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“And you can still go places,” he assured her with a charming smile that made her distinctly aware that he was a very good-looking man. “Only now you’ll always have a buddy by your side.”
A buddy. That was a different perspective. Before Dr. Lassiter had walked through the door, she’d been sitting on the paper sheet, confused as to what to do. But when she thought of aborting the baby, a wave of abject sadness capsized her with a violent crash. This little thing in her body — equal parts her and Boston — was already digging it’s little fingers into her heart and she knew she couldn’t abort but she was still afraid of dying. “Doctor…I have a question…”
“And hopefully I have an answer,” he said, eliciting a short smile on her part. “What’s your question?
“Birth complications. What if I die trying to have this baby?”
He sobered with a nod of understanding. “Statistically the odds are very low but a pregnancy can be dangerous in certain situations. But you’re a young, healthy woman and I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t be just fine.”
She nodded but the image of Mindy, bleeding to death on her own bathroom floor, slammed into her mind. Mindy had hidden her pregnancy from everyone and had sworn Julianna to secrecy. Every day she wished she’d broken that promise. “I knew someone who died from a complication.”
“Oh? I’m so sorry. May I ask…what happened?”
Julianna didn’t want to talk about Mindy but she supposed she couldn’t get over her fear unless she did. “She was my best friend. We were in high school. The baby got stuck I think because it wouldn’t come out.”
“And the doctor didn’t do a C-section?”
She swallowed. “She didn’t have a doctor,” Julianna nearly choked on the words. All Mindy had had was Julianna. And Julianna hadn’t known a thing about birthing a baby. New tears followed as she shook her head. “It’s hard for me to talk about. Just tell me…what would happen if my baby got stuck in there.”
“Then we would do an emergency C-section and within minutes the baby would be out and the crisis would end.” He took a risk and clasped her hand gently as he said, “Julianna…I am so sorry about your friend. That’s a terrible thing to happen to anyone, much less a young girl who probably wasn’t ready to be a mom, but that’s not going to happen to you. I promise.”
She swallowed and wiped at her eyes. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
Julianna released a shaky breath and whispered, “Okay. Thank you. I don’t want to die.”
“I don’t want you to die either. It’s hard to hold onto patients if they die on you.” He surprised her with a cheeky grin and she couldn’t help the smile that followed. “That’s a girl. Okay, no more tears. This is a happy day where I get to say, congratulations, you’re having a baby!”
She regarded him with gratitude for being so kind and gentle when she needed it most, saying, “Dr. Lassiter, you’ve been so sweet listening to me blubber about my problems when that’s not your job. I don’t normally break down and overshare with strangers but I’m new to the area and I don’t know anyone yet and I think the situation just kind of overwhelmed me.”
“No need to apologize. You’ve got a lot happening in your body right now. Growing a whole other human is hard work. Cut yourself some slack.” His smile faded as he slipped back into doctor-mode. “However, here’s the part where I must warn you, you are very early in your pregnancy and this is generally the most fragile of the terms. I am going to prescribe some prenatal vitamins and plenty of rest. Don’t try and overdo it. If you’re tired, take a nap. Listen to your body.”
She nodded. “I have been pretty tired…and nauseous. When does that constant urge to throw up go away?”
“Every woman is different but usually by the second trimester.”
“Second trimester?” she repeated in dismay and added with a groan. “I don’t think I can handle months of this stuff. I’ve never thrown up so much in my life.”
He laughed. “Well, like I said, your body is doing a Herculean feat. Making eyeballs and all that so accept that nausea like a badge of honor. Maybe you’ll get lucky and the morning sickness will fade before your second trimester.”
“Does that happen?”
“Sure,” he answered with a grin. “In the meantime, eat small, light meals and always have a few crackers stuffed in your purse for emergencies.”
Julianna sighed and her thoughts immediately went to Boston. If he were here he’d no doubt hire a nutritionist and a full-time chef to follow her around to ensure her every need were met. Ugh. What a nuisance that would be. But then if he were there with her, she’d also be snuggled up to him every night, too. Their bodies had fit together in a way that defied explanation. She smoothed her hand over her still-flat tummy and looked to the doctor to ask with hope in her voice, “Can I hear the heartbeat again?”
“Absolutely.” He grabbed the Doppler and lubed it up again as she laid down and lifted her shirt. After he found the little bumping bean inside her, he grinned as fresh tears of wonder filled her eyes, saying, “Most beautiful sound in the world, isn’t it?”
Yeah…she kind of had to agree.
Well, girl…looks like you’re going to be a mother. Wow. Talk about a crazy turn of events.
#
The rest of the day as Miles Lassiter went through his various appointments, his new patient Julianna Holly remained in his mind. What an incredibly beautiful woman, he thought as he returned to his office to write patient notes. Her smile could light up a room but the sadness in her eyes pulled at him in a way that shouldn’t. He never dallied with a patient — ever — and he didn’t see himself making an exception for Julianna but he wasn’t going to lie…the temptation was more powerful than anything he’d ever experienced. He wanted to know more about her — there was definitely a story behind those sad eyes — but good sense told him to steer clear. A beautiful woman with a tragic story was his kryptonite. And he’d been burned too badly the last time he’d succumbed to that urge. A woman was part of the reason he’d relocated to St. John, to get away from the memory of how he’d been used and thrown away like a dirty maxi pad. And he’d just gotten his head on straight again by burying himself in his practice and charitable work.
So stop thinking about Julianna Holly. Whatever her problems are, they do not involve you beyond being her doctor.
Good advice that he planned to take.
No matter how intriguing he found the lovely Miss Holly.
#
Boston landed at the St. Thomas airport and while everyone else was exclaiming about the dense humidity, he simply grabbed his carry-on and pushed on. Richard had procured transportation and after locating the driver, climbed into the air-conditioned Towncar as it whisked him to the ferry.
St. John wasn’t very large but it might be a challenge to find a woman who was determined not to be found. However, she’d plainly underestimated his determination to reclaim what belonged to him.
Woe her. Don’t chase her down like a dog.
He shook Richard’s advice from his head in irritation. Woe her? Why the hell should he do that? He owned her. Because you live for her smile and the feel of her body beneath yours is the most sublime experience you’ve ever known and she’s as stubborn as you are so forcing her is bound to make things worse.
Boston closed his eyes against the sudden sting and ground away the moisture with the flat of his hand. He needed sleep and food. This situation was curdling his brain.
