Page 44 of Taming a Heartbreaker

Moments later, he ushered her out to the private car he’d ordered. Once they got into the backseat and the driver closed the door, Redford placed his arm around Carmen’s shoulder. “All things considered, this is a nice town.”

She smiled. “I take it you don’t visit here often.”

“No. The only other times I’ve been here were with Sloan whenever he visited Jess.”

It didn’t take long to reach the medical complex where both the lab and doctor’s office were located. The staff was friendly and efficient, and he appreciated they didn’t wait long to be seen. In trying to keep Carmen relaxed, he fought hard to keep himself calm as well. He refused to think something wasn’t right with the baby; it was normal procedure for her doctor to order lab work before seeing her.

His anxiety grew, though, when the doctor was an hour late. Of course, he didn’t voice his concerns to Carmen. Had the doctor found something wrong with her lab work? He was glad when a medical assistant finally entered the examination room and said the doctor had gotten delayed because she’d been called away to deliver a baby.

When the doctor finally arrived, she went straight to discussing Carmen’s lab reports. Redford was relieved to find there was nothing concerning in the labs, and he could tell Carmen was relieved too. It seemed that even with the nausea, everything was in the expected range. She stressed that Carmen wasn’t out of the woods yet, but that her condition was definitely improving. Hopefully, over the next few weeks the nausea would be less severe. That was good news to hear.

“In the meantime,” the doctor said, closing Carmen’s chart, “I want you out of the house more, even if you have to carry a barf bag around with you. I suggest you take walks in the morning and afternoon, breathe in some fresh air. You can even go bicycling. The only thing I would not suggest yet is horseback riding.” The doctor then gave them a cheeky grin when she added, “And in case you had stopped engaging in sexual activities, there’s no harm in resuming them now.”

Redford refused to look at Carmen but figured she was blushing. So was he. When had the subject of sex ever made him blush? Obviously, the doctor assumed that because they were here together they were in a solid relationship. Neither he nor Carmen corrected her assumption.

The doctor then told them something Redford hadn’t been prepared for. “I want to listen to the baby’s heartbeat.”

While listening, he held tight to Carmen’s hand and wiped tears from her eyes. He knew this moment was just as special to her as it was to him. He would never forget the experience. The gentle, steady, strong beats made him realize the significance of the life he and Carmen had created. He was convinced he had fallen in love with their child the moment he’d learned of her pregnancy. But listening to the heartbeats made him fall in love with their baby even more. It was a moment he’d honestly thought he would never share with a woman. Together they would one day tell their little bun about it.

“It’s too early for me to reveal the sex of the baby today, but I’ll be able to do so during your next visit if either of you are interested,” the doctor said, smiling.

Redford met Carmen’s eyes, and as if he could read her thoughts, he said, “We’d rather it be a surprise.”

The doctor nodded and entered their request into her records. Moments later, after Carmen had dressed, she wrapped her arms around him and they held each other. A profound feeling of happiness washed over him, and he touched his lips to her forehead. She snuggled closer to him. When she buried her face in his chest, he knew she was crying. He felt his composure slipping.

Leaning in, he whispered words he hoped comforted her. He told her that he knew she would be a great mother to their child, and he couldn’t think of any other woman he would want to share parenthood with.

She raised her tear-stained face and thanked him and then she leaned up on tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips. Everything about that moment felt right. She was the center of his thoughts and his feelings as he deepened the kiss. When he finally released her mouth, he continued to hold her close. He needed to share this moment with her.

He needed her.

When had he ever needed a woman other than sexually? Emotions he’d never felt before seeped into him, and he wasn’t sure how to handle them.

He decided right then that he wouldn’t handle them. He would just let things take their course. The most important thing was that he had heard his child’s heartbeat. For a moment, the sound had seemed perfectly in sync with his own.

Carmen leaned back to look up at him and gave him a bright smile. He doubted she had any idea what that smile did to him. How it made him feel. “Ready to go, Dad-to-be?” she asked.

A huge grin spread across his face. He liked the sound of that. “Yes, Mom-to-be. I’m ready.”

He took her hand in his and they left the examination room.

“Wow! You actually heard the baby’s heartbeat. That’s wonderful, Carmen,” Leslie said in an excited voice.

“Redford and I thought so, too.” She then told Leslie everything else the doctor had said, including the part about encouraging her to engage in more outside activities. “I’m glad I’m able to do more than be confined to a bed now. I’m more than ready to start going on those walks.”

“Just don’t overdo it.”

She chuckled. “I won’t. I doubt Redford will let me. Even now, he’s downstairs in the kitchen trying out another new recipe for dinner.”

“You like having him there, don’t you?”

Carmen thought hard about Leslie’s question before answering. “Yes. I really didn’t think I would. I appreciate that at no time does he try to exert dominance. He lets me handle things, and when I can’t, I know he’s here for me and the baby. That’s a good feeling.”

“I know it can be. Sloan and I are surprised at how he’s stepped into his role as your caretaker. Never in a thousand years would we have pictured him giving a woman a pedicure.”

“And he did an awesome job.”

“I know. I got the photos you sent over. Redford might be in the wrong business.”

---