Pregnancy Countdown Read online

  Her doctor smiled. “I can do better than that, Nora. I can give it to you in two words. You’re pregnant.”

  Chapter Five

  Nora’s sense of the world tilted dangerously. If she hadn’t been sitting down, she would have fallen to the floor.

  “Ah, no, that’s not possible,” she protested, even as the logical part of her brain kicked into high gear. Dates circled on her calendar that had gone by without incident was the loudest reminder. “I’m on the Pill,” she stated as if that said it all.

  Dr. Averick smiled warmly. “It’s not only possible, Nora, but very true. It can happen even when you’re on the Pill. All the symptoms you’ve been experiencing should have been your first warning. I’m sure you probably thought they were side effects to all you’ve gone through lately, but that’s not the case here. Besides, tests don’t lie,” he said gently. “I’d say you’re about six weeks along.”

  Six weeks. The night Mark came over to her house and she cried on his shoulder. The second time she invited him into her bed. And she had forgotten to take her pills when she was in Seattle and for about a week or so after she got back.

  She pressed her fingertips against her temples. It did nothing to cease the voice in her head. She closed her eyes as the softest of whimpers escaped her lips.

  Nora opened her eyes when a warm touch landed on her wrist. Dr. Averick’s fingers lay lightly against her skin.

  “Am I to gather you and the father are no longer together?”

  She smiled at his less-than-subtle probing. The man had been her doctor since she’d arrived in the Newport Beach area more than ten years ago. Here, she’d been afraid she might have something more serious than the flu. In a way, it was more serious. She just found out her flu would last another eight months.

  “Not exactly. He’s my best friend’s brother and, ah, he’s part of a large family,” she said lamely, afraid she wasn’t making much sense. “He has lots of nieces and nephews.” She swallowed then whimpered. “Excuse me, but I think I’m going to be sick.”

  Ten minutes later, Nora felt better after the doctor prescribed medication he assured her was safe for the baby and would calm her nausea. Armed with samples of prenatal vitamins and a prescription for the nausea, she left the office. Her head was still spinning and the sensation had nothing to do with nausea.

  Nora was grateful she’d cleared her schedule that day. She knew there was no way she could return to the salon and Ginna’s sharp eyes. The woman would have the truth out of her within minutes. Nora didn’t want to think what Ginna’s reaction would be. She wanted to wait on that conversation until she was more comfortable with it herself.

  She recalled it wasn’t so long ago that Ginna thought she was pregnant by Zach. A total surprise since Ginna was convinced she couldn’t have children. It took Gail interpreting an old medical report to explain that it wasn’t Ginna’s fault there were no children during her first marriage, but an allergy to her husband’s semen that caused her to reject every wiggly sperm that tried to do its job. It had turned out Ginna wasn’t pregnant, but it had given her the courage to go to Zach and make things right. Now Ginna was married to a man who loved her with all his heart and had two adorable stepchildren who loved her just as much.

  And now Nora was going to have her best friend’s brother’s baby.

  “Stay tuned for our next emotionally packed episode of ‘There’s Something About Nora’,” she muttered as she drove out of the parking lot. “She let her hormones take control and oh boy, they went wild.” She suddenly wondered if she’d be able to fit inside her car eight months from now. “Oh my God! I’m going to be a mother!”

  Nora had no idea how she made it home in one piece. Since the afternoon had turned chilly, she changed into forest-green leggings and a baggy black-and-green-striped sweater that hung down past her thighs.

  “It will probably be a snug fit before I know it,” she said wryly as she slipped on her tennis shoes.

  Brumby uttered growling barks when she picked up his leash.

  “Yes, we’re going to your very favorite place,” she told him, fastening his leash to his collar. She tucked her house key and wallet in her waist pack along with two small bottles of water, one for her and one for Brumby. She headed for the door with an eager Brumby pulling on his leash.

  Nora liked that her house was only a few blocks away from the dog park. What Brumby couldn’t do in speed, he could make up in enthusiasm at the sight of other dogs. Some days, she took him to the little park next to her house. His next favorite activity was sprawling on the grass and watching the kids play on the swings and the other equipment. Not to mention he graciously accepted all the attention the kids lavished on him.

  At the dog park, Brumby greeted a few dogs he knew then happily followed his mistress toward one corner of the park. Nora sat cross-legged on the grass while the bulldog plopped down beside her. He panted heavily as he surveyed the park in search of friends, old and new.

  “I have news for you, Brumby,” Nora began. His ears pricked up at the sound of his name. “We’re going to have a new addition to the family. Not a puppy,” she swiftly assured him. “A baby. There’s going to be a little boy or girl for you to play with although not like Theodore Train Engine or Sam the School Bus.” She mentioned two of his favorite toys that made appropriate noises when he bit down on them.

  Brumby looked up at her and made sounds that she hoped meant “Congratulations” and not “No way am I sharing my toys!”

  “Now I just have to figure out how to tell Mark. Not right away, of course. I have to get used to the idea myself first.” She suddenly groaned. “Oh no! Everyone is going to jump all over this piece of news. Another Walker brother turns into a surprise daddy. First Jeff, then Brian and now Mark.” She buried her face in her hands. “He’ll never live this down.” Tears that threatened to fall were halted when Brumby scrambled up onto her knees in his attempt to offer her doggie kisses. She hugged him tightly as he continued to lick her face. “We’ll do fine, sweetie. Once I figure out how I’m going to handle all this.”

  An hour in the park of playing Keep Away with Brumby cleared Nora’s mind and raised her spirits. She was still smiling during their walk back to the house. Her smile wobbled a bit when she saw a familiar truck parked in her driveway and an equally familiar figure seated on her front steps. He stood up as she and Brumby approached him. The dog woofed a couple of times and strained at the leash. Nora dropped it as he waddled toward Mark.

  “You must be feeling better,” Mark greeted her.

  “Just something I ate.” She almost choked on her lie.

  He frowned. “Ginna said you haven’t been feeling good lately. That has to be more than just something you ate.”

  “I’ve learned what foods to avoid. Why are you here, Mark?”

  He looked away and mumbled something.

  Nora felt tired and not in the mood to act nice. Not to mention, she was afraid he would just look at her and guess her secret. Mark might not be a doctor, but he was a paramedic. He had told stories of his delivering babies that weren’t going to wait to reach the hospital. She hoped it didn’t mean he could diagnose pregnancy by just looking at a person.

  “What did you say?”

  He turned back and kept his eyes trained on her face as he said, “I said I wanted to make sure you were all right.” There was no doubt of his sincerity. She didn’t want him caring about her. She wanted him to go on with his life the way she planned to go on with hers. She knew after their breakup he’d gone on with his life with the help of a public relations assistant named Daisy who worked at a local advertising firm. After Daisy came Kate, then Joanna. Nora wouldn’t be surprised if he worked his way through the alphabet. She was proud of herself for not once asking Ginna about Mark. That didn’t stop Ginna from occasionally dropping comments about her brother’s social life. Nora had always been grateful Ginna had never asked Nora her reason for breaking up with Mark. Nora had never admitted
just how much it hurt to realize Mark was just like her father. The last thing she wanted was to be with a man whose eyes wandered too much.

  She refused to re-create her mother’s life. Nora thought she was safe because marriage had never been brought up when they dated.

  She walked over to the steps and sat down beside him. He shifted his body so that he was facing her. Brumby ambled up to plop down between them. He groaned happily when Mark scratched him behind the ears.

  “Mark, you don’t need to be the good guy here,” she said softly. “I told you that first morning that I wouldn’t be the clinging vine or expect anything from you. No strings. You’re safe.” She was surprised by the slight frown creasing his forehead.

  “And you told me the same thing the second time around. You’re not a one-night stand, Nora.”

  “No, I’m a two-night stand,” she said slowly and deliberately, not missing his wince at her blunt choice of words. “You happened to be there when I was feeling vulnerable. I didn’t wake up hoping for bouquets of roses and impassioned declarations.”

  “Some would say you’re protesting too much.” He stood up and held out his hand. She placed hers in it and he pulled her up. He didn’t let go of her hand as he started down the driveway toward his truck. A sharp-edged whistle had Brumby on their heels.

  “What are you doing?” She tried to hang back, but he was having none of it.

  “I’m taking you out to dinner. I bet you haven’t had a decent meal in days.”

  “I have so.” She couldn’t believe he’d guessed her lunch was a container of orange-crème yogurt. It seemed to be the only thing her touchy stomach could handle. At least the doctor’s news had cleared up that mystery. She watched him pick up her dog and put him in the back seat. “Last I heard, dogs weren’t allowed in restaurants.”

  “They are if you go to Syd’s Place where dogs are welcome on their patio,” he told her.

  “Mark!” She tried digging in her heels but didn’t get very far. Plus, he already had her dog in the truck. He gave her an ungentlemanly push up into the passenger seat. As if he guessed she still might try to bolt, he reached over her and pulled the seat belt across her chest and fastened it.

  “I have plenty of food in my refrigerator,” she argued.

  “You’ve cooked for me twice. Since cooking isn’t one of my better skills, I’ll take you out.” He jumped into the driver’s seat and started up the engine. The Rolling Stones immediately filled the cab. He quickly turned down the volume.

  “Brumby will drool all over your clean seats.” Nora tried another argument.

  “As long as he’s not toxic, I’m not worried.” He stretched his arm along the back of the seat as he half turned while backing down the driveway. “I hope you’re hungry. Wednesday is chili night at Syd’s.”

  “Just don’t give Brumby any,” Nora warned.

  “You can pick something from the dog menu.”

  She knew it was time to give up. For some reason, Mark was determined to take her out to dinner, so she may as well let him. A tiny smile touched her lips. She was hungry and she was eating for two.

  Though the light was dim, Mark didn’t miss Nora’s smile. At least she had stopped arguing with him. Damn, the dog was drooling all over the back seat! He tightened his jaw and concentrated on the road.

  “How do you know Syd’s Place? You don’t have a dog,” Nora pointed out.

  “Brian mentioned that he and Gail go there a lot since they can take their dog,” he replied. “Seems the baby loves the beach. They like to stop there to eat before heading home.”

  Nora saw the comparison between Mark and Brian much too clearly. She didn’t expect any impassioned declaration of love from Mark or an insistence on doing the right thing. It wasn’t his style. It was a well-known fact he didn’t like to be tied down.

  She knew how he would react as well as she knew how his family would react. His parents, Cathy and Lou, would welcome a new grandchild and his grandmother and grandfather, Theo and Martha, would boast about the newest great-grandchild.

  She knew her baby would have the joy of a large family. Something Nora hadn’t had as a child. She knew she wouldn’t keep the baby from them. The older Walker clan was never happier than when they spent the day together with family and friends.

  She gave herself a mental shake. She was looking ahead to perhaps a year from now. She needed to concentrate on getting through dinner without divulging news she was still trying to get used to.

  Look at this evening as a positive echoed inside her head in a voice that sounded way too much like Grammy Fran’s. The two of you made a baby. Be friends if you can’t be anything else.

  Nora looked out the window at the colorful buildings that housed surf shops next door to art galleries and swimsuit boutiques.

  A wooden sign weathered by the salt air with multicolored letters announced they had arrived at Syd’s Place. Mark found a spot near the eatery and helped Nora out of the truck. He picked up Brumby and kept hold of his leash as the dog eagerly explored the bowls of plants set outside a florist’s.

  “No way, guy.” Mark reined him in. “You water those plants, they’ll make you buy them.”

  “His allowance couldn’t cover buying a flower petal from there,” Nora said.

  Mark studied the shop’s exterior, white with dark green accents. Green window boxes filled with colorful blooms highlighted a display window that showed off an elegant crystal vase holding a rose in a delicate shade of peach. Tiny fairies hung from the ceiling looking as if they were flying around the vase.

  “Mom loves stuff like that,” he commented.

  “Christmas will be here before you know it.” Nora smiled slyly.

  He didn’t miss her smile. “What do you know about that vase that I don’t?”

  “The cost. Twelve hundred dollars and that’s without the rose.”

  Mark tried to say something but air was caught in his chest and he started choking. Nora reached over and helpfully slapped him on the back.

  “You’re joking, right?” he wheezed.

  She shook her head. “The shop caters to those who want Italian crystal for their vases, flowers flown in from all over the world, and who are willing to pay for it.”

  “Good thing Syd’s Place lets us lowly paramedics in.” Mark held the door open for Nora.

  “Hello, sexy!” a yellow-nape Amazon parrot sang out as they walked through the door. He let out a piercing wolf whistle that had Nora laughing.

  “Hello, Syd,” she greeted the bird who fluffed his feathers and wolf whistled again.

  “Hey, Nora.” A man wearing white jeans and a brightly colored tropical print shirt smiled at her then looked past her. “Mark! Haven’t seen you here in some time.” He picked up two menus and a bone-shaped sheet.

  “Hey, Ryan, I like the shirt.” Mark grinned as Nora rolled her eyes.

  “Yeah, and I get to wear mine to work.” The restaurant owner grinned back. He led them outside to the patio and seated them at a table that overlooked the beach. There was only one other couple out there with a haughty-looking Pekinese seated sedately by a chair. Brumby uttered a soft woof. The dog didn’t respond.

  Mark leaned down to speak in the bulldog’s ear. “She’s not your style, Brumb. A lady like that is high maintenance. Look at that silky fur. Can you imagine the grooming costs alone? Not to mention doggie perfume, manicures and pedicures. Trust me, you can do much better.”

  Nora accepted the menu Ryan handed her along with the bone-shaped menu listing the canine cuisine the restaurant offered.

  “You’re giving him dating advice?” She arched an eyebrow at Mark.

  “I know these high-maintenance women. They’d rather look in the mirror than talk to you.”

  “Hey, guys,” a young woman wearing white shorts and a snug-fitting bright coral cotton T-shirt greeted them with a warm smile. The badge pinned to her shirt proclaimed her name was Cyn. She set a metal bowl filled with water in front of B
rumby. “Hey, Brumby.” She gave him a scratch between the ears. “How about you two? Do you want a drink before dinner? Can I start you out with some of our potato skins, our onion-ring tower or fried zucchini?”

  Mark looked at Nora inquiringly. “What do you think?”

  “Any and all sounds good to me,” she replied, feeling hungrier by the minute.

  “You two want to share the sampler platter?” the waitress asked.

  “Bring it on, gorgeous,” Mark agreed. “Nora, do you want to share a bottle of wine?” he asked.

  Nora shook her head. “Not tonight. I’ll have the passion fruit iced tea, Cyn,” she told the waitress.

  “Regular iced tea for me,” Mark said.

  “Got it.” Cyn turned on the patio heater set next to their table and bounced off to place their order.

  Mark returned to studying the menu.

  Nora had one eye on her menu and another eye on Mark. She knew his brown hair owed its deceptively casual look to Ginna’s mastery with scissors, but the cotton shirt covered with hula dancers, his baggy khaki shorts and battered running shoes with no socks was pure Mark.

  He leaned forward, focusing his blue eyes on her. “Tell me the truth, Nora.”

  She froze. He couldn’t have guessed, could he? Was the word pregnant branded on her forehead?

  “That depends,” she said warily.

  “So all you’ve had was a stomach bug, wasn’t it? I know there’s been one going around for about the past month.”

  She was grateful she wasn’t drinking her water when he spoke, because she knew water would have been sprayed all over him.

  “You’re right, Mark. It was a nasty stomach bug,” she admitted, tamping down the impulse to laugh hysterically. “I saw the doctor this morning and he said I’m fine.”

  “Good. It’s not something to mess around with.”

  “Definitely,” she said gravely. “You don’t have to, you know.”

  He looked puzzled. “Don’t have to what?”