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Her nose tingled with yet more tears. Were these people for real? How could anyone—total strangers—be so generous?
“I’m afraid we have a more serious problem here. The contractions started too easily and could progress without medication and monitoring. It’s feasible that you could go into labor if we let the contractions continue. Darcy, you’ve got a little less than five weeks until your due date, but we need every one of them.”
“I have to take the medication, don’t I?”
“It would be best,” Dr. Clyde said with a nod.
“Will I be able to work? I have to pay for the repairs and rent.” She turned toward Rosetta. “If I stay with you, I have to pay rent. I’mnota charity case.”
Rosetta’s features softened with a look similar to…pride? “I know that, dear.”
Dr. Clyde set her file aside. “In an ideal world I’d insist you not work. But given the situation, I’m not opposed to it if doing so will make you feel better, and provided the medication is effective and you aren’t contracting. But you need to rest between clients, and I insist on half your normal load. Understood?”
Darcy nodded, unable to take it all in. It should’ve been her mother standing here beside her, should’ve been her mother holding her hand in support. Offering to help, to take her home. Garret wouldn’t like this. Not after what happened between them. And his boss.
My baby comes first. And it’s not like I’ll be kissing Garret again.
Darcy forced herself to lift her chin and stare directly into Rosetta’s eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Without a doubt.”
“Then I’ll stay on the condition that I pay you rent and get to help around the house.”
Rosetta beamed. “Done. You drive a hard bargain.”
Darcy smiled weakly. They all knew she was getting the best of the deal.
Chapter 19
LATER THAT EVENINGGarret sat back in his chair and tried to tell himself he wasn’t responsible for how complicated his life had become. It didn’t work.
Despite Gram’s assurances that she had things under control and that nothing had happened between Garret and Darcy, Harry had made life hell. When the hospital president wasn’t muttering about Darcy and public display, he’d wreaked havoc throughout the hospital, causing numerous problems. And why not? Harry knew Garret would be the one left to clean up the mess. Garret didn’t doubt it was Harry’s version of revenge and the man’s way of keeping him so busy he wouldn’t have time to see Darcy.
After months of negotiations with the union representative and coming within inches of signing a new contract with the nurses, Harry had blown everything by informing the union official that the nurses didn’tdeservea raise. Harry and the rep had nearly come to blows, and Garret had spent the entire afternoon on the phone trying to repair the damage. He was sick of Harry’s temper and holier-than-thou attitude. The man didn’t have a clue how to relate to the hospital’s many employees. Months of work down the drain and for what?
As they had throughout the day, his thoughts drifted to Darcy. That her latest scare came on the heels of their kiss had been on his mind all day, and he tossed the pen he held onto the desk in frustration. How was she? Did she think he’d kissed her because—Whyhadhe kissed her? One minute he’d offered comfort, the next he couldn’t think of anything but tasting her. Friends didn’t do that.
The phone rang and he hesitated before picking it up. “Garret Tulane.”
“Sounds like you and I had the same kind of day,” Joss said. “I just wanted to let you know I’m home and that I talked to Daddy a few minutes ago. He was awfully fired up.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “Joss—”
“Don’t worry about me, Garret. Daddy’s in a mood. You’re such an honorable man. I trust you and I know you’d never deliberately hurt me. And I would never deliberately hurt you.”
Tell her what happened.But it was only a kiss, and not deliberate, like she’d said. Why make the situation worse when it wouldn’t happen again?
“Listen, I, um, called to cancel our date tonight. I know we talked about going out to dinner, but I’m really tired and—”
“No.”
“What?”
“Joss…I don’t care what we do. I don’t care if you sleep all evening, but I’d like to see you.”
“Oh…How sweet. Okay, I think maybe I feel a second wind coming. I’m at home. Want to swing by here?”
“I’ll be there in half an hour.”
