The Doctor's Baby (3 page)

The darkness surrounding them made it easier to speak of the past.

“I think we’ve both learned there are no guarantees. Life can be going along just fine then poof…everything changes.” The pain in her voice made David long to slam a fist into his ex-brother-in-law’s face.

“You’re right.” David reached down absently and scratched the head of Henry, the large cockapoo standing beside him.

“But change isn’t always bad,” Mary Karen said, her optimistic nature shining above the gloom. “Sometimes it can be good. Unexpected doesn’t always mean unwanted.”

David thought of the woman in the maternity wing
and the baby boy who slumbered in the nursery. His baby? Or the child of another man?

He hadn’t planned on being a father, but if that child was his, he wouldn’t walk away. Because like his sister had said…just because something was unexpected, didn’t mean it was unwanted.

J
uly pulled on her maternity jeans and slipped a dark green cotton shirt over her head. Although she’d gained only twenty pounds with this pregnancy—and had lost a good chunk of it yesterday—she wasn’t quite ready for skinny jeans and a fitted sweater. Thankfully most of the simple styles she’d purchased while pregnant didn’t have a “maternity” look.

But dealing with clothes was the least of her concerns. Where to go once she and Adam returned to Chicago, now that had her worried. Before she’d started on her four-national-parks-in-four-months photo shoot, her home had been the basement of a friend from her newspaper days. A woman who’d made it clear she could live there only until the baby
arrived. Apparently the husband had a strong aversion to crying infants.

A.J. had told her she could room with him once his roommate moved out May 1. That date would have been perfect
if
the baby had come late as the doctor predicted.

When a door slams shut it means God is pointing to an open door farther on down.

The verse had been on a needlepoint pillow at the home where she’d stayed when her mom had been in rehab for the third time. The mother in that family had been a needlepoint fanatic who never met a saying she didn’t want to stitch.

July took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Everything would work out. She’d made good money photographing wildlife in some of the most beautiful national parks in the United States. Yellowstone had been the final one on the list and she’d finished shooting less than forty-eight hours earlier.

Nylah, the woman who was her liaison with
Outdoor Life
magazine, had gushed over the images.

A sense of satisfaction rose inside July. When she’d lost her job at the newspaper due to cutbacks, she’d been devastated. But it had turned out to be an unexpected blessing.

Photographing nature had always been her passion. Whether it was a single flower growing out of a crack in the concrete or an imposing Bighorn on a rocky ledge, she was happiest outdoors with a camera in her hand.

The tension in her shoulders had begun to ease when the cell phone in her pocket buzzed. July pulled it out and glanced at the readout.
Nylah.
Her heart picked up speed. Hopefully the woman was calling to tell her the magazine had approved the Yellowstone shots.

Moving slowly to the door, July closed it all the way before hitting the talk button. “Hello, Nylah.”

“Ohmygod, I can’t believe it’s finally you. I was starting to think you’d been abducted by aliens.” The words ran together, tumbling out one after the other. “I’ve been calling the motel since last night. When I finally reached the guy at the front desk, I panicked when he told me he hadn’t seen you since yesterday morning. He told me to call your cell, but it kept going straight to voice mail.”

“I forgot to charge it.” A sick feeling rolled around in the pit of July’s stomach. While Nylah had loved the photos, July knew final approval would come from someone at
Outdoor Life
magazine. “Is this about the photos? Is something wrong? If they want me to reshoot—”

“No, this isn’t about them. The photos were marvelous. Love them. Love them. Love them.” Nylah paused. “Now that I think about it, the reason I’m calling
does
involve the pictures, but only in the very best of ways.”

Now thoroughly confused, July took a seat on the edge of the bed. “So
Outdoor Life
approved the Yellowstone photos?”

“Yes, yes, but that’s not why we need to talk. Are you ready?”

July rolled her eyes and reclined against the pillow, the phone resting against her ear. “Ready.”

“Were you aware that I had brought in several other photographers to Yellowstone to take pictures of the Bighorns?”

“No.” July’s fingers tightened around the phone. The elderly guide had said something about bringing other “shutter-bugs” to several of the sites where she’d gone. At the time she’d assumed he was talking about tourists, not other photographers.

“It was a competition of sorts.” Nylah’s voice rose. “You won.”

July loosened her death grip on the phone. “I did?”

“Absolutely. A well-known writer recently contacted me. He has a contract to do a series of books on wildlife in America. After checking out the Bighorn shots from everyone, he selected you to take the photos from this part of the country. If he likes what he sees even half as much as the Bighorn sheep, he may ask for more,” Nylah said. “He’s willing to pay—”

The amount Nylah mentioned made July gasp. As the woman continued to talk, July realized this meant she’d have to remain in Jackson for at least another month. While that probably wasn’t the wisest thing to do—with David and his
family
living here—the money was too good to turn down.

“Can you start today?” Nylah asked.

“Uh, today’s not good.” July had heard stories of women who had babies in the field and continued to work. Call her a wimp but she needed some time to
recharge before tackling mountain trails. “How about next week?”

That would give her time to bring the baby home and get settled. And Dr. Fisher had said she could resume light activity in a week.

“That will be okay, I suppose.” Nylah didn’t sound exactly thrilled about the delay but then with her, everything was business. “Is it the pregnancy? I know you’re due soon—”

“I had the baby yesterday.” Though she tried to be matter-of-fact, July heard the lilt in her voice. That wasn’t surprising considering that every time she thought about her beautiful son she couldn’t help but smile.

“Wonderful news,” Nylah said. “I was concerned this whole giving-birth thing might interfere but it sounds like you’ve got it under control.”

“Thank you,” July said before she realized Nylah hadn’t congratulated her, not really.

“Knowing what a resourceful young woman you are, I’m sure you have child care all arranged,” Nylah said.

“Child care?” July said in a voice that seemed to come from far away.

“Surely you didn’t plan on taking the baby with you.”

“Um. No. Of course not,” July murmured even as her mind raced. Until this moment she hadn’t even considered that she’d have to find someone to care for her tiny baby. Still, if she wanted a roof over her head and food to eat, she had to keep working.

“Good.” Though Nylah had projected complete confidence up to this point, July heard the relief in her voice. “And congrats again. I don’t need to tell you this is a great coup. The other photographers had more impressive portfolios, but the photos you took were clearly the best.”

“Ms. Greer. Is this a bad time?”

July glanced at the dark-haired young woman standing in the doorway with a hospital name tag. Her stylish linen dress in pale yellow was the perfect foil for her dark hair. Not only did she have beautiful features but her makeup had obviously been applied with a deft touch, making her amber eyes look large and luminous.

“Nylah, I need to run. Call you later.” July clicked off the phone and placed it on the tray table.

“You didn’t need to do that,” the woman demurred. “I could have come back.”

“That’s okay.” July slid the phone into her pocket. “We were through talking anyway.”

“I’m Lexi Brennan.” The woman crossed the room and held out her hand. “I’m a social worker at Jackson Hole Memorial and part of our discharge planning team.”

July forced a smile. While this woman seemed nice, social workers had been the enemy during most of her childhood. They lived their life by the book, forced to follow guidelines even when those regulations meant returning a little girl over and over again to an addict mother.

Lexi gestured with one hand to the chair by the bed. “Mind if I sit for a moment?”

“Please, do.” July swung her legs over the side of the bed, her curiosity aroused. Was the woman here because of the hospital bill or concern over Adam’s wellbeing?

Stop,
July told herself.
You are a decent, law-abiding citizen. There is no reason to worry.
Still, fear bubbled up inside her. “What is it you want?”

The thought burst from her lips. The tone was impertinent, bordering on rude. July wasn’t sure who was more surprised, the social worker or herself.

July froze. Her heart slammed against her ribs. She opened her mouth but shut it without speaking.

To her surprise, Lexi chuckled. “I like someone who gets right to the heart of the matter.”

The social worker’s graciousness made July feel even worse.

“I stopped to see if you needed any help with your post-hospital plans.” Lexi glanced down at the chart in her hand. “I noticed you listed your home address as Chicago. Will you be returning there once your baby is discharged?”

Before July could answer, a loud buzzing sounded from the pager clipped to the waistband of Lexi’s skirt. The social worker dropped her gaze to the readout then her brows furrowed. “I apologize. The family of a patient in our ICU has arrived. I really need to speak with them. Would it be okay if I came back in say…a half hour?”

July wished she could tell her she didn’t need to bother returning, that she had it all under control. But
that would be a lie. She needed to find a place to live and someone to watch Adam. The social worker appeared to be her best resource.

“Will that work for you?” Lexi asked again, glancing toward the door.

“Absolutely.” July injected some enthusiasm into her voice. Lexi had been so gracious. She deserved the same consideration in return. “Dr. Fisher still needs to stop by before I can be released. The nurses don’t expect him for another hour or so.”

“Thanks for being so understanding.” Lexi had almost reached the door by the time she finished speaking. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

After the social worker left, July snagged her purse from the bedside stand. She’d showered this morning but hadn’t done much else. Lexi was so pretty, so put together that July couldn’t help but feel dowdy beside her.

Pulling a tube of mascara from her bag, July added some length to her lashes then shifted her attention to her mouth. With a quick flick she dipped her finger into a pot of gloss and pressed some color to her lips. Once that was applied to her satisfaction, she found a tiny tube of travel gel and took a couple minutes to tame a few wayward stands of hair. She smiled at herself in the compact. Much, much better.

“Looking good.” A deep voice filled with pure masculine appreciation sounded from the doorway.

July groaned. She’d hoped to be gone before David’s shift ended. No such luck. She snapped the compact
closed, dropped it into her bag and shifted to face him. “I thought you’d be working.”

Or home with your wife.
Bitterness rose inside her at his duplicity. What made her the angriest was that she’d asked about his marital status shortly after he’d began flirting with her in the hotel bar. Only after she found out she was pregnant with his baby and tried to track him down did she discover that he’d lied. According to a former colleague, the handsome young doctor who’d swept her off her feet wasn’t single. Apparently Dr. David Wahl had a “gorgeous” wife at home.

“I don’t go in today until three.” He pulled the door closed. Instead of a white jacket he wore khakis and a royal blue polo that made his eyes look bluer than the sky outside her window. “I came to see if you’d like to have lunch with me in the hospital cafeteria. The food is edible and it’ll give us a chance to catch up.”

Catch up? What was there to catch up on? Unless he meant to confess he had a wife he’d forgotten to mention, which she highly doubted. “With that ringing endorsement, it’d be hard to say no.”

“You’ll join me?”

His delighted smile was almost her undoing. The same electricity that had been there eight months ago sizzled in the room. But this time she ignored it. She didn’t want anything to do with a cheater.

“I’m being dismissed.” She glanced at her watch. “Once Dr. Fisher stops by, I’ll be on my way.”

“What about your boyfriend, er, I mean your friend?” he asked, his gaze watchful. “Did you ever reach him?”

“I did. He’d been out celebrating. He landed a role in a Broadway touring company.” July kept her tone even. “He’d just gotten off the phone with his agent finalizing the details when we connected.”

“Was he excited about the baby?”

“
Very
excited.” July forced some enthusiasm into her voice. A.J. had actually been more jazzed about
his
new role than
her
new son. But that was understandable. The theater was his life now. And he’d been around too many kids growing up to be excited about one more, even if that one was hers.

“When is he coming?”

“He’s not.” July brushed a piece of lint from her jeans. “The tour starts in two weeks. A.J. was a last-minute replacement, so he’s got lots of catching up to do.”

July understood how important this was to him, truly she did. This was his big break. Still she couldn’t help but wish he’d been a little more excited for
her.

The look on David’s face said he didn’t understand, either. But instead of consoling her, it made July wish she’d kept her mouth shut or made something up. The less David knew about her personal life, the better.

“How long will you be staying in Jackson?” David asked in a tone so casual it sent red flags popping up.

“I’m not sure,” she hedged.

July couldn’t figure out why he kept coming around. If she were him, she’d be keeping her distance. This wasn’t a big impersonal town like Chicago. Jackson was small and everyone knew people in small towns
loved to gossip. If David wasn’t careful, someone was going to mention his intense interest in her and her baby to his wife.

“Before Adam leaves the hospital, I’d like to have a test done on him. But I need your permission.”

July pulled her brows together. “If you’re talking about the testing for PKU and the others they recommend for newborns, the nurse already spoke to me and I had no problem with them.”

“I’m not talking about those tests.”

“What then?”