One Last Objection_A Small-Town Romance

by Nancy Stopper

  “You’re sweet for asking. Everything’s fine. Are you ready for this?”

  Only since the second she’d told him she was pregnant. He’d stared at the sonogram picture on his fridge every day. And now he’d get to see his baby… their baby… for real. To hear his or her little heartbeat. “Oh, yeah.”

  He wrapped his hand around hers as they headed onto the elevator. Her gaze lowered to where they were joined and then just as quickly to his face. He wouldn’t apologize for his show of affection. She just had to get used to that.

  The elevator dinged and they stepped into the hall just outside the doctor’s office. He held the door for her and stared at the room full of women on the other side. Some looked as though they were about to bust, and others appeared as though they weren’t at all pregnant. Some had a man sitting beside them. How had Maggie felt, coming alone to her previous appointments? If only he’d known, he would have been here with her. She didn’t have to do this alone.

  They approached the roundish woman sitting behind the counter with a scowl on her face, the bright yellow cartoon shirt a happy contrast to her expression. “Name?”

  “Maggie James.”

  The nurse raised a single eyebrow at Maggie before her gaze travelled to him. She looked over her glasses at him and then back down to her computer screen. “Ah, yes, Ms. James. You’ve brought a guest with you today?”

  Guest? Was Michael supposed to have been coming all along? To listen to the nurse, he would assume so, but there were several other pregnant women in the waiting room alone, so why had this nurse dished out her disdain on them? What did it matter who did or didn’t come with Maggie? He extended his hand and plastered a huge smile on his face. The best way to deal with a sour puss was with kindness. “Michael Bennett.”

  The nurse stared at his hand for a moment and went back to typing on her computer. “Ms. James—”

  “Dr. James.” Maggie was quick to correct the nurse.

  “Yes, Dr. James.” Even the way the nurse said doctor had a hint of tone. She grabbed a cup from the pile beside her and extended it to Maggie. “Hold onto this cup for after the appointment when you can leave your sample. You can have a seat in the waiting room until they call you back for your sonogram.”

  Michael squeezed her waist and escorted her to a chair in the corner, lifting a magazine off the seat beside her. He flipped through page after page of smiling men cradling the rounded bellies of happy, glowing women. That could be him, if he hadn’t screwed up.

  After a few moments, he leaned his chin on Maggie’s shoulder and whispered. “What’s up with that nurse?”

  “I know, right? She was like that the first time I was here. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her smile.”

  He laid his hand on Maggie’s belly. “How’s the little peanut this morning.”

  “Active. He’s been bouncing on my bladder all morning. And since I can’t go…”

  “Well, I guess she’s just excited to see us this morning.”

  Maggie laughed.

  How could he have been so stupid and lost all these weeks with her. “I’ve missed you. Missed seeing your smile and hearing you laugh. Missed seeing this little one getting bigger every day.”

  Maggie sighed. “I know. It was all just too much and I got overwhelmed.”

  “I’m sorry about that. You don’t know how sorry. If it’s any consolation, I talked to my parents. I explained what happened. They’re so excited for another grandkid. They’ll take both of you in their lives however they can… and so will I. If you don’t want to marry me, ever, that’s fine.” It wouldn’t be his first choice, but he’d take what he could get for a chance to be with her.

  Her eyebrows raised. “Really?”

  He shifted on his seat so he could see into her eyes. “Yes, really. I just want to be with you… and our baby. Whatever works best for you is fine with me. I do wish, though, that you’d consider moving in together. I want to be able to see you and the baby every day, to help you, to change diapers, to just do all the things new parents need to do. It doesn’t have to be at my house. Your condo’s fine.”

  “But you just bought the cottage.”

  “I don’t care. I’ll rent it out and move in tomorrow if it means being with you and our baby.” He held his breath. She hadn’t said no.

  “I’ll, uh, I’ll—“

  “Maggie James.” The snooty nurse stood at the door, tapping a pencil on the folder in her hand and glancing toward the back. If Michael had had about two minutes longer, he might have been able to convince Maggie to let him move in.

  He helped her to her feet and grasped her hand as they headed past Nurse Ratchet and into an exam room.

  The clearly bitter woman held the door open. “You know the drill. Strip from the waist down and wrap the drape over your lap. The doctor will be in shortly.”

  The door clicked closed behind the nurse, and Michael rolled his eyes at Maggie. It was a good thing that Maggie swore by this doctor, or he’d be having words about the bedside manner of the nurse.

  Maggie laughed and waved her finger in a circle. “Turn around, please.”

  Michael raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms… but did as she asked. “It’s not like I haven’t seen it all before… many, many times.”

  “Yeah, but now I’m fat and flabby. It’s not the same.”

  He heard the sound of rattling paper and turned around. Maggie was sitting on the table with a pink drape of paper over her lap. He stepped up to her side and took her hands. “You’re not fat, you’re pregnant. You’ve never been more beautiful.”

  Her eyes dropped to his lips. “You have to say that.”

  His eyes followed her tongue as it slicked over her lips. Jolts shot down his spine and settled in his groin. She was going to kill him here. He inched closer to her and lowered his voice. “No, I don’t. I mean it, Maggie. You’re beautiful.”

  Her breath tickled across his lips. He searched her eyes one more time, and as soon as the confusion was replaced by agreement, he closed the distance and settled his lips over hers. Soft and pliant, she returned the kiss, her tongue darting out gently to swipe over his lower lip. Each stroke of her tongue speared through him, and he pulsed heavy in his groin. Her arms snaked around his neck while his settled against her waist, cupping her luscious curves while he suckled her lip. As her tongue swept into his mouth, he dug his fingers into her hips. Her bare skin heated beneath his touch… with a slight movement, he could—

  A throat cleared behind them. “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

  Maggie swiped at her swollen lips and adjusted the drape over her lap. Michael slid to her side and covered his crotch with his hand. As the doctor greeted Maggie, he recited the Pennsylvania criminal code in his head, chapter after chapter, until his erection relaxed and he wouldn’t be embarrassed.

  The doctor extended her hand. “You must be the father. I’m Dr. Alexander.”

  “Michael Bennett.”

  “I know your brother Lucas from shifts in the ER.” Before Michael could respond, the doctor turned her attention back to Maggie. “Are we ready to check out this little one today? Maybe he or she will cooperate and we can find out a gender. Do you guys want to know?”

  Maggie turned her twinkling eyes to him, the first genuine smile he’d seen on her face in a long time. “We can’t wait.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she laid back. After she was comfortable, he took her hand in his and didn’t let go as the doctor clicked on a keyboard. A few seconds later a grey speckled image appeared on the screen like the one from the picture on his fridge. The doctor lifted Maggie’s shirt and squirted some blue gel on her belly.

  Michael leaned right next to Maggie’s ear. “What’s that?”

  “Sonogram gel so they can see the baby.”

  The doctor rubbed a short wand with a wide head over Maggie’s belly, and a few minutes later images flashed on the screen. The doctor slid the device around to the side of Maggi
e’s belly. Michael tilted his head but still couldn’t make out anything. Dr. Alexander pushed a few keys and then pointed to the screen. “That right there is your baby’s head.”

  His baby. Warmth spread through his chest and settled deep in his gut. He rested his chin on Maggie’s shoulder and his head against hers. He couldn’t get close enough to her.

  The doctor moved the wand and clicked on the keyboard a few more times before a string of pictures printed out of the machine. “Are you ready to find out your baby’s gender?”

  Maggie’s hand squeezed his tighter. “Yeah, we’re ready.”

  “Well, Mom and Dad, you’re having a… girl!”

  His heart flipped and his mouth stretched into a smile. “A girl?”

  Maggie whispered, “We’re having a girl.” She wasn’t as unaffected as she would like the world to think.

  He grinned down at her and then kissed her. He couldn’t wait until they could be together every day… and with their daughter.

  Dr. Alexander chuckled behind him and he broke the kiss.

  “I guess that’s good news?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Michael didn’t take his eyes off of Maggie as the doctor wiped off her belly and pulled her shirt down. He laid his hand on her back and helped her sit.

  “Maggie, I’m sure you’d like a break. If you’d leave your sample and then come back into the room for the rest of the exam, that would be great.”

  The doctor popped out while Maggie went into the restroom. Michael appreciated the moment alone to absorb everything that was happening. A minute later, Maggie climbed back on the table.

  Neither said a word as they waited for the doctor to return. Maggie bit her lip and furrowed her brows. What he wouldn’t give to comfort her right now, to prod her to open up about the thoughts running through her head. But the doctor returned before he’d thought of a way to start a conversation.

  Dr. Alexander slipped onto the rolling chair. “Thanks for waiting. Sorry that took so long.” The doctor stared at a folder and back at Maggie. “There are a couple of issues we need to keep an eye on. Your blood pressure’s a little high.”

  Tingles ran up his spine. What did this mean for the baby? Or Maggie. Oh, God, maybe it wasn’t safe for her to be pregnant after all.

  Maggie, on the other hand, didn’t seem fazed. “It’s been stressful the past few weeks. I’m sure that’s it.”

  Maggie’s stress was completely his fault with that ridiculous stunt he’d pulled at Christmas. That was it. He just had to convince her that they should live together so he could take more stress off her. Anything to keep her and the baby healthy.

  The doctor shook her head. “I’m sure you’ve heard of PIH.”

  Maggie nodded, but he had to search his mind for something he may have read. “PIH?”

  “Pregnancy Induced Hypertension. It has nothing to do with what’s going on in a mother’s life. This is a condition that affects three to five percent of pregnant women. In addition, there was protein in your urine. Those two indicators together are concerning. What I’d like to recommend is that you monitor your blood pressure at home and come back in two weeks. In the meantime, stay off your feet as much as possible, keep eating healthy—”

  “Are… are Maggie and the baby going to be okay?” His voice shook almost as much as his hands.

  Dr. Alexander shot him a sympathetic look. “As of right now, it’s just something I want to watch. If Maggie takes it easy and her blood pressure doesn’t get any higher, I don’t foresee any problems. But we’ll know better in a couple of weeks.”

  While he grilled the doctor, Maggie perched silently on the table. What was she thinking? Had she already researched this? “Maggie, honey, did you have any questions or anything you wanted to know?”

  Her eyes glistened and she shook her head. Ah, damn. He’d been so focused on interrogating the doctor, he hadn’t thought about how this affected Maggie’s emotional state. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pressed her head to his chest. “I’ll take care of you and the baby. It’s all going to be fine. You’ll see.”

  Maggie sniffled as she clung to him. Could she feel his heart thumping against his chest as fear gutted him?

  Dr. Alexander cleared her throat. “Maggie, it’s nothing to worry about yet. Go home and let your handsome man pamper you. I’d like you to make an appointment out front for two weeks and we’ll check in then. If you notice any increased swelling or headaches, call the office so I can get you in right away, okay?”

  Maggie nodded, her face half-buried in Michael’s shirt. He answered for both of them. “Thanks, Dr. Alexander. I’ll make sure she takes care of herself.”

  The doctor laid a pile of sonogram photos on the edge of the table and left the room, but Maggie stayed plastered to Michael’s side. He stroked down her back, whispering in her ear until she pushed off of him. She swiped under her eyes and sniffled. “I’m okay. I was just surprised by what the doctor said.”

  Michael handed over her clothes and she got dressed, not asking him to turn around. Guess she was no longer worried about what he saw. Right now, nothing but her health and the health of their baby mattered. And he would do anything to make sure both of them were safe.

  As she settled her clothes, he picked up the photo off the top of the pile. He ran his finger over the profile of his daughter’s head and stroked the hand that she held up to the screen like she was waving at him. “Hey, little girl. This is your Daddy. You don’t worry… I’m going to take care of you and your Mommy. You just concentrate on getting bigger, okay?”

  Maggie slid her feet to the floor and stretched her hand up toward his face. She brushed at a tear he didn’t know had fallen. “All I need to do is rest more and I’m sure everything is going to be fine.”

  “Starting right now. I’m gonna take you home and plop you on the couch, give you a foot rub, get you food, whatever you want.” He headed toward the door but Maggie pulled on his hand.

  “I still have some appointments on my schedule for this afternoon. I can’t just cancel them without backup.”

  “Maggie, you heard what the doctor said. You need to take it easy.”

  She laid her hand on his cheek. “I will. Just give me a chance to make some arrangements to lessen my load. I’ll see if I can get my mentor to come to Oak Grove one day a week and cut my hours the other days, I promise.”

  He clenched his teeth and bit his lip so the words that wanted to spill out of his mouth didn’t. It was hard for him to believe that she’d taken the doctor seriously when she was so focused on her work. Maybe it was overkill for him to want her to head straight home and put her feet up. “Well, I don’t like it, but I don’t want to fight with you and cause you even more stress.”

  “Michael, you didn’t cause this. Neither did I. Sometimes things just happen. The best thing we can do is take the doctor’s advice, and before you know it, we’ll have a little daughter to hold.” The smile on her face lit her eyes.

  “Can you believe it? A daughter. I told you… she’s gonna have red hair and freckles, just like her momma.”

  She ran her fingers through his hair. “Unless she has wavy brown hair like her daddy.”

  Michael sighed and relaxed his shoulders. They could do this. As soon as he got a chance to read up on PIH, he’d formulate a plan of action. This was just the first of many challenges they would face as parents. He thought he’d have more time before the tough stuff started. “Can I come over tonight once you’re home? I’ll bring dinner. But no more cheeseburgers for you.”

  She chuckled. He was glad she’d relaxed because his stomach still pinched and his jaw throbbed from clenching his teeth. His blood pressure, however, wasn’t the issue. “Yes, I promise I’ll be home by five. And you can definitely bring me dinner.”

  She tugged him out the door and down the hall.

  After they made her next appointment, he led her to the elevator, his hand firmly on her lower back. The ride was too quick, and before he w
as ready, they were back on the sidewalk outside. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to take the rest of the day off?”

  She kissed his nose. “It’s going to be fine. I promise, I’ll put my feet up every chance I get.”

  He let her go, but he didn’t have to like it. In the meantime, he had a stop of his own to make before heading to Maggie’s tonight.

  Chapter Eighteen

  MAGGIE’S HANDS SHOOK as she clicked the ”X” to close the computer window. She should have known better than to search for PIH on the internet. She cupped her belly as she leaned back in the chair. “We just need to keep you cookin’ as long as possible, little girl. Don’t you be getting any funny ideas about wanting to make an appearance too soon, you hear me?”

  Maggie thought she’d been scared of this pregnancy before, but a threat to her independence was nothing compared to the idea that something could be wrong with her or the baby. Now that she had come to accept her pregnancy, losing the baby was almost more than Maggie could bear.

  She snatched her cell phone from her desk and dialed a few numbers.

  “Hello, Maggie.”

  “Oh, Barry, thank God you’re there.”

  “What’s wrong? Did something happen with a patient?”

  She pressed her shaking hand into her lap and took a deep breath. “No, nothing like that. I, uh, I just had a checkup. There might be a problem with the baby.”

  “What did the doctor say?”

  She described her blood pressure and other problems and explained the doctor’s recommendation to take it easy. Barry explained some of the clinical aspects of her condition, facts she wasn’t ready to hear during her appointment. Thankfully, as a psychiatrist, he’d done an obstetric rotation in med school.

  After a few minutes, her hands stopped shaking and the churning in her belly relaxed.

  Barry’s voice softened. “So, what’s your plan?”

  “I need to cut back some. I wanted to ask if you could come to Oak Grove one day a week and see patients.”

  “Oh, Maggie, I don’t see how that’s possible. But I have a better idea… there’s a new girl, recently graduated and interning with us. She’s looking to get out of the city. I bet we could make arrangements for her to spend two days a week in Oak Grove. Besides, if it works out, she’d be perfect to cover while you’re on maternity leave.”