Page 4 of Doctor’s Surprise Twins

It made me more than a little giddy to think we’d be reconnecting after all these years. Part of me held a lot of reservations due to the way Curt, my brother, had reacted to finding us making out the last time Derek came over before leaving for college. But I was an adult now, and that was water under the bridge. Or it should be. I had no way of knowing whether Derek had gotten married or if he was seeing someone, so I tried not to get too excited.

My return to Yellow Springs, and my subsequent job search, had led me right to his doorstep. So if fate had set this up, then even if for no other reason than to be my boss and maybe a good friend, I was embracing what fate had in store for me. If only the goddamn traffic would ease up so I could be on time.

I laid on my horn again and started to see some movement. The cars rolled forward slowly, three lanes merging down into one lane. It was as if everyone and their brother had to go the same direction at that exact moment. It was agonizing.

The closer I got to the corner of Main and Court streets, I saw the problem more clearly. An elderly woman had gotten a flat tire, and a group of teenagers—idiotically—had stopped their car to help, leaving it parked in one of the open lanes. The third lane had traffic cones set up because the city was doing work on the curb.

I rolled my eyes. Of all the things, in such a small town, this would be touted as heroic, not the nuisance it actually was. I couldn't help but feel sort of ashamed of myself for being so irritated by it, because knowing the state of the world, seeing a group of teens stop to help an elderly woman was priceless. It had just interfered with my day. I wasn’t Catholic, but maybe I’d stop by for confession later, just to ease my guilty conscience.

Glancing down at the clock, I noticed it was already seven minutes past the hour, which meant I was late. So, rather than speeding and risking a ticket or an accident, I took my time. Once the bottleneck was cleared, it was smooth sailing to the office. I found a parking spot near the back of the lot that was still empty and reminded myself to make sure I arrivedearlytomorrow so I wouldn’t have to walk so far to get to the front door.

Why did I live in a place where the air in winter got so cold it hurt my face when I went outdoors in early spring?

There was a stiff breeze, so I tucked my long, dark hair into the neck of my coat and buttoned up all the way. My satchel held my laptop, a few notebooks, my selection of brightly colored pens, my cell, wallet, and even my charging cord—just in case. After I double-checked that I had pulled the keys from the ignition, I climbed out of my car and almost slipped on a sheet of ice.

Bracing myself on my car’s door handle, I regained my balance and locked up the car, then headed toward the hospital. Breaths came as crystalized puffs of air from my mouth as I carefully slid across the ice. Once on clear pavement, I took hurried steps. I was certain I was making an awful impression on the office staff. Late my first day was not the mark I wanted to leave on them.

An older gentleman opened the door for me and offered me a sanitizing wipe as I passed by. I thanked him and took it from him, my fingers so cold I couldn’t tell whether they were frozen or not. I wasn’t a germaphobe, but I wiped my fingers down and threw the wipe out as I passed the trash bin anyway. It never hurt to take a few extra precautions during cold and flu season.

By the time I made it to the wellness center, I was more than fifteen minutes late. I struggled in the door to a full waiting room. Women of all ages sat around, waiting for their scheduled appointments. I had no way of knowing yet how many of them were there for me or the others there. Based on what Barbra had said, there was a certified nurse practitioner—Gypsy something—Doctor Holt, and a midwife, Sofia Grace. Add to that three nurses and two administrators, and this was a very full office, Derek being the only testosterone in the mix.

“Oh, Magnolia!” Barbra’s happy squeal caught my attention. She waved at me through the glass reception window and gestured toward the door. “Come on back.” A few of the patients looked up at me, eyeing me like fresh meat, but I pushed away the nerves. This wasn’t my first rodeo. It was just my first day at a new job.

Back in Portsmouth where I had interned following my graduation, I had seen plenty of patients of all sorts, not just women. It would all come back to me easily as soon as I settled in.

I had almost forgotten about the nerves of seeing Derek again after all this time until I heard his baritone vibrations float my way. I didn’t know where he was, but I knew it was him. I’d remember his laugh anywhere. But I pushed away the nervous flutter of emotion that stirred my stomach and followed Barbra down the hallway to the very last door.

“Here is your office.” She walked in and gestured around. It was pretty bare bones. A large, boring desk sat with an end shoved against one wall, chairs on either side. A giant old-school computer monitor perched on the desk. I’d have to get rid of that. And cupboards lined the back wall. It smelled like coffee and popcorn, and I had a sneaking suspicion that it had been the breakroom at one point in its history.

“Thanks, Barbra.” I dropped my satchel onto the desktop and spun around to take in her bright smile. She was a very proper woman, age lines forming around her eyes but hidden by a thin layer of makeup. She wore a green sweater buttoned up the front with an ascot tied around her neck, probably more for warmth than style. She reminded me of my Aunt Becky. It wasn’t an unpleasant reminder, but one that then nudged the old wound of grief over not having a mother as a teen.

“I made chocolate cupcakes to welcome you to the office. We can have some at lunch. Gypsy will be by with some client files for you later on, so you can just get settled in today. Your first appointment isn’t until the top of the hour, so don’t worry about being late.”

I grimaced. “Is it horrible? It was traffic, believe it or not. I’m sure you’ll hear about it on the news later.”

She waved her hand at me. “No big deal. It’s a family-type atmosphere here. I’m sure Doc will let you off easy. I think he said he knows you?” Barbra leaned in as if there were some juicy gossip.

“Yeah, Derek was my brother’s best friend when we were younger.” My heart hammered in my chest with the unspoken confession that I was head-over-heels in love with him back then too.

“Well, good. We are just a big family here, and I’m sure you’ll see that soon. Settle in, and let me know if you need anything.” She tapped on the door jamb and smiled at me with a mischievous glint in her eye.

I almost asked her if Derek would stop by to welcome me too but felt that might let her in on my little secret, that my panties were already wet just thinking of what he might look like all grown up. Barbra left my office, and I shed my coat, looking around for a coat tree before deciding to drape it over a patient chair while I unpacked. It was immediately chilly, so I left my scarf on and decided I’d have to bring my assortment of fashionable sweaters up to par.

Once I had my laptop booted up and my satchel totally unpacked, I reached for my cup of coffee and realized almost immediately that I’d left it in the car. And it was likely too cold to drink by now. April was chilly in New York State, and I was not going back into that frigid temperature just for the caffeine.

I sank into my chair, a bit sullen for forgetting my coffee, and looked around my office. I’d need some new drapes and a few throw pillows for the chairs. Some art for the wall, and maybe a few tchotchkes for my desk would be nice. I was knee-deep in planning my décor when I got the shock of my life.

Derek peeked his head into my office, cup of coffee in hand, and grinned at me. My jaw dropped. I couldn't help it. His well-groomed beard and dark, wavy hair had me creaming my panties already. My body clenched, an ache growing deep in my groin as I swallowed the instant lump in my throat.

“Derek... ”Yes, that’s his name, Maggie. Why did you say it like that?Was I completely stupid?

“Mags, my God, it’s been years. You look fantastic.” He strutted in, setting the coffee on the corner of my desk, and I rose to offer him an awkward handshake. I’d have much rather given him a hug, but I wasn’t sure hugs were office appropriate. And his eyes, the way they mapped my body like he wanted to remember every curve... fuck. He was pushing buttons.

“Thanks, Derek.” I wasn’t sure what to say. I was one hundred percent confident in my appearance, but given my full figure, I knew most guys of his stature—and let’s face it, his good looks—wouldn’t give me a second glance. Derek had never been like that. Not even in my high school days. He was half the reason I was so confident to this day. He’d told me once that my curves just meant more of me to love and that any man who couldn't respect a sturdy woman didn’t understand what love was.

“God, when Barb told me it was you, our new nutritionist, man, I about flipped. You’re back in town?”

He ran a hand through his hair, and I picked up the coffee he brought me. The way he watched me bring it to my lips made me want to draw him in and do something seductive, which is why when I nearly choked on the blackness of it, I felt mortified. Derek chuckled. I sputtered out my laugh as coffee ejected out of my throat and up into my nose. I was thankful it stayed in my sinuses and did not drain out.

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