His Best Friend's Baby

“Yes, just the baby making its presence known.” She grinned. “I did have a little more activity last night than I normally do.”

Relief flooded him. He needed to calm down, not overreact. Being a midwife, he should know better, but this was Phoebe. He cared for his patients but on no level did that came close to what he felt for Phoebe. How was he going to remain professional when he delivered the baby? Maybe it would be better if someone else did. “I’m sorry.”

“I should hope not! Because I’m sure not.”

“Thanks. My ego would have been damaged otherwise.”

“I wouldn’t want that to happen.” She winced and shifted in the bed. “This baby is getting his morning exercise.”

Ryan grinned. “I have an idea to help with those aches and pains. You stay there while I take this to the kitchen. I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

The anticipation of being in Ryan’s arms again was enough to have Phoebe’s blood humming. He soon returned with the bottle of lotion in his hand he had used the other night during her foot massage.

“Oh, I’m going to get another foot massage.” She couldn’t keep the eagerness out of her voice and started moving toward the edge of the bed.

“No. Stay where you are. Just move forward some.” He put the lotion on the bedside table.

Her brow wrinkled but she did as he asked. What did he have planned this time?

Ryan climbed in bed behind her, putting a leg on each side of her hips so that she now sat between his.

“What’re you doing?”

There was all kind of movement behind her until Ryan’s arms came around her and pulled her back against his chest. “I was having a hard time getting the pillows to stay in place. Pull your gown up.”

“What is this? Some special pregnant woman’s sex position?”

He chuckled behind her. “Is that all you think about? Sex?”

“When you’re around, yes.”

He kissed her neck. “Thank you for the nice compliment but right now I have something else in mind. Now pull your gown up.”

She did as he said until it was gathered under her breasts then adjusted the sheet over her thighs, giving her some modesty.

Ryan reached around her neck.

“Hey, is this a fancy way of choking me?”

“You sure are making it hard for me to be nice to you.”

Cold hit her bare middle, making her jerk. “Ooh.”

“That’ll teach you not to have such a smart mouth,” Ryan said in a teasing tone. His hands began to glide over her middle. “You’re all tense. Lie back and enjoy.”

She did, settling against his chest and closing her eyes. Ryan’s hands made slow circles over her middle.

“This is wonderful. Did you learn to do this in the service, too?”

“No. But I did deliver my first baby there.”

“Will you tell me about it?”

Ryan’s body tensed behind her. He was quiet so long she wasn’t sure he would say anything more.

“One weekend we were invited to a local celebration. I’m still not sure what it was for, but anyway some of the unit went along. We ate the food. Played with the kids.

“You know, kids are the same wherever you go. All they want is their parents there for them and to play and be happy. Every child deserves that.” Ryan’s hands drifted to the sides of her belly. His palms pressed lightly against her. “Especially this one.”

Phoebe placed her hand over one of his. “He or she will have that. I promise.”

It would be wonderful if Ryan would be a part of helping her make that come true. But he said nothing that indicated he wanted that kind of involvement in their lives.

“After the celebration we were going back to the base but had to stop because there was mechanical trouble with one of the trucks. There happened to be three or four huts that locals lived in nearby. There was a loud scream from that direction. A couple of the men went to investigate. It turned out that there was a woman having a baby. She was in trouble. They returned for me.

“I don’t think I’ve even been in a house that had less. It was made of mud bricks, with a grass roof and dirt floor. Water was drawn from a barely running creek half a mile away. The kitchen consisted of a pot over a fire. In this horrible war-torn country, in this nothing shelter was a woman trying to give birth. The only people around were a couple of children about the ages of six and eight.”

His hands stopped moving but continued to rest on her.

“I had the interpreter ask her if she would like me to help. Her culture dictated that she shouldn’t agree but she was in so much pain she wouldn’t tell me no. I had seen a baby delivered once. I’m not sure who was more scared, me or her. I sent everyone out but the interpreter. It took some explaining on the interpreter’s part to get her to understand I needed to examine her. Finally she relented. The baby’s shoulder was hung. I was thankful it wasn’t breech, which was what I’d expected. It was work but I managed to help bring the baby into the world. It was exhilarating. The baby had a healthy cry and the mother a smile on her face when I left. Imagine living like that and still smiling. I knew then that it was far better than patching up men who had been shot or torn apart by landmines. As soon as I returned to camp I put in my papers to get out of the army.”

“Did you ever see the baby again?”

“No. I never wanted to. I was afraid of what I might find. Children have a hard life in Iraq. You know, this conversation has suddenly taken a negative turn. Not what I intended. How about you tell me what you have planned for this week.”

His fingers started moving over her skin again.

“I think I forgot to tell you that some of the teachers at school are giving me a shower on Monday after classes. I hope now I’ll have some baby clothes to fill the drawers of the chest. I also hope to buy a few pictures for the walls. If I do, would you hang them for me?”

“As long as someone doesn’t go into labor, I don’t see why not.”

She twisted to look at him. “Could you come out to dinner one night?”

Ryan’s fingertips fluttered over her middle. “Sounds great to me. Sit up. I want to massage your lower back.”

She did so and he pushed her gown up to her shoulders. He put more lotion in his hands and began to rub her lower back firmly.

“For a little bit you could get a permanent job doing that.”

Ryan’s hands faltered a second, then started moving again. Had she said the wrong thing?

“Well, I’ve done all I can to make you comfortable.”

“It was wonderful. Feel free to stop by and do that anytime. If I got a foot massage and body rub on the same day, I might melt away.”

“I wouldn’t want you to do that. I like knowing you’re around.” Ryan moved out from behind her. “As much as I would enjoy staying in bed with you all day, I promised to cover for Sophia this afternoon and tomorrow until the new midwife takes over on Monday.”

She hated to see this time with Ryan end.

“Mind if I get a quick shower?” he asked.

“Of course not,” she said, pulling her gown back into place.

“Why don’t you stay in bed, take it easy today?” Ryan suggested, as he picked up his clothes off the floor.

“Are you afraid you were too rough on me last night?”

His grin was devilish. “Are you kidding? It was more like you being rough on me. I had no idea a pregnant woman could be so aggressive.”

She threw a pillow at him. “I’ll show you aggressive.”

Ryan’s deep laughter filled the room even after he’d closed the bathroom door behind him.

Phoebe was in the kitchen when he came in to say goodbye. His shirtsleeves were rolled halfway up his forearms. He had his jacket over his arm and his tie in his hand. A couple of damp locks of hair fell over his forehead. She had never seen anyone look more desirable.

She resisted the urge to grab his hand and beg him not to leave. When

he went out the door she was afraid that fragile fairy-tale bubble they had been living in since yesterday afternoon would burst. Could she ever get it back again?

Phoebe stood with her back to the counter. “I’ll be in town on Thursday for my next checkup.”

“I’ll see you then if not before. I have to go.”

“I know. There are babies to deliver.”

He grinned. “And they don’t wait.”

“I sure hope not. I’m ready now for this one to come.” She looked at a picture on the wall instead of him, scared he might see her sadness. There had never been this type of emotion when Joshua had left and she’d known she wouldn’t see him for months. She had it bad for Ryan.