Parker's Island (29 page)

“Why didn’t you ever say anything to me?  Why didn’t you ask me out?  I would have said yes.”

“I didn’t know how.  I told you, I had no experience with anyone
close to
my own age.”

“Does that mean that you have experience with ol
der women?”
I asked, and then blushed.

He grinned, “No.
  There were a few older women who offered…but I didn’t want any of them.  The only one I want is you.
  But
, by the time I had worked up enough nerve to ask you out, the whole thing with Martina started.
”

“Well, our timing is great
,
isn’t it?  You’re married and I’m…pregnant.”
  I still shivered at the word.

“No one ever said it would be easy
,
”
h
e laughed.

“Can I ask you something else?” 

“Anything.”

“How was it that we ended up in
so many of the s
ame classes?”

“I asked the secretary who you were, and when she told me your name
,
I called
Avery
and had him “fix it
”
so I
was in most of your classes.”

“If he could get you into
most
of my classes, why didn’t he get you into all of them?”

“I thought that might tip you off.  I’m sorry.”

“I am too
,
” I said.

“You are?” h
e asked, looking hurt.

“Yeah, I missed you so much in those other classes.”  I reached up to touch his face, but thought better of it.

He smiled and looked relieved,
“Are you up for some breakfast?”
h
e asked.

“I don’t know.  Nothing seems to stay down lately.”

“You have to eat
,
”
h
e said, standing up and offering me his hand.

I stood up and was instantly dizzy.  Logan pulled me to him to keep me from falling.  Our lips were
inches apart, his breath warm on my face.  I was breathing faster
and I wanted him to kiss me so badly, but I knew it would be wrong.  “I’m okay now
,
” I said, needing some space before I
crossed the line and kissed him
.

He let me go, but stood by my side until he was sure I was able to stand on my own.  “I’ll go fix breakfast.  What would you like?”

“I thought we agreed I would cook from now on.”

“I’ll cook breakfast and maybe if you’re up to it, we can go out to dinner.”

“You’re too good to me.”

“Go get cleaned up and meet me in the kitchen.
”

I headed into the bathroom to shower and dress.  I was actually feeling better
by the time
I was cleaned up and heading into the kitchen.  Duchess came trotting after me.  I walked into the kitchen and was once again taken back by how
magnificent
Logan was.  He heard me enter the room, or he heard Duchess
;
but for whatever reason
,
he turned around and gave me that smile.

“I think
she’s your dog now
,
”
h
e said, laughing at my new constant companion.

“She’s such a sweet girl
,
” I said, reaching down to pet her.  I was dizzy again
as I stood up
straight
.
Logan was immediately at my side, helping me into a chair.

“Thank you.”

He set a plate down in front of us both and then pulled his chair over next to me
,
“Just in case you decide to start to pass out again.”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.  You look like you’re
about to
drop
and you have to be
starving to death.”

“I’m fine
,
” I said again.  “Let’s eat.”  But as soon as I lifted the fork, I was running back to the bathroom.

Logan followed me, held my hair back and wiped my forehead with a cold washcloth.  “Delaney, you need a doctor.”

“It’s just morning sickness.  I’ll be fine.”
             
“You’re not fine.  You haven’t kept anything down
since you’ve been here, and I don’t how long before that.  You need a doctor
,
”
h
e said, ushering me back to the bed.

“I just need some sleep
,
” I said, not wanting to go to a doctor.

“You rest
.
I’ll be right back
,
”
h
e said, and headed out of the bedroom before I could protest.

He was back in a few minutes.  “Come on, let’s go
,
”
h
e said, offering me his hand.

“Where are we going?”

“You’re going to see a doctor.”

“No.  I don’t need a doctor.”

“Delaney,
I’m assuming that since you didn’t
even realize
you were pregnant until a few days ago, that you haven’t been to a doctor.  Don’t you thin
k you should see an obstetrician
?”

“No
,
” I said, pulling the blankets up over my head.

“Not going to the doctor won’t change the fact that you’re pregnant.  You’re going to have face
up to
it eventually
,
”
h
e said, trying to pull the blankets back.

“Not today.”

“You do realize that you’re acting like a child?”

“I don’t care.  I’m fine.”
             
“If you don’t come with me willingly, I’m going to carry you to the car.”

“
Logan, please, I’m fine.  If it’s no better in a few days, then I’ll go.”

He sat down on the edge of the bed and said,
“
Delaney,
I know that we haven’t really talked about what you want to do about the baby.”

“I don’t know
,
” I said, feeling stupid for hiding under the blankets, but still determined not to go.

“No matter what you decide, you must want to make sure that the baby is okay.  All this vomiting can’t b
e good…
for either of you.  Please come with me.”

I s
at
up then, knowing he was right.  I needed to protect the
baby
.  I
t wasn’t his or her fault that I didn’t want to be in this situation.  “You’re right.
Okay.
”

He walked me into the most beautiful doctor’s office I had ever seen.  “Wow, this is nothing like my doctor’s office
,”
I said.

“When was the last time you
saw a
doctor?”

“I don’t know, but I
remember
that I got a balloon and stickers on my way out
,
” I grinned.

“Right this way,” a
nurse said, leading us into an exam room.  “Okay, I’ll need a urine sample from you and then you can put this gown on.”

“I
’m just
nauseous
.
I don’t need to put on a gown.”

“You
need to put on the gown
,
”
s
he said, leaving me no room to argue.

“Okay
,
” I
agreed
, looking down.

“
Dr. Branson will be right in to examine you.”

I was starting to panic and Logan knew it.  “It’s okay
Delaney;
he’s not going to hurt you.  He’s supposed to be
a very good doctor
, the best on the island
.
”

I nodded at him and then grabbed the urine cup I was supposed to fill and headed into the bathroom.  I hadn’t been able to keep anything down in ages and I
just couldn’t pee. 
I tried turning the water on, but
that didn’t help.  I finally headed back into the exam room with an empty cup.

“Couldn’t go?  You
haven’t been able to
eat or drink
anything
,
so I’m not surprised.
”

I picked up the gown and headed back into the bathroom to change.  I came back holding my clothes,
looking around nervously,
not sure where to put them.

“Here, I’ll take them
,
” Logan said
, reaching his arms out to me
.

“I don’t want to be here,
” I said, suddenly very frightened.

He was instantly at my side, “
I
t’s
okay
.
I promise it’s going to be fine.”

I sat down in the chair next to Logan, refusing to climb up onto the exam table.  Logan reached out and took my hand
,
“
Don’t worry.
”

Dr. Branson walked in t
hen, holding a chart and a book
.
“Hi
there
, I’m Dr.
James
Branson, and you’re
Delaney
and Logan
, right
?”
h
e asked.

“
Yes
,
” Logan said
.
I could only nod.

“
So thi
s is your first prenatal visit?”
h
e asked, sitting down on the stool and rolling over to me.

“Yes
,” I whispered.

“When was
the first day of
your last period?”
h
e asked
, right off the bat
.

I was mortified to have to answer that question in front of Logan, but I
knew I had to.  “I
um, I
don’t really remember.  It’s been a while.
  I’ve never kept track very well
.
I never needed to
,
”
I blushed.

“Okay.  Well, we can do an ultrasound to narrow down the date of conception.”

“
Oh,
I know the date…
of conception
,
” I said, and Logan squeezed my hand.

“Oh, well that makes things easier.”

I told him the date of the grad party and then I answered a bunch more embarrassing questions and when I finally thought it was all over, he asked me to get
up
onto the table.  I froze.

“Dr. Branson, this is Delaney’s first actual doctor visit since she was a child
,
”
Logan said, giving the doctor a head’s up that I had never had a gynecological exam before.

“I see.  It’s okay
,
Delaney
.
I
’
ll tell you everything I’m going to do before I do it.  My nurse will come in and assist me.  Logan, you can stand right up
t
here and hold her hand.
”

“Um, maybe I should wait outside for this part
,”
Logan said.

“No.  Don’t go
,”
I said, terrified to be alone with the doctor.  He came over and held my hand again, instantly calming me.

“
It’s important for Dad’s to be involved
,
too
,
” Dr. Branson told Logan
.

“
Um, h
e’s not…
” I started, not wanting Logan to have to take the blame for something he had nothing to do with.

“I’m not used to being called ‘Dad’ yet
,
” Logan
interrupted,
and winked at me, giving me a
little smile. 
I didn’t argue
.
I just sat there stunned
, grateful that I didn’t have to explain who or where the baby’s father was
.

“
Delaney, you’ll be fine
.  I
t’s only going to be
mildly uncomfortable.  As soon as the exam is over, I’m going to have my nurse start an IV
and get some fluids into you.
”
             
“How long do I have to stay?” I asked, wanting to bolt through the door
right then.