explain, he was glad.

  “She doesn’t wike him,” Lexi explained, “she WUVS him.”

  Derrick dropped the picture back into the drawer, and then rifled around for a pen. “That’s too bad,” he said, and he meant it. “Jill deserves someone a Lot better than that weasel.”

  “Do you make Jill cry?” Lexi asked.

  “Never.”

  Lexi’s eyes grew round. “Maybe you can WUV Jill and then she can fowget Tommy.”

  He looked seriously at Lexi for a moment before he burst out laughing. Rubbing the top of her head, he said, “You’re a funny girl, a very funny girl.”

  Forty-five minutes later, Derrick didn’t think Lexi was very funny anymore. If he had to listen to another round of “Old MacDonald” on his CD player, he was going to have to pull off at the next exit and call her and her mother a cab. He had hoped to have a conversation with Jill and Sandy on the ride to his parent’s pony farm—get to know Jill’s friend a little better before they all spent the day with his family. He could only hope his brothers and sisters would be on their best behavior, although the odds were against it. The law of attraction must be at work, he figured, because just as he thought of his family, the music shut off and the console rang.