A &E Docs: His Baby Surprise

At least, not too much.

Ellen started mashing the potatoes. “Can you get the milk out of the fridge, please?”

As Avery did so, her attention was snagged by the numerous photographs on the refrigerator door, affixed by magnets advertising everything from pizza delivery to Pier 39. But it was one picture in particular that caught her eye—a couple with four children, including two boys who couldn’t be anything but identical twins.

“My nephew’s family,” Ellen said, when she saw what Avery was looking at.

She swallowed, suddenly uneasy. “Do twins run in your family?”

The other woman shook her head, and Avery exhaled a quiet sigh of profound relief.

“Quinn and Shane are Georgia’s boys from her first marriage,” Ellen explained. “Pippa was born a few months after her husband died, then she married Matt and they added Aiden to the family.”

“They must be very busy.”

“I’m sure they are,” she acknowledged. “Unfortunately, I don’t get to see them nearly as often as I like because they live in upstate New York. Both of Matt’s brothers are there, too, along with their wives and families.”

“They’re all married?”

“All within twelve months of one another,” she admitted. “Justin’s cousin Nate almost didn’t go to Lukas’s wedding—he was afraid there was something in the water up there.

“Now that I think about it, I don’t think he did drink any water that weekend. Of course, Nate’s married now, too, and not too long after both of his brothers, so maybe he should have worried about the water here.”

Avery smiled. “I actually met Nate and Allison at the Storybook Ball.”

Ellen frowned. “John and I were there, too. I wonder why Justin didn’t introduce you to us that night.”

“I arrived late and he said you left early—something about a friend’s cousin’s boyfriend’s show at the art gallery?”

“Oh, that’s right,” Ellen remembered. She shook her head. “We never should have wasted our time. We’ve always believed in supporting the arts, and young artists in particular, but I’m not sure that what we saw that night would fit even the broadest definition of art. However, I heard the ball was a tremendous success.”

“It was,” Avery confirmed. “And the orthopedics department is going to get its EOS imaging machine.”

“That is wonderful news.” Ellen opened the oven to check on the beef Wellington. “But I’ve got myself sidetracked again—I wanted to know more about you.”

“Well, you know that I’m a doctor.”

“Harvard Medical School followed by a residency at Massachusetts General.”

“You’re on the hiring committee,” Avery suddenly recalled.

Justin’s mother nodded. “I remember when your résumé came in—no one could understand why you’d leave a major hospital in a big city to come to Charisma, and many didn’t believe, even if you did come, that you’d stay.”

“I had some doubts myself,” Avery confided. “Charisma is a different world from Boston, but Mercy is an excellent hospital, and within six months, I knew I didn’t want to be anywhere else.”

“How quickly did Justin hit on you?” his mother asked.

She felt her cheeks flush. “The day of my interview.”

“And now, three-and-a-half years later, he finally got you to go out with him.”

“I know I’m not his usual type,” Avery began.

“I wouldn’t know his usual type,” Ellen admitted. “Justin doesn’t typically bring home any of the women he dates.”

“He doesn’t?”

“Not since college. So when Justin told me that he was bringing a guest to dinner—I didn’t know what to think. Now that I’ve met you...I’m so glad that you’re here—that he found you.”

The sincerity in the other woman’s voice made Avery uneasy. “I’m afraid you’re thinking this dinner means more than it does,” she told her.

Ellen smiled. “I think it means more than you’re willing to admit.”

“Mrs. Garrett—”

“Call me Ellen.”

“Ellen,” she said, trying again. “Justin and I are friends and coworkers, but our relationship really isn’t much more than that.”

“Not much more means that it is something more.”

Trapped by her own words, Avery reluctantly nodded. “I guess it does.”

“That’s good enough for now,” Ellen said, handing her the bowl of mashed potatoes to carry. “Now let’s get this food out before the men start banging their fists on the table.”

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