The Doctor's Baby

“We discussed all sorts of things before that,” David insisted. “Triathlon training. Best Indie Horror movies. Food favorites.”

“We talked about our likes and dislikes,” July reminded him. “But we shared very little about our personal lives.”

He paused for a moment and realized she was right. She hadn’t mentioned anything about her childhood. And he hadn’t mentioned he’d had a wife who’d died. “Foster care couldn’t have been easy.”

An unreadable look filled her eyes. “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

Those horrible days after the car accident flashed before him. Though David didn’t feel stronger, at least he no longer dwelled on something that couldn’t be changed. “I’m surprised you weren’t adopted.”

Instead of a quick comeback, she paused, her green eyes dark. “It was … complicated.”

“Tell me,” he urged when she didn’t continue.

She shook her head. When the bulldog set to her jaw returned he knew she’d shared all she was going to on the matter.

“How did you end up here anyway?” Her gaze narrowed. “When we met, you were supposedly living in Minneapolis and planning to move to Chicago.”

“No supposedly about it. I was working at Hennepin but had accepted the position at Rush when you and I talked.” David shifted his gaze out the window and let it linger on the snowy mountain peaks in the distance.

He’d felt so lost after Celeste’s death. So alone. Unable to shake the sadness, he’d moved to the Twin Cities, hoping a change of scene would help. It hadn’t. He’d been planning another move, this time to Chicago, the night he’d met July.

“What happened?” she asked.

“I had lunch with an old friend the day after we … were together. We’d known each other a long time. He knew my—” David paused “—situation. After talking to him I realized that being in Jackson—with my family—was where I belonged.”

“Please, don’t let me keep you from your family,” she said, her green eyes as cool as her tone.

“I still have a few minutes.” David needed to get to his nephew’s party but just like the last time they were together, he found himself reluctant to leave her. “How did your friend Adam respond when you called and gave him the good news?”

“I haven’t been able to reach him,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

The announcement over the PA system advised visitors it was time to leave. David glanced at the clock on the wall. Ten minutes to get to his sister’s house. Ten minutes or he was in the doghouse for life. He rose to his feet. “I’d better go.”

She didn’t say another word, merely gave him a polite smile, the kind you’d give a casual acquaintance you didn’t plan to see again.

“I’ll check on you tomorrow,” he promised even as he edged closer to the door, still reluctant to leave. “See how you’re feeling, make sure you’re up to going home.”

“There’s no need—”

The door swung open and an older staff nurse, who’d worked for the hospital since David had been a baby, stepped into the room, a blue-wrapped bundle in her arms. “Mrs. Greer, you have a visitor.”

David saw July flinch at the “Mrs.” but she didn’t correct the woman. Instead her green eyes widened and her gaze remained riveted on the baby.

The gray-haired nurse stopped when she saw David. “Dr. Wahl. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I didn’t realize you were still here.”

“It’s fine. I was on my way out.” David knew his sister and family were waiting. Knew his nephews would refuse to start the party until he got there. Even so, he took an extra second to linger and admire the baby that very easily could be his.

“Thanks for coming tonight.” Mary Karen Vaughn stood beside David on the porch of the large two-story white clapboard she shared with her three sons, their maternal grandmother, Fern, and supersized cockapoo, Henry. “Logan was so excited to see you.”

“Three little boys throwing cake at each other.” David winked. “Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

Actually, this evening the terrible trio had been fairly well-behaved. And the war-whoop the twins and Logan had let loose when he’d walked through the door had warmed his heart. Of course, with his parents on a European cruise, his only competition was Granny Fern. And while the boys loved their great-grandmother, they’d stuck tight to his side all evening.

After the spaghetti had been eaten and the two candles blown out on the cake, Granny had gone to her room for some well-needed “shut-eye.” Last week she’d tripped over the dog and cracked a rib.

Though Granny loved helping with the boys and watching them while Mary Karen worked an occasional shift at the hospital, David worried about her. The older woman needed more rest than she was able to get in this busy household. That was one of the reasons he’d stayed and helped Mary Karen get the boys bathed and in bed. But that wasn’t the only reason. Keeping busy kept thoughts of July at bay.

“You’re so good with the boys.” Mary Karen turned to the rail and stared out into the darkness. Far off in the distance, a coyote wailed. She pulled her coat tight around her. “You and Celeste should have had children.”

Celeste had liked Mary Karen as much as she’d liked anyone in Jackson, but David knew his sister had hoped more closeness would come when they had children in common.

David wasn’t sure it would have made a difference. Celeste had been so different from his down-to-earth sister. Different than most of the women in Jackson. He smiled. His wife had been a hothouse rose in a field of wildflowers.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say Celeste had been the most beautiful woman in Jackson. Men would stop on the street and stare when she walked by. She’d been a city girl to the core, a woman who’d loved shopping, travel and him. When they’d left California and moved to Jackson, she’d kept her job as a marketing rep for a company based in Los Angeles. He’d worried about her being on the road so much, but accepted the fact that she loved her job too much to quit.

Then two years ago, on her way to the airport for a business trip, her sports car had been broadsided by a drunk driver. She’d been killed instantly. When he’d heard the news, a part of him had died with her.

At the time Mary Karen had just delivered Logan. Connor and Caleb, the twins, had just turned two. While his sister’s household had always been chaotic, to add to her stress, her husband of three years had started making noises that he’d rather be single.

“I wish we’d had a baby, too,” David murmured into the quiet stillness. “But we wanted to wait for just the right moment. We thought we had all the time in the world.”

The darkness surrounding them made it easier to speak of the past.

“I think we’ve both learned there are no guarantees. Life can be going along just fine then poof … everything changes.” The pain in her voice made David long to slam a fist into his ex-brother-in-law’s face.

“You’re right.” David reached down absently and scratched the head of Henry, the large cockapoo standing beside him.

“But change isn’t always bad,” Mary Karen said, her optimistic nature shining above the gloom. “Sometimes it can be good. Unexpected doesn’t always mean unwanted.”

David thought of the woman in the maternity wing and the baby boy who slumbered in the nursery. His baby? Or the child of another man?

He hadn’t planned on being a father, but if that child was his, he wouldn’t walk away. Because like his sister had said … just because something was unexpected, didn’t mean it was unwanted.

Chapter Three

July pulled on her maternity jeans and slipped a dark green cotton shirt over her head. Although she’d gained only twenty pounds with this pregnancy—and had lost a good chunk of it yesterday—she wasn’t quite ready for skinny jeans and a fitted sweater. Thankfully most of the simple styles she’d purchased while pregnant didn’t have a “maternity” look.

But dealing with clothes was the least of her concerns. Where to go once she and Adam returned to Chicago, now that had her worried. Before she’d started on her four-national-parks-in-four-months photo shoot, her home had been the basement of a friend from her newspaper days. A woman who’d made it clear she could live there only until the baby arrived. Apparently the husband had a strong aversion to crying infants.

A.J. had told her she could room with him once his roommate moved out May 1. That date would have been perfect if the baby had come late as the doctor predicted.

When a door slams shut it means God is pointing to an open door farther on down.

The verse had been on a needlepoint pillow at the home where she’d stayed when her mom had been in rehab for the third time. The mother in that family had been a needlepoint fanatic who never met a saying she didn’t want to stitch.

July took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Everything would work out. She’d made good money photographing wildlife in some of the most beautiful national parks in the United States. Yellowstone had been the final one on the list and she’d finished shooting less than forty-eight hours earlier.

Nylah, the woman who was her liaison with Outdoor Life magazine, had gushed over the images.

A sense of satisfaction rose inside July. When she’d lost her job at the newspaper due to cutbacks, she’d been devastated. But it had turned out to be an unexpected blessing.

Photographing nature had always been her passion. Whether it was a single flower growing out of a crack in the concrete or an imposing Bighorn on a rocky ledge, she was happiest outdoors with a camera in her hand.

The tension in her shoulders had begun to ease when the cell phone in her pocket buzzed. July pulled it out and glanced at the readout. Nylah. Her heart picked up speed. Hopefully the woman was calling to tell her the magazine had approved the Yellowstone shots.

Moving slowly to the door, July closed it all the way before hitting the talk button. “Hello, Nylah.”

“Ohmygod, I can’t believe it’s finally you. I was starting to think you’d been abducted by aliens.” The words ran together, tumbling out one after the other. “I’ve been calling the motel since last night. When I finally reached the guy at the front desk, I panicked when he told me he hadn’t seen you since yesterday morning. He told me to call your cell, but it kept going straight to voice mail.”

“I forgot to charge it.” A sick feeling rolled around in the pit of July’s stomach. While Nylah had loved the photos, July knew final approval would come from someone at Outdoor Life magazine. “Is this about the photos? Is something wrong? If they want me to reshoot—”

“No, this isn’t about them. The photos were marvelous. Love them. Love them. Love them.” Nylah paused. “Now that I think about it, the reason I’m calling does involve the pictures, but only in the very best of ways.”

Now thoroughly confused, July took a seat on the edge of the bed. “So Outdoor Life approved the Yellowstone photos?”

“Yes, yes, but that’s not why we need to talk. Are you ready?”

July rolled her eyes and reclined against the pillow, the phone resting against her ear. “Ready.”

“Were you aware that I had brought in several other photographers to Yellowstone to take pictures of the Bighorns?”

“No.” July’s fingers tightened around the phone. The elderly guide had said something about bringing other “shutter-bugs” to several of the sites where she’d gone. At the time she’d assumed he was talking about tourists, not other photographers.

“It was a competition of sorts.” Nylah’s voice rose. “You won.”

July loosened her death grip on the phone. “I did?”

“Absolutely. A well-known writer recently contacted me. He has a contract to do a series of books on wildlife in America. After checking out the Bighorn shots from everyone, he selected you to take the photos from this part of the country. If he likes what he sees even half as much as the Bighorn sheep, he may ask for more,” Nylah said. “He’s willing to pay—”

The amount Nylah mentioned made July gasp. As the woman continued to talk, July realized this meant she’d have to remain in Jackson for at least another month. While that probably wasn’t the wisest thing to do—with David and his family living here—the money was too good to turn down.

“Can you start today?” Nylah asked.

“Uh, today’s not good.” July had heard stories of women who had babies in the field and continued to work. Call her a wimp but she needed some time to recharge before tackling mountain trails. “How about next week?”

That would give her time to bring the baby home and get settled. And Dr. Fisher had said she could resume light activity in a week.

“That will be okay, I suppose.” Nylah didn’t sound exactly thrilled about the delay but then with her, everything was business. “Is it the pregnancy? I know you’re due soon—”

“I had the baby yesterday.” Though she tried to be matter-of-fact, July heard the lilt in her voice. That wasn’t surprising considering that every time she thought about her beautiful son she couldn’t help but smile.

“Wonderful news,” Nylah said. “I was concerned this whole giving-birth thing might interfere but it sounds like you’ve got it under control.”

“Thank you,” July said before she realized Nylah hadn’t congratulated her, not really.

“Knowing what a resourceful young woman you are, I’m sure you have child care all arranged,” Nylah said.

“Child care?” July said in a voice that seemed to come from far away.

“Surely you didn’t plan on taking the baby with you.”

“Um. No. Of course not,” July murmured even as her mind raced. Until this moment she hadn’t even considered that she’d have to find someone to care for her tiny baby. Still, if she wanted a roof over her head and food to eat, she had to keep working.

“Good.” Though Nylah had projected complete confidence up to this point, July heard the relief in her voice. “And congrats again. I don’t need to tell you this is a great coup. The other photographers had more impressive portfolios, but the photos you took were clearly the best.”

“Ms. Greer. Is this a bad time?”

July glanced at the dark-haired young woman standing in the doorway with a hospital name tag. Her stylish linen dress in pale yellow was the perfect foil for her dark hair. Not only did she have beautiful features but her makeup had obviously been applied with a deft touch, making her amber eyes look large and luminous.

“Nylah, I need to run. Call you later.” July clicked off the phone and placed it on the tray table.

“You didn’t need to do that,” the woman demurred. “I could have come back.”

“That’s okay.” July slid the phone into her pocket. “We were through talking anyway.”

“I’m Lexi Brennan.” The woman crossed the room and held out her hand. “I’m a social worker at Jackson Hole Memorial and part of our discharge planning team.”

July forced a smile. While this woman seemed nice, social workers had been the enemy during most of her childhood. They lived their life by the book, forced to follow guidelines even when those regulations meant returning a little girl over and over again to an addict mother.

Lexi gestured with one hand to the chair by the bed. “Mind if I sit for a moment?”

“Please, do.” July swung her legs over the side of the bed, her curiosity aroused. Was the woman here because of the hospital bill or concern over Adam’s well-being?

Stop, July told herself. You are a decent, law-abiding citizen. There is no reason to worry. Still, fear bubbled up inside her. “What is it you want?”

The thought burst from her lips. The tone was impertinent, bordering on rude. July wasn’t sure who was more surprised, the social worker or herself.

July froze. Her heart slammed against her ribs. She opened her mouth but shut it without speaking.

To her surprise, Lexi chuckled. “I like someone who gets right to the heart of the matter.”

The social worker’s graciousness made July feel even worse.

“I stopped to see if you needed any help with your post-hospital plans.” Lexi glanced down at the chart in her hand. “I noticed you listed your home address as Chicago. Will you be returning there once your baby is discharged?”

Before July could answer, a loud buzzing sounded from the pager clipped to the waistband of Lexi’s skirt. The social worker dropped her gaze to the readout then her brows furrowed. “I apologize. The family of a patient in our ICU has arrived. I really need to speak with them. Would it be okay if I came back in say … a half hour?”

July wished she could tell her she didn’t need to bother returning, that she had it all under control. But that would be a lie. She needed to find a place to live and someone to watch Adam. The social worker appeared to be her best resource.

“Will that work for you?” Lexi asked again, glancing toward the door.

“Absolutely.” July injected some enthusiasm into her voice. Lexi had been so gracious. She deserved the same consideration in return. “Dr. Fisher still needs to stop by before I can be released. The nurses don’t expect him for another hour or so.”

“Thanks for being so understanding.” Lexi had almost reached the door by the time she finished speaking. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

After the social worker left, July snagged her purse from the bedside stand. She’d showered this morning but hadn’t done much else. Lexi was so pretty, so put together that July couldn’t help but feel dowdy beside her.

Pulling a tube of mascara from her bag, July added some length to her lashes then shifted her attention to her mouth. With a quick flick she dipped her finger into a pot of gloss and pressed some color to her lips. Once that was applied to her satisfaction, she found a tiny tube of travel gel and took a couple minutes to tame a few wayward stands of hair. She smiled at herself in the compact. Much, much better.

“Looking good.” A deep voice filled with pure masculine appreciation sounded from the doorway.

July groaned. She’d hoped to be gone before David’s shift ended. No such luck. She snapped the compact closed, dropped it into her bag and shifted to face him. “I thought you’d be working.”

Or home with your wife. Bitterness rose inside her at his duplicity. What made her the angriest was that she’d asked about his marital status shortly after he’d began flirting with her in the hotel bar. Only after she found out she was pregnant with his baby and tried to track him down did she discover that he’d lied. According to a former colleague, the handsome young doctor who’d swept her off her feet wasn’t single. Apparently Dr. David Wahl had a “gorgeous” wife at home.

“I don’t go in today until three.” He pulled the door closed. Instead of a white jacket he wore khakis and a royal blue polo that made his eyes look bluer than the sky outside her window. “I came to see if you’d like to have lunch with me in the hospital cafeteria. The food is edible and it’ll give us a chance to catch up.”

Catch up? What was there to catch up on? Unless he meant to confess he had a wife he’d forgotten to mention, which she highly doubted. “With that ringing endorsement, it’d be hard to say no.”

“You’ll join me?”

His delighted smile was almost her undoing. The same electricity that had been there eight months ago sizzled in the room. But this time she ignored it. She didn’t want anything to do with a cheater.

“I’m being dismissed.” She glanced at her watch. “Once Dr. Fisher stops by, I’ll be on my way.”

“What about your boyfriend, er, I mean your friend?” he asked, his gaze watchful. “Did you ever reach him?”

“I did. He’d been out celebrating. He landed a role in a Broadway touring company.” July kept her tone even. “He’d just gotten off the phone with his agent finalizing the details when we connected.”

“Was he excited about the baby?”

“Very excited.” July forced some enthusiasm into her voice. A.J. had actually been more jazzed about his new role than her new son. But that was understandable. The theater was his life now. And he’d been around too many kids growing up to be excited about one more, even if that one was hers.

“When is he coming?”

“He’s not.” July brushed a piece of lint from her jeans. “The tour starts in two weeks. A.J. was a lastminute replacement, so he’s got lots of catching up to do.”

July understood how important this was to him, truly she did. This was his big break. Still she couldn’t help but wish he’d been a little more excited for her.

The look on David’s face said he didn’t understand, either. But instead of consoling her, it made July wish she’d kept her mouth shut or made something up. The less David knew about her personal life, the better.

“How long will you be staying in Jackson?” David asked in a tone so casual it sent red flags popping up.

“I’m not sure,” she hedged.

July couldn’t figure out why he kept coming around. If she were him, she’d be keeping her distance. This wasn’t a big impersonal town like Chicago. Jackson was small and everyone knew people in small towns loved to gossip. If David wasn’t careful, someone was going to mention his intense interest in her and her baby to his wife.

“Before Adam leaves the hospital, I’d like to have a test done on him. But I need your permission.”

July pulled her brows together. “If you’re talking about the testing for PKU and the others they recommend for newborns, the nurse already spoke to me and I had no problem with them.”

“I’m not talking about those tests.”

“What then?”

“A paternity test.” His blue eyes locked on hers. “I need to know if Adam is mine.”

Chapter Four

When July was five her mother had shoved her against a wall so hard it pushed all the air from her lungs. She remembered that horrible, scary feeling. She felt the same way now.

But July was no stranger to having her life take an ugly turn. She forced herself to breathe normally. “I already told you he isn’t yours. Most men would be jumping for joy at that news.”

“I’m not most men.” His gaze never left her face. “If Adam is my son, I want to be a part of his life. I want him to know me. I want to be his dad.”

The sincerity in his tone touched the part of July’s heart that had once yearned for a father’s love. The part that had hoped her dad—whoever he was—would one day show up and rescue her from the misery that was her childhood.

But they weren’t talking about her. They were talking about Adam. And she wasn’t her mother. Her child would always have her love and support.

“July.” David’s voice, soft but insistent, broke through her reverie. “Will you consent to the test?”

She curbed her irritation at his persistence. Obviously he hadn’t thought this through. “First I’d like to ask you a question.”

“Sure.” He dropped into the chair next to the bed. “Ask me anything.”

“Why are you determined to go ahead with this? I’ve already told you—assured you—that Adam isn’t your son.” July kept her tone even, though she was shaking clear down to her bare toes. “If it’s done—for really no good reason—your wife will likely find out. Is that what you really want?”

She’d simply presented facts in a calm manner. Still, she waited for the explosion. Growing up, she’d learned what can happen when you questioned someone’s decision. But this time, all she got was a puzzled look.

“What are you talking about? I’m not married.”

July let out the breath she’d been holding. Oh, he was good. If she didn’t know the truth, she’d find his protest completely believable. While he may have fooled her once, it wasn’t going to happen again.

“There’s no need to continue with the game.” Again, July kept her anger at being deceived under tight wraps and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. “Remember the doctor who stopped by the table the night we first met? The one my reporter friend knew?”