Page 17 of Suddenly Pregnant

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“Do you see? That’s the baby,” said the doctor, pointing at the screen.

Billie narrowed her eyes, trying to make sense of the small white dot the female doctor showed her. The woman in her forties had been so welcoming during her very first appointment. Eight weeks.

She was eight weeks along.

Her tummy didn’t show it, but her morning sickness and overall fatigue did. According to Dr. Bryant, it was all normal. “Do you see the little bean shape?” she whispered to Jack.

Jack gave her a reassuring smile, and then pointed at the screen. “There.”

Dr. Bryant zoomed in, and finally, Billie saw the little bean. Her baby.

A magnificent emotion flooded her, and she had to blink back tears. All she’d been doing was crying since she arrived in Australia. Mostly happy tears.

She enjoyed her work, and didn’t share the news with anyone. Trying to dodge Hannah’s attempts at getting her drunk after work got increasingly difficult. Jack bought her a few books about pregnancy, which he also read.

He was more accessible if she wanted to talk or needed anything. Even though he was a lot friendlier than when they’d been just boss and employee and not co-parents, she couldn’t deny he put a wall up. Like, he made sure she had everything she needed, but didn’t offer more.

And she wanted more.

Badly.

“Ms. Jones?” Dr. Bryant said, yanking her from her musings.

“Oh, yes, sorry. I see the baby.”

Dr. Bryant smiled. “Good. My technician will give you the links to our clinic if you need any help or have any questions after hours.”

“I mentioned earlier that my mom died in childbirth. She had pre-eclampsia about a month before she was due, then during labor she had seizures and her blood pressure spiked beyond control.”

“Yes, I read on your patient information form,” the doctor said, giving her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry for your loss. I don’t know much about your mother’s health when she was alive, but I promise you we’ll keep an eye on you and if anything sets an alarm, we’ll let you know. Eclampsia is rare, so I wouldn’t worry too much at this stage. So far you’re young and healthy, so you should have an uneventful pregnancy.”

Her shoulders loosened with relief. Being that within her first weeks in Australia she managed to have sex for the first time, get pregnant and come to care deeply for the one man who didn’t want marriage, uneventful sounded like a dream. “Good.”

“What about activities?” he asked.

Dr. Bryant turned off the screen and nodded. “I have a list of physical activities she should stay clear from at this stage, my nurse will bring those sheets as well. As far as sex, you’re free to have it.”

Heat spread across her cheeks and neck.

The idea of having sex with him sounded better and better each day. But he’d made no attempts, or given her no signs he was interested. Her gaze flew to his, and he cleared his throat and looked away.

“Great,” he said. “We’ll look forward to that list.”

Does that mean he’s also looking forward to sex? With me? The thought sent a ripple of excitement to her core. Maybe her pregnancy wouldn’t be so uneventful after all…

An hour later, they shared lunch at a nice little Mediterranean cafe in Bondi Beach. She ordered a cranberry apple juice, and a delicious zucchini and almond tortilla, while he enjoyed a glass of wine and a fancy appetizer that included grilled octopus and toasted bread.

If a stranger looked at them, they could assume the two of them were on a date. Sure, he still had on a suit, and her sensible slacks and black blouse combo wasn’t necessarily sexy. But this isn’t a date, she reminded herself. Ever since he’d asked her doctor about physical activities, the idea of having sex with him again fogged her brain, and each time she looked at him it became harder and harder to ignore the response her body darted at her.

“Does it feel more real now that we’ve talked to a doctor?” he asked her, wiping his mouth after finishing his food.

She took a drink of her juice. “Yes. I’m glad everything looks good. I guess it’ll feel even more real when I start showing. I wonder if I’ll get very big right away.” That was something else she needed to consider. What if she gained a bunch of weight quickly and became unattractive to him? Then her chances of hooking up with him would drop even lower.

“I think you’ll look…” he cleared his throat, and his gaze swung form her face to her breasts then her stomach. Then his eyes flew to hers again, and a warm glow spread through her. She shifted in her seat, hot and bothered. God. On top of her hormonal rollercoaster, she couldn’t deal with the highs and lows of this sexual tension for months on end. “…breathtaking either way.”

She swallowed, and leaned in, but the edge of the round table prevented her from making a fool out of herself.

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