Dr Di Angelo's Baby Bombshell (13 page)

What was he doing here?

Why hadn't he called first? Surely he should have called prior to making that drive? What if she hadn't been home? What if she'd decided to go to Knoxville? Maybe Mandy really had known he'd be stopping by today.

Which would explain why her friend had fussed about her appearance earlier.

Darby felt light-headed and not from the non-toxic paint fumes or her pregnancy. All oxygen had disappeared the moment Blake stepped into the room.

His black gaze met hers, drank in the sight of her, and she had a flashback to how it had been between them the last time they'd been in Alabama. He'd held her, touched her, kissed her, loved her.

Only he'd been faking. So why was he here now?

Why was he looking at her as if he'd missed her?

As if he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless?

 

Blake wanted to take Darby into his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless, until they could only cling to each other and never let go.

Because he didn't want to let her go. Not ever.

He was probably a fool, but here he was all the same.

In Alabama. His new home.

Not that he technically had a home. Not anymore.

Land, yes—thanks to the real estate Mandy had helped him purchase. Home, no.

But, looking at Darby, he knew he was a hell of a lot closer to home than he'd be anywhere else in the world.

“Blake?” She stepped toward him, realized every eye in the room was watching them, and paused. “What are you doing here?”

“You told me I could visit any time I was in the neighborhood.” Was she upset he was here?

“You were in the neighborhood?”

“Actually…” he began, wondering how she was going to react to his news, wondering if she'd think he'd overstepped. Maybe he
had
overstepped? His mother had certainly thought he was crazy when he'd told her of his plans. She'd also wished him luck and been excited at the pros
pect of being a grandmother, which had surprised him. “Actually, I'm your closest neighbor.”

Darby's mouth opened, and she gawked at him as if he were crazy, too. “You are?”

The whole Phillips clan and her friends glared at him. Apparently Darby's less than enthusiastic greeting had clued them in that all was not well in paradise.

“I bought the place next to yours. The land was originally part of this place, but was subdivided into a separate parcel when you bought the house.”

Why was he telling her that? Of course she knew the land had been subdivided. God, he was nervous.

“You bought the rest of my land?”

He nodded, noting she'd called the land hers, hoping before all was said and done she'd call
him
hers, too.

Her eyes shone blue as the cloudless sky, piercing him with regrets that he'd let her walk away from him. “Why?”

“Um, I think it's time for us to head home,” Rosy said, linking her elbow with her husband's and giving the others in the room a look that said for them to leave, too.

Darby turned, stared blankly at her sister-in-law and the others in the room. Clearly she'd forgotten they weren't alone.

“Me, too,” Mandy said, walking over and giving Darby a quick hug. “Call me later to let me know what time you want me to come over and help finish this up. Bye, Blake. Trey, you ready?”

Mandy and Trey left. But, despite their womenfolk tugging on their arms, Darby's brothers didn't budge—just glared at Blake.

Did they know Darby was pregnant with his baby?

They'd been friendly enough outside, but that had
been before Darby's obvious surprise at seeing him. They'd thought she'd been expecting him. What had she told her family?

Did they all know what an idiot he'd been? That he'd let her leave Knoxville without telling her how he felt? That he'd let her leave without fighting for her—even after she'd given him her heart?

Literally.

Darby didn't move, and neither did her brothers.

Blake met each of her brothers' gazes, then hers. “Is there somewhere we can talk in private?”

Glaring, Jim crossed his arms. “Nothing you have to say to my sister that you can't say to us.”

“It's okay, guys,” Darby said, stepping forward and waving them off. “Y'all go on home. I'll be by Mom and Dad's later for dinner. I'll see you there.”

“We finished the deck—was just coming in to get you to inspect it,” Ralph said, his gaze not leaving Blake.

Darby nodded. “I'll walk out with you guys and take a quick look before y'all leave.” She glanced toward Blake, her expression unreadable. “Blake can wait here.”

He watched through the large window as she walked to the boat dock with her family, noting that her brothers glanced back toward the house repeatedly, and that Rosy kept a tight hold on her husband's arm.

When the group finally left, Darby didn't come back inside. Instead she sat down on the dock. With her arms wrapped around her legs, her chin resting on her knees, she stared out at the lake as if the weight of the world was upon her.

Blake figured he was that weight.

 

What was Blake doing here? What did it mean that he'd bought the rest of the Donahue estate? She'd known he had some family money, but surely not enough to afford all that property connected to the lake and her place? The price had been astronomical.

What did she want his buying the rest of her land to mean?

Ha, that was a trick question.

She wanted it to mean he loved her and had come to sweep her off her feet and marry her.

But if he proposed, did that really mean he loved her? Or just that he'd been hit by a wave of guilt, or responsibility or whatever, and wanted to give their baby a home? A family?

Even if he looked at her with love, she wouldn't really know. After all, she'd seen what a great actor he was on the weekend of the reunion.

If Blake wanted her to believe he loved her, that was what she'd believe.

But would she really?

Did she really want to be with a man when she wasn't sure why he was with her? A man she loved wholeheartedly but who didn't love her in return? But what about their baby? Didn't she owe it to their baby to give him the benefit of the doubt?

Oh, this was crazy. If she wanted to know why Blake was here, what was she doing outside? Why wasn't she inside,
asking
him why he was here? Why he'd bought the rest of her dream property?

She started to push herself up from the dock, but realized Blake stood behind her. How long had he been there?

“You didn't come back inside,” he said softly, moving onto the deck and sitting down beside her. He sat close
enough that she felt his body heat, close enough that she could breathe in his musky scent. Close enough that she wanted to lean against his shoulder, feel his arms around her, and stay there forever.

Instead, she continued to look out at the lake, pretending to be mesmerized by the sunshine bouncing off the water.

“I needed a few minutes to digest that you're here.” She could feel his gaze on her, wanted to turn and look at him, but refused.

“Is my being here a bad thing?” he asked.

“Just unexpected. You're always welcome, Blake. I told you that. I won't try to keep you away from the baby.” Unable not to, she glanced toward him. “Is that why you bought the land next to mine? So you could build a place to stay when you come to visit our child?”

He blew out a long breath and shook his head. “I sold everything in Knoxville.”

Her head jerked up. “You did what?”

“I sold the practice to Dr. Kingston, my house to an out-of-state couple. I'm moving to Armadillo Lake permanently.”

“But…but what will you do?”

“I've applied for an Alabama medical license. I plan to practice here.”

“But…but why?”

“Simple.” His gaze met hers, held. “You're here.”

“And the baby?”

“Yes, and our baby.” He glanced toward her flat belly. “How are you feeling? Any morning sickness?”

“Mild nausea, but that's it.” She studied him, wondering if she'd inhaled too many paint fumes and was imagining that he was really here. Maybe she'd fainted and was
lying on the floor of her future examination room. “You really sold out in Knoxville?”

“I did.”

“But you liked Knoxville.”

“Not after you left.”

Darby's heart came to a quick halt. What was he saying? Had he been struck by guilt that she'd taken off pregnant and alone? Had he felt responsible? Felt he had to come to Alabama to take care of her and their baby?

“Tell me you want me here, Darby. Tell me I'm welcome in your life still.”

“I want you here.” More than anything she wanted him with her. Always. But not because they were business partners. She wanted Blake in her life because he couldn't imagine his life without her. “You're welcome in my life.”

His gaze searched hers. “Tell me you've missed me as much as I've missed you.”

“Okay.” She nodded, wondering where he was going with this, wondering why her heart shook like a motor sputtering to life. “I've missed you as much as you've missed me.” More. Lots more, she silently added.

“This seems to be working pretty well.” He took her hand into his, traced over the lines on her palm, then laced their fingers and gave a tight squeeze. “Let's try another. Tell me you love me as much as I love you.”

Darby wanted to believe him. Really she did. After all, his eyes shone with sincerity. His palm felt clammy next to hers, as if he was nervous as he waited for her answer.

She sighed, pulled her hand from his. “You know how I feel about you, Blake.”

“Do I?”

“I told you.”

“What exactly did you tell me, Darby?”

“That my heart has always belonged to you.”

“And then you gave me that plastic model heart.” He shook his head. “I was stupid, Darby. Utterly stupid. I thought you meant the model, but you didn't, did you?”

Panic seized her, making her feel the need to protect herself. “I did give you the model, Blake.”

“But you'd given me your heart a long time before that, hadn't you? That's why you stayed in Knoxville to begin with? Because I was there?”

She rolled her eyes at him, turned to look out over the lake. “You're so conceited.”

“Tell me I'm wrong.”

“You're wrong.”

“You're lying.”

Through her teeth.

“Maybe,” she conceded.

“I stayed in Knoxville because of you, too, Darby. I stayed because I wanted to be with you even before I knew that was what I wanted.”

Her head jerked toward him. “Huh?”

“Even though you and I weren't a couple, I felt closer to you than to any woman I'd ever known. When I was with you I felt as if I belonged, as if I'd come home. I wasn't ready to acknowledge the attraction I felt for you, because quite frankly you scared the hell out of me, but I wasn't ready to walk away from you either.”

“You let me walk away.”

“I was an idiot.”

Emotions doing jumping jacks inside her chest, Darby
leaned her head against her knees, stared out at the water, scared to believe him. “So where does this leave us?”

“It leaves me madly in love with the woman I've come to convince to give me a second chance.”

“Blake, you don't have to say things like this just because I'm pregnant.”

“I'm not saying anything I don't fully believe.”

“You believe you're in love with me?”

“I am in love with you.”

She shook her head, thinking this was too much to take in. “You're just in shock from the changes at work. From the fact that I walked away from our business. From the fact that our weekend together resulted in my getting pregnant. That's all this is about, Blake. You miss practicing with me.”

“I do miss practicing with you, but there are certainly things I miss more about you than our working together.”

“Like?” she couldn't resist asking.

“Like how you smile at me when I walk into a room. How when something perplexes you, you ask my opinion and really listen to my answer. How when my lips touch yours my entire body catches on fire.”

She liked all those same things about Blake. He'd always believed in her, always been confident in her abilities, and his confidence in her had given her strength.

“Your body catches on fire when we kiss?”

He studied her. “Yours doesn't?”

She nodded. “Yes, my body catches on fire when you kiss me, but that doesn't explain why you're here.”

“To convince you to let me be your partner in Alabama, Darby. With the baby, you're going to need my help.”

With the baby.

Was that why he was saying all the right things? Because he'd resigned himself to a life with her because he'd gotten her pregnant? “I'll get by.”

“You'd get by easier with a partner,” he pointed out. “I have references. I'm sure my last partner would be willing to put in a good word for me.”

“Ha-ha, too funny.”

“I'm being serious, Darby.” He lifted her hand to his lips, pressed a kiss to her fingertips. “I want to be a part of your life. I've never considered living in Alabama, but I do know I belong wherever you are.”

Darby's heart filled with love, filled with the knowledge that Blake loved her. Not because she was pregnant, but because he hadn't been pretending that weekend any more than she had. “How do you know?”

“Because home is where the heart is, and my heart is wherever you are.”

W
HEN
Darby and Blake had added the fully equipped birthing room, they hadn't intentionally meant to be the first couple to make use of its facilities.

“You're sure you're okay?” Blake asked at the end of her latest contraction. He moved from where he'd been between her legs, pressed a kiss to her temple.

She smiled at her worried husband. Playing the role of both expectant father and doctor perhaps hadn't been their wisest choice. But Darby wouldn't have chosen any other way. Together they'd made their precious baby, and together they would bring him into the world. Just the two of them.

Of course the moment her family realized they weren't going to show for Sunday dinner, the entire crew would no doubt descend upon them.

“I'm fine.”

At the moment she really was. If he asked her after the next contraction started she'd likely tell him otherwise,
though. Not that he didn't know. Her last contraction had almost had her head spinning backwards and her cursing his manhood.

Which would be a real shame, since she'd developed quite an attachment to everything about her husband.

Each morning when she woke curled next to him, looked into his happy black eyes first thing, she wanted to pinch herself. Never had she imagined she could be so happy, so loved.

Blake loved her. With all his heart and soul.

When he'd slid the golden band on her ring finger last September, while standing on the dock with their family and friends on the bank, he'd said his vows to her. Love much brighter than the sunshine on the lake had shone in his eyes. Love real and wonderful and all-consuming.

The skin on her belly began pulling tight, warning the next contraction was starting. They were getting close. So very close to welcoming their baby into the world.

“Maybe we should have driven to Pea Ridge.”

Darby shook her head. For as long as she could remember she'd loved this house, had dreamed of someday owning it. Over the past few months she and Blake had made the house their home, taking pride in each room, taking pleasure in decorating the nursery just off their bedroom. Giving birth to their son here would just ice the dream cake.

Or so she'd thought, since she'd wanted to deliver naturally anyway.

As the pressure low in her abdomen continued to build, she admitted she was now seeing the attraction of an epidural.

Her stomach clenched. Sweat beaded on her forehead.

Blake glanced from the monitor strip to Darby's gritted teeth. “Breathe.”

Unable to speak, she nodded, the intense pain ripping her body almost unbearable.

“Push, Darby. He's almost here.”

Surely she'd die any moment from the pain?

“One more push.”

Darby pushed. And pushed.

Blake's cry of awe, followed by another cry, was her reward.

“He's beautiful, Darby.”

Darby's gaze went to her red-faced son, lying on her belly. Blake cut and clamped the cord, wrapped their son in a soft cotton blanket, and handed him to Darby's waiting arms.

“He's perfect, Darby. Just like you.”

Darby was too wowed by the precious bundle in her arms to laugh at Blake's “Just like you.” Someday soon she'd remind him of her “perfection”, but for the moment she could only stare at their baby. Jet-black hair covered his round little head. Ten fingers. Ten toes. The sweetest bow-shaped mouth. Perfect.

“Victor Charles Di Angelo.” Darby said her son's name out loud, holding the baby where Blake could see him, too.

“It's not too late to name him Dillon.”

“Never.” She faked a shudder, knowing how pleased Blake had been at her suggestion of naming their son after his grandfather and her father.

“Don't say I didn't offer.” He winked, love shining in his eyes.

“I won't,” she promised. “You've been offering for the
past six months, despite my repeatedly telling you we aren't naming our son after a high school mascot.”

Her gaze dropped back to the yawning baby in her arms. She couldn't resist touching his cheek, running the pad of her fingertip over the smooth softness. His unfocused dark blue eyes stared at her, stealing her heart.

“Welcome to your new home, darling.”

“He probably liked his old home better,” Blake teased, bending to kiss Darby's cheek. “I know I certainly would.”

Darby shook her head. “You're crazy, City Boy.”

“About you. Maybe Victor needs a baby brother.”

Meeting his gaze, she smiled, knowing where he was going with this. “Named Dillon?”

Grinning, he nodded.

Darby laughed, happier than she could ever remember being. Well, except for perhaps on her wedding day. Her wedding night. And quite a few days and nights since.

She laughed again. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Darby. With all my heart.” He kissed her, then placed his hand over where the baby's fist wrapped around her finger. “Thank you.”

She didn't have to ask what for. She knew. Knew, and was thankful to Blake for the same things. Remembering what he'd told her that afternoon on the dock, she couldn't agree more.

Home was where the heart was—and she'd come home to stay, for her own happily-ever-after.