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Erin sputtered. “Marrying well? Kam, are you listening to yourself?”
“Of course. In Jawhara, it is every girl’s dream to marry well. Short of marrying me, your cousin could not find a better match.”
“I think Shira might have something to say about her future being arranged for her like this.”
“Shira will be told when the time is right. According to our customs, Khalil cannot marry until I have taken a bride. He knows this and is willing to wait for the next several months.”
“You’re getting married?” Erin asked, unable to stop the words from tumbling from her lips. She sat down as she felt her dreams shatter.
I’ve been so stupid.
She had allowed herself to visualize a future with Kam, but he was getting married to someone else. This turn of events was too similar to what had happened with Steven. When would she learn?
“That is a topic for a later time. I will inform Talib that you do not need a doctor today. If you are still ill in the morning, however, one will be summoned.”
Erin stared at the phone, resisting the urge to hurl it across the room.His Majesty definitely needed lessons in how the non-royal portion of the world lived. Arranging her cousin’s marriage? Preposterous! But if she was going to be honest with herself, she had to admit that she missed hearing his deep voice. If only he were whispering terms of endearment instead of barking orders.
Erin opened the front door and tossed the phone out without looking to see if there was anyone standing there to catch it. She slammed the door shut but didn’t get it latched before hearing it ring. She’d just started to calm her breathing with a few deep breaths when her stomach made itself known once again. Rushing to the bathroom, she gave in to the nausea.
After rinsing her mouth and cleaning her face with a damp washcloth, she climbed back into bed. She needed to call Shira, but it would have to wait until she was feeling better.
* * *
Erin struggled to fight off the nausea for the next several days, but when Friday rolled around and she was still not feeling better, she made her own appointment with her doctor.
She had returned to work the day after her phone confrontation with Kam, just to ensure that Talib would not force some unsuspecting physician to make a house call. She had no doubt that Kam would make good on his promise tosummona physician for her.
She didn’t want Kam to hear about her doctor’s appointment, so she made up an excuse for the driver. “I’m going to do some shopping after work. You can drop me off at the Crystal City Shops, and I’ll call you when I’m ready to return home. It will probably be late, around 8 or 9 p.m.”
“Yes, ma’am.” His voice conveyed his trepidation at following her orders without first checking in with her ever-present but seldom-seen bodyguard. After the incident in her office, Talib had made his presence more visible but still kept a discreet distance, and unless Erin looked for him, he was usually out of sight.
Erin watched and was pleased when he didn’t immediately pick up his phone. Maybe she could get inside the mall before he was able to tell Talib of her change in plans. She knew her actions would most likely precipitate another phone call from Kam, but she really didn’t care.
“Right here will be fine. I’ll meet you back in this same spot,” she told the driver after he opened her door and assisted her from the vehicle. Entering the mall, she immediately turned left and headed towards the west exit. Her physician’s office was located three blocks over, but the walkways were covered and crowded with people anxious to start their weekend.
She glanced behind her, smiling when she didn’t see Talib following her. When her cell phone rang, she glanced at the number to see that Kam had already been notified of her defection. Turning the ringer off, she made her way to the doctor’s office, arriving just in time for her appointment.
She fought back her nausea and dug deep for her reserve of energy.She just needed to get through the next few hours and then she could sleep all weekend. Maybe she needed some vitamins to get her over the hump?
* * *
One hour later
“What?” Erin whispered, looking at her doctor as if she had suddenly grown two heads. “Pregnant?”
“Yes. I take it by the expression on your face that this is a surprise?”
Erin could only nod in response.
I’m pregnant? Oh Lord, not just pregnant, but pregnant with Kam’s baby!
“I’m going to write you a prescription for some prenatal vitamins and for some gum that should help with the nausea. I had morning sickness for the first several months of my pregnancy, and while it has a chalky taste, it was an absolute lifesaver.”
The doctor issued this statement with a smile of encouragement as Erin nodded again, still speechless. She was pregnant. She was pregnant!
“Erin, are you okay?” her doctor asked.
“I will be. Thank you, doctor.”
