by Marie Force
“Knock it off,” he grumbled. “What does it matter to you what they have or where they live?” It didn’t matter to him. Janey was his past, and he’d moved on. He was feeling hopeful again, even happy since he’d been seeing Daisy, and he chose to focus on that rather than the mistakes of the past as he approached a front door illuminated by a porch light.
He pushed the doorbell and waited.
Joe came to the door, looking a bit frazzled—and happy to see him, which was a first since the nose-punching incident. “David, come in. Thanks so much for coming over. We really appreciate it.”
“Sure.” David followed Joe through a nice living room and kitchen to a screened-in porch, where Janey was reclined on a chaise. Even hugely pregnant she was gorgeous, and the sight of her brought back a slew of memories he wouldn’t have thought would be so easily resurrected after all the time they’d been apart.
“Hey,” she said, seeming embarrassed as she smiled at him. “I fear this is much ado about nothing, but thanks for coming.”
“No problem.”
“It’s not much ado about nothing, Princess,” her father said as he hovered at the foot of the chaise. “You fainted. That’s not nothing.”
“Is it okay if I check your pulse?” David asked Janey.
Seeming as uncomfortable as he felt, she extended her arm. As he pressed his fingers against her pressure point, he thought of how many years they’d spent together, how many times he’d held that hand or woken to her face on the pillow next to his. A pervasive sense of sadness filled him over how cavalier he’d been with something so precious.
“Your heart rate is a little fast. Have you been exerting yourself at all?”
“No, not really.”
“We haven’t let her do much of anything,” Joe said as he paced from one end of the porch to the other.
“Joe, sit down,” Janey said.
“I’d rather stand up, if it’s just the same to you.”
“Joe.”
He went to the end of the chaise and raised her feet to make room for him to sit with her. That’s when David noticed how swollen her ankles were.
“How long have they been like that?”
“A couple of days,” Janey said. “Just since it got really hot.”
“Any headache, blurred vision, sensitivity to light or abdominal pain?”
“A few headaches here and there, but none of the rest.”
David applied the blood pressure cuff and reached for his stethoscope. As he pumped up the cuff, he caught her watching him and gave her a small smile, hoping to calm her.
“It’s funny,” she said.
“What is?”
“Seeing you in doctor mode.”
“Finally, huh?”
She smiled and stayed silent while he took her blood pressure.
Shit, he thought, 140 over 90, definitely higher than it should be. “Do you remember what your BP was the last time Victoria took it?”
“I think it was 130 over 70.”
So it was creeping up. “When you fainted, did you hurt anything?”
“Just my elbow and my pride.” She held up her arm so he could see the bluish tinge to the skin below the bone.
“It bends the way it’s supposed to?”
“Yep.” She extended her arm to demonstrate.
“You didn’t hit your head, did you?”
“I caught her,” Joe said.
“Good thing,” David said. “You probably saved her from being seriously injured.”
“What would cause the fainting?” Joe asked.
“Did you eat enough today?” David asked Janey.
“I was a little nauseous earlier, so I didn’t have lunch,” she confessed sheepishly.
“Damn it, Janey!” Joe said. “You can’t skip meals right now. What if I hadn’t been here to catch you when you fell?”
Nudged by his wife, Big Mac approached Joe and put a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go outside and get some air, son.”
“I don’t want air. I want to know why she’s skipping meals when she shouldn’t be.”
“Joseph,” Janey said sternly, “go with my dad or deal with my wrath. Your choice.”
Joe scowled at her but let Big Mac lead him out of the room.
David smiled at Janey.
“Ugh, he’s driving me crazy with his hovering.”
“He’s not wrong, you know,” David said. “You really can’t skip meals at this stage in your pregnancy. The baby is drawing a lot of nutrients from you, so you need to take in enough for both of you.”
“I know, but I felt so gross I couldn’t imagine eating anything.”
“Somehow you have to get it in.”
“I’ll try harder.”
“Let me take a closer look at this swelling.” He pressed his fingers against her left ankle and counted the seconds it took for the dents left by his fingers to disappear. Three seconds on the left side and four on the right.
“What does that mean, David?” Linda McCarthy asked.
“It’s a simple diagnostic test to tell whether the edema—or the fluid buildup—is something we need to be concerned about.”
“Is it?” Janey asked.
“I’m going to tell you the truth, Janey. I don’t love what I’m seeing here. The elevated BP, the edema, the fact that it took four seconds for my finger imprint to disappear and the nausea are all possible signs of preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Linda asked.
“It can be if left untreated. We’re going to need some more information before I can say for certain if it’s something to worry about. Can you come into the clinic around nine thirty tomorrow? I’d like to run a urinalysis and put a monitor on the baby for a couple of hours just to be sure everything is okay.”
“Sure,” Janey said hesitantly. “No problem.”
“Going forward, I want you on full bed rest. Do you understand what that means?”
Janey groaned and dropped her head back against the chaise. “Seriously?”
“I’m afraid so. For now, I’ll allow trips to the bathroom and a quick shower every day, but that’s it. Otherwise, you’re in bed or on your chaise or wherever you’re most comfortable. And I’d prefer for you to spend as much time as you can on your left side, which promotes circulation.”
“It’s summer, and I can’t do anything?”
“What is it that you want to do?”
“Mac and Maddie are having a big cookout this weekend that I’ve been looking forward to for weeks.”
“If Joe carries you to the car, and Mac has a lounge chair waiting for you at his house, I don’t see why you couldn’t go. It’s all about you exerting yourself as little as possible.”
“We can do it, Janey,” Linda said. “Dad and I will help, and everyone else will, too. If David thinks it’s what’s best for you and the baby, then we’ll help you do nothing.”
“I do think it’s for the best,” David said, “or I’d never put you through it.”
She closed her eyes and blew out a long, deep breath.
“What’re you thinking?” Linda asked.
“That I’ll go mad being stuck in bed for two months.”
“We won’t let you go mad, honey. We’ll all be here to keep you entertained.”
“I know.” She glanced up at her mother. “Could you give me just a minute with David?”
Linda seemed hesitant to leave them alone together. “Oh, um, sure. I’ll be right outside with Dad and Joe.”
When they were alone, David said, “Why’d you do that, Janey? Your husband won’t appreciate that I’m in here with you.”
“You’re my doctor. Why would he possibly object?”
“Maybe because I’m also your ex-fiancé?”
“That was a very long time ago.”
“Not all that long.”
“Long enough that we’ve all moved on, haven’t we?”
It seemed to matter greatly to
her that he agree, so he nodded.
“I want you to be happy, David.”
“That’s far more than I deserve from you.”
“I don’t like what you did, but I forgave you a long time ago. If I can forgive you, maybe it’s time to forgive yourself, too. Hmm?”
“Maybe,” he conceded.
“I heard you’re seeing Daisy.”
Startled by the blunt statement, he met her gaze. “Yeah.”
“I like her. She’s perfect for you.”
“Is that right?” he asked, feeling mildly embarrassed to be having this discussion with Janey of all people.
“Uh-huh.”
“Don’t you have other things on your mind besides my love life?”
“So it’s love?” Her delighted smile reminded him of many a sparring match with her in the past. She’d always been a worthy opponent.
“None of your business. Let’s talk about you, your baby and your bed rest.”
“I’d rather talk about your love life.”
David laughed at the scowl she directed his way. “I know it’s a major drag, but it’s in your best interest and the baby’s to stay as quiet as you possibly can. No strenuous activity, nothing that makes your heart beat fast.”
“Well, that eliminates a few of my favorite things.”
David tried not to let the memories of how much she’d enjoyed sex wash over him, but some things were hard to forget. “Definitely none of that.”
“You’re a real killjoy, Dr. Lawrence.”
“So I’ve been told a few times. We’ll see you in the clinic tomorrow. If you call when you get there, we’ll meet you with some wheels to keep you off your feet.”
“Oh, a wheelchair. It just gets better and better.”
He zipped his bag and stood to leave. “It’ll all be fine, Janey, as long as you follow doctor’s orders.”
“Joe’s first question is going to be whether we should leave now for our house on the mainland.”
“You have to do what makes you comfortable, but personally I don’t think it’s necessary. We can take good care of you here for the next four weeks and get you to the mainland to deliver with plenty of time.”
“And I’ll be able to travel?”
“We never know anything for certain, but based on what I know now, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“I’ll be quoting you later tonight when Joe is packing our bags.”
“Good luck with that. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“David?”
“Yes?”
“This is the second time you’ve come when I needed you. I just want you to know that your generosity doesn’t go unnoticed.”
David let her words wash over him, a gentle balm on the wounds he carried with him. “When I think of you, Janey—and I think of you often—I try not to focus on how we ended, but rather on the very good years we spent together. And I’ll always come when you need me.”
“There’s going to be an invite coming your way to Mac and Maddie’s cookout this weekend. I hope you’ll come with Daisy.”
“I’ll try to make it.” He turned to leave and nearly ran smack into Joe. Judging by the stormy expression on Joe’s face, he’d heard what David said about coming when she needed him. That was okay. David didn’t regret saying it.
“I’ll see you both in the clinic tomorrow,” David said, anxious to get out of there.
“Thank you for coming,” Joe said, surprising David with a handshake.
“Any time.” He let himself out the front door and found Janey’s parents sitting on the porch swing.
“Everything okay?” Big Mac asked.
“It is for now, but she’s going to need to stay off her feet for the next few weeks.”
“Nothing can happen to my little girl,” Big Mac said, his voice hitching on the last two words.
“That’s the last thing in the world I want either.”
Big Mac stood and came over to him, his height and size as imposing as it had been when David began dating Janey as a fifteen-year-old. He extended his hand to David. “Thank you for checking on her.”
David shook the older man’s hand. “Happy to do it.” Aware of them watching him, he went down the stairs and got into his car. Driving into town, he allowed himself to wallow in the odd feelings that came with seeing Janey, even if she was married to another man and pregnant with his child.
This time, however, he didn’t feel bitter so much as sad for what he’d had and lost, for what he’d failed to treasure the way he should have. As his thoughts shifted to Daisy, waiting for him in town, he was suddenly desperate to see her. When he was with her, there was no time for bitterness or regret. With her he found hope and renewal and other things he couldn’t yet name.
He decided to call her to see if he was still welcome so late.
“Hey,” she said when she answered his call, her voice husky and sleepy sounding.
“Hey. Just checking to see if you’re still up or if you’d rather take a rain check.”
“I’m still up, and I’m not issuing any rain checks tonight.”
Smiling, he said, “I’ll be there in a few.”
Chapter 10
David pulled up to her house ten minutes later and parked at the curb. As he took the stairs to the porch, she opened the door and greeted him with a warm, welcoming smile. A profound sense of homecoming overtook him, wiping away every thought that didn’t involve her.
“Everything okay with Janey?” she asked as he stepped inside.
He nodded and hooked an arm around her waist.
She wound her arms around his neck, her fingers sliding through hair that needed to be trimmed. “Everything all right with you?”
“It is now.”
Smiling up at him, she looked sweet and young and gorgeous—and determined. What was that about? “I could heat up your leftovers. Are you hungry?”
“Not for food.”
“You’re in a strange mood.”
“Am I?”
She nodded. “Was it hard to see Janey?”
“Not particularly.” He drew her in closer to him, aligning her body with the erection that hardened to the point of pain when her breasts pressed against his chest. Bending his head, he nuzzled her neck, kissing the place where her pulse thudded against his lips. “I’m kind of tired.”
“Oh,” she said as she began to release him. “I’m sorry. I should’ve let you go home—”
He kissed her, thrusting his tongue into her welcoming mouth and loving the moan of pleasure that came from her throat as her tongue mated with his.
“You don’t seem tired,” she said many minutes later. “In fact,” she said as she rubbed against him suggestively, “you seem very much awake.”
“I was hoping you’d ask me to stay.”
“You were? Wow, I totally missed that.”
David laughed at her befuddled expression. “Next time I’ll be more direct. I’ll say something like ‘Daisy, all I’ve thought about today is sleeping with you last night, and I really want to do it again if you’ll have me.’ Is that direct enough?”
“Yes, it is, and I’d love to have you stay with me tonight.”
He kissed the furrow that formed between her brows. “But?”
She rolled her lip between her teeth, making her look adorable and uncertain. “I don’t want to stop this time. I want…”
Outrageously aroused by the desire he saw in the eyes that looked up at him searchingly, he kissed the end of her nose and her poor, abused lip. “Tell me what you want, Daisy. Tell me.”
“I want you. I want this. I want to feel like a normal woman who is crazy about a wonderful guy and wants to show him how she feels about him.”
“You don’t feel like a normal woman with me?” That bothered him greatly.
“Yes, I do, of course I do, but it’s just… I…”
“Say it, honey. Whatever you want to say, it’s fine. I promise.”
“I don’t want you t
o treat me like I’m fragile. You’ve moved nice and slow, and you’ve been great. Very understanding and gentle. But now…” She dropped her head against his chest. “This is so embarrassing.”
He smiled as he kissed the top of her head. “Now what? Tell me.”
Without raising her head, she said, “Now I want you to treat me like you would anyone else. I want to pretend, just for tonight, that nothing bad ever happened to me.” She finally looked up at him with her heart in her eyes. “Can we do that?”
“I’d hate myself if I did anything to scare you or set you back.”
“You couldn’t. There’s nothing about you that reminds me of him.”
“The other night, at Maddie’s house—”
She laid her hands on his chest, no doubt able to feel the galloping beat of his heart. “It was the first time. That’s all. I’m ready for that now. Please, David. I want to move forward, and I can’t do that if I walk around afraid of my own shadow all the time.”
“I don’t want you to be afraid. I want you to be happy.”
“Being with you makes me happy.” She extended her hand.
He took her hand and closed his fingers around hers.
“Come to bed with me.”
Daisy locked the front door and shut off the lights while David waited for her, watching her every move. Despite her brave words and resolve to move forward, she hoped he couldn’t feel the way her hand trembled when she reached for his again.
He didn’t say anything as he linked his fingers with hers and let her lead him up the stairs to her bedroom, where she’d lit some candles earlier, hoping for this very outcome.
“This is very nice,” he said as he took in the pile of pillows on her bed and the warm glow of the candles.
“I hope it’s not too obvious,” she said, regretting her forwardness now that she had him where she wanted him.
“It’s not obvious. It’s romantic and lovely, just like you.”
Daisy dropped his hand and twisted her index fingers around each other. “I said all that downstairs because I really wanted you to stay, and I really want… Well, I told you what I want.”