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It only takes us five minutes to get to the clinic, by which time she’s finished the bagel and drunk half the coffee. I park out the front, and we get out and head for the entrance. She pales as we walk in, and after I tell the receptionist that we’re here to see Dr. Clinton, and we take a seat in the waiting area, I can feel her trembling.
“Are you going to faint on me again?” I ask.
She shakes her head, but swallows hard. I decide distraction might be the best policy. “Did you bring your other shamrock today?”
She looks at me then, and her green eyes are very bright. Delving a hand into her bag, she unzips a pocket and pulls out the second earring and the shamrock I gave her yesterday. I take them from her and slip them into my inside pocket.
“I’ll get them put onto new hooks,” I tell her.
“Thank you.” She stares into my eyes, and suddenly I’m right back at the bar, looking down at her as we dance.
She blinks. “Saxon, I—”
“Ms. O’Clery?”
She stops at the sound of the male voice, and we both look over at Mathew Clinton. He smiles at me, then says to her, “Would you like to come this way?”
“Go on,” I tell her. “Good luck.”
Her brows draw together, and I can see the panic setting in. She moistens her lips with the tip of her tongue. “Would you come with me?”
My eyebrows rise. I hadn’t expected that. She’s been so insistent that she doesn’t want help, and I was sure she wouldn’t want me in the room.
“Uh, sure.” I get to my feet. She rises too, and to my surprise she slides her hand into mine as we walk over to Mathew.
If he notices, he doesn’t comment. “Ms. O’Clery,” he says, “I’m Dr. Clinton. It’s very nice to meet you.”
She shakes hands with him, still very pale.
“Hey, Saxon,” he says, and we also shake hands.
“Thanks for seeing us at such short notice,” I reply.
“Not at all, Lord knows you’ve done enough for this clinic over the past year. Come this way.”
He leads us along the corridor, and then left through an open door into a room. It has a desk on the left and on the right a bed with an ultrasound machine.
He gestures to the chairs, and the two of us sit, while he takes the third chair and picks up a clipboard with several sheets of paper clipped to it. “Okay, so can you please fill in the top sheet, Catie, is it?” When she nods, he continues, “just answer to the best of your ability, okay?”
She starts writing, beginning with her name and address, and carrying on down.
He glances at her, then at me, and smiles. “How’s phase four coming along?”
“Good. Mack’s running the phase three results, and we’ve already started comparing the data. We’re on track for you to begin the next trial in January.”
“That’s great. Funny to think the babies of phase one are due at Christmas.”
“I know. Time flies, and all that.”
“You’ve helped a lot of couples, Saxon.”
“Thecompanyhas helped a lot of couples, but it’s not enough. I know we can do better. Even so, it’s good to know it’s working.”
Catie glances at me, then hands the form to Mat.
“Thanks.” He takes it and scans through it. “Oh, happy birthday.”
“Thank you.”
