Kevin shifted in his seat “Actually, yes. My concern was very different.”
Some kind of internal radar went off in Nikki’s brain. She couldn’t put her finger on the reason, but Kevin’s flat tone made her wary. So did his sudden shift in body language. Stiff posture, squared shoulders, and clenched jaw. Nikki was certain neither she nor the doctor would like what was to come.
Dr. Molloy clasped her hands and leaned forward in her seat. Did she sense an upcoming problem too? “What can I do for you, Mr. Manning?”
He leaned forward in his seat. “It’s not that I’m questioning your qualifications or abilities.”
“But?”
Nikki shut her eyes, now realizing where he was headed. “Kevin,” she said, clear warning in her tone. Her choice in doctors was a topic they could discuss in private.
The doctor waved her hand. “Let him speak. He’s entitled to his opinion.”
“However wrong it may be,” Nikki muttered.
“I haven’t voiced one yet,” he said. “Look, forgive me for any inherent bias, but we’re in a clinic in an area far from where Nikki now lives. As far as I can tell, she’s got a risky pregnancy.”
“Actually, she doesn’t. What Ms. Welles had is perfectly common among pregnant women. We restrict their activity as a precaution and to avoid miscarriage. Though there are schools of thought that say if a miscarriage was going to occur, bed rest couldn’t stop it.”
“Regardless, there’s another school of thought that adheres to the expression the best money can buy. It’s not that I question your abilities, but I wonder whether a private doctor would...”
“Charge a higher price that I can’t afford, for one thing.” Nikki rose from her seat and turned to face him. “Are you nuts? I thought we agreed to let me live my own life. And here you are, questioning my choices in front of my doctor. Gee, that shows a lot of faith.”
“I believe I said I wondered whether a private doctor couldn’t offer you more. I was asking Dr. Molloy’s opinion, not questioning your choices. You made an excellent decision to come here. Under the circumstances,” Kevin said.
“Excuse me.” Dr. Molloy cleared her throat “Didn’t I mention that stress isn’t good for mother or child?”
With a loud exhale for exaggerated effect, Nikki lowered herself back into her seat. Just when she’d decided to try to build a relationship, he placed unexpected roadblocks in her path.
“The most I can do is offer you some pros and cons and suggest the two of you talk this over rationally at home.”
Kevin nodded. Nikki tensed. Why discuss anything, when she sensed she’d be outvoted? “I’d like to hear what you have to say,” she said to the doctor.
Good, Kevin thought. But he wasn’t fooled. Nikki wasn’t at all interested in the doctor’s opinion, just in throttling him. He’d made another calculated error when it came to dealing with Nicole. He should have discussed the possibility of switching doctors with her in private. Instead he’d put her on the defensive.
He hadn’t meant to. Rather, he figured that laying out his case in front of a third party would be beneficial to them both. When would he learn? He had little experience dealing with women’s emotions. Especially pregnant women. Trial by fire, he thought, catching sight of her clenched jaw and firm expression.
She didn’t seem to mind his questions or concerns, but she took affront any time he tried to wrest control. Control and independence she’d worked hard to achieve. Dammit, he hadn’t meant to take that away from her.
“Let’s lay out the facts,” the doctor suggested.
He nodded. It was why he’d broached the subject to begin with.
“Fact one. You picked this clinic when you lived closer. Fact two. We’re open limited hours. Fact three. I volunteer here, but my main base is outside of the city.” Dr. Molloy grinned. “This might help you two split the difference.” She reached into her jacket pocket and handed Nikki a business card.
Nikki turned the card over in her hand. “This hospital is close to Kevin’s house.”
“You’d get to keep your doctor, and he’d get his private physician.”
“But someone would have to pay you your out of clinic fees,” she said.
The doctor rose to her feet. Kevin followed. “And that’s my cue. The rest has to be worked out between the two of you.”
When she shut the door behind her, Kevin heard the silence. He turned to face Nikki, but she’d slipped around him and before he could blink, she disappeared out the door.
* * *
The wind blew her hair off her face. Nikki tipped her chin up to catch the wind and feel its cool relief. He doesn’t want to control; he wants to protect.