Countdown To Baby

“Yeah, but there’s still something more nagging at Mari. I heard her talking to Dad about a growing drug problem in the county. One that’s affecting the clinic.”

Cecilia nodded glumly. “It’s something we’re all becoming concerned about. Controlled substances—especially powerful and addictive painkillers such as Orcadol—have become increasingly available through the black market here in the county. We’re seeing an increase in drug-addicted mothers and in delivery complications. The number of stillbirths is up, as well as other infant medical problems. It seems as though the crisis has been intensifying during the past few months, particularly. I know Detective Collins has been hanging around a lot lately, trying to track down where the women are getting the drugs.”

“Well, that would certainly explain part of Mari’s bad mood. I don’t know if you’re aware that she and Bryce Collins were pretty seriously involved at one time. They broke up when he tried to force her to choose between him and the career in medicine she had always dreamed of. Fortunately, in my opinion, she chose medicine. Their breakup was unpleasant and painful, and they’ve hardly been on the best of terms since. In fact, Collins is pretty much a jerk about the whole thing. Even after all this time, he’s still bitter and angry with Mari. If I find out he’s been giving her trouble—”

“I really wouldn’t know,” Cecilia said hastily. “I stay so busy and focused with my patients that I tend to fall out of the loop when it comes to any other department. I’m always the last to hear any official news—or even run-of-the-mill gossip—which is rather ironic, considering that my brother is a rising executive in the corporation.”

“And I’m usually in some other city, so I’m hardly in the loop myself. But I could tell that both Mari and Dad are completely preoccupied with business right now. In Dad’s case I think it has something to do with the new public relations director.”

“Lillith Cunningham? I haven’t met her yet, but I’ve heard she’s nice.”

“I like her, and I know Mari’s very fond of her. Dad seems to think she’s a little kooky. He’s very skeptical of some of her ideas. I hope he doesn’t make things too difficult for her.”

“Your father seems like a very reasonable and practical man who puts the best interests of the company first.”

“You can say that again. Especially since my mother died, my father lives and breathes Bingham Enterprises.”

“My brother was coming very close to doing the same thing. I’ve nagged him for ages about finding a balance between work and a personal life. Fortunately, I think Hannah and the baby will take care of that. He’ll always be a dedicated employee, but now he’ll have more in his life. As it should be.”

“This from the woman who just admitted she’s so focused on her work she doesn’t even keep up with office gossip?”

She smiled wryly. “True. But don’t forget I’m working on changing that.”

“I’ve hardly forgotten. And speaking of working on our little project…” He shifted so smoothly that she found herself on her back beneath him almost before she realized his intentions.

Her weariness suddenly evaporated. Smiling up at him, she slid her arms around his neck. “Does this mean you’ve recovered your energy?”

“I do believe I have.”

Pulling his mouth down to hers, she smiled against his lips. “Strangely enough, so have I.”

The echoes of their groans of satisfaction had barely faded away when Geoff spoke into the darkness of Cecilia’s bedroom a long time later. His voice was still gravelly. “Cecilia?”

She couldn’t seem to find the strength to form coherent words. “Mmm?”

“Our baby’s going to be beautiful.”

Melting into his arms, she smiled mistily into his damp shoulder. She had no doubt that Geoff was right—as he claimed to always be.

Chapter Eight

“Your suspicions were correct, Mrs. Hoover. You are definitely pregnant.”

The thirty-six-year-old African-American woman sitting at the end of an exam table broke into a tearful smile in response to Cecilia’s announcement. “I can’t believe it. We’ve been trying for so long. And now to find out we’ve been successful…”

Her husband, a tall, lanky laborer in his early forties, looked torn between elation and trepidation. “How long till we can stop worrying about something going wrong?”

Because she knew Rebecca Hoover had suffered two miscarriages in the past, followed by several years of being unable to conceive, Cecilia understood his anxiety. “I can’t offer any guarantees, of course, but everything looks good so far. I’ll be working very closely with Dr. Kyle Bingham, who’s an excellent pediatrician. We’re going to monitor both your wife and the baby very closely, and do everything we can to make sure we deliver a healthy child in about seven months.”

She spent the next fifteen minutes outlining the plan of action for those next seven months. They talked about nutrition, vitamins and a checkup schedule, and then touched on some areas they would discuss in more detail later. By the time they left, the Hoovers seemed a bit calmer and determined to do everything within their power to make this pregnancy a successful one.

They had a tense few weeks ahead of them, Cecilia mused as she made some quick notes in Mrs. Hoover’s file. As she had said, there were no guarantees, but she had a good feeling about this pregnancy. Of course, there was always a chance of complication when a first-time mother was over thirty-five.

Mrs. Hoover was a year younger than Cecilia.

Nervously moistening her lips, she closed the file. She was healthy, she assured herself. She ate well, took vitamins, exercised regularly. It was practically commonplace in some areas these days for women to wait until their late thirties and early forties to bear children. There was no reason at all to think she couldn’t successfully conceive and carry a child. And considering Geoff’s youth and fitness and, er, stamina, she couldn’t imagine any problems in that respect.

It was sometimes still mind-boggling to her that she thought of him so casually—and so intimately. Considering that she had only met the man a few days ago, events were moving almost faster than she could comprehend. It was exciting but, to be honest, rather terrifying.