Maitland Maternity: Triplets, Quads and Quints. Kasey Michaels
Читать онлайн книгу.
is nothing between me and Dr. Callaghan. Okay?” Then she stomped into her office.
“Okay,” she heard Lisa say. She hoped Lisa meant that answer as a promise to help curtail the speculation about a romance. But Bri was afraid her agitated reaction might cause even more speculation.
And darn it! She still hadn’t thanked the man!
E-mail! She was going to deal with him through e-mail. She could be calm and reasonable when she didn’t have to talk to him.
She immediately wrote a gracious—well, not too gracious—note thanking him for keeping an eye on her. She reminded him that she was a professional and hoped he would treat her as one.
Then she lay back in her chair, taking deep breaths and closing her eyes. Her checkup with Abby was in half an hour. She didn’t want her blood pressure to alarm Abby.
“ABBY? This is Hunter. I’m planning on sitting in on Bri’s checkup. Helen told you, didn’t she?”
“Yes, of course, Hunter.”
“Look, don’t be alarmed about Bri’s blood pressure. And take it before you tell her I’m coming. I’m going to wait outside until she’s on the table, prepped for the ultrasound.”
“Is something wrong?” Abby asked cautiously.
“She got upset this morning. She felt her brother sided with me on something and it upset her.”
“She seems particularly sensitive to—well, to you.”
Hunter couldn’t think of what to say.
“I heard she met you at a conference.”
It was Hunter’s turn to be silent. He hadn’t realized she’d told anyone that. “Uh, yes, briefly. We didn’t really get to know each other.”
“Which conference did you meet at?”
“I don’t know. I’d have to check my calendar. Does it matter?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer. “Look, she’s embarrassed to have me observe the checkup because we’re acquaintances. It’d be like having your brother-in-law watch you undress. We just need to keep her calm. When you’re ready to start the sonogram, knock on the door. I’ll be waiting just outside.”
“All right, fine.”
He waited until five minutes after Bri’s appointment time before he slipped into Abby’s outer office in the main hospital. Bri wasn’t in the waiting room.
The receptionist assured him Bri was already in an exam room, so he asked to talk to Abby’s nurse. As he’d hoped, Abby had left instructions.
“She said you were going to wait outside the door. Peggy, the other nurse, is with the two of them.”
“Just show me which room they’re in,” he said softly.
He felt sure Abby had planned the ultrasound for the last part of the checkup. He was eager to see his daughters.
He stood at the door for several minutes, hearing the murmur of feminine voices. Then a soft knock informed him he could enter.
Stepping into the room, he nodded to Abby and walked to the head of the table. Bri was staring at the monitor, probably assuming he was another nurse. But something must have alerted her to his presence, and she shrieked and dove for the sheet, trying to cover her stomach.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded in a hoarse whisper.
“I want to see the ultrasound, both to check the babies and to evaluate the quality of the machine. Abby agreed.”
“Well, someone should’ve asked me. I don’t want you here.” She turned to Abby. “Please, Abby, make him leave!”
Abby stepped forward and took her hand. “Bri, you’re all covered up except for your stomach, and I’m sure Dr. Callaghan has seen pregnant stomachs before. Just relax before your blood pressure gets too high. Your babies need more time in the womb. Take deep breaths.”
Hunter spoke softly to the nurse and she left the room.
“Do you need something?” Abby asked, frowning.
“Yeah, something to bring down the blood pressure,” Hunter said.
“I don’t think medication—” Abby began as the nurse came back into the room carrying a towel and a bottle of lotion.
“Of course not. But a foot rub will do the trick,” he said, pouring cream into his hand.
“What did he say? What’s he doing?” Bri asked, trying to raise her head high enough to see over her stomach. Then she sighed as he began rubbing cream on her feet. After a moment, she remembered to protest. “Hunter, you shouldn’t—”
“Relax, Bri. Abby’s going to show us those three little girls. Let’s have a look-see.” Then he nodded to Abby as he continued to massage Bri’s feet.
He only stopped once, when the picture first clearly showed his three little girls. “They’re beautiful,” he murmured, and received an enthusiastic agreement from Abby.
Bri, lying more relaxed on the table, blinked away tears, but her gaze was focused on the screen that showed three squirmy babies jockeying for position in their limited space.
After a quick look at Bri, Hunter began massaging her feet again, silently giving thanks that Bri had decided to keep their children and try to manage on her own. She was a courageous woman. Even if she wanted nothing to do with him after the babies were born, he felt sure she wouldn’t stop him from seeing the girls.
“Everything’s all right?” Bri asked Abby, sniffing away the tears.
“Oh, they’re doing beautifully, Bri. And if you give birth now, they’ll make it just fine. But the longer you carry them, the faster they’ll go home from the hospital.”
“I’m being careful.” Then, she flashed her gaze to Hunter and back to Abby. “I’ve already hired a lady to help at home, so I can get plenty of rest.”
“Oh, good. I’d been worrying about how much you were trying to do. Good decision.”
Bri’s gaze returned to Hunter. “Yes. I appreciated the concern that—I got some good advice.”
Slowly, he grinned, knowing that was her way of thanking him. Pretty magnanimous, since he’d been interfering where he had no right to interfere. Maybe she would accept his protection a little more readily in the future.
Even as he was thinking such pleasant thoughts, her jaw firmed and her lips were pressed together. “But I’m an adult, and I can manage my affairs by myself.”
He had no intention of letting her try—no matter what she said!
THAT EVENING was again delightful. Alice joined Bri for dinner, and everything in her house was sparkling and fresh.
“You’re going to have to mess up more things, young lady, so I’ll have enough to do.”
“Oh, Alice, you shouldn’t be working so hard.”
“Well, I wanted to ask you about cooking ahead. Most things are good for six months, I think. I thought I’d bake some lasagna and freeze it. Maybe a cake or two, because you’ll probably have several visitors after the babies are born. We’ll need something to feed them when they visit.”
“That’s a wonderful idea, Alice, if you don’t mind the extra work.”
“Well, I have the time now. If you don’t mind the added expense.”
Bri quickly assured her she didn’t. After dinner she took a shower. Abby had suggested it might be best to have showers now. Then she settled among the cushions on the sofa, turned on the television and relaxed. Alice brought her a cup of tea and some cookies.
“I’m not