Page 37 of The Christmas Cowboy

“You really didn’t need to come with me,” Val said.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No, of course not. I just hate to take you away from the ranch when I know you have work.”

“You and the baby are more important.” She didn’t say anything after that, and he continued to look around. Val sat on a padded chair that leaned back and there were metal things that looked like stirrups at the end of the bench. He’d never thought about what happened to a pregnant woman at the doctor’s office. Why would he?

On the wall was a poster that showed the stages of pregnancy and what the baby looked like at each stage. Val was nearly eight weeks. The baby was the size of a raspberry. Then he looked at the picture of a full-term baby in the mom’s stomach.

Thank God the doctor came in, so he could quit imagining Val in those situations.

“I’m Dr. Young,” she said, shaking each of their hands. “And you must be Val and Liam McFarland.” She glanced at her clipboard and said, “Any relation to Dr. Logan McFarland?”

“My brother,” Liam said.

“Logan and I went to medical school together. He’s the reason I came to Marietta. I saw him at a conference, and he mentioned Marietta could use another OB/GYN. A few months later, here I am.” She looked at her chart again and said, “The doctor in Livingston confirmed the pregnancy at four weeks, correct?”

“Yes. When I asked about switching doctors she gave me your name. Your nurse said I should come in now.”

“Would you like to step out while I do a pelvic?” she asked Liam.

“Absolutely.” That was something he didn’t need to see.

“We’ll call you back in for the ultrasound,” Dr. Young said.

Fortunately, he didn’t have terribly long to wait. The nurse came out and called his name and he followed her back. Val was lying on her back on the chair, which was now a table. Her jeans were unzipped and her blouse pulled up to show her stomach. He took a seat beside the table and Val reached for his hand.

Dr. Young squirted some gel on her stomach and began moving a wand over it. No one said anything, they were all looking at the monitor. Which in his opinion didn’t really show anything but some black parts and lighter parts.

“There it is.” Dr. Young pointed to a blob—a very small blob—on the screen in the middle of a cavern of black. With the pointer she showed them the head and the spine. Liam couldn’t see it, but he supposed she knew what she was talking about.

“And there’s the heartbeat. See how it pulses?”

“My baby is all right?” Val asked.

“Yes. We can’t always see the heartbeat at this stage with an abdominal ultrasound. By your next visit you’ll be able to hear it. You’re right on track.”

She wiped off Val’s stomach and helped her sit up. “Questions?”

“I have one,” Liam said. “Are there things she isn’t supposed to do? Like riding?”

“I’d prefer my patients not ride at all during their pregnancy. But that’s impossible to enforce around here in horse country. So you can ride until your second trimester. At a walk.”

“A walk?” Val asked. “You’re kidding.”

“Afraid not. Butyoucan run if you want. At least until you’re uncomfortable doing it.”

“Ugh. I’m not a runner. I can’t imagine not riding for months. I’ve been riding since I was three.”

The doctor nodded sympathetically. “Yes, a lot of my patients started young.”

“Anything else she’s not supposed to do?”

“You need to stay away from liquor, cigarettes, caffeine—”

“Wait,” Val said. “No coffee?”

“You can have decaf. I’ll give you some literature that spells out the things you shouldn’t eat or drink. And activities to avoid. If you have questions, call my office. Either my nurse can answer them or, if not, I’ll return your call.”

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