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“Is it all you want it to be?” Caitie asked, her voice gentle.
“Honestly? I don’t know.” Harper let out a sigh. “I mean, he’s a handsome guy, and yeah, I’m attracted to him, but maybe that’s just biology. My body probably wants me to be attracted to the baby’s father, the same way it would have in caveman days.”
Ally grinned. “So he’s a caveman?”
Brooke laughed and Caitie let out a whistle. Ember shook her head.
“It wouldn’t be a good idea even if I did want things to happen,” Harper pointed out. “First of all, I’m a mess. I have no home, no job, and I’m three months pregnant. I’m not exactly a catch right now. And then there’s his history. He was married to his soul mate. They had a baby together. He had everything he ever wanted. How could I ever compete with that?”
They were all silent for a moment, sympathy softening their gazes. Harper picked up her cup and took a sip of her decaf latte.
Yes, she liked him. More than she’d realized until this moment, but she was also certain nothing could come of it. And she wasn’t planning on risking her relationship with her baby’s father for the sake of caveman biology and her raging second trimester hormones.
Even if they were getting more difficult to ignore.
11
“Hi, I’m Doctor Ellie O’Brien. Please come on in.” The obstetrician had one of the biggest smiles Harper had ever seen. With her blonde hair, athletic frame, and Australian accent she could have been Chris Hemsworth’s younger sister.
“Take a seat,” she said, pointing to the three chairs gathered around a low coffee table. “You, too, James.” Ellie took the chair across from them, resting a cardboard file on her lap.
She looked at Harper. “Thanks for giving me the details of your doctor in L.A. He’s sent your records through. Am I right in thinking you last saw him a little over four weeks ago?”
“Yes, I met with him prior to moving here to confirm pregnancy”
“Well, I’ve reviewed all your records and everything’s looking great. Did the nurse take your vitals along with urine and blood samples before you came in?”
“Yep.” Harper nodded.
Ellie picked up her electronic notebook from the coffee table and swiped it open. “Yeah, there it is. And your blood pressure is fine, slightly high, but nothing to be concerned about. Just make sure you limit any caffeine intake and rest more as you continue in your pregnancy. The baby needs a lot of energy to grow.”
“Sure.” Harper nodded.
“Have you booked a tour of the facilities here?” Ellie asked. “There’s the prenatal suite where you’ll give birth, and of course the postnatal ward and nursery. You’ll want to take a look at them all. I know how important these things are when you’re making a decision about where you want to have your baby.”
“I’ll take her around after this,” James suggested. “Save somebody the job.”
“No problem.” Ellie grinned at him. “Okay then, let’s take a look at your baby. How about you hop up on the exam table?” she asked Harper.
“I can now. I’m not sure I’ll be hopping anywhere in a few weeks.”
Ellie laughed. “Touché. But hop while you can.” She pulled the exam paper down onto the table and Harper climbed up. “Do you want to come and look, James?” Ellie asked, turning to him.
James looked at Harper. She nodded, and he stood to join them.
“I’m just going to examine your stomach first,” Ellie told her, lifting Harper’s top up to expose the bottom of her abdomen. She pressed firmly, moving her fingers around. “And now let’s give you a measure,” she said, taking her tape measure out and laying it on Harper’s stomach. “Yep, fourteen weeks exactly,” she said. “Perfect.”
Harper looked up at James. He was watching Ellie’s movement’s carefully, his expression unreadable. Ellie touched Harper’s hands, “Any swelling on your hands or feet?” she asked her.
“No, nothing.”
“Great. Well you’re looking really good. Would you like to see your baby?”
“You’re doing an ultrasound?” James asked her.
“I typically do the nuchal translucency test at this stage of pregnancy to check for any defects,” Ellie said to him. “And then at twenty weeks we’ll do the detailed scan. That’s if it’s okay with you guys? Even if you decide to go with another obstetrician, it’ll be one thing less to worry about. And the test is best performed now, so I’d recommend it.”
James looked at Harper and she nodded. “Sure, let’s do it.” She was almost certain she wanted to have Ellie as her OB. She liked her friendly, no-nonsense style. Ellie was the kind of person Harper could see herself being friends with in another life.
