Page 16 of Maybe My Baby

“Got it.”

Ginny could tell that Donovan was freaking out a little bit.

The doctor stood. “You’re very healthy. This pregnancy should proceed normally despite the morning sickness. For some women it abates after week twelve or thirteen, but don’t pin your hopes on that. It’s possible you’ll have to manage the nausea long-term. But remember, it can only last nine months.”

“Right.” Ginny winced. “Fingers crossed.”

“Do you have any questions for me before I go?”

Ginny felt her face heat, but she wanted Donovan to hear from a professional. “What about sex? Either now or later?”

The physician’s somber expression morphed into amusement. “Young lady, when and if you feel like having intercourse, go for it. It’s healthy for you, and the baby is perfectly safe.”

When Ginny shot a sideways glance at Donovan, his usually calm face was beet red.

As the doctor left, Donovan sprang to his feet. “Are you feeling okay at the moment?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll meet you in the waiting room.”

FIVE

HE WAS GONEso quickly Ginny barely had time to blink. She scooted down off the table and retrieved her clothes. No sudden movements. If taking things slow and easy helped the nausea, she could do that.

On the way home, they drove through the pizza place to get food for Donovan. He put the box in the trunk so Ginny wouldn’t have to smell it. Her plan was to eat more of the chicken soup and crackers.

But she also knew she and Donovan needed to have a serious talk. If that could only happen in the evening hours, then tonight was her opportunity.

He was worried his meal would bother her. Ginny shook her head. “To be honest, it smells wonderful. But I’m not going to push my luck,” she said hastily.

Donovan insisted on tidying the kitchen. Ginny lay down on the sofa in the living room and closed her eyes. When he joined her fifteen minutes later, she sat up. “I have some things to say,” she said.

His grin was faint. “Maybe I do, too. But you first.”

Ginny bit her lip, searching for the right words. “You asked me to move in with you before you found out about the baby. It occurs to me that this new information might change things for you.”

“It doesn’t,” he said bluntly.

“I hate feeling helpless,” she said. And she hated the tears that came so readily.

Donovan pulled her into his arms, cuddling her against his side. He kissed her temple. “I don’t know what it’s like to be pregnant. But I do have a fair amount of experience with being uprooted and feeling disoriented. It takes time, Sunshine. But you’ll find your balance. We both will.”

There was one question she wanted to ask, but it unnerved her. She asked it anyway. “How many times have you lived with a woman?”

He shifted so he could see her face. “Zero,” he said. “Zilch. Nada. You’re the first.”

Her eyes widened. “Seriously?”

His crooked grin was rueful. “Yep. So when you didn’t jump at my invitation, it was a punch in the gut.”

She placed her hand, palm flat, on his washboard abdomen. “I’m sorry. I wanted to say yes more than anything. It seems unfair to you, though.”

Donovan caught her chin in his hand and stared into her eyes. “I counted backward. I think I know the night we made the baby.”

“I had the same thought,” she confessed.

“There were two of us in that bed, Sunshine. You’re not dumping anything on me. Are we clear on that?” His stern look was convincing.

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