Family Doctor's Baby (Bad Boys and Babies 1)

Donna disappeared and I got up from my desk. When I stepped out into the hallway, I nearly ran over Doctor Matthews coming out of Abigail's exam room.

“Oops, sorry,” I said, taking a step back to let him pass.

He pushed his dark hair off of his forehead and his light blue eyes lit up with a smile. He was also returning alum from Riversville High School, but I liked him a lot more than Abigail.

“Good morning, Hannah,” he said, with a warm smile. “Have a good weekend?”

Just the sound of his voice made me tingle inside and my heart flip flopped behind my rib cage. I'd had a crush on him all through high school, and despite no longer being a teenager, I still didn't know how to keep my wits around him. Yet another thing that hadn't changed in the past fifteen years. This was something I was very okay with staying the same, though.

“Yeah, it was nice,” I said. “I didn't do too much. Just worked on unpacking. I had no idea how much junk I had. You?”

He chuckled. “Not much. It was a quiet weekend. I was on call and didn't have to come in once.”

“I guess that's the perk of a small town. It's quiet,” I said with a smile. I wished I had something more clever to say, but I was just glad I was speaking in full sentences around him.

“Looks like we've got a busy week ahead.” Dr. Matthews lifted up his clipboard. “We're booked solid all day today and most of the rest of the week.”

“That sounds great. You know me, I love staying busy.” I found myself fidgeting as I spoke. Even though I'd known him since high school and we'd even graduated together, I was still infatuated by those blue eyes of his. They were hypnotic.

“You have a good morning,” he said as he stepped toward his office at the end of the hall. He flashed me one last smile that had my insides heating and knees melting. “We'll catch up later.”

I nodded and then began making my way toward Room Three. The smile was still on my face from the brief interaction with my schoolyard crush as I slid the door open and stepped inside.

There, seated on the exam table, was the young Emily Markins. She was ten years my junior and I'd babysat her before going away for college. She had already been happily married since graduating high school and now had a baby on the way.

It was strange to see her like that, with a large baby bump and glowing. I felt so old. I'd babysat her while I was in high school, and here she was pregnant. On purpose. I was proud of her, but in a way a little bit jealous, too.

“Hey, Emily,” I said, shaking her hand. “It's been a while. How are things down at the hardware store?”

She shrugged and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Same old thing. Just working at my dad's store. How's being back in town?”

“It's good,” I replied. “My parents are happy I'm back.”

She smiled. “I can't believe you're really back, but I'm glad you're here. It's nice to have more medical people in town. Especially with the baby on the way.”

Then she gently patted her round belly. A soft smile came over her face.

“Your chart says you're at thirty-five weeks, so we're going to start doing weekly exams,” I told her. “You ready to see me every week?”

“Definitely. I'm getting good at peeing in the cup,” she replied dryly. “Maybe with a little more practice, I'll actually be able to get most of it in there.”

I chuckled and began my work. Emily patiently answered questions as we worked through her exam. She looked like a typical pregnancy and everything was progressing as planned. She smiled wide when I pulled out the handheld Doppler from the drawer and we checked the baby's heart rate. The sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room as we listened in on him. He was a strong little guy.

“Everything looks good,” I said, jotting down a few notes onto her chart. “Your blood pressure is normal and so is your heart rate. The little guy is right on target. Dr. Matthews will be pleased. Do you have any questions for me before I go and get the doctor?”

“Am I ready for this?” Her smile trembled. “I mean, I have the nursery set up and diapers ready, but... what if I screw him up? What if I'm a terrible mother?”

I reached over and squeezed her hand. “The fact that you're worried means you won't be. And know that we all screw up. It's part of being human, but as long as you love this little guy and always try to do your best, then you'll be a great mom. I've known you since you were little and I can tell you that you're going to be fantastic.”

“Thanks, Hannah.” Her smile steadied a little and she took a deep breath. “How many kids do you have? You're really good at this.”

I paused before speaking. Apparently, this was the question of the day for me.

“I actually don't have any kids,” I said.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh really? I would have thought you'd have at least two by now!”

I forced the outside of my lips into a smile. “Yeah, well, I guess I haven't met that special someone yet. Until I do, no kids for me.”