Second Chances: A PAVAD Duet (15 page)

“
I don’t even know who to
go to in this town. We have a new pediatrician, but not a physician
for me…” She looked up at him through wet blue eyes that melted
him. He just hoped that didn’t show on his face. She needed him. “I
took a second test. A different brand. It said the same
thing.”

“
We need to figure out what
to do next, and how we are going to tell the kids. And I need to
think.”

Worry was on her face and
in her tone. “I’m so sorry, Dan. I never meant for something like
this to happen. And it never even occurred to me. I have been on
the shot since six weeks after Aislin was born, and my last
injection was the month before the move. There should have been
enough in my system to prevent this. It’s supposed to last for up
to fourteen weeks. I am so sorry.”

“
Stop apologizing. We both
knew the risks of what we were doing that night. All three times.
We will figure this out.” He didn’t want her apologizing for that
night. It had been beautiful and what they both needed. And he
could not—would not—regret it. He didn’t want her to, either. They
were consenting adults who were free to do as they wanted with
whomever they wanted. He would not regret that night.

Or the repercussions of it.
But one thing was absolutely certain in his mind. He would not miss
out on a single day of this baby’s life. Nothing in hell would
prevent him from being his or her father. Nothing.

Ally stayed snuggled
against Dan on his couch for a couple of hours, though neither of
them spoke much. What was she supposed to say? She wasn’t ready to
make plans, and felt he was of the same mind. The first thing she
needed to do was visit a doctor, confirm the pregnancy and get a
due date. Although, she would have little trouble calculating that
herself.

He hadn’t stopped touching
her since the moment she’d told him. She barely knew what to think
of that. His hands had been warm on her back, her face. Now he held
her in the crook of his arm with the fingers of one hand under her
sweater and over her abdomen. He’d even kissed her hair a time or
two.

This reaction wasn’t
exactly what she’d pictured on the drive over to his house. She’d
pictured everything from him yelling at her, denying the baby was
his to him threatening to take the baby from her. She hadn’t
pictured him cuddling her, acting as if they were a long-together
couple facing the birth of a planned child. Jack hadn’t even acted
like that when she’d told him of Aislin. He’d been coldly
indifferent, feeling that one child was plenty. He’d ignored her
for days after she’d told him.

“
How are we going to tell
our children? They will hate us.” Ally could picture that so
easily. Kelly would never speak to her again, and all of Ryan’s
hopes for his father’s return to their lives would be completely
dashed, destroyed. She had no idea how Emma would react, and Gracie
was just getting used to having a parent who cared about her in her
life, and now she would be expected to share him with a much
younger child? No, none of the children—with the possible exception
of Aislin, who loved babies—would be happy about this. How could
she do that to them?

“
Emma and Kelly are old
enough to understand that things like this do happen. They might
not like it, but they will eventually adjust.” Dan’s words were
confident, and Ally appreciated that—even if she didn’t quite
believe him.

“
But Gracie and Ryan…they
are going to hate us. And I don’t think Kelly will ever forgive me
for this.” How could she? She was Ally’s best friend, and Ally had
betrayed that friendship. The tears started again, and Ally hastily
wiped them away.

“
Of course she will. As for
Gracie and Ryan, kids are resilient. And we can give them all the
help they need to understand it,” Dan said and pulled her tighter
to him. Ally went willingly. He was warm and confident and safe.
She wasn’t alone in this.

That would take some
getting used to. “So how are we going to do this? You tell yours
and I tell mine?”

He shook his head, laced
his fingers through hers. “No. We did this together, and we do it
together from now on.”

“
They’ll have questions
that we’ll need to be ready for.” Ally tried to think of those
questions, but the overwhelmed feeling was returning. “When do you
want to do this?”

“
After you go to a doctor.
We need to make sure you and the kid are healthy. Then we need to
decide on the details.”

“
Like? I can’t put my
thoughts together, Dan. Every possible scenario is running through
my head right now.”

“
Like when you, the kids,
and the baby will be moving in here. Your house is too small, don’t
you think?”

Ally wasn’t too sure about
him just making that decision for himself. And she definitely
wasn’t sure she wanted to uproot her children and move them again.
“I think that’s something we are both going to have to think about.
I have to do what’s best for all of the children. Not just this
one.”

Anger flashed in his eyes
and had her breath catching. “I won’t miss out on a single day,
doc. I don’t think I can.”

Ally felt her heart melt at
the pain in his words. Of course he couldn’t. Not after the last
fifteen years of hell for him. And she would never do that to him.
“I don’t want you to. This is your baby, too. But we barely know
each other and we can’t just expect to meld two families together
overnight.”

“
Who says it has to be
overnight? We have nine months give or take a week or so, to do
this. I’ll admit, my first instinct is to drive over to your house
and bring everything you own over here, and put you and the kids in
my house where I think you belong. I understand that’s not
reasonable. At least not tonight. But doc, I’m not a patient man. I
want my family with me, all of my family. And from the moment we
created this baby, you and your children became mine,
too.”

And he meant it, too,
though it was clear on the doc’s face that his claim scared her.
She would just have to get over that. He’d thought of her so many
times over the past month, had dreamed of her beside him nearly
every night. Now he had a means to make that a reality.

And he was getting a second
chance at being a father, as well. How could he possibly regret
that, or let the opportunity pass him by? He would be insane to let
that happen.

No, he would do what he had
to do to get her in his home, in his life, and then…eventually back
into his bed. This was his second chance, and he would not lose
it.

His baby was growing in the
doc, would have her for a mother. Would have a mother who would
love and cherish him or her every single day. His heart heated as
he pictured the doc holding his son or daughter in her arms,
looking at him with soft eyes and a sweet smile. He would kiss that
smile, then kiss the baby. He’d play ball with Ryan and have tea
time with Aislin. Like he had when they’d stayed with him weeks
ago. He’d glower at Gracie’s dates and would watch Emma graduate
from law school. He’d watch Kelly find someone of her own to love.
Then someday he would walk his girls down the aisle and give them
away like he had his Carrie months ago.

Then as each of their
children grew up and moved on in their lives, he would hold the doc
close. She would keep him young and he would cherish her for the
rest of his days.

No, Dan would not lose out
on this second chance at a family, a full family—complete with a
woman of his own.

He didn’t delude himself;
he didn’t love the doc. Not yet, but he suspected that would come
with time. He already held deep feelings for her, had since the
first time he’d danced with her. The first time he’d kissed her.
The basis for a strong relationship was evident.

It would just take time on
both their parts for more to develop. And if he had her in his
home, close, the chances of those feelings developing were higher.
Yes, the first thing he needed to do was get the doc into his home
on a more permanent basis.

“
We’ll take this slow.” The
doc’s words were both a statement and a question, her uncertainty
so clear for him to see.

Dan pushed blonde hair off
her cheek, then wove his fingers through the strands. He guided her
closer. “We have no rush. We’ll give the kids as much time as they
need before the baby is born. But doc, I want your
promise…”

“
Yes?”

“
You and your kids will be
living here by the time the baby joins us. I want us to be a
family. All of us before that kid comes home from the
hospital.”

“
I’m not sure I can promise
that.”

“
I just want you to promise
to try.” He brushed his lips over hers once, twice, before
deepening the kiss. She didn’t pull away. After a moment her hands
fisted in the material of his shirt and she clung to him. He kept
the embrace gentle, soft, and unthreatening. It wasn’t the time for
heat, just comfort and togetherness.

It was several long moments
before he pulled back. “Doc, Kelly and the girls will be home soon.
As much as I want you to stay here, I think we need some time to
prepare what we’re going to tell them, don’t you?”

She nodded. “I want to go
to a doctor first. I’ll call one first thing in the morning, and
let you know when the appointment is.” She bit her lip and looked
at him for a moment. “Do you want to go with me?”

Had he went with Beth to
any of her appointments? He didn’t think so. She hadn’t wanted him
to.

But this time would be
different. This woman was different. And he was a different man
than he’d been before. “I would like that very much. And Doc? Try
to worry too much. Things will work out for us. How can they not?
We aren’t kids; we know exactly what we’re getting
into.”

They snuck away on her
lunch break the next day. He’d taken the day off and met her in the
parking lot of the doctor’s office. Ally had trouble wrapping her
head around what they were doing—both the fact that the situation
existed and that they were being furtive about it.

This obstetrician was
reputed to be one of the best in the city; Dan had gotten the name
from one of his pregnant teammates. Ally shivered in her coat, the
light rain and breeze going straight through her. Dan must have
noticed and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked
toward the office doors.

“
You ok, Doc?”

“
Scared. I’m really scared,
Dan. I don’t know if I can do this.” Ally had been awake all night,
visiting various scenarios in her head. In most of them, all of the
children—including the new baby—end up hating her and Dan. She had
a sneaking feeling that was going to be the outcome of this
scenario.

“
Of course we
can.”

While she appreciated his
support, his total confidence was slightly annoying. “Don’t you
have any doubts? This is going to seriously disrupt some lives,
here. Including ours.”

He stopped just outside the
doors. “What are you saying, Doc? That we should consider ending
the pregnancy? Because as much as I don’t like the idea, apparently
the law says you have the ultimate power to make that
decision.”

Ally felt her eyes widen at
his harsh words. She’d never even considered it. Did he think she
had? “No! I’m not saying that…I wouldn’t…hadn’t even thought…let’s
just get inside and make sure there is a baby.”

He spoke very little while
they waited for the nurse to call her name. Ally darted a glance at
him—was he angry with her? Did he think she wanted to abort the
baby? She didn’t. She’d already pictured the baby in her head, and
it was hers. She wanted the best for him or her, just as she did
for Aislin and Ryan. She couldn’t harm the baby. No matter what. It
was her child, and she loved being a mother. Knew she would love
another baby just as much as she did her older two.

Ally wrapped her fingers
around his, then waited until he looked at her. “Dan, I would never
do that. Especially without your agreement. You know that, right?
I’m just worried about everyone else.”

His expression softened. He
turned his hand over and theirs touched palm to palm. “I know. And
I think we need to forget everyone else for the next few hours and
concentrate on the new baby for a while.”

Ally nodded. He was right.
It should be about the new baby today; they could work out a plan
for everyone else tomorrow.

Five minutes later she was
stepping up on a scale after handing Dan her coat and purse. Then
she followed the nurse into the exam room.

The exam went as she had
expected, complete with the doctor voicing her concerns regarding
Ally’s age, previous pregnancies, and physical conditions. Ally was
in good shape, overall, and she knew that lessened any risk
factors; she didn’t smoke, or drink, and took good care of
herself.

Then it was time for the
vaginal ultrasound. Dan stepped out of the room for the initial
setup of the exam, then when Ally felt as comfortable as she could
under the paper sheet, the doctor called him back in. “Let’s see
what we’ve got here, shall we?”