Family Doctor’s Baby

by Krista Lakes

  I swallowed the growing lump in my throat. This wasn't fair. We didn't do anything wrong.

  I fled to my office, hating the swirling emotions in the pit of my stomach. How was I going to fix this? I didn't know what to do. Granted, sleeping with my boss was not the best idea, but it didn't deserve this level of outrage from the community.

  There was a soft knock on my open door and I turned to see Jacob leaning in my doorway. I loved the way he did that. It was nonchalant and cool. He was so much cooler than I was.

  “I hear we have no patients today,” he said.

  I nodded. “I'm sorry.”

  “Hey, you didn't tell the patients not to come.”

  “I need to talk to you about something. Something important.” My hand hovered over my stomach, my thoughts on the tiny life growing in my belly. I needed to tell him sooner rather than later. If he lost the clinic, I would also lose my job. This child needed parents with jobs and a means to support it.

  “Sure.” Jacob frowned. “Go for it.”

  I could see Donna leaning back in her chair, eavesdropping on our conversation.

  “Not here,” I said softly. I motioned my head toward the desk.

  He looked over and sighed. Donna's chair clunked down. “Can it wait until tonight?”

  I nodded. I honestly still had months before anyone would even be able to tell. A few hours wouldn't hurt anything. I couldn't get more pregnant in the next eight hours.

  He gave me a soft smile before pushing off the door frame and heading back to this office. I sighed and stared at my computer screen again.

  It was going to be a long day.

  Chapter 25

  We had exactly three patients all day. One was an out-of-towner that sprained her ankle, one of the local farmers that didn't care who saw him as long as he got his hand fixed up, and Emily Markins and her baby.

  Little baby Dominic was growing in leaps and bounds. He knew how to smile and I loved him immediately. Emily told us that there wasn't anyone else she wanted him to be seen by. She didn't care about the drama.

  “There are a lot of people in town that don't care,” she told us after the exam. “The patients will come back. We all know and trust you both. I can't believe people are being this shallow.”

  It made me feel a little bit better. I knew we were still the best healthcare providers for fifty miles, but I also knew that this was going to take some time to blow over. I just wished the blowing would go a little bit faster.

  Donna left without saying goodbye. We just heard the door chime and then her car drive off. Dr. Matthews and I finished up the last few things and then he locked up. I stepped outside to find my car had been egged.

  It stunk. The heat and humidity had baked the eggs into my car. I stared at it for a moment. I'd never had anyone egg my car before. I wanted to cry, but I didn't want whoever did it to see that they got to me.

  “Come on over to my place and we'll get that cleaned up,” Jacob said. He wrapped his arm around me and gave me a gentle hug.

  “Do you have food?” I asked, hiking my purse up on my shoulder.

  He sighed and shook his head. “Nope. Do you?”

  “Just cereal and brownies. I didn't do a great job shopping.” Mostly because I got distracted by needing to buy a pregnancy test.

  “We can grab some pizza on our way to my house. I'll drive us both,” Jacob replied. He sounded confident. I was nervous. If Donna, who I considered my friend, was willing to trash my muffins, and someone had egged my car, I wasn't sure that going anywhere in public was a good idea.

  “Is that a good idea?” I asked him.

  He thought for a moment and then frowned at my car. Before saying anything he went to the back tire.

  “It's our only idea,” he informed me. “Someone deflated your tires.”

  I hurried around to see that my two rear tires were indeed very flat. Not only was my car covered in egg, it wasn't going anywhere. I only had one spare.

  “It looks like they just deflated it. The tire doesn't look slashed,” Jacob said, peering around at the black wheels.

  “Wow. I'm so glad they had some decency,” I said sarcastically.

  Jacob got up and brushed his pants. “Pizza and home. You look tired.”

  I nodded. I felt tired.

  Luckily, Jacob had brought his truck today. It was better for the long drive to the hospital than the motorcycle. I climbed into the passenger seat and Jacob started the truck. Hot air rushed out as the air conditioning struggled to make up for the heat of the day.

  We drove in comfortable silence to the pizza place. It had gone by a million different names throughout the years, but it always remained a pizza place.

  Jacob's truck rumbled down the street. It felt like everyone turned and gave us the evil eye as we drove. I shrunk down into the passenger seat and tried not to notice. For the first time since moving here, I missed the anonymity of the big city.

  Jacob pulled to a stop in front of the pizza restaurant.

  “I'll go in and just get a quick to-go pizza,” he said. “I'll be right back.”

  He flashed me a confident smile and headed inside. It felt like forever before he came out empty- handed.

  “Pizza's not on the menu,” he said, getting into the driver's seat. “I forgot that Loretta owns this place and is a founding member of the Ladies' Bridge Club.”

  “I have cake. And salad. That's healthy, right?” I didn't want to try another restaurant. I just wanted to go home and pretend that this wasn't happening.

  I didn't want to believe that my home could be this cruel over something like this. Jacob and I were in love. We deserved some sighs about improper work behavior, maybe a stern lecture, but not this.

  That's when Abigail knocked on Jacob's window.

  “You two bring a bad name to our town,” she yelled through the glass. “I want you to know I won't be coming to your office. I don't want you rubbing off on my kids.”

  She made a rude motion and continued in to the pizza place.

  “Well, that's the pot calling the kettle black. Especially since she had her first kid two months after getting married and had to run a DNA test to make sure it was Aiden's,” Jacob said, watching her go inside.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. It's in her record. Don't tell anyone. If they only knew the secrets I keep for this town.” He shook his head. “You said something about cake?”

  I smiled, feeling a pleasant warmth in my chest. Jacob knew every dirty misdeed in this town. He was the one they all came to when they needed something fixed. Yet, he never said a word about any of it. He had kept my dad's secret. He now trusted me with secrets. He was a good man.

  He was my man.

  “Yeah, let's go home.”

  There was something I needed to tell him.

  Chapter 26

  My house was luckily quiet and untouched. I was half afraid that I'd find my yard full of toilet paper or my grass drawn on in spray paint.

  We went inside and I smiled at how normal it felt to have Jacob come in behind me. I liked coming home with Jacob. I liked the way he held the door for me and I loved that I wasn't worried about who saw us. As much as it sucked having the town hate us, there were some perks.

  I pulled out two plates and the chocolate cake I'd baked the night before. The frosting was lopsided and I had put the layers on funny, but it should taste good. Chocolate cake after a bad day is always a good thing.

  I sliced two big pieces and set them on plates. It was a healthy dinner for sure.

  Jacob took a big bite and groaned. “Good cake,” he mumbled, some crumbs spilling onto his scrub top.

  “Thanks.” I didn't take a bite yet. “There's something I wanted to talk to you about.”

  He swallowed and stuffed another bite into his mouth. “You said that. What did you want to talk about?”

  My hands started to shake and I thought I might throw up. I swallowed hard. I knew people usually came up with a cute
way to tell their significant other, but I just wanted to get it out.

  “I'm pregnant.”

  Jacob stopped chewing. He stared at me in shock before swallowing down the last bite of cake hard. “Say that again?”

  The second time wasn't really any easier than the first time.

  “I'm pregnant,” I repeated. “I'm not on birth control, so that time in the break room...”

  I sat with my back stiff. I wasn't sure how he was going to react. To be honest, I wasn't really sure how I was reacting. It still felt too big and far away to really be happening.

  “You're sure?” He set his fork down with a clang on the plate.

  I nodded. “I took a test.”

  My heart stalled waiting for his response. I was going to need to see a cardiologist if this continued. Jacob either made my heart race or hold still and I was sure it wasn't good for my overall health.

  A slow smile crossed his lips. He leaned back in his chair and slumped and he breathed out.

  “I'm going to be a dad?”

  I nodded. He wasn't freaking out, which was good.

  His grin got bigger. “I'm going to be a dad!”

  He jumped up and wrapped me up in his arms, swinging me around the small kitchen. Every movement spoke to joy and the breath I'd been holding in fear let out.

  He wasn't upset. He was excited.

  “That means an April baby.” He counted on his fingers to do the math. He grinned and his eyes sparkled.

  “You're not mad?” I asked, still shocked that telling him was this easy.

  “Mad? Hannah, I've dreamed of having a family. I've always wanted kids.” He paused and took my hands in his. “I know it's corny, but I always wanted it to be you.”

  “Really?”

  He blushed. “You were perfect in high school. I never thought you'd go for me, but I had this fantasy that someday we'd be together,” he admitted. “Whenever I thought of what my future family would look like, you were always there.”

  I kissed him. I kissed him with pure joy and happiness.

  “We're going to be a family,” I told him. “The three of us.”

  He grinned so wide I could barely believe his face could show that much happiness. “We're going to be a family.”

  Chapter 27

  It was official. The town hated me.

  To be fair, they were pretty unhappy with Jacob, but they took the majority of it out on me.

  I was the “other woman.” I was the reason Jacob and Katie broke up. I was the interloper who was tempting the good doctor away.

  Despite the fact that none of this was true didn't matter. It was the will of the Ladies' Bridge Club. I was cast as the villain in their eyes.

  It manifested in small ways. My number was never called at the deli. The checkout line somehow always “broke down” right before it was my turn to checkout. No one would speak to me on the street. I started bringing my lunch instead of going out. I drove to the next town over to buy my groceries.

  Not everyone was awful. Katie's Bakery still made me the best sandwiches. Katie made sure her employees knew not to mess with me or Dr. Matthews. They honored her request because she was “being the bigger person” according to the Ladies' Bridge Club.

  It just made her more perfect in their eyes. I didn't blame Katie, but it was rather discouraging.

  It was lunch time and I was getting a grilled cheese sandwich. I'd brought a frozen meal from home, but Donna took it out of the freezer and left it on the counter to melt. She said it was an accident since she was cleaning the freezer out, but I had a hard time believing it.

  So, I stood in line at Katie's Bakery. Luckily, the tourists didn't know my history and talked amicably among themselves as we waited. The locals didn't say anything, which was nice. It was nice to have a moment that didn't feel like I was universally hated.

  “Don't get discouraged,” Katie said, handing me my sandwich and an extra bag of chips. “They just need to get the next gossip going and they'll forget all about you.”

  I sighed. I knew she was right, but I had no idea how long that was going to be. And given that my pregnancy could very well be the next piece of gossip, the sentiment wasn't as uplifting as Katie hoped it would be.

  “Thanks, Katie.” I smiled and turned to nearly run into Karina.

  “There you are!” Karina said, giving me a big hug. “Are you staying to eat?”

  “I was thinking I'd go back to the office...”

  “Leigh Ann and I have a table outside. There's a breeze and it's great. Come sit with us,” Karina said, taking my arm. She smiled around the room, making sure that everyone knew her loyalty was with me.

  God bless that girl.

  Sitting outside under the large table umbrella was Leigh Ann. Her face lit up as soon as she saw me.

  “Aunt Hannah!” She grinned and ran over to give me a hug. I snuggled into her, smelling the sunshine on her hair.

  “I'll be right back with lunch,” Karina told her daughter. She flashed me a smile and went back inside.

  “Do you want to see my scar?” Leigh Ann asked. Without waiting for an answer, she lifted her bright pink tank top to show me the little scars from the surgery. They'd managed to do it all laparoscopically, so the scars were tiny and healing fast.

  “Wow,” I told her. “You were so brave.”

  She grinned. “Plus, I have a loose tooth.”

  “You are having one heck of a summer.” I grinned at her and she grinned right back. I slipped on an over-sized pair of sunglasses that managed to hide a lot of my face. It was more for the summer sun than hiding, but they were good for both.

  “Are you gonna marry Dr. Matthews?” she asked me, smoothing out the front of her shirt.

  I didn't know what to say to that. We hadn't talked about it. I was pregnant, but that didn't mean that I wanted to rush into marriage. I would love to marry Jacob, but I also wanted it to be a mutual thing and for the right reasons.

  “I don't know,” I answered truthfully. “It's kind of complicated.”

  Leigh Ann nodded like she understood. “You should marry him. Then he'd be my uncle and come to all my parties. Mary Louise would be so jealous.”

  I chuckled. “I will make sure to tell him that.”

  “What are you two giggling about over here?” Karina asked, coming up to the table with sandwiches and drinks. She set a meal down in front of her daughter with a smile.

  “Aunt Hannah's gonna marry Dr. Matthews,” Leigh Ann explained.

  Karina raised an eyebrow at me. “Is that so?”

  “That's what Leigh Ann wants,” I quickly told her. “She wants Mary Louise to be jealous.”

  Karina shook her head. “The two of them were inseparable this spring, but Mary Louise got a new bicycle and has been lording it over Leigh Ann.”

  I nodded. The drama of girls started young.

  “So, tell me. How are things between you and Dr. Matthews?” Karina gave me a sly grin as she sipped on her soda. “You told me some things, but I want more.”

  I glanced over at Leigh Ann, but she was now engrossed in her sandwich.

  “Things are good. Well, as good as they can be with the town telling him to break up with me and get back with Katie.” I picked at my sandwich. Two bites and I was full. I knew I should eat, but it no longer looked appetizing.

  “You two are perfect for one another, you know,” Karina took a big bite of her tuna sandwich. The smell made my stomach flip a little and I shifted so I wouldn't be so close.

  “What do you mean?”

  “He's the bad boy and you were Miss Perfect,” Karina explained. “Plus, I see the way he looks at you. He looks at you the way I look at pie.”

  I chuckled at the image in my head. Karina loved her pie.

  “I heard they are opening up a new hospital across the highway,” Karina said. “It shouldn't be too bad a commute. Not that I want you to go work there,” she quickly explained. “Just in case the town gets to you.”
/>   I nodded. Jacob and I had already talked about it. Dr. Taggert wasn't happy with him and he had two weeks to turn things around. At least Dr. Taggert was giving him a chance. There was still a very good chance I would be fired soon, though. If enough patients refused to come because of me, I would be a liability to the clinic.

  Still, we both were brushing up our resumes. I hated it. I'd just gotten comfortable here and I really liked my job. Jacob loved being a small town doctor more than Karina liked pie.

  That, and with the baby coming... I hadn't told Karina that yet. I hadn't told anyone but Jacob, and I didn't dare tell her in a crowded place like this.

  “Oh, Leigh Ann don't tip the cup...” Karina motioned to her daughter to stop tipping her ice laden soda up, but it was too late. “...like that.”

  Ice, soda, and straw all rained down on Leigh Ann's face. Her eyes went big at the sudden cold and she let out a yelp of surprise as her shirt suddenly became very cold and wet.

  Karina sighed. “Let's go get you cleaned up. We'll be right back, Hannah. Don't leave, okay?”

  “I'll stay, but just for you,” I promised.

  Karina took her daughter's hand and led her inside to the restroom to get cleaned up. I sunk down in my chair, keeping my back to the street and hoping that no one recognized me.

  “Did you hear about Cassandra Reynolds?” A woman's voice said behind me. I snuck a peak to see two local women sit at the table across from us. They were both active members of the Ladies' Bridge Club and I assumed they just didn't see me sitting there.

  “No,” the second woman said, taking her seat. “What about her? Who is she?”

  “She's Libby's daughter” the first woman explained. “She just graduated college.”

  “Oh, yes. I remember. Dark hair. Quiet.”

  “She's pregnant,” the first woman announced, her voice haughty and condescending.