by Dahlia Rose
Our Lovely Baby Bump
By
Dahlia Rose
Our Lovely Baby Bump
Copyright © November 2014 Dahlia Rose
All rights are reserved.
Cover Art by Clarissa Yeo
Formatting by Bob Houston eBook Formatting
ISBN 978-1-939151-78-0
No part of this e-book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Chapter One
Charlie sat across the desk and looked at her doctor. The test came back and she could feel her fingernails biting into the palm of her hand as she listened to the doctor explain what the tests meant. Her worst fears were confirmed and now she had to decide what to do.
“Charlie,” Dr. Monroe said gently. “It’s not a death sentence, it just means you have the genes for cervical cancer, that’s all. You could live a long life without even having anything but an abnormal pap-smear.”
Charlie looked up and tried to keep the tears at bay. “My mother died at forty-two with cervical cancer, Barbara. I know my chances, and I don’t want to die like that, how she suffered.”
“Then you can have the surgery and cut your chances in half.” Barbara had been her doctor since she was a teen and the oncologist that cared for her mother until the end. “We can take your cervix and your uterus, leave your ovaries so it doesn’t thrust you into menopause.”
“I want children,” Charlie said.
Barbara gave her more options. “You’d still create eggs, or we can give you fertility treatments and then harvest your embryos and save them. Surrogates are a viable option.”
This time the tears did fall hot and fat down her cheeks, and Charlie took an unsteady breath while trying to speak through all her emotions.
Charlie pressed her hand against her stomach. “I want to feel a life I created grow inside me. I want to feel him or her kick for the first time and sing to my stomach.” She gave a watery laugh. “I saw Angel when she was pregnant and felt her son move in her belly. I want that.”
“You can have that, Charlie, no one is taking that from you,” Barbara explained. “But we both know how you feel about the cancer that took your mother.”
“What if I had a baby and then had the surgery?” Charlie asked.
Barbara nodded and smiled. “You can do that. You can have two, maybe three children, it’s not something that has to be done right now.”
“But the longer I wait, the more risk I run of developing cancer like my mother,” Charlie said knowingly. “I know I could live my life and never have the disease, but we also know that since my mother had it, it’s more than likely I will too, especially with my abnormal pap-smears.”
Barbara sighed. “Yes, that’s true, but…”
“I know the facts, Barbara,” Charlie shook her head. “How many times have you seen this jump from daughter to child? Gran died of it, too, a few years later than momma did, but it’s all the same. The risk is too high for me. If I have a child I don’t want to leave him or her alone in the world. I want the surgery, but I want a baby first. You’ve been a friend, a doctor, and my confidant for years. This is what I want.”
“Okay, then that’s what you’ll do,” Barbara said gently and then hesitated. “But then you need a father for this child, unless you plan to raise the baby alone and use a sperm bank.”
Charlie smiled. “On that part I’m covered. There is someone, we’ve been doing the dance for a while. I think maybe he’ll be the one. He’ll understand and maybe he’ll say yes.” Charlie stood and gathered up her coat and purse. “I’ll let you know what happens, you never know the next time you see me it may be because you’re my OBGYN.”
Barbara grinned as she stood. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.”
As Barbara walked her to the office door, Charlie impulsively hugged the older woman who had become like a mother to her over the years.
“Thank you, for everything.” Charlie smiled.
Barbara patted her cheek. “Never a problem, Charlie. See you soon.”
Charlie walked down the hallway and out into the sunshine and took a deep breath of the Atlanta, Georgia air. Her heart was heavy, but she had expected the results of the testing, especially with her family history. At least in her case she was willing to take action to make sure she had a prolonged life. Barbara was right, she wasn’t given a death sentence, but she did have an accelerated timeline. She thought of John, the man she was referring to, and smiled. The big teddy bear was both her and Angel’s longtime friend and business partner in the club they owned. She could call up his face in her mind just by closing her eyes. John was around six feet three inches in height and had broad shoulders. He had a quick, boyish grin, and the deepest blue eyes she’d ever seen, and sandy blond hair that he kept in a neat, low cut.
But no one should ever let that fool them, because John could become one scary guy if anyone acted up in the club. More often than not she’d heard people say he was not one they’d want to see in a dark alley. Those blue eyes could go cold as ice, and he’d fight a lion to protect the ones he loved. That included her. Maybe he loved her as a friend or maybe it was more. The butterflies she felt every time he looked at her couldn’t be a fluke, could it? Each time they were in the same vicinity the air got thicker, and she thought about kissing him. The only way to find out for certain was to take the bull by the horns and ask him. How did one approach asking a man to be the father of a child?
“Hey John, wanna be my baby daddy?” she said in the car as she drove toward The Pyramid club. “John, I’ve got eggs and you’ve got swimmers, let’s see what we can make?”
She grimaced at her words and kept talking to herself all the way until she parked in the parking lot outside the club. Charlie grabbed her things and made sure her car was locked before she walked inside. It was only four in the afternoon and it would be at least eight before the opened for the night. Tuesday was low, with only people coming in for a quick drink after work or maybe a first date in one of the booths. From Thursday to Saturday the club was jumping, featuring one of the hottest DJs and the best drinks Atlanta had to offer. She worked in the offices, preferring to be a wallflower, as opposed to Angel who could stop traffic wherever she went.
Angel blamed it on her life growing up in Georgia. She was essentially a mutt, different ethnicities, and a girl who was considered “high yellow” in reference to her complexion. Her mother was African American, but they weren’t considered black enough growing up in the south. Her father was from the Dominican Republic and while he didn’t stay around, she got the hair from him and the coloring of both her parents. So she never fit in with the black girls, and to the white girls she was too exotic looking. To men she was something to covet, even as a teenager.
Good enough to fuck but not to have as a girlfriend. Being a wallflower saved her from her, and after a while she found the social aspects of life uncomfortable. She liked her very close-knit group—just her, John, Angel and Caleb, Angel’s husband. All this and more was coming to her thoughts so when she walked into the club she walked right into John’s broad chest as he was balancing a keg of beer on his shoulder like it weighed nothing. He held her close to his chest and still managed to keep a hold on the keg with his other hand. Being that close to him, Charlie could smell the spice of his aftershave and feel the warmth of his body seeping through her.
“Shit, sorry John,” Charlie said.
“Why? I’m not.” He grinned and winked. “You seemed to be doing some wheel turning in that head of yours.”
“Yeah, I was,” she admitted with a smile.
“Want to talk about it?” John as
ked.
“Actually I do. Can you come up to the office when you’re done down here? I’d like to ask you something important.”
“Yes to whatever it is,” he said simply.
“You don’t even know what it is yet,” she pointed out.
He moved away and walked to the bar. “Whatever it is, for you it’s a yes.”
“Uh-huh. Wait until I ask you first, okay?” Charlie asked. “Come on up when you’re done.”
“Sure thing.” He smiled at her, and her heart gave a little jump in her chest again.
Charlie went upstairs quickly and tried to find her center in the maelstrom of emotions running through her. Should I sit behind the desk? Nope, too formal. On the couch? No, it makes it seem like I’m ready right now to knock boots. She was still pacing, trying to figure out that small aspect of the very big picture she was about to propose when he stepped into the office without knocking. She missed her step and almost tripped.
“Charlie, you’re beginning to worry me, what’s wrong?” John said, instantly concerned.
“Can we sit?” she asked and pointed to the sofa.
“Yeah, sure.” John frowned and sat down.
Charlie wiped her damp palms on her jeans and sat down. She took a deep breath and began to speak. “I went to the doctor today, and I got some news.”
John took her hands. “Ah fuck, Charlie, do I need to call Angel and Caleb? This seems bad.”
“No, it’s not bad, per se, and I’ll talk to them eventually. Right now I need you,” she answered, and gave him a timid smile.
“Okay, hit me, I’m ready. You can be sure if you need anything, including one of my big ass kidneys, you got it,” John said.
She gave a husky laugh. “Thanks, but I don’t need a kidney. You know my mom died of cancer, right?”
“Yeah,” he said slowly.
“Well, it was cervical cancer, and today I found out that the trait is in me.” She met his eyes. “My grandmother had it and died, then my mom, and at least we know it’s in me earlier so we can take measures to prevent it.”
He nodded. “Okay, cool, then what do we need to do?”
“I have to have surgery to have stuff removed,” she said slowly. “But then I won’t be able to have children. Unless I have them now and then have the surgery.” She rushed forward with her question. “I want to have a baby, John, and I want you to be the father. There’s no one better than you, and I think we’ve got something brewing between us or maybe I’m wrong… who knows. I was never good at reading men and shit, if you say no…. I guess I could go with a donor, but I really wanted it to be you and see if we have a thing and even if we didn’t have thing…”
“Charlie, shut up,” John cut her words off.
“Okay.”
“You’re asking me to give you a baby, and after that you’ll have to have your cervix and stuff removed?” John said quietly. “And that will give you a chance of never having the cancer that killed your mother and grandmother?”
Charlie nodded. “Yes to all of it. If you need to think about it and say no, I understand.”
“I do have to think about it,” he said quietly and cupped her cheek. “But you’re right, there is something between us. I was hoping you’d notice me as more than just a friend for a long time now.”
“Really?” she asked, amazed. “I mean, I see how women look at you, and then I’m just…”
“You’re freaking gorgeous,” John said, and she saw amazement on his face. “How do you not see this each time you look into the mirror?”
“Honestly, you’re the first person who told me I was beautiful, and I believed it,” Charlie admitted. “There was usually something behind the compliment, something I didn’t want or like.”
“I’m honored you’d ask me,” John said. “But yes, I need to think. This is a lifelong commitment, and it would be stupid for me not to.”
Tears threatened to spill. “I understand.”
“Don’t cry,” he whispered, she went willingly into her into his arms. “I don’t ever want you to be scared, and I’m here for you.”
She nodded against his chest. “I know.”
He lifted her head with his chin. “I promise, I swear it.”
Charlie smiled. “I do believe you.”
His blue gaze searched her face, and Charlie felt her breath catch in her throat. This time it wasn’t about the question that made her body flush. It was the intent on his face—he planned to kiss her, and she was ready for it. The first touch of his lips on hers made her moan a little. It was sweet pressure that only felt better with the friction that he created moving his lips on hers.
“Let me taste you,” he murmured against her lips.
Charlie consented and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. He groaned and pulled her close as he deepened the kiss. The pleasure tingled down to her toes. She had her hand against his chest, and she could feel his heartbeat quicken beneath her palm. When he finally pulled away their breathing was ragged, and Charlie had no doubt the chemistry was there.
“I’ll think about it,” he said huskily.
Charlie cleared her throat. “That’s all I can ask, thank you.”
“I’m going back to work.” He stood with a soft chuckle. “If I stay on this sofa with you this club won’t open on time.”
She smiled. “Does that mean we have something brewing?”
“Like peach iced tea, baby.” John grinned.
Charlie laughed as he left the room, and when she stood she felt a little lighter. She wasn’t given a death sentence, and if John said yes, she’d be a mother soon. She made a mental to see Angel tomorrow and tell her the news and the plan. If they did they would need the support of their family. The four of them were as much a family as if they shared the same blood. She went behind the desk and started to go through the invoices and various other bills, noting them in the ledgers on her computer. By the time the club opened she was ready in her sleek business suit.
While Angel went sexy, Charlie toned down with a pair of satin pants and a halter-top. The white jacket she wore covered her back. As she filtered through the small crowd she felt John’s gaze on her more than once from behind the bar. The night went on as usual, and he waited for her after closing to count the night’s profit and get it into the safe before he walked her to her car. John sizzled her senses with one more kiss before she drove off, heading toward home. She was in her usual routine before bed when her doorbell rang. She looked at the door with a frown. It was after eleven, and any of her friends would call before showing up unless it was an emergency. She owned her three bedroom townhouse but, being wary, Charlie grabbed her cell as she moved slowly toward the door. She felt safer just seeing the lights blinking on her alarm system, showing it was armed. Her cell phone rang in her hand, and she looked at it in surprise. John’s name was on the read-out, and she pressed the button to connect the call.
“I’m at your door. It’s safe to open it,” he said before she could even say hello.
Charlie disconnected the call with a smile. She opened the door, and John stood at her door wearing the same black button-down shirt tucked into the jeans he had on at the club.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I came with your answer. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep unless I told you,” he said.
“I thought you meant more time than a few hours,” she said.
“I was thinking while I worked, every time you passed by, each minute since you asked me, from the moment we kissed,” John answered.
“So, what is it?” she asked. Her heart raced waiting for his reply.
“Yes, I’d like to be the father of our children since I plan to be with you forever anyway. It just gets us a jump on the future part.” John held up a white bag. “I even came bearing gifts.”
“Cronuts?” Charlie asked hopefully. It was her favorite bakery treat, and only one place in Atlanta had them.
“No, addict.” John laughed
and stepped inside and pulled a box out of the bag. “Ovulation kit. The lady at the pharmacy said we need it if we’re baby making.”
Charlie threw herself in his arms, unable to find words to express her happiness and the fact that John truly cared and wanted this. He hugged her tight against him, and she kissed him, overwhelmed by emotion. She was getting her wish—she was going to be a mother, and the dance for her and John had changed from flirting to much more. The pleasurable thought was pushed to the back of her mind when his tongue penetrated her mouth and the kiss burned hot between them.
Chapter Two
John slept over that night, not in Charlie’s bed but in her guest room. How many times had he slept there and ached for her, and now she was his for the taking. He wanted to take it slow, but hell, there was no possible way in this. Knowing that she could develop cancer in the future after how her mother died terrified him. The thought of losing her when she sat across from him, telling him what was going on, literally stole his breath. He wanted to hold her to him protect her, but even in his arms there would be no stopping a silent killer. He understood her choices, stood behind her. The fact that she came to him first made him want to climb on her roof and roar, “She’s mine.” The feelings weren’t one sided, for years he wanted Charlie to notice him, and it turned out she did. The thought that he would be able to hold her in his arms and feel her naked beneath him sent a sucker punch of desire to his groin.
The realization that he’d feel his child in her stomach filled him with happiness, terror, nausea? Would he be a good father, a good man in her life? Didn’t children need college funds and strollers, or vice versa? John pushed the panic aside and watched her in the kitchen. Charlie with the smooth skin that always looked tan, a mix of her mother and father’s heritage. He knew how she saw herself, someone that felt she belonged nowhere. Too light to be black even though her mother was African American, but he always thought people were stupid to judge someone by skin color alone. To him she was gorgeous even if she was the brightest shade of orange. Her dark hair with a few blue streaks always dared him to slips his fingers between the tresses. Not a sign of rebellion but her own style, Charlie was a self-proclaimed nerd girl, glasses and all. She could talk about any video game and could update their Internet network or computers like a dream. Her lips were full, and her eyes light brown.
